Staff was very friendly and location couldn’t be any better. I love the style of the rooms. Fairly clean but carpet a little sticky, coffee machine needed a good cleaning before I used it, and toilet paper holder loose on the wall, shower door leaked a little. Faucets not in the best shape. Didn’t have a microwave in the room. Food the hotel offered was decent but over priced for the quality. Parking is $25 a day on top of the hotel price. Picture missing off my wall. Definitely over priced all together. My boss owns a hotel management company so I do tend to look at things a little more in detail and compare to his standards. It seems the balance between hotel guest satisfaction and company profit meets in the middle. Which in my opinion should favor the guest a little more. I wouldn’t say it’s worth the money, but I do say I enjoyed the time I sent there.

We planned a family trip here with some of our friends. It is a great place, and right on the water. The staff are really nice, and the amenities are great. All of the rooms have a view of the water, and there's an open-air pool and hot tub that are great for just hanging out and having some food and drinks. It is also really close to the boardwalk, and you can just walk there anytime you want to do those activities. Our kids had an excellent time, just going to the pool and hanging out at the beach, then running over to the boardwalk anytime they wanted.

Great stay! Absolutely nothing to complaint about. Hotel in best location of Santa Cruz with astonishing views to the beach. Pool is heated and has direct access to the beach. Restaurant is kind of expensive but very tasteful and with great views. Roomservice was also great, we enjoyed having breakfast in our room watching the waves. Family-friendly but unfortunately not dog-friendly for those who travel with dogs.

It’s Dreamy… beautiful clean rooms all with a balcony facing the ocean. We have stayed here multiple times and still can’t say one bad thing about this place. Til we meet again…

The Dream Inn is the best! Our family loves everything about it. We recently experienced a very unexpected loss of a cherished family member and so we brought our daughter here for her birthday getaway. They were extremely gracious and the staff allowed us time to express our loss and even provided comfort. We love it here!

What a location! Great place to stay if you are visiting the boardwalk, it's about a 15 minute walk to the boardwalk if you take the street. This place is family friendly, has a heated pool, large hot tub and bar and food service at the pool. They have their own entry to Cowell beach you access from the pool area. The balcony view was incredible. We kept our balcony door open all night and loved listening to the waves hit. Clean rooms, super comfy beds. Knocked a star for service for two reasons (valet and check out times) because parking should be included for the price you pay and they weren’t able to keep up with the amount of traffic. Most of the valets were super friendly and efficient but they were overwhelmed with the amount of people there and were not as quick as they boasted they would be retrieving our car (we called ahead and they had about 15 minutes by the time we got downstairs and we had to start the process all over again at the valet stand). We tried to get an early and late checkout and they were not accommodating. I understand it’s based on availability but it’s tough for families trying to make the most of their trip. 4 pm checkin and 11 am checkout is tough. There is a restaurant in house and room service!! Also a coffee shop downstairs so if you aren’t in to hotel room coffee pot coffee or don’t want to order room service, head to the lobby and get a yummy coffee. Makes so much easier for families and people like me (must have a morning cup)! Overall we thoroughly enjoyed staying here and will again.

This place can be pricey, but we’re gonna have a hard time staying anywhere else when we come back to Santa Cruz. The place is very clean, staff is professional, and the view of the beach is unbeatable. The beach is easy to access and downtown, the boardwalk, and the wharf are all in walking distance.The rooms are very nice and it was neat staying at a place with room service (the food is very, very good as well). My only issue is having to pay for parking each night when you’re already spending hundreds of dollars a night on a room. Not a dealbreaker though and we will definitely be staying here again!

Amazing stay! Customer services was 10/10 plus more! Everything was walking distance or 5 min car ride! Food at the hotel was fresh and homemade! Valet guys were awesome and and gave us great recommendations on activities to do! We will definitely be back!

Great location! Hot tub area is nice and big. Rooms are due for upgrade. We have staples sticking through a tack strip in the carpet pretty torn up. We believe the restaurant is good, we just haven't picked the right dish yet. Great drinks in the bar. Friendly staff everywhere. Can't wait to come back!

Great staff and nice location, however all it takes is a small number of overly loud screaming children at the pool and hot tub to take away from the otherwise wonderful location. All rooms face the ocean and with how the sound carries and overpowers the nice sounds of the waves, nicities like leaving the patio door open or sitting outside are comforts which are unfortunately subject to the sound from the pool area, which is a real shame considering the high room prices when the weather is nice. If you want a peaceful stay, this hotel may not be the right option for you.

