Name: SureStay Hotel by Best Western Santa Cruz
Address: 516 Water Street, Water Street Corridor, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, US
Price range: $88–$319 per night
Rating: 7.92

What guests think

Reviews of SureStay Hotel by Best Western Santa Cruz describe a simply furnished, conveniently located motel with some friendly, helpful staff, but note recurring cleanliness and maintenance problems, inconsistent service availability, and a basic overall setup with limited amenities.

Many appreciate being near downtown and the courthouse, though the surrounding area draws comments about homeless activity and occasional late-night disturbances. Facilities are modest: the pool exists but may be unheated and noisy for nearby rooms, and parking ranges from plentiful to difficult depending on time and vehicle size. Breakfast is included yet often described as minimal and inconsistently managed, with items running out or closing promptly. Expect a simple stay where location convenience competes with variable upkeep and service.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Pool is available but not heated and can generate noise for nearby rooms. Parking feedback is mixed—some found it easy, others faced limited spaces or double parking—and overall amenities are minimal.

Related guest reviews

10

Diane

Oct 21, 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Parking was great. The Restaurants were very great. Really appreciated that it was so close to the Courthouse where I am attending 2 Trials.

8

Maribel

Jul 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Easy parking and Easy check-in and clean room.

4

Guadalupe

Aug 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

You get the very basics. No real amenities besides the pool. Overpriced for what you get in my opinion.

8

Judy

Dec 6, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Lots of parking. And the staff was excellent. Only issue I had was someone went into my room while I was gone and put a closed bottle water on top of the tv stand. And I had the do not disturb sign hanging outside. I informed the manager and he said he would look at the video BUT I have not heard from them at all. After this incident I did not sleep at all. I was scared of someone coming in my room again. Luckily I checked out the next day.

10

Chad

Jul 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great staff! Pool was awesome on a hot day.

4

Taisha

Nov 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Not enough parking. I had to walk a couple of blocks in the middle of the night with my daughter to find parking when it should be included in my stay. How are you able to over crowd

2

Brandi

Jun 12, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Really disappointed...... The breakfast was very minimal. 2nd day waffles not available... Only old fruit and cereal. I was told the pool was heated. Was definitely not. Me and my 1 year old didn't get to swim. Ever time we tried to get hotel staff help was nearly impossible...

6

Jennifer

Oct 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Parking was not ideal, other guesses were double parked and it didn’t allow enough space for our truck to fit

6

Scott

Jun 30, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

This is an updated motel, the kind where there are no indoor hallways to your room. The room windows face the pool and exterior walkways, so there *will* be people walking by your window and you'll get some noise from that and and the pool, vehicles, etc. It's not bad, just be sure to expect that. The rooms are small, with in old in wall A/C that worked ok, but overly cold weirdly. Tile/laminate floors though weren't mopped thoroughly, so we washed our feet before getting into bed. Breakfast was ok but included. The pool was good, though not heated (this was in late June and still quite cold to get into). Area is ok, but I did see a street walker outside (not a risk, but paints a picture). I'd consider staying again, though I'd probably opt for somewhere else tbh.

6

Dominique

Jul 16, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Garbage left in the closet and drawers when we arrived no soap. Staff was nice and helpful. Parking is rough

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Cleanliness

Cleanliness is inconsistent, with repeated reports of dirty floors, hair in bathrooms or beds, stains, and trash left behind. A few guests did find rooms clean or grounds tidy.

Related guest reviews

4

David Jackson

Apr 21, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Negatives: Dingy and dusty, rough sleeping arrangements, trash left in room. The positives: extra pillows, close to downtown, Continental breakfast was good, secure doors, hot water.

6

Malgorzata

Jul 28, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Dirt in the corners, no soap in the bathroom dispenser, broken mirror, lack of directory sings where to find your room number, not appropriate number (missing) of towels to the number of people in my reservation.

4

Piero

Sep 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I found some hair in the toilet and was not really clean

2

Sean

Jun 23, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was filthy, door wouldn’t lock, hair in the beds. Disgusting. Hotel won’t answer the phone

4

Sergio

Jul 20, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Checked in to this hotel was average. The first room they gave me was dirty, the beds were undone, towels were used on the ground and leftover food on the nightstand. While I went to request a different room, my family saw a pack of rats running on the fence. The second room we got was dated. The furniture was old and had seen better days. A bit later we heard another family go into the first room and left to try to get another room. (I can't believe they tried to give that room without cleaning it again) We didn't have their breakfast. I didn't see anyone doing any cleaning the next morning. We will not be staying there again.

