Howard Johnson by Wyndham Santa Cruz

Hotels
•
Howard Johnson
7.7 (1203 reviews)
130 West Cliff Drive , Santa Cruz , us

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Children allowed

Facilities

Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Terrace
Family rooms
Express check-in/check-out
Safety deposit box
Fax/photocopying
Facilities for disabled guests
Hot tub/Jacuzzi
Non-smoking throughout
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Location
Friendly Staff
Variety of Amenities
Cons:
Cleanliness Issues
Poor Customer Service
Food Quality

Categories

Cleanliness
6.58
Multiple reviews mentioned cleanliness issues, including dirty rooms and mold.
Service
9.07
Some positive feedback on staff friendliness, but also mentions of rude management.
Location
9.57
Frequent mentions of great location close to the wharf and boardwalk.
Room Quality
7.08
Referenced small rooms, hard beds, and noisy conditions.
Amenities
8.07
Some amenities mentioned positively, like breakfast variety; however, issues with jacuzzi and breakfast quality noted.
Value for Money
7.08
Several complaints about high prices relative to the quality.
Food and Beverage
6.08
Negative comments about breakfast quality, including specific complaints about food.
Overall Experience
8.07
Sentiment varies greatly, with some positive aspects but many complaints.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-08 08:00

Property Description

Ocean Views and Hot Tub
Experience stunning ocean views and relax in the hot tub at Howard Johnson by Wyndham Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Enjoy the serene atmosphere and unwind in style.

Comfortable Rooms with Modern Amenities
Each room is equipped with a flat-screen TV, fridge, and microwave for your convenience. The bright and cozy rooms ensure a comfortable stay for all guests.

Convenient Facilities and Nearby Attractions
Take advantage of the laundry facilities and grab snacks from the on-site vending machines. With the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Santa Cruz Wharf in close proximity, your stay promises to be filled with fun and adventure.

Book now for a memorable stay at Howard Johnson by Wyndham Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Important information:

If arriving after 22:30, please contact the hotel for instructions on late check-in.

Parking at the hotel is available for hotel guests ONLY.

Please note that there is US$ 20.00 parking fee if you will bring a second car.Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: SJC

Property Policies

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Parking

    Private parking is possible on site (reservation is needed) and charges may be applicable.

  • Pets

    Pets are not allowed.

  • Groups

    No special conditions apply for groups.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 10 years old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    Children from 11 years old to 17 years old stay for US$5 per person per night when using an existing bed.
    You haven't added any cots.
    You haven't added any extra beds.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

Location

Guest Reviews

7.7
Based on 1203 reviews
Cleanliness: 6.58
Service: 9.07
Location: 9.57
Room Quality: 7.08
Amenities: 8.07
Value for Money: 7.08
Food and Beverage: 6.08
Overall Experience: 8.07
P
Patricia • family_with_children • us
5
Probably not worth it
Pros:

Great view and awesome reception!!

Cons:

Broken screen, one chair outside, hot tub not working (why we booked)…

2026-03-28 • via Nuitee
K
kristina • couple • us
7
2026-03-28 • via Nuitee
G
Gidget • solo_traveller • us
5
2026-03-28 • via Nuitee
L
Laura • family_with_children • nl
8
Pros:

Locatie en ruime kamer

Cons:

Uitzicht vanuit kamer

2026-03-27 • via Nuitee
B
Brandy • couple • us
10
This place is super nice and friendly. Clean and great location.
Pros:

Everything. The staff is friendly and it’s clean and it’s a great location. I was there for work and it’s a regular place I pick because the whole place is great.

Cons:

N/A

2026-03-27 • via Nuitee
R
Renee • couple • us
6
Decent but room for improvement.
Pros:

Excellent location and I found the bed very comfortable. Daytime staff person was nice.

Cons:

No charging ports in room, only regular outlets. Also no bath mats for in the shower so be careful, tub is slippery.

2026-03-26 • via Nuitee
M
Mayra • couple • us
7
Great property staff! Perfect location to both the beach/boardwalk and downtown.
Pros:

The view and breakfast.

Cons:

The smell of the property. Also, the spa was closed.

2026-03-23 • via Nuitee
D
Denise • family_with_children • us
5
Location was good.
Pros:

The LOCATION..

