Inn-escapable » Santa Cruz’s renovated Dream Inn
If you’re a surf junkie or simply love the beach, the Dream Inn just might be your happy place.
The Santa Cruz beachfront hotel near the famed boardwalk went through a major renovation in 2017, retaining its midcentury modern feel, but with an update that celebrates the area’s laid-back culture and surf history.
The head-to-toe renovation included upgrades to all 165 guest rooms and suites, as well as the lobby, which now includes a trendy Verve coffee cart (which serves excellent breakfast sandwiches) and a wall of vintage surfboards, including a 1977 Tom Overlin gun custom made for Pat O’Neill. That’s all great, but it was the clever, artful touches — surf scenes covering entire hallways, underwater pool scenes on elevator walls — that beckoned us beach lovers. Zzzzs: Our spacious, ocean-view deluxe room featured two plush queen beds (king beds also available) with soft white linens and enough pillows for our 7-year-old to build a sizable fort. We loved the high-end, serape-inspired blankets, too.
Splashes: If only every walk-in shower had sunny yellow and orange tiles — it’s the cheeriest way to start the day. We also liked the detachable rain shower heads. Our patio view of the heated pool, hot tub and Cowell Beach was sweet, too.
Extras: Speaking of that pool area: It now offers four showers, pillowlined convertible cabana beds, fire pits and a year-round poolside bar, Shorebreak Drink + Dine, that serves salads ($7-$18), street tacos ($5 or 3 for $13), sandwiches ($13$17) and beach-inspired cocktails ($12-$14) until sunset daily. There’s complimentary yoga on the expanded beachfront pool deck, and cruiser bikes for exploring the waterfront. Details: Summer rates start at $329 per night; fall rates start at $279. 175 W. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz; www.dreaminnsantacruz.com.