Rio Vista Inn & Suites Santa Cruz

When we arrived at our room we were greeted with the overwhelming smell of ammonia cleanser. We hoped it would dissipate but our one of two nights scheduled stay was miserable. When we called to cancel our second night's stay at 8:30 am the next morning, we were told by the desk person that she would call us back in 10 minutes. Three hours later we called her to confirm a cancellation and refund which was the minimum we could expect although no effort was made to find us an alternative room. Additionally, the back entrance to on site parking is woefully narrow and risks car damage on entry and exit. We would not stay here ever again.

The property was in great condition and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Loved the access to free beverages during our stay. The location is in perfect proximity to the boardwalk as well as downtown. We were able to walk just about everywhere that we wanted to go.

We had a wonderful stay in one of the queen attic rooms. It was cozy and romantic and looks just like the pictures. They had complentary cans of soda, water, and coffee. The parking lot is pretty small, and the parking spots even smaller. There also is no elevator. So if stairs are a problem I would recommend getting a suite on the ground level.

Beautifully remodeled. Tea,coffe,soft drinks there. Walking distance to beach

Walkable to boardwalk and restaurants. Nice staff. Parking onsite.

Disappointed that fire places in 2 rooms were not functioning. Radiator heater not enough to keep the room warm. Cold air coming through the window closest to the bed & front porch.

Beautiful home and beautiful room (5)! I was really really really happy to have found a room with a lovely jacuzzi tub! It feels like bathtubs are becoming a luxury of the past since most places are renovating for showers only. That tub was my ocean away from the ocean when the temperature dropped! It made my birthday trip even more special :) thank you!

It’s right in the middle of the Boardwalk and downtown, there’s no kids allowed, there’s complimentary coffee, tea, and sodas. The house is beautiful with original stain glass windows. Our room (#5) had a shower in the room with a working fireplace and an AC unit. It also had its own stain glass window. We also had a mini fridge. The tv was easy to use. Overall I would stay there again. 🙂

Very old building but very clean everything worked in the room and liked didn't need keys for property's doors

It was nice, but if you want to splurge on a nice room, I wouldn’t suggest going here. The room was pretty nice, but there was a huge hole in the wall for their super Kano AC unit and my boyfriend had to fix it/plug the AC unit hose into the hole with their super weird duct tape setup they had previously used to secure it. There were multiple times it came loose so the AC was just shooting hot air into the room. It was pretty annoying. They give you free tea and soda but it’s Very low quality—like as low as you can get. I would overall describe the place as old and run down with a fresh coat of fancy paint—literally and metaphorically.

When we arrived at our room we were greeted with the overwhelming smell of ammonia cleanser. We hoped it would dissipate but our one of two nights scheduled stay was miserable. When we called to cancel our second night's stay at 8:30 am the next morning, we were told by the desk person that she would call us back in 10 minutes. Three hours later we called her to confirm a cancellation and refund which was the minimum we could expect although no effort was made to find us an alternative room. Additionally, the back entrance to on site parking is woefully narrow and risks car damage on entry and exit. We would not stay here ever again.

This place is walking distance to the boardwalk and beach. The mansion is updated, but still very old and creaky when walking around. The shower was clogged and was standing in a puddle. Also could hear the people sharing a wall with us. There was hair on the shower floor corner and in the sheets of the bed. People who work here are very kind and willing to help in any way. We stayed in the attic rooms, very small, but cute vibes.

I’ve stayed at Rio Vista three times in the past. The hotel is clean, the attendant helpful and gorgeous views all around. This time, we had bedbugs unfortunately. We woke up around 11 or so, scratching our skin, only to see bed bugs on us and on the white sheets. I immediately called the attendant and was moved to another room. The next day, I requested a refund and I was not given it. I’m sorry to say I will not be returning to this lovely property. They didn’t try to refund me the night as of yet and the bed bug problem is probably still at large in their establishment. I would not recommend this to any travelers and for those who have stayed the night, better check your belongings. My son was bit so much, we had to get help from a nurse and had to get a prescribed ointment for all his bites!! I have pictures of the bugs in their bed as well as the bites on his body and mine.

The AC hose was ripped from the wall and hanging there (I have photos). I let the front desk gal know and she just kind of laughed it off. There were quite few spiders in the room. The chords from the tv to the outlets were just hanging there and tangled and it looked very cheap and unorganized (have photos of this too)

The cleanliness of the property and the amenities

Highly recommend Rio Vista suites - convenient, fabulous location, parking, accessible, clean - very clean :). Staff is fabulous. Rooms are beautiful

Heater did not work properly. Sink was decorative but provided no counter space AT ALL. On initial and on subsequent entries into the room there was a strong overly sweet fragrance (odor) in the room that required opening the windows to air out the room.

GREAT LOCATION. VERY NICE PLACE TO STAY WITH FRIENDS. CLEAN & QUIET.

We loved this Inn! Super friendly front desk employee. Slept very well and loved how clean the room was. Would definitely recommend this place!

Clean!!

