Surf City Inn & Suites

The hotel room was clean the indoor pool and jacuzzi were just right, but the room needs more upgrades.

Lovely pool and jacuzzi. Excellent front desk check-in. Minutes to the beach, boardwalk, and wharf with lots of restaurants and little shops.

Not enough parking on premises. Indoor pool vs outdoor pool. Rooms very clean. Beds comfy

We stayed here because of the amenities. The putting green was great, cornhole was fun, the pool was cold, the hot tub was warm but no Jets were working. The beds were hard. We came to town for a doctor's appointment. It was good for just overnight and conveniently located close to our doctor's office. We would stay again for our next appointment.

What a great little property! Location is everything… Close to the boardwalk and wharf for an affordable price. The indoor pool was great and we loved that there was a hot tub too. 3 beds as a family of 5 was fantastic. The rooms were nice and modern.

spa and pool very clean and nice and it's inside so perfect for spring wheather

Booked because of the jacuzzi and it did not disappoint. Rooms were clean and reasonably new.

Pretty much what you would expect out of a 2star hotel. Grounds were clean, hot tub need some TLC. Jets did not work and it was REALLY dirty! There were five of us in the room but they only put two towels. One towel was stained badly. Beds were not the best but again, two Star hotel. Rooms were clean.

Great location, cozy rooms with kitchen available. Only downside to our stay was the cable was not working well and with the kitchen they don’t supply dishes, utensils or dish soap etc. other than that we enjoyed the pool/hot tub and mini golf/cornhole on site! We’ll definitely book again!

Loved the indoor pool and hot tub. So spacious

Room was dirty, shower didn’t get more than lukewarm, bedding had multiple cigarette burns and stains, ceiling had stains, hair all over the floor and towels were stained and threadbare. Pictures were deceiving. Hotel looked nice but it was not nice and gross.

Floor was dirty. Pillows were flat. Sheets and towels were stained. There was used soap chunks WITH HAIR on the shelf in the shower. There was either mildew or mold all around the silicone of said shower shelf. Peeling paint on the wall in the bathroom. The room smelled like old cigarette smoke that had been covered up. Our upstairs neighbors were noisy until very late. And our room keys quit working the day before our reservation ended.

Claims to be a smoke free hotel but our room smelled like someone have smoked in there before.

Very disappointed! When we got to our room as soon as we turned lights on we had a lot of little roaches scattering everywhere. Even in the bathroom so disgusting! We went to front desk to complain they offered another room but still didn’t feel comfortable staying there. We obviously left and didn’t stay and asked them for a refund. They denied our refund, another disappointment. Will not be booking here again!

Run down room, sheets were filthy and stained, floors & walls were filthy. Strange smell entire visit. Sewage repair occurring in other units. Parking was tight. Check in was fast. WiFi was average. Not a place I would ever stay in again.

I will never stay here again. The sheets/comforter had yellow stains, a cigarette burn, bath towel had an orange stain, and the room had a smell. Our room was handicapped and the shower curtain was short which caused the water from the shower to spill out leaving puddles of water. I was told my sheets would be replaced and they never did. Our key stopped working the second night and had to use the Kiosk to speak to someone since the office was closed. This place is not worth the money. The beds were hard and very uncomfortable. So much money spent for us not to have clean sheets and towels.

Super old nothing like the pictures i felt like i got catfished. Pillows had stains and one of the sheets as well. Most towels were also stained

Super dirty sheets stained and debris all over mattresses ruined my vacation

At night when we would turn on the bathroom light, the roaches would scatter. The bed sags right in the middle. Grocery bags are thicker than the pillows at this hotel. The walls and floor/ceiling is paper thin. You can hear every footstep, every time someone rolls the chair around, and conversations of the people in the room next to you.

Area was not to bad staff were super amazing super respectful and friendly the only bad part i would say is that the bedding did have some stains and smoke holes which was pretty nasty and the iron did not work at all but everything else about the hotel was pretty good!

Nice basic room, noisy neighbors until 3am playing video games.

