Beach Street Inn And Suites

"Right on the Beach!"

Beach Street Inn and Suites is located almost directly in front of the historic Santa Cruz Wharf with a spectacular view of the entire Santa Cruz coastline. This beachfront hotel is a short 3 minute walk to the kid friendly Santa Cruz Boardwalk and is also just a short drive away from downtown Santa Cruz. Parking is free and the pool is heated.  The pool is open each day from 9am to 9pm. There is no life guard on duty.

ROOMS:
I stayed in a spacious and modern ocean view room on the 2nd floor with two queen beds. The décor is beach sophisticated. The ocean view rooms were newly renovated in 2011. I loved the 40 inch flat screen TV, iPod docking station, refrigerator, microwave, bar sink, and large bathroom with double shower heads. Beach Street Inn and Suites is committed to the principles of eco-friendliness. This clean, green approach was reflected in the recycling wastebasket in my room and in the option to not request fresh sheets everyday.

The beds are dressed with style; a cobalt blue runner accents the bottom of each fluffy white comforter. The white sheets are soft and my head sunk blissfully into the soft bed pillows each night. I woke up each morning to the sound and the smell of the ocean. The bathroom was off the hook!! Grey travertine tiles create a relaxing Zen like spot to shower. This is the type of bathroom I wish I could come home to everyday.

The silver wall safe in my room and the beautiful multicolored deck chairs placed in the outdoor hallway were a nice touch. Even though I brought my son’s portable DVD player with his favorite movies, he was more interested in watching our room’s giant wall mounted flat screen TV. There were many cable channels to choose from and several that were showing cartoons. I especially liked the wicker baskets placed in the chests at the foot of each bed. They were perfect for storing my son’s little shoes (I always over pack for my son.)  The room was well insulated and I couldn’t hear any noise from the street or the guests around me.

Cribs are available upon request. A hotel staff member will deliver it to your room with fresh sheets and put the bedding on the crib mattress for you. The sheets are adorable baby sheets!! The cribs are clean and study.

DINING OPTIONS:
There are no dining options at the hotel. However, there’s a new restaurant called The Picnic Basket that just opened beneath the Inn. The entire Inn is surrounded by places to eat both of the quick and sit down variety. You won’t be hard pressed to find a meal here!

PRO’S FOR THE FAMILY
The Beach Street Inn and Suites is located directly on the beach. Each morning I had only to put on my flips flops and cross a narrow street to reach the ocean. Sea lions can be spotted beneath the wharf barking and playing with each other.  

The Boardwalk is a short safe 3 minute walk away. We were able to visit the Boardwalk both nights of our stay because of our close location. My son loved the walk to the Boardwalk which can be done along the street or along the beach.

There is an onsite 24 hour washer and dryer. I had to use the dryer several times to dry out my son’s socks because he kept running into the surf with his shoes on! I had to use it again when he partially slid into the pool fully dressed because he was so excited to go swimming. Bring $1 in quarters for each machine.

CON’S FOR THE FAMILY
There is no elevator. I hand carried our stroller up and down 4 flights of stairs at least twice a day. If you have a large family you may have a problem carrying all your baby gear and making sure the kids get safely up or down the stairs all at once. There is a driveway on the side of the hotel but it is steep. I work out a lot and even I was out of breath pushing my son in his stroller up the steep long driveway to the rooms.  If you encounter this problem don’t be shy about calling the front desk and asking for help. Their friendly and thoughtful staff will gladly assist you with either exiting or entering the hotel from either the stairs or the ramp.

Disclosure:  The Beach Street Inn and Suites provided my family with a discounted rate for this review. The Beach Street Inn and Suites did not request that I express any particular point of view and my reviews always reflect my honest opinions.

For more information about where to stay and what to do in Santa Cruz, www.santacruzcounty.travel.