Room 1 on the ground floor was fabulous. This is an older but well-maintained property. My room had high ceilings, a fireplace, and stained glass windows! Gorgeous property with an easy 5-10 minute walk to the Boardwalk. The only downside is there is very little soundproofing, being an older structure. The first afternoon I unwilling eavesdropped on a lengthy political conversation right outside my bedroom window. But otherwise it was fabulous.

We love the Rio Vista Suites. Great location and a cute house with very interesting rooms. Unfortunately we stayed in room number 6 this time. It was so tiny that you felt like you were sleeping in a closet. You step out of the shower and you are in the sleeping area. It is a very funky layout but I do admire what they were able to do with this tiny space. The best thing about the room was the view.

The property is a gorgeous old Victorian. However, if you are staying in the converted attic rooms, you should be short and small. Very tight, but cute quarters. Amazing view in both directions.

The AC hose was ripped from the wall and hanging there (I have photos). I let the front desk gal know and she just kind of laughed it off. There were quite few spiders in the room. The chords from the tv to the outlets were just hanging there and tangled and it looked very cheap and unorganized (have photos of this too)

This place is beautiful. It has the river in the front and the boardwalk from the back. Our room was tiny but super clean with a fireplace and private balcony. We also had a peekaboo ocean view and a view of the boardwalk rides. Lily was wonderful and friendly. We enjoyed sipping coffee while sitting at the front porch. The only compliant is that there is a huge sign in the front yard that obstructs some of the river view.

The mattress was uncomfortable- hard. Heater/A/C noisy. You can hear the people in the next room. You can hear the next room over heater/AC if on. Only had decaf coffee pods. Location was great.

No doubt very clean but very noisy. Right by busy street and walls are far from sound proof. Left a $200 battery backup by mistake. Called the employees, they said they’d mail it to if I paid to ship, they never did and won’t return my calls. When we return to Santa Cruz will be staying at courtyard instead

Great location! Very cute hotel and nice room. A little noisy since we were on the first floor right by the entrance. Friendly service. Towels were a little small and scratchy. Overall, a nice stay!

It was a great location with very friendly and easy to find staff. Clean room and very nice sheets on the bed. The bed itself, however, needs to be replaced. It was almost collapsed in the middle and any spring had been work away. Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend the hotel - cozy and quiet.

The location is amazing - a quick walk to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and Pier. The house is a beautifully restored mansion, and is very clean. We stayed in one of the attic rooms. It seemed like they invested a lot of money and effort into the building itself, but skimped on the furnishings. The bed was very uncomfortable and the vent for the air conditioning unit was taped to a hole in the wall. (Thankfully there was air conditioning, as it got pretty hot in the attic). The shades on the windows were broken as well. It’s such a beautiful building. I hope they’ll upgrade the furniture, etc!

Room wasn't ready at check in time, ended up waiting an hour despite asking earlier in the day about check in progress.

Wasn’t able to get a refund on my booking when a family emergency came up. They were not flexible at all. Shame on them.

From the moment we checked in until the day we left, the owner, Ela, was fantastic. She was very attentive to our needs and accommodated us in any way she could. She made check in easy and gave us the lay of the land. The house is beautifully restored and the location is walking distance to the beach and downtown. If you want an experience opposite from something large and corporate, this is the place to stay.

Our review is based on the fact that we could NOT stay at this hotel, despite having a valid reservation. When we arrived to check in at 5pm, no one was at the desk - we were provided with a phone number to call to get assistance. That's annoying, but okay. After we called the employee to the desk, she cheerfully informed us that the hotel had double-booked our room and it was occupied, with no other vacancies at the hotel. No apology, no apparent concern for our being stranded in another city on a Friday night with no place to go. She then told us that we should call their other hotel to see if they had vacancy - she did not offer to call for us. I cannot stress how little she cared about her hotel's mistake, as if we were lucky just to have been considered as guests. This was, hands down, the single worst customer service experience I have ever had at a hotel. P.S. We did NOT call the other hotel but found another spot on this website, which fortunately worked out.

Lily the front desk person is great-very helpful. The property is historic and unique and close to the boardwalk and downtown. Great location!

I spent a lot of time reviewing the various pics of the rooms here on line as I wanted the best room available for our Anniversary stay. Settled upon a great room with lots of character on the 3rd floor and made the reservation. Arrived at the property to check in and was given a room on the ground floor near the entrance to the hotel. The room didn't meet our expectations and when I told the clerk this was not the room I had reserved she said that our reserved room had already been given to another customer. As the conversation progressed she seemed very put-off that I was upset and acted like it was my fault though they were the ones that had given our room away. When asked if we could speak with a manager she said no one was available. When asked if we could see another room she said the only one available was in the house next door which is ok but clearly lacks the character of the main house which is where we wanted to stay. We reluctantly took the second "quieter" option which was just ok with the exception of a horrible mattress and the loudest creaking bed that woke us up repeatedly every time one of us moved (Room #14). As we unloaded our car - the front office gal was in the parking lot clearly talking to the manager or owner explaining our situation as well as another unhappy guest... very annoying as this literally occurred 10 min. after we had asked to speak to a manager. Very disappointing experience, would not recommend and will never stay here again.