2

RANDY

Sep 22, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We checked out the same day, we didn’t stay ! Toilet was clogged, cigarette burns on the seat. On the furniture floor was dirty. No screen on the window, ask for different room same thing but worse smelled, cigarette burns on the bathroom sink and seat. cigarettes, homeless outside and cleaning people just standing outside talking to the homeless . Nice person at the front desk, we left at less 20 minutes. Didn’t stay one night !

2

Ciera

Apr 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Spent Easter weekend with my kids in Santa Cruz to check out the boardwalk. Checked in on Friday night, checking in was simple. Got to the room, the sheets and pillow covers were stained or wasn't changed. There was a hair ball on the desk! DISGUSTING!! like someone cleaned out their brush and left it there, shows they didn’t clean the room! obviously. we asked for extra towels and the front desk, or owner was complaining that we wanted extra towels. (just one man there all day and night, i assume he is the owner) pictures online looked nicer than in person, i’m not surprised! also parking sucks! but the location is

4

Cheryl

Jun 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room floors were filthy especially in corners and bathroom. Hardly any breakfast choices, ran out of fruit, milk, juice. No protein at all. Ice tasted dirty . People above were stomping around all night.

2

Irina

Sep 5, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Dirty floors,, homeless slept by our car at night, spider webs, breakfast wasn’t refilled when needed, no washcloths,, rude staff

4

Susan

Sep 17, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The bed was comfortable. The bathroom was dirty, hair in the shower and the floor was dirty. The office was not opened for the free breakfast, not sure when it finally opened.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are basic and vary in comfort and upkeep: several mention small layouts, dated furnishings, noisy or faulty A/C, and other maintenance issues, while some found beds comfortable or rooms quiet after an upgrade. Noise from thin walls and exterior walkways or the pool is noted.

Related guest reviews

10

Rebecca

Sep 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was so comfortable! The size is perfect! The bed was so comfortable!

6

Shelley

Jun 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Looked like the door had been kicked in a few times, missing light fixtures. Soda machine not plugged in. Hair left in the shower (not ours) Oh and you can’t tell by the pictures but this is a motel. I purposely picked this because it was attached to the Marriott name but I know better now.

4

Dale

Sep 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

bathroom door would not open completely because it hit the toilet. Had to slide around door to close. Bed was very hard and uncomfortable. No threshold and raised lip between bedroom and bathroom floors with gap, tripping hazard. A/c unit half melted on one side. No hot water at 9am on a saturday.

10

Lisa

Jul 3, 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Got upgraded to a bigger room Had no one above us.

6

Derrick

Mar 18, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Air conditioner was so loud. Something was wrong with it. Every time it kicked on it would startle me. Toilet ran constantly. I had to get up several times in the night and pull the tank lid to adjust float switch to get it to stop.

4

Milena

Jun 13, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was by the stairs and walls are paper thin so there was too much noise I couldn’t sleep all night. Additionally the pool was in front of the rooms and a lot of noise from the pool very late, after 10 PM.

4

JOEL

May 29, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Room was very barebones with the minimum needed to stay. No extras at all. Furniture and bed were not in great shape.

6

Arturo

Jun 21, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Door didn’t close. Fridge wasn’t working. Very noise. We had a party going on upstairs. Room wasn’t cleaned properly found someone clothes and underwear in the closet.

8

Ignacio

Jul 14, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Rooms little smaller

6

Scott

Jun 30, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

This is an updated motel, the kind where there are no indoor hallways to your room. The room windows face the pool and exterior walkways, so there *will* be people walking by your window and you'll get some noise from that and and the pool, vehicles, etc. It's not bad, just be sure to expect that. The rooms are small, with in old in wall A/C that worked ok, but overly cold weirdly. Tile/laminate floors though weren't mopped thoroughly, so we washed our feet before getting into bed. Breakfast was ok but included. The pool was good, though not heated (this was in late June and still quite cold to get into). Area is ok, but I did see a street walker outside (not a risk, but paints a picture). I'd consider staying again, though I'd probably opt for somewhere else tbh.

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Service

Service ranges from very friendly, accommodating staff and quick check-ins to reports of rudeness, unavailable front-desk coverage, and abrupt breakfast cutoffs. Experiences vary by who is on duty.

Related guest reviews

6

Yarelin

Apr 15, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Too noisy during the night but staff was wonderful and very accommodating to anything you needed

8

Jack

Jun 16, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The management was absolutely great! Friendly, curious & very helpful. Top notch. Best part of our experience.

