Santa Cruz California Hotels & Motels

Where are the top hotels in Santa Cruz for discounted rates?

Guests love the mission-style vibe of Hampton Inn Santa Cruz, California, and its convenience to Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park and the Boardwalk. This affordable hotel also offers discounted hotel rates to AAA members. A stay at this Hampton Inn property includes indoor pool access and a free daily hot/cold breakfast, plus internet connectivity, soft bedding, and entertainment via an LCD television.

The Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Santa Cruz also welcomes AAA guests with extra discounts. Customers rave about the hot/cold breakfast, which includes fresh fruits and unexpected treats like cinnamon rolls and fresh muffins, along with breakfast staples like scrambled eggs. Business travelers also appreciate the express check-out services, laundry services, business center, and meeting space. Be sure to take advantage of the property's sauna and outdoor pool before you depart.

What hotels offer the most value in Santa Cruz, California?

For a world-class boutique hotel experience at an approachable rate, consider the Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection in Santa Cruz. This hotel's modern design draws inspiration from the landscape of Santa Cruz, with exposed wood planks and elements of redwood. Be sure to dine at Hotel Paradox's Solaire restaurant, enjoy an open-air dining experience next to the pool, and take in the unique sculptures on the grounds outside. A shuttle bus from the hotel will get you to all the sites of Santa Cruz, within minutes.

The Babbling Brook Inn in Santa Cruz offers a quiet escape to those who prefer traditional décor in a bed-and-breakfast setting. Guests get the opportunity to mingle during the free daily breakfast buffet, adding value to an already affordable room rate. The West Santa Cruz location makes it a convenient spot, while its quiet gardens and elegant guest rooms make this property a sweet escape.

What are the best things to do on your vacation to Santa Cruz, CA?

From the cliffs and beaches to the redwood-forested hills and mountains beyond Santa Cruz, California, the best way to take in the landscape is to set out on foot. Sedate, paved footpaths and more strenuous hikes offer options for families with small children as well as seasoned hikers who prefer a challenge.

Favorite walking paths include the promenade at West Cliff Drive, affording incredible beach cove views, and you can spot surfers and sailboats from East Cliff Drive in Pleasure Point. Don't miss Walton Lighthouse at the western edge of Santa Cruz Harbor, and if you want to get closest to the beach, Seacliff State Beach's paths offer long, relaxing strolls on the beachfront. For a water view that's closer still, the Santa Cruz Wharf takes you 2,745 feet onto the water for up-close views of sea lions, playing below. Capitola Wharf and the wharf at Seacliff State Beach also present great views and excellent fishing.

The diverse ecosystem of Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge is both convenient and calming. This wildlife sanctuary is situated right in the middle of town, but you'd never know it, as you take a serene mile-long stroll down its floating walkway, observing birds in their natural habitat. The nearby USC Arboretum is a Zen escape of succulents, exotic plants, and hummingbirds.

For a livelier scene, a stroll through Pacific Avenue's nine-block dining and shopping district pleases the eyes and the palate. The Capitola esplanade's colorful shop facades and tasty dining venues invite guests to linger until sunset, for unparalleled views over the Pacific.

If you haven't gotten your fill of walking yet, there are several popular trails and scenic stairways to explore up and down the coastline, offering less foot traffic and more privacy. Meanwhile, seasoned hikers love the challenge of Berry Creek Falls at Big Basin State Park. This 11-mile trail ascends 1000 feet, affording incredible views of an old-growth redwood forest and the canyons below.

Whether you're looking for a romantic weekend away or a family-friendly beach vacation, Santa Cruz offers endless options to entertain you on your quintessential Southern California vacation.

Carlos Santana, one of the most famous residents of Santa Cruz and often considered to be among the best guitarists in the world, is quoted as saying, 'The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.

If we consider these words and ponder over them, it is not too difficult to see how they reflect the way Californians seem to think. California, as a state, is considered to be very liberal and accepting, and love is perhaps the strongest emotion in California. Santa Cruz, quite pleasantly, embodies that fact. Situated by the Pacific, not too far away from San Francisco and San Jose, Santa Cruz is one of the best known cities in the world as far as surfing and beaches are considered. Beach Boys, the most famous Californian band to date, have also sung paeans of praise for the Santa Cruz beaches and their gentle waves. 