I got this room because it has a kitchen but there were no pots, pans, plates, silverware or anything else that a kitchen needs. I asked the front desk about it and was told it was on the website but I never would have thought to check for something like that so I'm letting everyone know that the kitchen is useless unless you bring your own stuff. The room was clean enough, its nothing fancy but its a good location and the front desk was helpful and professional

The room served its purpose. Beds, tv with Netflix & YouTube. These beds are really firm, it felt like I was laying on a thin foam pad on hardwood floor.

Good: This hotel was half the price of any other hotel near the beach. Easy walk to beach and downtown restaurants/shops. Front desk staff were courteous and helpful. Room (239) was pretty clean except for used soap bar still in shower from last guest. Bed was comfortable and TV received at least a dozen channels. Neighborhood is a bit sketchy but car did not get broken into overnight in parking lot, hurray. Bad: Room air conditioning was not working and it was a very hot & humid weekend (the fan worked though). Parking lot and stairs are filthy with litter and chewed gum stuck everywhere. No balcony and the view out the window was just the side of another building, but I don't really care about that. Overall: decent if you're trying to save money and don't expect perfection. Of course it still cost twice as much as it should have, but that's true everywhere.

The good things: great location, easy walk to the boardwalk, beach, along the river and parks; very friendly staff, large bathroom, free parking. Unexpected thing: dog friendly but needed to pay an extra $89 for our 10lb dog. Not good things: Noise from the room above was loud. I thought they were stomping on the floor but different guests the following night sounded the same. Perhaps this is remedied by getting a room upstairs. Our room was unfortunately located near the check in kiosk so we heard every check in that occurred when we were in our room. The shower curtain rod is placed so high that the shower curtain is ineffective for keeping water off the floor. The bathroom window shade is very difficult to raise and lower. The hair dryer is also mounted too high (I’m 5’7”) and it’s not mounted securely. I would not stay here again.

On the whole it was a good value and good location. Walking distance to everything you need if you’re there for the beach boardwalk. Appreciated the free parking, just know that if you move and return later you might not get a spot. Also, the indoor pool and spa was a big plus. The downside, it is very noisy. The walls are thin and we could hear everything the people next door were saying and their conversation went on well past midnight. The people above us sounded as though they were remodeling the place. This too went on well past what I would have thought to be a reasonable time. Perhaps not the owners fault, but the implementation or enforcement of a “quiet hours” might help. That said, because of the location and the price I’d lean toward staying again…would just be sure to bring my earplugs and request an upstairs room.

Keep in mind, right on a main road and there is no AC so when you have your windows open all night it can be loud.

If you can get a rate under $80 then it’s a great deal - the king offers a kitchen with oven but if you’re paying peak summer prices it’s average compared to a lot of the other hotels in the same area. Parking is tight, it’s about a mile to the beach. Also the walls are thin and you can hear the other rooms, so if you’re a light sleeper that might not work for you.

Great location, cozy rooms with kitchen available. Only downside to our stay was the cable was not working well and with the kitchen they don’t supply dishes, utensils or dish soap etc. other than that we enjoyed the pool/hot tub and mini golf/cornhole on site! We’ll definitely book again!

The internet and cable tv was terrible.

We liked that it was close to the boardwalk. It was clean and well equipped. We liked the pool and spa. The TV was not working in our room and we used the chat to communicate our needs and an attendant came quickly to fix the problem.

I would like to start by saying that I am not above staying in low cost or "bare minimum" motels/hotels. However, this one was a different level all together. It started with a kiosk for check in, with someone on a video call? As I waited my turn it asked for scans of a lady's ID, Credit card, etc. We lovingly called it the identity theft kiosk. Lucky me, someone arrived to the front desk check me in. We were "upgraded" to a suite. Yay. Very run down all the way around on the exterior, and I think people were living in their cars outside of it. However, inside our room the first notice was the stained curtains. My guess is blood, but could be a strange chocolate? Then, my partner had hair on his bed, a nice welcome present. Then it was a wad of hair on the floor. Then, while sleeping he felt something on his side. He spent a few seconds playing "tick or flea", but it was a piece of a tortilla chip. He didn't eat any chips in bed, or at all. Add a broken down bathroom complete with complimentary dirty plunger and dark red droplet stains on the wall behind the toilet. Found more chip crumbs on the floor under the desk, thankfully I wore flip flops inside. While the smell of pesticides on his pillow meant action, he ended up laying down towels to sleep on. Did I mention the stains on his mattress cover when he stripped the bed so at least the next guest could get a clean set?? Oh! And a loving touch of trash and a dirty diaper on the stairwell as a send off.

