Close to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Dream Inn Santa Cruz provides a poolside bar, a terrace, and a firepit. This resort is a great place to bask in the sun with a beachfront location and beachfront dining. Treat yourself to a massage at the onsite spa. The on-site restaurant, Jack O'Neill Restaurant, features ocean views. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi, and guests can find other amenities such as a coffee shop/cafe and dry cleaning/laundry services.
Located on the beach, Dream Inn Santa Cruz is in Westside Santa Cruz, a neighborhood in Santa Cruz. Mystery Spot and Roaring Camp Railroads are notable landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Monterey Bay and Capitola Beach. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center are also worth visiting. Take an opportunity to explore the area for water adventures such as fishing. Visit our Santa Cruz travel guide
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center
3 min walk - 0.2 miles
Getting around
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Intl. Airport (SJC)
49 min drive
Restaurants
Ideal Bar & Grill
3 min walk
Marini’s at the Wharf
11 min walk
Makai Island Kitchen
9 min walk
Shrine Coffee
10 min walk
Las Palmas Taco Bar
4 min walk
About this property
Dream Inn Santa Cruz
Upscale resort near Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
You can look forward to a poolside bar, a terrace, and a firepit at Dream Inn Santa Cruz. This resort is a great place to bask in the sun with a beachfront location and beachfront dining. Treat yourself to a massage at the onsite spa. The on-site restaurant, Jack O'Neill Restaurant, features ocean views. Free in-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with a coffee shop/cafe and dry cleaning/laundry services.
Other perks at this resort include:
Heated pool along with sun loungers and pool umbrellas
Cooked-to-order breakfast (surcharge), bike rentals, and valet parking (surcharge)
An outdoor pool, a ballroom, and a front-desk safe
A banquet hall, meeting rooms, and smoke-free premises
Guest reviews speak highly of the dining options, beach locale, and helpful staff
Room features
All 165 rooms offer comforts such as air conditioning, in addition to thoughtful touches like free WiFi and safes. Guest reviews speak positively of the clean rooms at the property.
More conveniences in all rooms include:
Wardrobes/closets and balconies
Flat-screen TVs with cable channels
Recycling, coffee/tea makers, and heating
Awards and affiliations
Sustainability Certifications
This property is certified by this third-party sustainability certification scheme: Green Key Global. For more information on what this certification requires and verifies, please visit their website.
Yes, this property has an outdoor pool. Pool types include heated pools. Pool access is from 7:30 AM–10:00 PM.
The property will be renovating the pool from November 1 2026 to January 15 2027 (completion date subject to change).
How much does it cost to stay at Dream Inn Santa Cruz?
As of Oct 26, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Dream Inn Santa Cruz on Oct 29, 2026 start from $250, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
Is Dream Inn Santa Cruz pet-friendly?
Yes, this resort allows dogs (limit 2 total) with a maximum weight of up to 40 lbs per pet. There's a fee of USD 100 per pet, per stay. Service animals are exempt from fees. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.
How much is parking?
Self parking is available for USD 35 per night. Valet parking is available for USD 40.00 per night.
What time is check-in at Dream Inn Santa Cruz?
Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: midnight.
What time is check-out at Dream Inn Santa Cruz?
Check-out is at 11:00 AM.
Where is Dream Inn Santa Cruz located?
Located in Westside Santa Cruz, this beachfront resort is in the city center and within a 10-minute walk of Cowell's Beach, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and Monterey Bay. Santa Cruz Main Beach and Santa Cruz Wharf are also within 5 minutes.
Can I cancel my reservation for free and receive a full refund?
Yes, this property offers free cancellation on select room rates, because flexibility matters! Please refer to the property cancellation policy on our site for more details about any exclusions or requirements.
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Reviews
Dream Inn Santa Cruz Reviews
9.4
Exceptional
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
This was a great room to celebrate my daughter’s first trip (and as a teenager) to The Beach Boardwalk!! Beautiful views of the ocean, boardwalk at night, and easily walkable to all the things you want to do.
First visit at this hotel and it was beautiful our room had a nice ocean view and a slight view of the pool area. The rooms were clean and we fell comfortable with our young Babies.
Love the old California style. We had a very enjoyable stay, The hotel is positioned nicely near the beach and boardwalk, the property is well cared for and managed. The only down side was the extraordinarily high price (twice that of a more fancy hotel) for accomodations during the summer season.
Wonderful stay. Love the pool which is situated facing beach with stairs onto beach from pool deck. Wharf for dinner and boardwalk are easy walk from hotel.
Such a wonderful property. Our oceanfront rooms were spectacular. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Special thanks to the front desk staff and the valet staff.
View was great, staff friendly . Only issue was the water temperature in the shower. It stayed really warm and we couldn’t get it cooler .
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Sarah
Jul 10, 2026
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
Great views and right on beach. Nice retro surf vibe.
If you have and/or love kids, this is a great place. However, if you want a quiet, couples trip, this is not the place. Pool and hot tub are jammed with kids all the time and quite dirty.
The Dream Inn is always our go to spot. The hotel is close to everything fun, clean and the staff are great!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2026
Verified review
8/10 Good
Janet
Jun 10, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
The room was clean and beds were comfy. The hotel is in a great location and the views from the balcony were great. I also liked that the coffee bar opened at 6:30am.
The bathroom was clean but could use a little upgrade.