The small coastal city of Santa Cruz possesses a youthful, bohemian vibe, blessed with an established tech-industry and well-known university. The famous University of California Santa Cruz is most known for its humanities and art department. Thus, the town is home to young, artistic talent with a hippy attitude. All through the year, the climate is warm and welcoming, which is ideal for a coastal vacation. Apart from that, the town is a paradise for surfers – there is even an entire museum dedicated to surfing. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park is one of the most touristic parts of the city and also the oldest surviving amusement park in California. If you like the world of unexplained mysteries, watch the law of physics get thwarted in the Mystery Spot, a hilly area just outside Santa Cruz. The town has a lot to offer, from coastal adventures to artistic expeditions. Find out where to stay in Santa Cruz, California, for your next trip to this city.
We handpicked these listings carefully, considering (wherever possible) Superhost status, recent guest reviews, location, accommodation type, prices, availability of dates, decor, and amenities. The image galleries get refreshed with the latest updates regularly. They were last updated on April 08, 2024.
Hotels
1. Hyatt Place Santa Cruz (from USD 144)
The chic and modern hotel is located very close to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Another great attraction, the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse, is also located close by. The impeccably designed rooms have wardrobes, desks, and private bathrooms. Some of them even have a separate living area to relax in. There is an outdoor swimming pool, a hot tub, and a fully equipped gym in the hotel. A continental and buffet breakfast is served in the morning.
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz
Address: 407 Broadway Ave
5.06 km (3.2 mi) from The Mystery Spot
2. Hilton Santa Cruz (from USD 163)
Amidst the bliss of greenery, this Hilton property ensures a luxurious stay. The rooms are comfortable and spacious with cozy living areas. Its grand windows offer excellent glimpses of the surrounding greenery and some of the rooms even have private balconies to enjoy private views. The rooms have amenities like microwaves, refrigerators, and free Wi-Fi. The outdoor pool sits in an idyllic part of the hotel, surrounded by trees. The onsite restaurant, Cafe Max, serves traditional Californian cuisine.
Hilton Santa Cruz Scotts Valley
Address: 6001 La Madrona Drive
2.86 km (1.8 mi) from The Mystery Spot
3. Hotel Paradox -- Autograph Collection (from USD 149)
The best part of this hotel is definitely the beautiful outdoor pool with cabanas. There are also several lounge chairs where guests can sit and relax poolside. The use of the firepit is also complimentary. The rooms of this hotel are soundproof and equipped with a charging area, television, and a coffee machine. The cozy living area is perfect for relaxing and the onsite Solaire Restaurant and Bar brings a collection of excellent food made with local, fresh ingredients, along with local wine and beer. The hotel is less than a 10-minute drive from the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection
Address: 611 Ocean Street
4.76 km (3.0 mi) from The Mystery Spot
4. Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Santa Cruz (from USD 93)
This grand hotel is located very close to the Lighthouse Field State Beach. The contemporary rooms feature flat-screen televisions, writing desks, and separate living areas. A tea and coffee maker is present in every room and the hardwood furniture all through the property gives an additional touch to the chic interior. The hotel has an outdoor pool and a sauna for relaxing. A continental breakfast is served every morning in the restaurant.
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Santa Cruz, an IHG Hotel
Address: 1410 Ocean Street
4.06 km (2.6 mi) from The Mystery Spot
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5. Capitola Venetian Hotel (from USD 170)
This small and cozy hotel is just 3.7 miles (6 km) away from the famous Beach Boardwalk. The comfortable rooms have private bathrooms with toiletries and some of the rooms have their own patio and balconies overlooking the ocean or the quiet streets. A seating area and a kitchenette with a dining area are also present in the lavish suites. Attractions, like Pacific Avenue and the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse, are located close to the property. You can park your car free of charge near the hotel.
Capitola Venetian Hotel
Address: 1500 Wharf Road
6.63 km (4.2 mi) from The Mystery Spot
Resorts
6. Chaminade Resort & Spa (from USD 194)
Overlooking the city of Santa Cruz and its beautiful shoreline, the famous Chaminade Resort & Spa sits atop the Santa Cruz mountain range. The beautiful Beach Boardwalk is not far away, at just around 5 km (3.1 km) from the hotel. Each luxurious room has a private bathroom, television, bathrobes, and free toiletries.
There is an outdoor pool open all through the year, along with barbeque facilities. Two restaurants are located onsite, a multicuisine one called the Sunset Restaurant and Linwood’s Bar & Grill serves traditional Californian cuisine. The best part of this resort is its various decks, which offer beautiful mountain views.
Chaminade Resort & Spa
Address: One Chaminade Lane
2.58 km (1.7 mi) from The Mystery Spot
Apartments
7. A small townhouse near downtown (from USD 238)
The bright and cheerful house is located in a vibrant neighborhood, close to downtown. The one-bedroom house also has a spacious living area and a full kitchen with dining area. The interior is minimalistic, its whitewash walls combining perfectly with the hardwood floors. The bedroom has a queen-sized bed for two guests. The backyard of the house is the perfect place for spending time outdoors. There is a table, chairs, and a hammock to relax in the middle of greenery.