2

Denise

Jul 4, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

My experience at this hotel was largely negative. The staff member at the front desk was unfriendly and rude, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere. Although breakfast is included, his behavior made it unpleasant. He yelled at customers and was unhelpful, and the hotel floors were dirty. I advise against seeking assistance from the front desk. Additionally, four days after my stay, I was charged for items I did not authorize.

6

Aaron

Aug 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The guy in chargre, remove the breakfast food 20 minutes time was up. Told others guest beside me that they couldn't get anything more food. Had a staff member pickup the food.

10

Guillermo

Sep 25, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Check in was easy. The lady at the front desk (Laura) told us politely to call her for anything we would need. She asked us to be patient with our request as she was the only one working at night. I saw her working in the front desk, doing deliveries to the rooms and setting up the breakfast. I got two rooms. I slept upstairs at the back and it was very quiet. My company stayed downstairs, she said it was noisy at times. The breakfast was better than I expected. Coffee was fresh and hot. I would return to this place.

10

Hilda

Feb 8, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

This is our second time staying there. Laura is awesome and goes above and beyond to make you happy!

6

Vivek

Apr 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very rude customer service. I arrived late and there was no to attend. I should have called and mentioned about being late but that doesn’t mean a person can talk to me like a trash. The person said you are ridiculous. Really didn’t expect this kind of service. He is in this business and signed up for these kind of situations where a guest can be late. I can not predict my exact time of arrival. I was with family and once no at the reception made my worried. Person picked the call after 4 -5 times of trying. He said I called many times but I did receive the miss call only once and no voicemail was left to know someone expecting a call.

10

David

Sep 28, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Friendly staff, very knowledgeable and friendly. Grounds were very well taken care of. You couldn’t get a better place for the price anywhere in Santa Cruz

2

Ashley

Aug 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

the front desk guy was rude

10

Ed

Feb 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great stay! Staff very friendly.

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Location

Convenient for downtown and the courthouse, and walkable to nearby spots, though some guests noted homeless activity and occasional late-night disturbances around the property. A few found it quiet; others felt the area was only okay.

Related guest reviews

4

David Jackson

Apr 21, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Negatives: Dingy and dusty, rough sleeping arrangements, trash left in room. The positives: extra pillows, close to downtown, Continental breakfast was good, secure doors, hot water.

8

Arthur

Mar 15, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

They neighbors were a bit noisy and area surrounding isn’t the nicest but overall comfy bed and the hotel is in good condition

8

Sam

Aug 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good location, clean.

10

Diane

Oct 21, 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Parking was great. The Restaurants were very great. Really appreciated that it was so close to the Courthouse where I am attending 2 Trials.

6

Mara

Apr 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Laura was so sweet and nice at check in. We were the first ones there so she gave us options on which room we’d like better which was very sweet! It looks like it was in the middle of remodeling so some areas looked nice but definitely needed a new paint job on the interior. It was quiet and comfortable. Location had a few homeless lurking about but overall stay way nice. Got the job done!

8

Geneffa

Jul 1, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great location close to downtown and major roadways while still being quiet and safe.

10

David

Sep 28, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Extremely well kept and walkable spot that deserves the best recommendation from me

8

Patrick

Dec 16, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

If I were to guess, I would say that this was a dilapidated property that was recently purchased and quickly renovated. It isn't perfect, but it's cheap and the staff are friendly. The really nice thing about this place is the location. It's a 5 minute walk to Maitreya Retreat, Enterprise Rent-a-car, and Santa Cruz Diner.

2

Graham

Apr 18, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

This place was horrible . I had my wife and 3 kids with us and wasnt expecting this place to be amazing we were just passing thru on our way back from L.A. to seattle. But we had to check out a day early and left immediately after the first night ! We were woken up twice in the middle of night and once at 6am by tweekers knocking on our door . Our friends who stayed next door experienced the same thing . It was crazy !! The manager was completely understanding and knew checked us out and gave me a receipt for not charging me the second night but i already paid thru the app. Im hoping the charges get resolved .

6

Scott

Jun 30, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

This is an updated motel, the kind where there are no indoor hallways to your room. The room windows face the pool and exterior walkways, so there *will* be people walking by your window and you'll get some noise from that and and the pool, vehicles, etc. It's not bad, just be sure to expect that. The rooms are small, with in old in wall A/C that worked ok, but overly cold weirdly. Tile/laminate floors though weren't mopped thoroughly, so we washed our feet before getting into bed. Breakfast was ok but included. The pool was good, though not heated (this was in late June and still quite cold to get into). Area is ok, but I did see a street walker outside (not a risk, but paints a picture). I'd consider staying again, though I'd probably opt for somewhere else tbh.