Location is amazing. Walking trails and beach right outside the door. Room was clean. Service was attentive and friendly. Don’t set your expectations too high- You have to pay a premium to stay right on the beach in this prime spot. Parking is additional fee but that’s to be expected - same as rest of the town. Spa and pool very nice. All in all a great place to stay. Has all of the amenities.

Great hotel, right on the beach and next to the Wharf. Probably very busy and a bit noisy in the summer, but the rooms are beautiful and comfortable, especially the suites, and all face the water. You can hear waves and seals at night. Staff is friendly and very helpful, nice pool at beach level. Valet parking is worth the price since they are fast and includes getting your luggage in and out. Close to just about everything you want to see in the area.

Crisis averted because of Dolores in house keeping!!! We came down from Washington and brought my grandson for a family trip. When we got home last night we realized we forgotten my grandson (6) very special baby blanket he has had since he was an infant. When we called, Dolores helped us out right away and she is going to FedEx us the blanket back to Washington. Besides helping us out with this they stay was great. Clean , family friendly, great vibes. Only one incident ( the fire alarm decided 3 am was a great time to chirp every 30 seconds to tell us to change the batteries). This is not really a fault of anyone though and these things happen. Thanks to everyone in house keeping , valet , front desk and restaurant. Great team with excellent customer service!

Here are some important points that you may not find in typical reviews: The Good: - This hotel is excellent overall, with a clean and modern decor. - Its location is awesome, offering easy access to the beach and pier. - The rooms have a beautiful oceanfront view, and the hotel provides great amenities like a pool, hot tub, and fireplaces. The Bad: - Keep in mind that the hotel faces mostly southeast, so you won't get those picturesque California sunsets. - Overnight parking can be expensive and is located across a busy street. It's an open parking lot, so there's a risk involved. - The hotel restaurant is quite pricey, even for those who can afford nice meals. - The cafeteria is small with no seating available. - Lastly, there are a few homeless individuals in the vicinity. Overall: This is a wonderful spot, and we definitely plan to return multiple times.

Exceeded our expectations on all levels. The staff throughout the entire property was not only kind, friendly and professional, I think they all love working there! O'Niell's restaurant was oceanfront and delicious, and we also enjoyed the live music. Pool area is on the beach and great for hanging out and enjoying the views day or night; loved the fire pits in the evening. Easy walk to the pier that has shops and restaurants. The hotel has a retro surf vibe throughout that is very well done. Everything is clean, comfortable and well appointed, and the beds were great! The Dream Inn is a gem; can't wait to return.

This is a nice location if you walk the Santa Cruz Boardwalk Beach. All the rooms face the ocean so you are guaranteed an ocean view which is wonderful. The first thing I realized was that I would be charged an extra $25 a night to park. Hotels shouldn't charge for parking that should be included in your stay. I was them disappointed with the room. I have only stayed here once before, and that was years ago since then, they have updated the rooms which was needed badly. Unfortunately, sometimes I wonder who selects what to do with the rooms. My room did not look like the picture of the room I booked, there were hardly any windows, and half of the window was covered by a wooden shutter that couldn't be opened because of the light fixture on the headboard of the bed. I booked a room that should have had floor to ceiling windows, but that isn't what my room looked like. The picture is very deceiving, and when you read the description the last sentence says, "Floor to ceiling window configuration varies by room." The hot tub wasn't hot, but the pool was heated well. I happen to live in Santa Cruz -walking distance to Dream Inn, and I think if they want more business, they should discount local business, for example, don't charge locals for parking, and give a 10% discount. I will say that all of the people working there were very pleasant, helpful, and welcoming which is very nice, so I hope they pay them well.

Started off as a day trip.... decided to find a room and stay for the night. Room is a little pricey but worth it to us. Staff is wonderful! Hotel is right on the beach, we had a balcony with a table and 2 chairs and a beautiful beach view! We plan on returning soon.

Love this hotel! This was our first stay and certainly won't be our last. It was exactly what we needed for an extended weekend getaway with the kids. Great location with an easy walk to the pier or boardwalk. Rooms face the ocean and when opening the door to the deck, you can hear the waves while laying in bed. Friendly service from every single person we met. They also have a filtered water station which we used to refill our water bottles over and over. Our family is rested, recharged and ready to go back to school and work.

I love this hotel! All rooms have ocean views, many with balconies. Ask for a high floor for best views. Stone's throw from the wharf. Clean and well maintained. Stylish. Friendly staff. Dog friendly. Would definitely return.

