Exterior
Check availability

Reviews of Santa Cruz Inn Riverside

2 out of 5
Santa Cruz Inn Riverside
Riverside, CA

Reviews

6.6
Rating 10 - Excellent. 28 out of 144 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 44 out of 144 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 26 out of 144 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 24 out of 144 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 22 out of 144 reviews" "

7.0/10

Cleanliness

6.6/10

Staff & service

6.0/10

Amenities

6.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Marcella

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Local Charm
Cute, and showing it's age in little ways. The place has character, in a good way. Room was clean, location was great, I enjoyed my stay.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

Denisa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff are friendly and accommodating. Good location for Festival of Lights in downtown riverside and has free parking . Good value for the price .

10/10 Excellent

Shannon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

Alan, Big Bear City

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Wayne

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

2/10 Terrible

elizabeth

The manager there is rude both in person and over the phone. She cuts you off when you are talking, doesn't answer the phone in a friendly way whatsoever. She needs to take a class on how to provide better customer service. Never staying here again. Save yourself the time and money and don't stay here.

10/10 Excellent

Jose Luis

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

4/10 Poor

Charles

Business traveler
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

2/10 Terrible

Bill

Traveled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Spent two minutes in the room. Gathered our stuff and left immediately. Dirty, smelly, horrible room. Went to the Marriott.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

8/10 Good

Amador

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

6/10 Okay

Janet

It was okay. An older building that needed some repairs. Check in and out required ringing a bell and waiting for someone to come to the window.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

2/10 Terrible

David

Traveled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Room was disgusting. Sheets were paper thin with holes in them, hairs all over the sink, bathroom inside the sheets. You could tell someone had just finished using the bathroom because the toilet paper roll was jaggedly ripped and mostly gone. We left…abandoned the room and booked another room somewhere else. So disappointed.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021

2/10 Terrible

Jose, Riverside

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This place is a nightmare the property is in very poor condition the service is horrible we had the worst experience ever we where the literally for 13 minutes we check in go to our room I was going to take a nap while my wife showered when I pull out the sheets there was 5 different hairs on the white sheet and the pillow covers then I pull out the rest of the blanket and there is make up on the sheets spoke to the "Manager " she tells me I can leave the property when in reality I was going to do that I'd be crazy to stay there the worst place to stay DO NOT STAY HERE?
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from Reservations on Mar 18, 2020
Thank you for choosing the Santa Cruz Inn, Riverside. We do appreciate your business but lets let the travelers hear both ends of the side. According to the hotel policy, guests are required to pay a refundable deposit at the time of check-in, either in cash or card. Upon the review of the cameras system on check-in, we had noticed the following: You did not want to abide by the policy of paying a refundable deposit and had become very aggressive towards the front desk clerk. A new card was then used from a different individual to pay for your deposit and the front desk clerk had kindly asked to see an I.D. card which resulted in you becoming more aggressive. You did spend about almost an hour in the room and then decided to let us know that there was makeup on the sheets. We do apologise for all the inconvenience that you had experienced on check-in.

8/10 Good

Laura

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Shabby outside, fresh inside
The room was fine, the outdoor upkeep up the hotel was degraded. Need new paint, paving, re-landscaping. Looks like a novel outside, but it’s deceiving my run down looking. The room was absolutely refurbished, clean and modern.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

2/10 Terrible

Jacqueline

Traveled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Manager was rude and wanted to make a scene at five in the morning when no noise was made on our end. The no visitors rule is awful
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Keith

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Business traveler
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

6/10 Okay

Daren

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Business traveler
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Probably Not
Pretty worn down, dirty and scary environment. Not a place for a woman traveling alone
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Edward

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice, affordable, convenient.
The place is super convenient to downtown Riverside, well maintained and very affordable. I really enjoyed the hotel's architecture. Having a door onto a balcony, though tiny, was nice in that I could open up the door to let enjoy the evening breeze. WiFi was excellent (there are plenty of hot spots throughout the property).
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Julian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It is a classic property that has been renovated and is unique to the area. There was no breakfast included, but the courtyard area and property grounds are very inviting.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The place is beautiful and historic. However, it needs to be renovated. The owners should bite the bullet and spend the money and then charge accordingly. Get rid of the week rentals and make it a mini Mission Inn.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019

8/10 Good

john

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very comfortable
I first was impressed by the age and charm of the structures, and then I was surprised by how clean my room was, and that it had recently been remodeled inside. I enjoyed it. The Wifi was “iffy” though
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Traveled with group, Business traveler
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Poorly repaired OLD property. Only comfortable to sleep, not sit and chat or read or relax.
Stayed 1 night in May 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good
Hotel is a bit older but well kept. The room and bathroom were very clean. Location is near downtown, I was there for a concert and ended up walking to the venue since it was only two blocks away. While reading the other reviews no one mentions anything about a deposit, but I was charged a $40 deposit which was later reimbursed.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Kim

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful old hotel
If you like kitchsy old hotels, this one’s for you. A little run down but that’s it’s charm. On the national historic register. Historic district and convention center very close
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Rodney

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great room
Great room
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

