Great Stay ! clean room & great service upon Check-in and Check-Out! Few minute walk from The boardwalk ..super convenient. read more

We've been staying here for years now and we really like the prices with free parking and breakfast. The property and rooms are really clean and each room has a nice balcony. The first floor rooms have patios. They have stairs and an elevator and it's really no frills- but the staff is always super friendly and the hotels pretty quiet and relaxing for being so close to the action of the boardwalk. The breakfast is good and they provide coffee and teas all day in the lobby. Location cannot be beat and the views from the rooms are good no matter which way you face. read more

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What a great spot!!! We were on the 2nd floor w/ a huge outdoor patio where u could see the boardwalk easily. We had 2 ask 4 additional towels cause we didn't have enough & they were more than happy 2 get us some. There is breakfast @ this spot. And I liked that they had popped popcorn available. Bathrooms were big which is always a plus 4 me!!! I hate feeling claustrophobic!!! The beds were firm, but comfy!!! And I loved being right across the street from the boardwalk & beach!!! Would definitely book a room again!!! read more

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This should be a 4.5 stars. It does great for a two star hotel and truly is everything it is supposed to be for a hotel of its class. I've stayed in several locations around Santa Cruz and booked this place bc my usual place was fully booked. I liked it and booked again on another visit. This place has a great location next to the Boardwalk and nice views of the amusement rides from the balcony. West side views are better than East but not horrible on East side either. The rooms that I was in on the second floor seemed updated. Unlike many hotels in the area, parking is easy and convenient and there is 24 hour staff. The prices are extremely reasonable. They offer a free breakfast (not at most places), which is pretty good. Each room has a working fridge and a small seating space. The towels and soap products are decent unlike most hotels of its class. It was noisy from other rowdier guests at times (seemed to draw a younger crowd) but this wasn't overwhelming. It's not the Ritz but overall a good pick at a great price. read more

Carousel Beach Inn - View from the west balcony - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Cockroaches and spiders in rooms. Scared my grand children. They had to leave over night because no rooms were available. One was in bed. Spiders in bathroom. read more

The staff was very friendly. If you reserve early, the prices are very fair. The room was very clean. They have a complimentary breakfast. The location is close to the local beaches and the board walk. read more

Nice Time We Had At The TUXEDO Concert And We Were Rite Across The Street Of The Santa Cruz Pier, Beautiful View And Screaming From Riders On Either Roller Coaster Or The Pirate Ship Ride..!! But Thank God It Shuts Down Early And We Were Well Tired And Ready For SLEEP Before Driving All The Way Home To The City Of King, CA But We Had An Amazing Time And Found A Nice Mexican Restaurant Open Early For Our Like. Sleepy Ol' Town Santa Cruz..!! Evaristas Comal Mexican Restaurant..!!! Hats Off To Them We Loved Their Food..!!! But Back To The Carousel Inn, They Had Nice Rooms And A Continental Breakfast To Boot. So I Gave Them A Good Review And Nice Place To Stay If You're Visiting THE BOARDWALK....!!! read more

Carousel Beach Inn - The View Right From Our Inn..!! - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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5 stars for location. Such easy access to the main entrance to the Santa Cruz Beach boardwalk. Parking is included along with continental breakfast which includes coffee, tea, juice, hard boiled eggs, cereal, toast, bagels, fresh fruit (bananas, apples, & oranges), & my kids favorite the waffle making station. We were on the 2nd floor (room 201) with a balcony and view of the boardwalk. Noise wasn't bad but definitely not peaceful as car alarms and people yelling frequently happened until after 10pm. Small microwave & refrigerator were in the room and bathroom was nicely updated. Everything else reminded me of a motel style establishment, decent but outdated. Convenience is what you pay for here and we'll worth it with children. read more