Santa Cruz is also a university city, housing University of California at Santa Cruz “ one of the top research oriented institutions in America. 

Book a Hotel Room While Saving Money

Unlike many surrounding cities like San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego, it is not too difficult to find cheap hotels or budget hotels in Santa Cruz. This has primarily to do with the fact that Santa Cruz is not a tourism center in the region. It is more of a laidback country place that people visit during summer months to make the most of its beaches and its waves. Apart from these, however, there's not much to see in or around Santa Cruz. 

This is the prime motivator and reason of the fact that most establishments found in Santa Cruz are of budget kind. This works well with surfers and other travelers as they can lodge in Santa Cruz instead of lodging in more expensive cities like San Francisco or San Jose. 

Enjoy a Stay in Santa Cruz to the Maximum

After having stated that there is an abundance of budget Santa Cruz hotels, it should also be said that the city is not at all without its luxury hotel establishments. In fact, the Los Tajibos Resort and Hotel in Santa Cruz is considered to be among the very best that are present in the state of California. 

These luxury hotel buildings are usually high rises, equipped with the best imaginable resources and facilities like indoor tennis courts, spas, gyms, heated swimming pools, rooftop bars and free flow of drinks for their loyal patrons. 

Boutiques and Independent Hotels in Santa Cruz 

If you are the sort of traveler who doesn't appear to fit quite well in the affordable settings of cheap motels or the opulence of intimidatingly good luxury establishments, it is perhaps for the best that you turn to boutique and independent options in Santa Cruz. 

There are a quite a few boutique and independent hotel establishments in Santa Cruz that specialize in customizing what they have to offer in order to streamline their service to best suit the needs of their guests. 

Most of the boutique and independent establishments of lodging and boarding kind in Santa Cruz include beach houses, beach shacks, temporary studio apartments and summer houses. As one can guess, these places are typically rented out on short terms and are perfectly suitable in terms of convenience and affordability for tourists and surfers who wish to spend a month or two in Santa Cruz. These boutique and independent establishments can be considered as not only viable but very positive alternatives to cheap hotels, as they provide safe and convenient accommodation at relatively lower prices. 

What Should I Know Before Sightseeing in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, at its core, is a city that's best experienced through its people. So, if you are visiting Santa Cruz, make it a point to hire a local guide or a knowledgeable person who can show you around with passion.

All things said and done, Santa Cruz is a city that revolves around its beaches, its waves and its exquisitely laidback lifestyle further accentuated by authentic Californian and Mexican food. So, before sightseeing in Santa Cruz, you should have at least a semblance of idea about where you are going to find the best food that is both locally sourced and authentic. Like most Californian cities, Santa Cruz has its share of food trucks and street side food joints that can put the best of luxury restaurants and hotels in Santa Cruz to shame in terms of the authenticity and popularity of their food. 

The most popular tourist destination in Santa Cruz happens to be the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This sizeable stretch of pristine sand and boardwalk is unique to the city and cannot be found anywhere else in California. Another beach that is quite popular among surfers is the West Cliff Drive. Arguably, the waves here are harder to surf on and ever more difficult to rule. But that very reason attract many a bunch of experienced surfers from around the world to feel and take on the challenge of West Cliff Drive. Inexperienced surfers should, however, stay away from surfing at West Cliff Drive. 

The Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz is one of the very first of its kind in the United States. Those who are interested in learning more about marine biology and what efforts are being done to identify newer species of marine life can find a short trip to the Center edifying as well as interesting. 

Best Time to Travel to Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, being a Californian city, is more often than not sunny. It's only during October to December that the city experiences a season that can remotely resemble winters. Otherwise, traveling to Santa Cruz is a great prospect all year round. Many Santa Cruz hotels provide express deals and discounts during winter months. So, if you wish to make your trip more economical, winter months can be the best time for you to travel to Santa Cruz! 

FAQs about hotels in Santa Cruz