Carousel Motel, Santa Cruz

We took our family to Santa Cruz last year July 2008 the kids had the best time. The hotel is just ok, but how convient the location of the hotel is. Directly across the street is the Beach Boardwalk, we stayed 2 nights and the kids wanted to stay longer, but the hotel was booked, next year we will be staying at least 4 days.....We would recommend it to others. The hotel is worth the money, because of the location, it also has package deals.

From the start of reservations to the stay it was a nightmare. The only good thing is it is across from the boardwalk. They messed up our reservation and my grown son had to sleep on the floor with no apologies. The place was filthy and bums and gangmembers walk around your room all night. The first night we had a bum climb to the 3rd floor trying to get to some booze using peoples patios to hop on. We had one sit outside our patio that screamed and flipped everyone off. The pizza guy was delivering pizza and turned to hand an order over and another bum ran by and took the pizza sitting on top of the car and kept running. The bathroom lock didnt work, the room was filthy. We reserved a double queen and when we got there we ended up with a tiny handicapped room with one roll away and a queen bed. It was a nightmare. Would not recommend to anyone with children.

I stopped by the Carousel Motel Approx. 1-2 years ago while we were vacationing in Santa Cruz..at the time my thoughts where,that the outside halls smelled of "musky,mold"...well this trip I decided to book because of the location and I was so impressed by the changes..My room was remodeled and was quite cute and extremely clean..the outside halls were newly tiled and mopped daily.(no moldy smells,at the least) The Breakfast was nice juice,coffee,bagels,muffins, and fruit. The location is just a few steps across from the boardwalk. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The price was very reasonable. We will be staying there again when we visit Santa Cruz.

The location is perfect. It is quicker to go to your room to use the restroom. Also, after swimming at the beach you can quickly go to your room to shower and change. There is no air conditioning. However, the staff is very helpful and friendly and brought us a fan. I would like to add that ALL of the staff treated us with outstanding customer service. The rooms are clean and the beds are comfortable. Nothing fancy, but clean. There are microwaves and frig's too. There is one parking space per room which is fine, you should get two rooms at this cheap rate if you have two carloads of people. I would definatley stay here again!!

First of all, the location is perfect. It is better/easier and closer at times to just go to your room to use the restroom. When we were at the beach and got wet and sandy, it was great to be right there to shower and change. The room was a typical motel, but clean. There is no air conditioning, however the clerk brought us up a fan. I also wish to add that ALL of the clerks gave us OUTSTANDING customer service. Better than I have recieved at five star hotels. I highly recommend this motel. The beds were comfortable as well.

Across the street from Santa Cruz beach boardwalk. Old motel.Breakfast was satifactory. Clean room. No air conditioning.Very nice staff. Quick service. Heard little noise at night. Paid parking across the street for the next day and meter parking with change machines nearby. Grocery or liquer store next door.Paid $205.00 including tax and 2 unlimited wrist bands for one night in July. No Western Inn but will keep coming back for that location near the beach. Didnt care for the food at the boardwalk. Terrible. Eat somewhere else but the boardwalk. Last day we went to a Mexican Restaraunt around the corner from the Inn. Tasted fresher and better than the other food.

The people at the front desk were very friendly and helpful. When I asked for extra pillows they went right away to get them so I could take them back to the room. The room was very quiet after the Boardwalk closed at 11PM. I'm sure it was loud before that, but who cares since the reason I wanted this hotel was so I could walk to the Boardwalk and not mess with my car. The room was clean and if you open your sliding glass door you get the nice ocean breeze and you can go out and watch the rides. Very happy and will be back soon.

This hotel was amazing as far as a family hotel. the location was AMAZING because of the beach literally 5 minutes away. You get a great view, balconies and complimentry breakfasts. I personally like the low-key and rather small hotel[34 rooms only!] As far as the other remarks about the a.c it most have been fixed because we just got back and there was definatley AC. Love it and its a great place to take your kids.

I love this place. If you don't trust the reviews and are concerned about the air conditioning, you can find and stay at a motel within 10 miles that will accomodate you. Then think beach experience. Drive to the beach on a busy weekend day. Try to find parking in one of the available fee lots. Carry your stuff to the beach. Go to the board walk. Carry more stuff way back to your car. Sit in traffic trying to get back to your hotel and the air conditioning you now realize you didn't need. You will spend a third of your time dealing with your car and your stuff. I on the other hand park the car and walk across the street. Its not the Ritz Carlton or the Lodge at Pebble Beach. Its not supposed to be. Its the beach and the boardwalk. I have been going for 50 years. Its great. A note on security. I haven't had any experience with car breakins I am sure they happen, But the beach and the boardwalk are very safe. Once in recent years I noticed an individule that had had to much to drink and was approaching a group. In what I can only describe as a surgical strike boardwalk and Santa Cruz county security quietly decended and scooped this guy up with out incident. He just disapeared. Its a place for the young and the young at hart. Its a kids place and a family place in a college town.

I've lived in the San Francisco Bay Area (close enough to Santa Cruz to go to the beaches in Santa Cruz several times a week for years), and hotels on or very near the beach in Santa Cruz, especially on the boardwalk, are like this one. Practically all the people who stay at these hotels on the beach stay there to go to the beach and boardwalk, so they spend almost no time in the hotel itself. There is one hotel down the street from this hotel that is an exception, and it costs SIX to EIGHT times the price of hotels like this one. Obviously, people who go with their kids to the beach boardwalk in Santa Cruz are NOT spending $300-$500 a night for a hotel. So, the quality and purpose of the hotel is reflected in the price. Also, for those of you with no experience with the California coastal hotels and residences, nobody, and I mean NOBODY has air conditioning on the coast. The reason is that it is very cold and foggy at least half of the day in northern California on the coast, and it's similar in southern California. If on the rare occasion it's above the 70's one day, open some windows. I've stayed many times in this area, and a couple of times at this hotel. Thefts are rare, but they happen wherever tourists are found. Bottom line, this is a decent hotel, typical of the area, and is in an excellent location. Especially if you have a few small children and don't want to walk long distances or drive long distances wasting time parking your car.