Price per night / 3-star hotel. Prices are not fixed and may vary with time.
Average nightly price per month
Average nightly price
Top tips for finding Santa Cruz hotel deals
If you’re looking for a cheap hotel in Santa Cruz, you should consider visiting during the low season. You'll find cheaper hotels in Santa Cruz in January and February.
Hotel room prices vary depending on many factors but you’ll most likely find the best hotel deals in Santa Cruz if you stay on a Sunday. The opposite is true for, Friday, which is usually the most expensive day.
Book at least 10 days before your stay begins to get the best price for your Santa Cruz hotel.
The cheapest 3-star hotel room in Santa Cruz found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was $210, while the most expensive was $509.
How long should you stay? KAYAK users usually book their hotel in Santa Cruz for 2 days.
If you are on a business trip or wish to set up a workplace at one of the hotels in Santa Cruz, reserve accommodations in Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection and Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley. These hotels offer their guests business amenities such as business centers, conference rooms, concierge services, working desks, photocopying, computer use, and currency exchange services.
Enthusiasts of sports? Your vacation would be remarkable if you consider staying at Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Santa Cruz. Located approximately 1.7 miles from Destin Beach and around a 13-minute walk to Wilder Ranch State Park, the hotel features golf, canoeing, cycling, scuba diving, mini-golf, horse riding, snorkeling, horse riding, board games, and windsurfing.
People with limited mobility can make hotel reservations at Ocean Pacific Lodge and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Santa Cruz. To ease accessibility, the hotels have adapted baths, lowered sinks, grab rails in toilets, reserved parking for wheelchairs, and the whole unit is accessible using a wheelchair.
For those with kids, book a hotel at Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley. Just 10 minutes from the beach, the hotel has a kid-friendly environment with amenities such as child care, a kid-friendly buffet, kids meals, spacious family rooms, an outdoor pool, and media and entertainment.
If you are in search of hotels with spa services, Mission Inn has it all. This facility, which takes up a full city block in downtown Riverside, features a sauna, hot tub, spa, and wellness center.
Planning on visiting Santa Cruz with your family? Select a hotel adjacent to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, such as the affordable Aqua Breeze Inn. The Boardwalk is a beachfront amusement park that has a variety of carnival rides and games, making it a very popular attraction for kids.
If you’re hoping to spend most of your vacation by the ocean, choose one of the many hotels located within a five-minute walk of Main Beach, such as the Fireside Inn. Main Beach offers volleyball, swimming, and paddle boarding, and there are also lifeguards and public restrooms on site.
For art enthusiasts, choose a hotel near Santa Cruz’s Museum of Art and History, such as the Pacific Blue Inn, which is only a 10-minute walk from the museum. This museum contains exhibits highlighting contemporary California artists and history of the local area.
Downtown Santa Cruz contains a high concentration of the city’s shops, restaurants, and entertainment, including the Del Mar Theater and the Kuumbwa Jazz Theater. To be within walking distance of these attractions, select a hotel in the heart of this neighborhood, like the Cliff Crest Bed & Breakfast Inn, located just five blocks from Downtown.
If you would like to learn about the communities that are indigenous to the area, book a hotel near the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, such as the Ocean Gate Inn, located half a mile from the museum. The museum offers exhibits on the local people, animals, and geography, making it a great way to familiarize yourself with the history of the area.
FAQs when booking a hotel in Santa Cruz
Yes. For those traveling with their furry buddies, Santa Cruz hotels like Ocean Pacific Lodge welcome your pet. At an extra fee per pet per stay, the hotel invites two pets, both cats and dogs, of any size. All rooms permit pets except those with jetted tubs. Pets are offered bowls and treat at check-in and a park behind the hotel where you can take your pet for a walk. Pet parents are expected to provide their waste bags.
If you are looking for a honeymoon getaway or quality time with your significant other, set up a base at Chaminade Resort & Spa. The hotel is about 3.2 miles from Main Beach and 0.9 miles from DeLaveaga Golf Course. It has many things to offer to couples, including a pool and spa, beach access, horse riding, hiking, gift shop, picnic area, and fitness center.
If you want to easily access San Jose International Airport or San Francisco International Airport, you can make hotel accommodations at Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley. Just around a 30-minute drive to San Jose International Airport, the hotel has spacious airport shuttles that travel to and from the airports and operate 24 hours.
If you have an electric car model, then set up a base at Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection. Just within the downtown proximity, this 4-star hotel offers its guests an EV charging station on-site. There are also parking spaces for your car.
The Casablanca Inn is less than half a mile to the Wharf and is located directly next to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The Dream Inn is a 4-star choice that is a seven-minute walk to the Wharf, offering rooms with balconies that overlook the ocean.
There are several hotel options that are only a short drive away from the University of California campus. The Hampton Inn is only an eight-minute drive from the school, and it has a heated indoor swimming pool. The Best Western Inn is also an eight-minute drive from the campus and has free breakfast.
Because it is quite easy to explore Santa Cruz by car, booking a hotel with free parking helps you save money. The Beach Street Inn and Suites is only a minute walk from Cowell Beach and has free on-site parking and a community picnic area. The Hyatt Place is located 13 minutes on foot from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, with free parking for guests.
The Ocean Echo Inn & Beach Cottages is only a two-minute walk from SunnyCove and offers guests direct views of the ocean. The Seaway Inn is an affordable choice that is only a 10-minute walk from the Santa Cruz Wharf and offers views of the nearby beach.
The average price of a double room in Santa Cruz is $367 per night. In the last 3 days, KAYAK found great deals as cheap as $100 per night.
Hotels are safe environments for travelers as long as they properly implement sanitary measures in response to coronavirus (COVID-19). However, we recommend getting in touch with the local authorities regarding safety procedures for hotels in Santa Cruz. For more advice, please view our information page on what to know about coronavirus (COVID-19) and travel.
In the last 3 hours, users have found Santa Cruz hotels for tonight for as low as $100. Users have also found 3-star hotels from $114 and 4-star hotels from $170.
In the last 72 hours, users have found Santa Cruz hotels for this weekend for as low as $160 per night. Users have also found 3-star hotels from $160 and 4-star hotels from $255.
After you launch a hotel search on KAYAK, you can refine your research by neighborhood, which allows you to pick the central Santa Cruz districts. You can also do a search using the city map to choose a specific location, like Santa Cruz city center.
Take a look at our extensive hotel map to find the best hotels near you.