The Aqua Pacific Hotel

Stayed here with my teenage sister and 2 year old son for a night and it was perfect! For $50ish total, they have a pool and hot tub which we didn’t use but could’ve been fun. Super close to the beach/boardwalk which was my priority next to cost. The staff at the front desk was super friendly both times I went- to check in and to check out. For being a motel and so inexpensive, this was an awesome little spot! My only complaint I guess would be how small the bathroom was in our room, trying to open the door if you’re inside it and standing up is impossible unless you’re standing in the shower. But this was a very minor inconvenience, even for me being 6 months pregnant. 😅

Coolest host! Rooms are 👍 👍 👍, pet friendly is a big Plus! The location is convenient, and lastly : it's Staggering distance to wherever you're going downtown!

Charming little Santa Cruz hotel with great character and location, just a short walk from the beach and the boardwalk! Reasonably priced rooms that are simple, clean and spacious with a nice big TV. Very dog friendly which is great. Iftee and Satia are the heart of the hotel and really made my experience wonderful. They were both so sweet and helpful, making my stay here exactly what I needed. I will absolutely be back any time I need a place to stay in Santa Cruz. Thanks for accommodating me and my pup!

I had a great stay here for a super reasonable price. The guy at the front desk (whose name I'm forgetting!) was so nice and personable and gave us tons of recs. Clean rooms at a great cost.

This hotel is amazing! The owner is so friendly and accommodating, the rooms are clean, and the location is wonderful. It's situated right between downtown and the Boardwalk, so we pretty much walked the entire time. The comforter and bed are the most comfortable I've ever slept on, and the TV is larger than that of most hotels I've stayed at. If you have the chance to stay here, please do. :)

TJ is an amazing owner. It felt more like an Airbnb experience rather than a hotel, asking him questions and coming up with solutions. The indoor pool was a relaxing spot before bed. A great place to stay, if you need a quick stop in Santa Cruz.

His rec of the brunch place did not disappoint. Highly recommend the place! The place has gotten personalities.

PS, if you are baseball fun, make sure to chat with him about his wall of baseball cards! 😉

Awesome 😎, the service was above and beyond. We called ahead reserved a room, the dude, kept the pool warm for us until late. The dude was real cool. The room had a jacuzzi tub. Small but jacuzzi jets. Was clean and cool. Like a Santa Cruz Dream. Good prices. 👍🏼✌😎😎😎

We stayed there just for one night on a road trip the rooms are small but very clean big TV when on road trips who needs all the big rooms unless there are more than two we had two queen beds in our room. TJ the owner is so nice and very helpful. This is the place to stay.

Darla
Anaheim CA

This is the best hotel to stay in when visiting Santa Cruz is in a perfect area and the owner and staff are excellent. Very nice and friendly and accommodating. If you don't stop here you're missing out.

The new owners are truly lovely. Some of the only young people who know what hospitality IS! They’re thoughtful, funny, accommodating and they have done a terrific job with the renovations. I can only guess how hard it must’ve been as the place HAD fallen into disarray. The rooms are typically small but The bed was super comfortable. We had a huge TV set up with a fire stick with preloaded apps to watch your own stuff. There was a fridge, pool and a hot tub (though it was closed for repair when I was there; so if that’s important, ask ahead so you’re not disappointed if it’s out-pool was still lovely) location is 1/2 way between downtown and boards walk so easy to get around. Also a very dog-friendly hotel which we really appreciated. We’re already planning to go back next month!

The team went out of their way to ensure I had a lovely stay. I was upgraded to a hot tub room. It was quiet, comfortable, and clean. The location is very convenient to downtown and the beach boardwalk. The owner/manager has spent a lot of time and money renovating the hotel - and you can tell. He has a passion for what he does and he goes above and beyond to ensure that you are well informed, and that there is someone always there for your safety. I felt very comfortable there staying on my own. I will definitely book here again. Thank you!

This is a great location with in walking distance to boardwalk. The staff and owner are great at making you feel welcomed and making sure you have everything you need. The property is well kept nice and clean. You also with in walkin distance to a 711 to grab snacks and drinks also walking distance from a little Caesars and a taco truck. All with in a 2 min or less walk. The pool is at perfect temperature to get a nice little swim. They do have conjoined rooms for you and your family. They have smart tvs with cable but you can also sign into ur hulu or Netflix if you wanted to. One of my favorites is the jet bathtub. Nice private parking lot. I will definitely keep coming back to this location when im in town.

Unexpectedly affordable place with good amenities and very friendly staff. Iftee and Satia went above and beyond to make my stay pleasant

Had a a really great stay. We arrived earlier than expected but the owner allowed us to check in early. Staff was friendly and our room was clean and spacious. There were grab and go snacks in the lobby which was a plus after a day at the beach. Very dog friendly! Overall highly recommend and would stay again.

When I first pulled in... It honesty didn't look like much. They have covered carport parking (which I drove by so we could check-in...) and as I pulled in, I noticed a well-lit private parking lot away from the street/sidewalk. Which was awesome. Having to worry about your car is a drag and parking was free. I was in San Francisco before this and stayed at the Marriott Downtown paid for parking for one day (45$) and my cars side view mirror was ripped out of the casing on the driver's side. If you've ever driven in SF... You know you need that mirror! Anyways, the hotel seemed like (is) an older build. We walked into the office (No real lobby) and were greeted instantly. The owner TJ and his wife were at the front desk and were super welcoming. They really made us feel like we were at home. Best part... When we got our keys and headed over to our room. We opened the door and WOW! It was super clean, and everything was brand new. The beds were sooo comfy. The shower had good pressure and got scorching hot. Jumped in the pool, which was heated. Jacuzzi seemed to be having a little trouble. It was warmer than the pool but not "hot." No biggie.... Other than that, we had an amazing night, 100% my spot when I'm in the area. P.S. Ask about the "phonograph." If you're into antiques, you'll love what Tj's got in-store for you.

I honestly never enjoyed a hotel like this one. The rooms looks brand new, the bed was very comfortable and the TV quality was insane. With built in Netflix, ready to watched. The owner, TJ, is also the most down to earth person I have ever met. While checking out I mentioned some personal struggles I was going through and we were talking about it like we're old friends. We also got into deeper conversations which is rare with someone you just met but he is so down to Earth it just felt natural. Would definitely come back next time I', staying overnight in Santa Cruz. I give this a 10/10, no complains from me.

Owners were so nice and welcoming and hard working, they were there at 9pm and 7am, available to help with everything we needed. The back parking lot is private and well lit, and there are at least a half dozen little turf spots to walk your dog. Rooms are new, clean, and smartly planned out. Had a great stay with them, definitely will be back

Recently stayed here and had a nice stay. The hotel has a new owner now and renovations have been done. The room looked brand new, jacuzzi tub was nice, and bed was super comfortable. I am picky about my pillows and forgot to bring mine from home but the pillows here were great. There are quite a few resturants within walking distance and a nice little grocery store as well. If you don't want to break the bank and have a nice place to stay while in Santa Cruz, I recommend staying here.

Great little motel! Very nice front staff! Clean, quiet and comfortable rooms! Good rates as well. Would for sure stay again.

If I could rate this place 10 stars, I would. To start off, TJ was an excellent host. He's super sweet and friendly, and will do anything he can so that you could have an amazing experience. Hotel rooms were spotless- everything was brand new and cleaned up. Bed was super comfortable. Though it was only for a night, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here. I will be coming back soon :D