Situated on West Cliff Drive, the Dream Inn is the perfect place to stay when you visit Santa Cruz. Overlooking the Santa Cruz Wharf and the Beach Boardwalk, this beachfront hotel offers sweeping views of the Monterey Bay. And it’s very conveniently located near some of the best things to do Santa Cruz.
It wasn’t until I moved out of the area that I stayed at the Dream Inn. Growing up here, we always wandered past and even hoped we could one day sneak into the pool area to hang out. And it’s one of my favorite places to stay when I go back to visit.
Dream Inn Santa Cruz Hotel Review
Staying at the Dream Inn is a perfect oceanfront escape with stunning views and a retro vibe that blends perfectly with the quirky Santa Cruz vibe.
Sitting right on the beach, each room has it’s own private ocean front balcony, great retro beach themed decor, and comfortable beds. The bedrooms have great retro beach themed decor and comfortable beds.
I love leaving the sliding door open at night to listen to the sound of the waves as we fall asleep. You can also hear the sea lions that hang out under the wharf. The balcony is the perfect spot to take in the views of the wharf, the boardwalk, and the Monterey Bay. It’s also the perfect place to start the day watching the sun rise.
On the bed side tables there is a card with a QR code to the room service menu. There is also a card with a link to download some free books during your stay. I love this idea as I’m always reading when I’m lounging by the pool or laying on the beach. The room service menu is filled with delicious options, but there are plenty of amazing breakfast and brunch spots in Santa Cruz to check out!
The balcony overlooks Cowell Beach, which is one of the best spots for beginner surfers. You’ll probably see people taking surf lessons or heading out to stand up paddleboard. Keep your eyes on the water and you might spot some sea lions swimming close to shore!
As I mentioned before, the Dream Inn is very conveniently located near great restaurants and things to do. You’re a short walk away from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the Wharf, and downtown Santa Cruz. There are some really great and unique beaches as you drive up the coast on Highway 1 towards Davenport. You will need to rent a car if you want to check out these beaches. But if you just want to visit UCSC or stroll around Capitola, you can rent an Uber or a bike.
The Dream Inn Hotel offers self park and valet parking options. The self park is $35/night and the valet is $40/night. Since the cost is almost the same, I highly recommend doing the valet parking. The parking lot is really small and typically pretty full.
If you’re a runner, check out some of the Surfers Path races that start right down the street from the hotel. Santa Cruz also hosts the Santa Cruz Triathlon and the Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz.
Downstairs in the lobby there is a coffee bar serving Verve Coffee Roasters, which is a local coffee favorite. The rest of the lobby features beautiful beach theme decor with surfboards and an old jukebox. The hotel has some beach essentials available to purchase in case you forget anything (I almost always forget something when traveling!).
The outdoor pool overlooks Cowell Beach and is a great spot to spend an afternoon swimming, soaking in the hot tub, or sipping a cocktail from the Shorebreak Pool Bar in your lounge chair or cabana. The pool offers fun daily activities such as a mimosa bar, kids ice cream happy hour, tequila bar, and a taco cart.
At the edge of the pool deck is a staircase that leads directly to the beach below. There’s a shower at the bottom to wash off the sand when you come back. Just make sure to bring your room key to get back into the staircase!
Room service is provided by the Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge which is connected directly to the Dream Inn. But you should head down to the restaurant at least once to try one of their specialty cocktails. The food is fantastic so go enjoy a meal overlooking Cowell Beach and the ocean. There are also some really great restaurants on the wharf and in downtown Santa Cruz, both of which are a short walk away.
As you head down towards the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and cross the road that leads to the wharf, there’s a great bathing suit shop across the street! There are so many styles and colors to choose from! I still have, love, and wear the bikinis I purchased there (especially now that we live on Kaua’i).
If you want to watch more surfers, take a beautiful one mile walk on West Cliff Drive to Steamer Lane. Here you’ll also find the Santa Cruz Surf Museum and Lighthouse Field State Beach. Steamer Lane is one of the best surfing spots in Santa Cruz so you’ll be able to watch plenty of surfers as you walk along the cliffs. This is also the area that Otter 841 was biting and stealing boards from surfers in 2023 and 2024.
The Santa Cruz Surf Museum is housed inside an old lighthouse and documents the history and evolution of surf culture in Santa Cruz. Lighthouse Field State Beach is a beautiful beach that’s popular for boogie boarding, surfing, and wildlife watching. This is one of my favorite spots to watch the sunset!
Planning a trip to Santa Cruz? Staying at the Dream Inn will elevate your vacation. Make sure to check availability on Booking.com here! And check out my full guide to Santa Cruz!