Top guest reviews
Amenities & Room:
this is a lovely apartment filled with charm amenities and tlcfrom the hand poured coffee setup to the inviting living roomdianne’s place is comfortable beautifully designed with all the comforts of homeso cute cozy and comfy all the amenities i would ever wantwe especially loved the kitchen for making breakfast and making tea and coffeeCleanliness:
charge us cleaning charges but we do not had a daily cleaning services like hotels dobeautifully decorated clean and well-stockedsparkling clean and beautifully decorated this space is a sanctuarythis place was so fun and cleanthe whole apartment felt very comfortable and it was spotlessHost:
lovely decorations and helpful ideas to make your vacation delightfulshe was very responsive to any questions and with providing detailed instructions for check-indianne is incredibly warm and friendly and went above and beyond to make us feel at homedianne was very accommodating and gave great recommendations for great restaurantsgreat place great host only downside is limited parking on busy weekend nightsRead more reviewsLocation:
the location is great for a vacation walking distance from everythinggreat location next to boardwalk and downtowngreat location walkable to boardwalk pier and downtownplace has an excellent location to downtown and near for a walk to the boardwalkbeautiful home and great location
8. Tuscan villa near the beach
On a quiet street of Santa Cruz, very close to the center, this Tuscan-style villa is perfect for a quiet holiday. The upstairs apartment possesses a typical romantic vibe, perfect for a couple. The cozy balcony and huge windows invite in lots of natural sunlight, which illuminates the entire apartment. The living area is spacious, with a kitchen and dining area on one side.
The bedroom has a queen-sized bed for two and an extra guest can be accommodated in the twin sofa bed of the living area. There is also a charming loft to relax in or to catch up with your work.
Santa Cruz, California, United States
5.1 km (3.2 mi) from The Mystery SpotSuperhost
Accommodates: 3
Top guest reviews
Amenities & Room:
there is a lovely patio off the kitchen and a beautiful courtyard with fountain belowlovely apartment with balcony having a washer and dryer was handy as welllunch on the patio off the kitchen was a delight in the warm sunshineit has a large comfortable bed in the main bedroom and a pull-out couch in the living roomwe enjoyed the cool foggy mornings walking a couple blocks to grab coffee at verve's roasting facilityCleanliness:
very clean and organizedvery clean & comfortthe place was clean well kept and beautifulthe apartment was clean and perfect for three peoplethe bathroom was very spacious with great water pressure premium soaps and plenty of towelsHost:
the hosts' book of recommendations was helpful and truthfulalso the hosts are always excellentwe really enjoyed the hosts little toucheschuck and susan were excellent hosts who made us feel right at homechuck and susan were great hostsRead more reviewsLocation:
excellent location in santa cruzthe location is also excellentthe location is also amazingexcellent location near downtown and beach in quite safe neighborhoodgreat place in a great location
9. The studio apartment in the westside (from USD 140)
The cozy studio apartment is located in the westside of Santa Cruz, close to Mitchell’s Cove and West Cliff Drive. The compact studio has a small living area, a kitchenette, and a small work desk. The sleeping alcove comes with a queen-sized bed for two. The interior is basic, with redwood floors and large windows. The small veranda opens onto a private garden with comfortable seating.
Top guest reviews
Amenities & Room:
there is a comfortable work space and the wi-fi was reliableher wifi was reliable and a great alternate to not having a tvthis cozy but roomy apartment is super well-designed with thoughtful welcoming touches and amenitiesthe space itself was very well designed and we felt very comfortablethe place was super clean quiet had great heating (for february) and a very functional little kitchenCleanliness:
very clean and comfortablethis is a very clean and simple studiothe house was clean and shelby was very helpfulshelby's studio is sparkling clean and tastefully appointedthe space is simple and cleanHost:
lovely place with lovely hosts - it's a real home away from homeshelby was a wonderful host as wellshe was communicative and very helpfulshelby is the perfect airbnb hostgreat experience and the owners are great communicatorsRead more reviewsLocation:
wonderful accommodations close to everythingthe location is greatthe location is greata charming studio close to everythinggreat location and beautiful airbnb
10. A contemporary, one-bedroom duplex (from USD 160)
This duplex is based on a quiet street, close to the yacht harbor. The newly renovated duplex has a queen-sized bed for two and a couple of extra guests can stay on the queen-sized sofa bed of the living area. The interior is bright and beautiful, with hardwood floors and modern furniture. A fully-stocked gourmet kitchen is located in the corner, with a granite countertop and a breakfast bar. A small garden with seating is the place to enjoy the bliss of outdoors.
Top guest reviews
Amenities & Room:
well equipped kitchen and comfortable bed; bathroom is fine with heated towel rackwe loved the art the bed is very comfy clean amenities and sweet neighborour daughter really enjoyed the available netflix app on the tvgreat updated kitchen and bathroom tooCleanliness:
it's clean and spaciousit was very clean and comfortableclean and simple yet very stylishsuper clean excellent communication and in a very quiet neighborhoodthe place was clean and spaciousHost:
hosts were very easy to work withthe host barry is very helpful and overall would highly recommendour host was kind and helpful and available to help if anything came upbarry is an excellent hostbarry provided helpful directions/suggestions and the woman next door was lovelyRead more reviewsLocation:
great location and pricegreat location walking distance to the beachneighborhood quiet and near to good restaurantsthe location was very nice and close to where we usually staybarry’s place is located in a wonderful family neighborhood in santa cruz
11. A countercultural coastal city
This city on the coast of central California is known as a countercultural hub for its bohemian vibes. Visitors enjoy its relaxed beach lifestyle, along with the opportunity to surf, sail, and kayak. If you are visiting solo or with family and friends, staying somewhere close adds extra convenience and the city has a lot of options - from vacation rentals to cozy cabins to hotels of all ranges. To enjoy every ride that this city has to offer, plan a quick trip to Santa Cruz to explore it firsthand!
History
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