What is Downtown like?

Travelers to the Downtown neighborhood in Santa Cruz will be sure to enjoy their stay. Be sure to check out Pacific Avenue and Williams-Reynolds House as part of your Downtown travel plans.

What's the best accommodation in Downtown?

Expedia customers rank Ocean Pacific Lodge the highest for a stay in Downtown.

How many hotels will I be able to find in Downtown?

With 13 Expedia hotels and other accommodations in Downtown to choose from, this is a good starting point for exploring the greater Santa Cruz area.

If I need to cancel my hotel reservation in Downtown, will I receive a refund?

Yes! You'll find that most hotel bookings are fully refundable if cancelled before the accommodation's cancellation deadline, which often is within 24-48 hours of your scheduled arrival. If you have a non-refundable reservation, it might still be possible to cancel it and get a refund within 24 hours of your booking. Enter your dates, click on "Search", then filter by "fully refundable" to view the best deals in Downtown.

Where can I learn more about changing or cancelling my trip to Downtown?

For additional details about updating your trip to Downtown or cancelling it, click here .

What are the top things to see and do in Downtown?

A few attractions you might want to check out while you're in Downtown are Pacific Avenue and Williams-Reynolds House. When you're sightseeing in Santa Cruz, Pacific Garden Mall and Neary Lagoon Park are also worth a stop.

Find hotels in Downtown, Santa Cruz

Where to?

Dates

April 2026

May 2026

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Our top choices for Downtown hotels

Ocean Pacific Lodge

Downtown

Trice

The Historic Brookdale Lodge, Santa Cruz Mountains

17 km from Downtown

Jenna

₩149,345 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 1 - Apr 2

Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley

7.5 km from Downtown

Isabel

₩237,919 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 26 - Apr 27

Hampton Inn & Suites Watsonville

23.8 km from Downtown

Michael

₩202,780 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 12 - Apr 13

Standard Double Room, 2 Queen Beds | Living area

ROYAL INN

24.6 km from Downtown

Jesus

₩113,460 total

includes taxes & fees

Mar 29 - Mar 30

Motel 6 Watsonville, CA - Monterey Area

22.4 km from Downtown

Sheila

₩124,433 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 6 - Apr 7

Hotel Los Gatos

28.4 km from Downtown

Aslam

₩295,913 total

includes taxes & fees

Mar 29 - Mar 30

Los Gatos Garden Inn Hotel

28.4 km from Downtown

Behrooz

₩234,891 total

includes taxes & fees

Mar 27 - Mar 28

Inn At Pasatiempo

3.5 km from Downtown

Douglas

₩222,088 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 19 - Apr 20

Quality Inn & Suites Capitola By the Sea

6.8 km from Downtown

Charlie

₩179,747 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 13 - Apr 14

Best Western The Inn Of Los Gatos

29 km from Downtown

John

₩250,453 total

includes taxes & fees

Mar 29 - Mar 30

Best Western Plus Capitola By-the-sea Inn & Suites

5.8 km from Downtown

Monica

₩236,074 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 22 - Apr 23

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Watsonville by IHG

22.9 km from Downtown

Noemi

₩265,536 total

includes taxes & fees

Mar 29 - Mar 30

Hitching Post Studios Inn

Eastside Santa Cruz, 2.8 km from Downtown

Dan

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Santa Cruz, CA

Westside Santa Cruz, 2.7 km from Downtown

Michael

₩211,298 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 12 - Apr 13

Seacliff Inn Aptos, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

10.6 km from Downtown

Jane

₩252,780 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 12 - Apr 13

Rio Sands Vacation Rentals

11.1 km from Downtown

Yvette

Mission Inn

Westside Santa Cruz, 1.7 km from Downtown

Roxana

₩218,802 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 12 - Apr 13

Two Double Room | Individually furnished, desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi

Beachview Inn

Westside Santa Cruz, 0.7 km from Downtown

shiana

₩135,997 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 22 - Apr 23

Premium bedding, pillowtop beds, blackout drapes, iron/ironing board

Quality Inn & Suites, Santa Cruz Mountains

14.7 km from Downtown

Ross D

₩165,564 total

includes taxes & fees

Apr 15 - Apr 16

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Where to stay in Downtown

Find the best Downtown areas and neighborhoods for the activities you enjoy most.

This is a small state park at the northern end of Santa Cruz' scenic West Cliff Drive and a little over a mile from the Boardwalk, wharf and Main Beach. A couple of times a year you can see Monarch butterflies during their migration. They are not in the numbers of years past, but you'll still see some.

If you walk north towards the rocks during low tide you will find some amazing tidepools full of sea anenomes, sea urchins, starfish, crabs, hermit crabs, and all sorts of marine life. The tidepools are on a ledge, so the tide needs to be quite high (>4 ft?) to reach them.

The beach is absolutely stunning at sunset.

#localsecrets

Westside Santa Cruz

Westside Santa Cruz is known for its stunning beaches, and with sights like Monterey Bay and Pacific Avenue, you won't get bored spending a day wandering around this part of Santa Cruz.

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Eastside Santa Cruz

Eastside Santa Cruz is known for its beaches, and you can plan a trip to Monterey Bay and Twin Lakes State Beach while you're in town.

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Nice place to have coffee and watch the waves. Great surf spot. NO bathrooms! #beach #ocean #surf #shops #view

Pleasure Point

World-renowned surf spot with a strong surf culture, Pleasure Point offers picturesque ocean views along East Cliff Drive and a walkable path with separate bike lanes. Enjoy amenities at Pleasure Point Park and nearby 41st Ave commercial district.

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CWFJJA USA California CA Santa Cruz clock tower and trolley on Pacific Avenue

Beach Hill - Beach Flats

Beach Hill - Beach Flats might not have many top sights, but Main Beach and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center are two attractions nearby that you can check out.

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Evening stroll at the Seabright Beach. If you are lucky, you might run into Matt performing amazing bike tricks by the lighthouse. #LifeAtExpedia #sunset #goldenBeach #blueSky

Upper Seabright

When in Upper Seabright, you can plan a visit to Santa Cruz Harbor and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, some noteworthy sights in the nearby area.

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Top Downtown Hotel Reviews

Comfort Inn Santa Cruz North

8/10 Good

"Breakfast menu consisted of waffles, meat patties and potatoes but no eggs. OJ, coffee and tea were available. The Wi-Fi performed exceptionally well. The room did not have a safe but otherwise was exceptional. "