Lovely, clean and well maintained. However, struggled with check in. Unable to contact reception despite contact details left on desk. Did nit feel r welcome throughout stay. Rooms noisy, coujd gand never saw any staff were

Lilly was so wonderful! She upgraded our room and the service was great. We only stayed one night, but would visit again. The location was perfect.

Lilly was wonderful and helped us through a booking problem that I created. Didn’t actually get to stay but will book again with them just because of how helpful she was.

No doubt very clean but very noisy. Right by busy street and walls are far from sound proof. Left a $200 battery backup by mistake. Called the employees, they said they’d mail it to if I paid to ship, they never did and won’t return my calls. When we return to Santa Cruz will be staying at courtyard instead

Very quiet and cozy. The beds are very comfortable. And a 3 minute walk to the boardwalk!

The property was in great condition and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Loved the access to free beverages during our stay. The location is in perfect proximity to the boardwalk as well as downtown. We were able to walk just about everywhere that we wanted to go.

Rio Vista is the cutest little Victorian house turned B&B located super conveniently between the river walk and the beach/boardwalk. As a solo female traveler, I felt a little nervous walking around the neighborhoods directly around it at night, but overall I felt super comfy and at home there, and loved the room so much I added on an extra night to my stay! Really appreciated how close it was to everything I needed, from shopping and restaurants to nature, the beach, and all the activities I was looking to do. The staff was lovely and very accommodating, and I really enjoyed my stay here!

Room was not well insulated from the hallway or the upstairs traffic we heard in our room downstairs. When we walked to the boardwalk, we passed some sketchy folks staying in apartments down the street, and took a Lyft home to avoid night-time interactions with those locals. The Inn hostess was delightful and very helpful. The location was otherwise very nice and there was plenty of parking.

very nice room but very noisy due to traffic

Lily the front desk person is great-very helpful. The property is historic and unique and close to the boardwalk and downtown. Great location!

Just be street smart...

Rio Vista Suites is a great find in Santa Cruz. Very close to a bike trial, so I was able to get to leave my car there and get to everything I wanted to get to by bike. Neighborhood was pretty quiet and felt safe. I will definitely return.

This place is beautiful. It has the river in the front and the boardwalk from the back. Our room was tiny but super clean with a fireplace and private balcony. We also had a peekaboo ocean view and a view of the boardwalk rides. Lily was wonderful and friendly. We enjoyed sipping coffee while sitting at the front porch. The only compliant is that there is a huge sign in the front yard that obstructs some of the river view.

The area is perfect for walking to the main boardwalk. You can also walk to the main downtown strip from here. Overall enjoyed the room and area would recomend staying here to others.

The property was in great condition and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Loved the access to free beverages during our stay. The location is in perfect proximity to the boardwalk as well as downtown. We were able to walk just about everywhere that we wanted to go.

Great location for visiting a family member. Very close to wharf t where there are sea lions hanging out. Close to Lighthouse State park where you can walk along coastline which is beautiful. Room comfortable, clean. Soft drinks and coffee/ tea available.

Beautifully remodeled. Tea,coffe,soft drinks there. Walking distance to beach

Convenient location, coffee and tea station, water bottles available, the rooms are mich nicer in person, and the front desk front was so helpful. We were able to park in the lot during a busy weekend.

It’s right in the middle of the Boardwalk and downtown, there’s no kids allowed, there’s complimentary coffee, tea, and sodas. The house is beautiful with original stain glass windows. Our room (#5) had a shower in the room with a working fireplace and an AC unit. It also had its own stain glass window. We also had a mini fridge. The tv was easy to use. Overall I would stay there again. 🙂

Highly recommend. Overall clean and staff is friendly but often have to wait for them as they are not exactly in prem but close. Felt safe. There were some ants in bathroom and only decaf coffee available in the common area? Minor notes overall would stay again.

We loved our stay here! I so enjoyed the history of the mansion which made it so much more inviting. The coffee selection in the am was good, but oh how we wish we had been offered some kind of danish rather than those prepackaged bars. Otherwise a 5/5!

I love the location and quaint size of this historic home/hotel. It’s perfect for a single traveler desiring proximity to attractions yet solitude in the quaint quarters of this Victorian brought back to life. No children or animals are allowed so this is a very quiet spot . Thank you to everyone who contributed to making it available for the public . It would be good to have some plain cream option for the coffee /tea station for those who don’t like sweets as all the creamers were flavored and sweet. I was very grateful to see the open station that could be accessed at any hour ,thank you so much.

Very clean, great staff. Nice coffee/tea/water/soda bar. Could use softer towels and warmer bedding, we couldn’t figure out how to turn on the wall fireplace/heater. Great location, we enjoyed reading the history of the property and the parts of the original home that was preserved in the renovation.

Great place for the price. Very central to a lot of places to walk and bike to. The best part of our stay was the location and friendly staff. It was nice that they had free coffee and sodas 24/7. I loved that they had a microwave and refrigerator in the room. We always had leftovers.