An overnight at the Dream Inn rocketed this ocean-front Santa Cruz hotel to the top of my favorite places to stay in this legendary beach/college/80s-vampire-movie ...

Hotels ranked on industry awards ... Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk $25 $500+ ...

Santa Cruz Main Beach ... get crowded quickly. The beach is free to visit year-round. Many travelers recommend parking your car in the metered spots behind the row of hotels that line the beach.