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Dining

Breakfast is included but limited and inconsistently managed, with items running out, late setup, or food cleared promptly at closing time. Some guests thought it acceptable for the price.

Related guest reviews

6

Gonzalo

Aug 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Rooms were a decent size and clean, and the front desk staff was friendly. Parking was also convenient. But the breakfast was a complete disaster. For the price you pay per night, all they offer is bread, yogurt, and cereal — nothing else. To make matters worse, at 9:30 a.m. sharp the cleaning crew stormed in and started taking everything away while people were still sitting and eating. They had zero respect for guests. One of them even dumped a trash bag on the chair where I was sitting, while I had just stood up for more cereal. That’s not only rude — it’s disgusting and unacceptable in a hotel that carries the Best Western name. Because of this, I can’t rate higher than 3 stars

6

Ramon

Jul 15, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Place was nice only thing I had an issue with was some outlets not working. The mini fridge and microwave were disconnected and nowhere to connect them. Other than that it was nice specially the breakfast they offer was really good!

6

Aaron

Aug 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The guy in chargre, remove the breakfast food 20 minutes time was up. Told others guest beside me that they couldn't get anything more food. Had a staff member pickup the food.

4

David

Jul 10, 2023

·

Overall, the property was nice and clean. There were several issues however that should not be issues. The shampoo, and conditioner was mounted to the wall and I did not find out that they were empty until I was in the shower. Those should be checked each time the room is cleaned. The biggest issue is that the breakfast was advertised from 7 am to 9:30 but nobody was there and no food was out and we had to go out for breakfast. The included breakfast is one reason why we chose the property. If I wanted to spend $40 more I would have picked a different hotel. The manager was nice and needed additional help because she was the only staff member taking care of the office and the breakfast. That’s probably the reason for being late for breakfast.

2

Brandi

Jun 12, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Really disappointed...... The breakfast was very minimal. 2nd day waffles not available... Only old fruit and cereal. I was told the pool was heated. Was definitely not. Me and my 1 year old didn't get to swim. Ever time we tried to get hotel staff help was nearly impossible...

4

Cheryl

Jun 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room floors were filthy especially in corners and bathroom. Hardly any breakfast choices, ran out of fruit, milk, juice. No protein at all. Ice tasted dirty . People above were stomping around all night.

10

Ashley

Mar 3, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Perfect. Clean rooms. Amazing staff. Continental breakfast...meh. But we are going to stay here every time we visit SC.

4

Susan

Sep 17, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The bed was comfortable. The bathroom was dirty, hair in the shower and the floor was dirty. The office was not opened for the free breakfast, not sure when it finally opened.

4

Edward

Mar 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

This hotel is very basic. I was upset that the front desk would not provide an extra blanket on a cold night. He said, "turn up the heater." That's not hospitality. The bedside lights did not work. The room was clean and the shower, though small, was nice and hot. The free breakfast features mini-muffins (size of big dots) and a tiny waffle maker. The coffee was very watery and weak. Please don't cut corners on this small amenity.

10

David

Sep 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Definitely very amiable service. Clean and well maintained facilities. Continental breakfast is tasty if spare, but absolutely delicious for the price. Nothing else in Santa Cruz delivers more bang for the buck without any negatives

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$132
February	$94
March	$164
April	$133
May	$147
June	$153
July	$173
August	$157
September	$157
October	$95
November	$84
December	$83

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14 $94	15 $93	16 $113	17 $132	18 $206	19 $319
20 $114	21 $109	22 $106	23 $89	24 $93	25 $163	26 $232
27 $90	28 $89	29 $89	30 $89

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $89	2 $131	3 $181
4 $91	5 $89	6 $89	7 $89	8 $89	9 $121	10 $183
11 $93	12 $89	13 $91	14 $89	15 $89	16 $132	17 $181
18 $88	19 $89	20 $89	21 $89	22 $90	23 $115	24 $156
25 $89	26 $89	27 $89	28 $89	29 $89	30 $115	31 $141

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Standard Room, 2 Double Beds, Accessible, Refrigerator & Microwave

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds, Refrigerator & Microwave, Ground Floor

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Refrigerator & Microwave, Ground Floor

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds, Refrigerator & Microwave

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Refrigerator & Microwave

Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed, Accessible, Refrigerator & Microwave

Guest reviews

Good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Security deposit

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about SureStay Hotel by Best Western Santa Cruz

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Prices for upcoming dates