A week before I stay at Dream Inn, I dined at Jack O’Neil and loved the view and design. I decided then to try the hotel, bring my mom who was visiting. You can check in online beforehand and they text you when the room is ready which is something I totally liked! Same happens upon checkout, you let them know about the estimated time you are leaving. Despite the fact that we had some hiccups with the AC in the room, I have to mention that the customer service here is TOP NOTCH! They helped us with sending maintenance and they changed the room for us after. We ended up booking a second room the following day over the weekend for me and my husband while my mom stayed in her new room. The entire team at Dream Inn was impressive, starting with LINDSEY at the Front Desk who checked us in— she was very personable, kind, and welcoming! Tyler our maintenance guy wanted to help in every way, and helped also with the moving part. KEN, was one of the best!! I made my second reservation with him and he helped with the first room move! Thank you, Ken!! I also have to mention FELICIA who helped with mine and my husband room allocation and was so professional, she came with us to make sure all is perfect! I can’t say enough about service here, the valet guys were all very pleasant and friendly. A gem in Santa Cruz indeed! Thanks all for making our vacation time so special…

Nice hotel with great views. The rooms are really nice, clean, and comfortable, as was the bed. The staff were very friendly. Check in was a breeze. However, the room had a strange odor as soon as we walked in the room, particularly worse in the bathroom. It didn’t take away from our stay, but I do feel it is worth noting. Also, there is an additional $25 charge for parking, which is directly across from the hotel. For this, you can do valet or self park. Overall, this was a good place to stay and I would return.

Every room faces the ocean. Rooms are clean & spacious, but you're really paying for the view - it is gorgeous. Room does not include fridge or microwave - they really push guests to visit the restaurant. Room service is available if you want to eat in your room's cozy dining area.. The wharf has other dining options and is only a 5 minute walk. 1960s vibe for sure!

Solid spot. I spent 3 nights and 2 days of conferences. Rooms are very good, converted, old style. Nice amenities. Ocean view to die for. Great staff and room service. Bed and linens were dreamy. I had one of the best ever vodka martinis at their bar. Coffee cart in lobby excellent also. I didn't get the chance to try the pool but the other guests seemed to really enjoy it. Parking / valet easy peasy. 20 minute walk to the lighthouse. Hope to return on a non business trip with family. Thanks!

3.6 Stars. Close to boardwalk and wharf (walking distance). They park your car across the street in a massive parking lot. How am I supposed to know where it is, you know? But whatever, not a big deal. Homeless in the area but not the hotels fault. They can't do anything about it. The rooms are clean and beautiful pool. The hotel can be packed sometimes. Air vents not super clean. Pool is super clean but crowded. Relaxing hot tub. The people for valet are extremely nice and helpful. I like them a lot. This is probably the best place to stay in Santa cruz.

I booked the Ocean View Executive - Two Queen Beds room which on their website shows a full window, however, the room they gave us was a partial window. The room cleanliness wasn't up to par, many stains on walls and the room needed a spruce up. The pool was under renovation and we were told upon arrival that we should have received an email but never did. The location was unimpressive but that's just my opinion, others could think differently. The staff was great though, they were very kind and helpful. Parking is $30 a night with optional valet service, they were great. Restaurant and Lounge are the nicest part of the hotel, very elegant and classy. The lounge is more affordable.

This hotel is good. The staff is very friendly and professional. The valet team was helpful and efficient. The restaurant in the hotel was great for breakfast. The bed was super comfortable, the view of the ocean was nice and the sound of the ocean puts you to sleep at night. The design of the hotel was unique and nicely updated. Location is also great.

Don’t stay here!!! My vacation ruined because the pool area is closed and all you hear throughout the day are loud Jack hammers destroying any sense of peace. There was no prior notice, despite their claim that “we posted on website.” Please stay away from this beautiful location until construction is complete, demand a refund if you must because this is not the place to stay during December 3rd thru 8th. Please call in advance to be assured construction projects are complete!!!!!!

A cozy little joint. Stayed 2 days, and the whole atmosphere was amazing. Valets were really friendly and professional without the experience feeling stuffy and awkward. The rooms are nicely sized with a 60s sort of feeling, and all overlook the beach and poolside. This is a double-edged sword, though, as you do get a lot of poolside noise in the rooms, but hey, at night you can hear the ocean crashing on the beach, and it's a great experience. You couldn't really ask for a better location. You've got near-immediate access to the nearby pier, and you're a 10-minute walk away from the nearby boardwalk. Amenities are plentiful and appreciated. Complementary audiobooks, a nightly taco bar, poolside drinks... you name it. It comes at a bit of a steep price, but it's worth it.

Can't beat the location and the views, for sure. Staff was super friendly, especially the valets. For the price, the amenities in the rooms could have been much nicer (better coffee, nicer bedding, etc.) Bathroom is dated and needs a good remodel. Food and drinks are priced sky-high and were just ok. The pool and hot tub area are great. Easy beach access.