4/10 Poor

Cynthia

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Will stay again, no question
The Santa Cruz Inn was very clean. It definitely looked like efforts are being made to update rooms. The ice machine was down, but the manager still managed to get me ice, which is a necessity for me. I was there by myself and felt safe and slept well. I would absolutely stay there again.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
Pretty basic if charmingly old motel. Front office staff was pleasant. Good if small flat screen tv. Bed was just adequate. Room lighting not good. No amenities. Located in downtown Riverside a short walk from many dining choices and the Mission Inn. We stayed there for the Festival of Lights at about one-third the cost of a night at the Mission Inn. Parking was a problem, they don't have enough for all the rooms and we had to park overnight on a side street, which was free.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

Angelica, Henderson

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It's an old/unique property. The staff was very good. The room was clean with plenty of room. The only thing I didn't like was we needed quarters for the ice machine. Overall a good, old spanish flair to this Motel
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018

8/10 Good

Courtney

I liked it.
I would definitely stay here again. The room was clean and the hotel was super cute. Also pretty close to downtown.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The staff was very hard working and put so much effort into the acomidations, every time I had a question the front desk was extremely helpful in helping me find and getting me what I needed.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2018

8/10 Good

Yolanda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018

8/10 Good

Monica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Alt location
Good alternative to more expensive Mission Inn or Marriott. Quaint but comfortable.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2018

8/10 Good

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable historic hotel near downtown Riverside. Did not have the greatest amenities, but good value for the money.

2/10 Terrible

Jill

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Rude staff and wouldn't allow me to stay
Was told there was no reservation in my name and when I showed the guy at the counter my confirmation he agreed that yes there was a reservation in my name, but after discussion, he did not want to give me the room so I had to go find accommodations elsewhere
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

4/10 Poor

Calvin

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

4/10 Poor

Cynthia, Colorado

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Internet pictures are deceiving
Just parked and ready to get my bag out and I noticed a car in the lot and a couple arguing. The man kept yelling at the woman driver to leave and get out. A little alarmed I waited until the car sped away and then went in to check in. The clerk was licked behind a door and window which again made me feel a bit apprehensive. I asked if this was a safe place and she assured me it was. I asked to first see the room but still feeling a little unsure I made several calls to nearby hotels for room availability and they were all full. I checked in but was a bit disappointed with the room. Although I knew the hotel was old, and the room "appeared" clean, just did not have a good vibe. Although I had reserved two nights I quickly called Expedia and changed my reservation to one night and found another acceptable place for the second night. I will not stay there again. I'd rather pay the extra $30 -$50 dollars a night for peace of mind.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2018

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bait n switch
It was convenient as our event was at convention center across the street. Looking at the pictures posted on expedia I was like cool little place would be ok. Well pictures are outdated, the area is not well kept, and was very sketchy. The room was small, bathroom smaller, if u leaned up the wrong way off toilet you would hit your head on sink. Door only had a turn lock not like most hotels that have the security lock, and door jam had been forced open before. Bed was overused, not comfortable, no springs left for support. The drapes were hold and worn had holes in them. We debated over leaving for 30 minutes but decided to give it a chance. It was a sleepless night as tossing and turning and we put a chair in front of the door to hopefully prevent anyone from coming in. Not worth the value on it
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Never again
Loud outside noise from street, could hear door slamming until 11:00 pm. The front desk called us to ask if we were the ones slamming the door...could not understand his heavy accent at first. The hotel is small, they could have walked down the short hallway to see where all the noise was coming from. At least two other rooms had young, ignorant kids having a sleepover as it appeared.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not A Goodnight Sleep Stay
The hotel’s location was perfect. We came for the Riverside The Festival Of Lights, and it was 2 blocks away frim the event. The hotels condition was okay. We got a room all the way to the top floor. No other room was there other than ours. The windows were open when we got to our room. The room has a musty weird smell. The carpet was old, dirt stains, and sticky feeling if you tried to walk bare feet. We were close to the street, and it was very loud even when the windows were closed. I had to wear ear plugs, and even that didn’t help. I’m glad that we only booked it for 1 day. There’s other hotels in the area that’s well known. It’ll cost a lot of money to stay there, but I’m sure you’ll get a better rest and comfort. I guess, if your looking for a hotel that’s not too expensive for a day stay, and it’s in a good location.. Santa Cruz Inn Riverside was okay.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017

8/10 Good

Leanne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Would definitely stay again
The motel is pretty old, but the room was nicely renovated and so spacious. There were a couple of bleach stains on the carpet, and overall I’m not sure how clean the floor ACTUALLY was lol. But I’m not that picky or easily grossed-out, so I wasn’t bothered. Other than the sound of traffic, it was very quiet, and I didn’t hear anyone around us. Oh, and the location is a short walking distance from the Fox PAC and so many delicious restaurants and beer spots, which is pretty important. If you roll cheap like I do, this is a big bang for your buck.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017

6/10 Okay

Shannon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Disappointing.
Room smelled. Couldn't find reservation. Broken door latch. Smoke detector disabled. No complaints breakfast. People nice.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Value is good.
Designed in the "Spanish" style, it is a mix of residential and motel units. I stayed in a very large 2-full beds room that included a bar area. A pity that the fireplace no longer functions, and the bathroom was very narrow (and down a small ramp to access). Service was okay, room was decent though obviously needs some minor maintenance and could definitely use some updating. Overall, good value for the price, particularly if you are attending event at the Convention Center.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2017