Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Santa Cruz by IHG

Hotels
•
Holiday Inn Express
7.8 (940 reviews)
1410 Ocean Street , Santa Cruz , US
+1 831-466-9100

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Paid
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Fitness center
Swimming pool
24-hour front desk
Business center
Heating
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Very clean / newly renovated rooms
Comfortable beds
Friendly and helpful staff
Good/consistent breakfast
Convenient location near shopping/restaurants
Cons:
Paid parking fees and cramped/poor garage
Paper-thin walls / noise from hall/street
Occasional room issues (stains, missing faucet, flat pillows)
Pool not sufficiently heated
Perception of being overpriced due to extra fees

Categories

Cleanliness
8.8
Multiple reviewers repeatedly called rooms 'very clean', 'super clean', newly renovated and praised bathroom cleanliness, though a few mentions of mysterious bathroom stains lowered a perfect score.
Service
8.6
Staff are described as friendly and helpful (front desk, breakfast staff praised); one unresolved refund issue is a notable negative but overall service sentiment is positive.
Location
8.6
Frequently noted as convenient and close to shopping, restaurants, downtown and boardwalk; a few guests mentioned being farther from the beach or experiencing street-side noise.
Room Quality
7.4
Rooms are described as comfortable, spacious when renovated, with good beds; recurring negatives include paper-thin walls, flat pillows, occasional mismatches in room description, and a missing faucet in one unit.
Amenities
7.1
Breakfast is consistently praised and toiletries provided; negatives include no Netflix, poor air circulation in one review, a cold pool, and problems with the parking garage (tight spaces).
Value for Money
6.3
Several guests felt the property was overpriced due to unpredictable and additional parking fees ($10–$20+), and one headline explicitly called it 'overpriced', dragging down perceived value.
Food and Beverage
8.6
Continental/breakfast received frequent praise ('breakfast exceeded expectations', 'tasty breakfast', 'great breakfast'); one note about pancake maker being down is a minor detractor.
Overall Experience
7
Most stays described as 'good' to 'excellent' with clean rooms, comfortable beds and friendly staff, but issues like parking fees, occasional stains, noise and thin walls produced a mixed overall impression.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-11-05 14:23

Property Description

Outdoor Pool and Sauna: Enjoy a relaxing swim in the outdoor pool or unwind in the sauna after a day at the beach.

Modern Rooms with Amenities: Stay in contemporary rooms with a 42-inch flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, microwave, and refrigerator for added convenience.

Fitness and Business Facilities: Work out in the well-equipped gym, stay productive in the 24-hour business center, and start your day with a hot continental breakfast.

Book your stay at Santa Cruz East Holiday Inn Express today for a perfect combination of comfort and convenience!

Important information:

Guests under the age of 21 can only check in with a parent or official guardian. Please note that one car per reservation is allowed. Please contact the property for details.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.
A deposit may be required at the property.

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

Location

Guest Reviews

7.8
Based on 940 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.8
Service: 8.6
Location: 8.6
Room Quality: 7.4
Amenities: 7.1
Value for Money: 6.3
Food and Beverage: 8.6
Overall Experience: 7
J
Justin • solo_traveller • us
5
Decent Hotel, Below Average Stay
Pros:

Good locations, good beds, friendly staff

Cons:

Elevators did not have an up to date inspection. Mysterious stains in bathroom. The pancake maker was down during our stay which lessened the enjoyment of the Continental breakfast.

2026-10-20 • via Nuitee
C
Coen • solo_traveller • nl
6
2026-10-18 • via Nuitee
Y
Yuri • family_with_children • jp
8
2026-10-14 • via Nuitee
P
Perez • couple • us
7
Over all it was ok.
Pros:

Place was neat and clean staff was great.

Cons:

The location of the the room was more toward the front side of the property and was a bit noisy at night you can’t hear street noise and cars. And also I would think parking would be included but I had to pay 16.00 dollars a per night.

2026-10-14 • via Nuitee
N
Nina • couple • de
10
2026-10-09 • via Nuitee
V
Velma • family_with_children • us
1
2026-09-19 • via Nuitee
L
Lisa • couple • us
8
2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
L
larina • family_with_children • us
8
Great hotel for location, clean rooms, breakfast a plus, beds comfortable and pillows, parking garage was horrible.
Pros:

It was nice and clean, breakfast was great and room was clean and comfortable.

Cons:

The parking garage, ($20 parking per day fee) horrible small spaces. I have a ford escape and couldn’t find a spot big enough. My daughter had to climb out the back because she couldn’t open the door. There was pillars in spaces and you can see where people have rubbed their cars.

2026-09-14 • via Nuitee
A
Anna • extended_group • us
8
New clean and great place
Pros:

The room was super clean and new, feels like renovation just happened. And it’s enough space in room with two queen beds and tasty breakfast

2026-09-09 • via Nuitee
H
Hugo • extended_group • us
10
2026-09-09 • via Nuitee
J
Jacqueline • family_with_children • us
10
2026-09-08 • via Nuitee
L
Liat • extended_group • il
10
2026-09-06 • via Nuitee
S
Shao Qin • extended_group • us
8
2026-09-03 • via Nuitee
E
Edrice • family_with_children • us
2
Pros:

The breakfast staff was nice.

Cons:

I left early and the woman in the front said that they would process my refund for the remaining time I did not stay there. Haven’t heard from them in over a month. Currently challenging that case.

2026-09-03 • via Nuitee
Y
Yilin • extended_group • us
10
2026-08-26 • via Nuitee
L
Lucianna • solo_traveller • us
10
2026-08-17 • via Nuitee
R
Robyn • family_with_children • us
9
Pros:

Very clean, spacious room and comfy beds

2026-08-17 • via Nuitee
P
Prabhjot • couple • us
10
2026-08-12 • via Nuitee
G
Guizar • solo_traveller • us
10
Pros:

I love the place but everyone was nice and kind. It was clean.

Cons:

Didn't like that. The pool didn't have enough heat. It's far from the beach far you have to drive there ..

2026-08-11 • via Nuitee
B
Berenice • family_with_children • us
9
2026-08-10 • via Nuitee