Cons:

Celeste the manager NEEDS retraining DESPERATELY. My daughter and grandson were supposed to stay here so we could all be at the same hotel. My daughter’s room had an open attic with spiders coming, the bed had cigarette burns, the fridge didn’t close and was covered in rust which isn’t safe at all. She was displaced with my grandson and elderly mom at 11pm Friday 21st of March, mind you we didn’t arrive until 8:30pm. The first night was chaos filled bc the LACK of empathy and professionalism Celeste Chose NOT to display. She needs to be replaced immediately. Her behavior and chaos is unacceptable! The TUB ISN’T Working either.

2026-03-23 • via Nuitee
R
Raylene • family_with_children • us
1
NEVER STAY HERE!!
Cons:

This was the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in. I had my disabled son and elderly grandmother with me. ROOM 106 has an attic on the ceiling that is not properly sealed and has bugs coming out of it(one did fall on top of my grandmother and scared her almost making her fall) the fridge in the room did not properly close and had rust all on the bottom of it.There were cigarette burns on the bedding and a terrible chemical smell was in the air. A staff member did move us to another room and did let us know we would have to leave that room(room 119) because it was already booked for the next day. The manager Celeste has the worst attitude and no customer service training at all. She also tried to put blame on us because we were taking up 2 rooms for the night since we did not feel comfortable staying in room 106 and she couldn’t give the room 119 to someone else. We got into room 119 around 11pm and they didn’t have the alarm on the ceiling assembled properly so we had to hear it beeping all night. And then we had to leave at check out. The jacuzzi was also not working and they did not feel the need to update their information. The breakfast is waffles,boiled eggs and yogurt. For the price of this hotel it is not worth it at all. People please be aware of this hotel.

2026-03-23 • via Nuitee
E
Erynn • solo_traveller • us
7
Even though room needed some work I will be back as it’s great location and great staff
Pros:

Location, views, staff always friendly

Cons:

Room needed some maintenance. Bathtub was cracked and gave way when standing in shower.

2026-03-21 • via Nuitee
K
Krista • couple • us
5
2026-03-19 • via Nuitee
R
Radik • extended_group • us
8
This was one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve had — absolutely unacceptable. The room was not properly cleaned, whic
Pros:

Place

Cons:

This was one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve had — absolutely unacceptable.

The room was not properly cleaned, which already set a bad tone from the start. On top of that, there were no USB outlets in the room. In 2026, not being able to charge your phone easily is ridiculous and shows how outdated this place is.

Parking was a complete joke. We had two cars, but only one was allowed free parking. For the second car, they demanded $25, which is unreasonable considering there is free street parking right across the road. Even worse, they charge for parking but take no responsibility for the vehicles — so what exactly are we paying for?

Breakfast hours made no sense at all. It was only available from 8 AM to 10 AM — by that time most guests are already leaving, especially if they have work or travel plans. Completely useless.

The most frustrating part was the lack of staff. Around 7 AM, there was no one at the front desk. No one answered the phone, no one opened the door — nothing. We couldn’t properly check out or return the keys.

Because of this, we had no choice but to send messages and contact the property through Booking.com, explaining that we had checked out and left the keys under the mat, since there was no other way to return them or notify anyone.

Overall, this place feels poorly managed, outdated, and not customer-oriented at all. I would strongly advise others to avoid staying here.

2026-03-18 • via Nuitee
E
Eva • extended_group • us
7
I payed for an ocean view and did not get a room with an ocean view it was on ground level very disappointing especially
Pros:

Close to beach

Cons:

The cost of room is very old looking tv had no Netflix or movies small old tv . Beds were not comfortable .

2026-03-16 • via Nuitee
M
Mercy • couple • us
5
Pros:

Location

2026-03-16 • via Nuitee
S
Sally • solo_traveller • de
5
very basic but great location
Pros:

Wonderful location close to the beach. The staff were friendly and the breakfast was standard motel style.

Cons:

We couldn’t sleep because people in the rooms next to us were partying all night, including knocks on our door.
The room was definitely not as pretty as in the pictures.

2026-03-05 • via Nuitee
M
Maira • couple • us
6
2026-03-04 • via Nuitee
J
Johan • solo_traveller • se
9
2026-03-04 • via Nuitee
P
Patty • couple • us
6
It was just ok. Front desk gal was nice.
2026-03-03 • via Nuitee
C
Charisse • family_with_children • us
10
2026-03-01 • via Nuitee
J
Julie • family_with_children • us
7
2026-02-28 • via Nuitee