The hotel is great. Didn’t care for the kiosk check in as women traveling with my child. Didn’t feel safe saying my phone number email and vehicle information out loud outside where anyone can hear.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Surf City Inn & Suites – Santa Cruz From the moment we arrived, AK, the front desk manager, impressed us with his warmth, courtesy, and genuine care. He made check-in effortless and made us feel instantly welcome. Our room was immaculate — fresh sheets, soft towels, spotless hardwood floors, and a calming color palette that felt cozy and romantic. Whoever designed these rooms has wonderful taste. No dressers (which makes the space feel larger), and no closet except in the King Suite, so we simply kept things in our suitcase. If you plan to cook, bring your own pots and utensils. The staff were polite, efficient, and always accommodating — quick to bring extra towels for the pool or more coffee packets for our slow mornings. The indoor hot tub was the highlight — separate from the pool and perfect after a day of exploring Santa Cruz. The warm water melted away our fatigue, and the friendly, laid-back vibe made it even better. Parking felt secure, and AK ensured every vehicle was registered for safety. The area itself was peaceful — we were out dancing until 1:30 AM and walked back around 2 AM without a worry. The location couldn’t be better — just a 5-minute stroll to downtown, close to everything yet tucked away enough to feel private. We’ve decided this will be our annual birthday celebration love nest — a place that feels warm, safe, and romantic. We can’t wait to return and hopefully see the same amazing staff who made our stay unforgettable.

I would NEVER stay here again. The staff were extremely rude and lazy. If we needed something, we had to walk down to the front desk to get it. I asked for hand towels and was given wash clothes. The room was dirty and in disrepair. There were spider webs in the corners, dirt on the floor, holes in the wall. The bathroom door didn't close all the way. There was an adjoining room with doors between the two. The locks were not sturdy and we did not feel safe. We had to barricade the door. The photos on the booking site were grossly exaggerated. The room was not what was shown. The pool area needs lots of care, the sides of the pool were cracking and rough, cut your skin if you leaned against it. Tiles were cracked. This place needs a massive repair

Worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in. They wanted us to check-in through a kiosk even though there was someone at the front desk & the kiosk didn’t even work. Our room looked like it was half a**ed cleaned, paint on the walls was half a**ed, wires hanging out of the wall. I had to fix the tv myself because it wasn’t working and the cords weren’t even connected. The sheets on one of the beds were stained, the towels were stained. I didn’t even want to dry my body or face with them so I used one of our own shirts. We felt gross having to sleep in the bed. We think this hotel is a place where prostitutes hang out. There was a girl who asked if I saw her friend come out of the room next door from us. This girl was wearing heels & riding a scooter all around the hotel looking into the windows. When we asked for extra towels, there was just a random dude dressed in regular clothes knocking on our door. He wasn’t wearing any hotel attire, just a hoodie, jeans and a hat. How am I supposed to know this guy was a legit worker. We were so disgusted we asked for a refund on our second night & we got the heck outta there. Thank you to hotels.com for getting our money back. Almost $300 a night! I’ll spend the extra $100 to stay at the best western. Do yourself a favor & don’t stay here. I don’t expect it to be a Hilton or ritz Carlton, but at least have some standards.

Friendly and helpful staff.

Very cool online service interaction between check in guy! Great time great place!

Staff was incredibly helpful and accommodating!

Weird having to check-in at a Kiosk with someone on a video call, that was obviously in another country. Only the kiosk was available because the lobby was deserted and locked. We arrived at 2:30 in the afternoon with check-in at 3pm. A live person didnt show up until around 4.

Really enjoyed our stay at Surf City. The location was fantastic, walking distance to both Santa Cruz boardwalk and to downtown. the hotel was reasonably clean and tidy, looked like mostly new paint and such. Parking was limited, but they assist with that when its full. I do wish the rooms had more storage and more places to hang clothes and towels. Beds werent the most comfortable for sleeping, but Im a bit particular on that front. Overall, it was a good stay, and I would definitely consider staying there again in the future.

