The third stay in our three-part mattress run for Hyatt Explorist status and a Free Cat 1-4 Night was a night at the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz.
This property is brand new, opening late in 2017. It rests perfectly on a street corner and has a minimal footprint. We booked the hotel just a week in advance, opting for a King Bed room at a rate of $168 before taxes and fees.
We were surprised at the hotel’s location, it seemed nestled among a relatively residential area with houses and apartments surrounding it. At around 2:15 we pulled up to the valet and exited the car.
There was no attendant around, so we walked inside to check-in. We were immediately impressed by the décor and freshness of the lobby.
To the far left was a workstation-type area with high-tables and televisions against the wall. Just ahead was a seating area with fireplace, and more seating behind that.
To the right was the check-in desk and the bar, and to the far right was more seating for breakfast with the breakfast buffet area behind that.
Julianna checked us in, and was friendly as could be. She offered us a late check-out, and I took a 2 P.M (though we were entitled to as late as 4:00). She informed us of the breakfast hours and let us know our room had been upgraded to a suite. I was taken aback, and noted I hadn’t seen a suite available on the website when booking. She stated that it was their only one.
She also let us know that the hotel was strictly valet parking, and that it was $15 for the overnight. Not a bad deal given that our stay the night before at the Hyatt House Emeryville was $15 for self-parking.
We went back outside to gather our belongings from the car and the valet took it away. We walked past the checkin desk and made a right turn to the elevator, passing the pool on the way.
I hit the button on the left for the elevator and was surprised to notice only one button lit. I pressed the button on the middle and discovered that the two elevators had separate buttons. It was a bit odd, but not troublesome.
Our room was on the fourth floor, room 427. We navigated around until we found our corner suite.
The room was a bit underwhelming given that it was their one and only suite, but I couldn’t have expected anything more, maybe other than a better separation between living and bedroom. On entrance we found a small kitchenette, with mini-fridge, microwave, sink and coffeemaker.
To the left was the living area with a sectional, ottoman, and LCD TV.
Beyond the kitchenette, the bedroom featured another television, dresser, two night stands and a Hyatt Grand King Sized bed.
The bathroom held a single sink, toilet, and oversized shower.
After my usual documenting of the room in photos, we decided to head out and walk over to the boardwalk.
The hotel is in great proximity to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and it only took around 10 minutes to walk over. We spent a couple hours out and about, but soon enough the sun went down and we decided to head back.
We spent the rest of the evening watching television while kicking back on the sofa. At one point I ventured down to the lobby to pick up desserts for the two of us. I grabbed a bottled Frappuccino, a brownie, cookie, and a rice crispy treat. I also picked up two bottles of water.
I cringed looking at the bill, which wasn’t initially bad for the treats but escalated quickly with the bottled waters selling at 3.25 a pop. I started to sign for the bill when the agent asked if I had received any water at check-in. I replied that we had not, so she re-rang the bill and it dropped to a much more reasonable 14.50.
We enjoyed our treats immensely, though the highlight was the rice-crispy treat (which I’m told are a hot-seller there)
It was past 11 when we shut off the T.V and hit the sack.
I woke up at 9:30 the following morning to get breakfast, though KimPro opted to stay in bed and have me bring her back a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich.
The lobby was jam packed, but it was sufficiently stocked with chairs and tables to accommodate everyone. I scoured the kitchen figuring out my breakfast, and opted for powdered donuts, scrambled eggs, and sausage. I considered waffles as well, but they disappeared almost as quickly as they were put out. The scrambled eggs were notably better than our previous night at the Hyatt House Emeryville, and the sausage was about equivalent. I downed my breakfast and apple juice and headed back to the room.
We had a whale-watching tour booked for early afternoon in Monterey, so we ended up rushing to get ready and get out of the room, checking out around 11:00.
Ultimately:
Our overnight at the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz couldn’t have been more pleasant. An obstructed but unexpected view of the Beach Boardwalk added to the ambience of our room, the breakfast was filling and good, and the treats offered at the front desk area hit the spot- even if they were overpriced. I could definitely see myself returning should a trip to Santa Cruz come in order.