Dream Inn

For a long time the classic California beach town of Santa Cruz managed to get along without a classic California beach hotel. Thanks to the ever-busy Joie de Vivre hotel group, however, those days are over. They’ve taken a faded Sixties mid-rise just off the west end of the boardwalk and given it the retro-chic mid-century modern boutique treatment, accenting its vintage geometries with curvaceous Verner Panton chairs and a bold modernist color palette. The result is the Dream Inn, an approachably stylish 165-room boutique hotel that just might serve as the most concise introduction to Santa Cruz that an outsider could possibly ask for.

It’s in a location that feels like the center of it all, with views over the beach, the wharf and out into the bay. This is a town of public attractions, so the private pool is a particularly welcome counterweight to the multitude of public beaches — and to the Pacific Ocean’s bracing temperatures. You’re in safe culinary hands with Aquarius, the hotel’s versatile seafood-focused restaurant, and for that matter you’re in safe hospitality hands as well — half of the Dream Inn’s appeal is its smart design, but the other half is the accessible charm provided by Joie de Vivre’s thoughtful service staff.

• 165 Rooms
• Style: Modern Design
• Atmosphere: Lively
• 1 Guest Review

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