Perfect area to visit the boardwalk and downtown all within a short walk.

Great spot if visiting the beach boardwalk. Very convenient walking distance. Perfect for one or two nights. Affordable for Santa Cruz.

Dirty scratched up walls, stained sheets and blankets, belongings from homeless people throughout parking lot, curtains ripped and dirty. No security. People parting and knocking walls and windows until 4am. Cussing and slamming doors, really loud thumping music.

Great prices and it was super close to the boardwalk

Our room smelled like cigarettes, and we let front desk know so that we wouldn’t be charged for smoking in the room. Happily, we weren’t charged front desk was understanding. The hot tub and pool were pretty awesome and indoor. And the rooms are pretty nice for pricing. TV was awesome they have smart TV so we can watch Netflix. Boardwalk wasn’t far either. There’s some tweakers hanging around but it’s Santa Cruz they’re always around.

This was a strange place to stay--I would not recommend. The hotel itself felt unsafe--lots of drug activity and transient people sleeping and dealing in the parking lot. I woke up to find my car had been broken into overnight. The room itself was old with mold on the bathroom ceiling. The fan/AC unit was so stinky that I wasn't able to use it. A surprise $40 on top of the regular rate for this hotel was not worth it!

Rooms were updated, clean and spacious. Pool and hot tub were nice, not the cleanest but I’m sure people come back from the beach with sand and jump in. Parking was free but Saturday night they ran out of parking. Location was good close to the back but across the street was homeless people living in cars. Check in was a digital machine.

Great stay! Close to boardwalk. Safe area.

Easy walk to the Board Walk with kids

The room could have been a better layout with the 3rd bed. The beds were comfortable so that was a plus. I really like that the walk was about 10 minutes to the boardwalk. Would have been way better if they had free breakfast.

This property was in a great location. We walked to the boardwalk and also to downtown for dinner. The sheets on the beds seemed old, but clean. We didn't have enough toilet paper or towels, but the staff were quick to help when I asked.

I got this room because it has a kitchen but there were no pots, pans, plates, silverware or anything else that a kitchen needs. I asked the front desk about it and was told it was on the website but I never would have thought to check for something like that so I'm letting everyone know that the kitchen is useless unless you bring your own stuff. The room was clean enough, its nothing fancy but its a good location and the front desk was helpful and professional

Nice, everything was good. The only thing was that the snacks in the lobby could only be purchased either by using Zelle or cash

I wish they would have served continental breakfast with coffee but there were places close by. Otherwise a very good place to stay

Loved the indoor pool! Close drive to food and the boardwalk! Staff was helpful and check in/out was super easy with kiosk

While most of the pics of this Surf City inn are about filth and dirty areas, my stay on Nov. 2nd 2024 for UC Santa Cruz family weekend was superb . Check in was easy the room was completely remodeled. Parking is free I paid $198 for one night . On top of I got an extra bed so 3 beds were in room 211. I didn't even ask for it. There is no breakfast but plenty of walkable spots to eat and boardwalk is a 5 min walk basically. The room had NETFLIX but you have to login with your account, not a name brand flat screen but I was clear and worked fine . We did use the fridge but not the microwave which looked new. I took lots of pics of all the outlets I counted like 10 plus outlets in perfect area on sides of the beds. The parking lot is real lighted up bright and each unit has lights on front . Only issue I had was one bed moved a little when you moved and the bath tub had a little rust on the drain area.We didn't need to use the AC unit because the room temp was perfect . If you ever need to know the price of a 3 bed one night stay the reception person quoted me $250. Concluding if you need location next to boardwalk basic amenities free parking and can live without free breakfast then book this spot and easy in your wallet . This will be my go to from now on for Santa Cruz. Capitola is just a few exits south.

Check in was digital quick and easy, breakfast isn’t provided 😞

No pool towels. Poor coffee service.

We were there for two days and the room wasn’t serviced in any way. The check-in was by kiosk, although occasionally there was a human at the desk. We tried to get coffee for the second day and there was no one there.