Carousel Beach Inn - Room 201 view from the balcony. Just a few feet from the main boardwalk entrance. - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Clean and functional room in an older-boardwalk-adjacent hotel. I could see potentially a lot of noise from the street in the summer but in the winter, it was relatively quiet and fun to people watch from the balcony. I would say the room did lack a coffee maker, the AC/heat did not work, and the bed had a strange metal panel around the base that we kept accidentally brushing against that made a loud kaboom noise. The staff were spectacular: warm and friendly, always cleaning, and very helpful. I can't say enough nice things about staff. Breakfast buffet had muffins, cereal, bagels and coffee, juice and milk. Also hard boiled eggs and yogurts. Standard stuff that is helpful for a budget traveler to avoid a restaurant. read more

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The theming is adequate--there are nice carousel horses throughout the property that make pretty good photo-ops and the room itself (at least the one we stayed at) had some carousel horses (albeit a bit creepy--lol) on the headboard. The rooms are clean. The bathrooms have pump containers of soap and lotion near the sink and shampoo & conditioner in the shower. They provided adequate amount of towels on all the towel racks and some additional towels in the drawers underneath the sink--and if we needed more, the front desk provides it. There are also a good number of outlets including USB on the table in between the beds. Our balcony overlooked the parking lot (which was actually nice because we could see our car) and a little bit of a view of the roller coaster at the Boardwalk. Speaking of the Boardwalk, it is literally across the street (within a few steps) of the property. That's definitely cool. Once on the Boardwalk, there is access to the beach as well. This hotel property is awesome for that alone. There is a quick outside shower behind the reception area where you can quickly wash off sand and what-not before going upstairs to the rooms. They offer a continental breakfast at a designated time every morning (please check with the front desk for the exact times) which offers an assortment of baked goods, bagels/cream cheese/peanut butter, cereal/oatmeal/milk, hard-boiled eggs, orange juice and of course, coffee. It's a nice touch. The room also has a small fridge and a small microwave which came in quite handy for us. There is, however, a slight issue with noise. For example, muffled voices can be heard from time to time--I think mostly coming from the door outside. But we could also hear the faint sounds of toilet flushing and showers running. It's not some loud decibel sounds, but it exists and could be an issue for people who want complete silence. For the location and overall offerings for this property, we were happy and satisfied and would most certainly stay here again. read more

Carousel Beach Inn - An assortment of muffins, scones, English muffins and bagels offered at the Continental Breakfast. - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Cockroaches all over the bathroom. When you use the restroom in the middle of the night, you'll get greeting by cockroaches scattering on the counter. There's also no AC except one of those huge window AC units that are super loud. The walls and floors of the room were super dirty. We were too scared to take a shower or eat the continental breakfast. I understand this is a 2 star hotel and we weren't looking for some extraordinary experience, but we would've liked a clean/safe room for over $300 a night. The only pro of this place was the friendly staff and the proximity to the boardwalk. read more

This was second time staying at this location. It's been several years since my first visit and this was definitely my last The first thing I noticed was there was no security lock on the door meaning anyone from the hotel or something with the card access could open the door without a second level of security. I was traveling alone and being a female, this was a little concerning. it sounds dramatic, but I used a chair to block the front door. Certainly lacking with the level of security. The state of the room was filthy. Walls were covered in dirt and big scuffs. The floors were so dirty that they turned my socks black as soon as I took my shoes off and walked across the room. The bathroom was no better, the floors haven't been washed in who knows how long. They also don't supply you with any toiletries. They fill up an easily accessible tank in the bathroom, which you can dispense your own soap from. Anyone has access to what's inside it it's not sanitary. read more

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Cute clean rooms, very friendly staff, great views decent free breakfast, affordable price. Only down side are the beds are not that comfortable. I will be staying here again. read more

This hotel is right across the street from the Boardwalk. Basically, you cross the street and you're AT THE BOARDWALK! This is a premier location, with free parking for guests and a continental breakfast everyday. Snacks are offered in the Lobby in the afternoon. The hotel is very clean and the staff is extraordinary! Aiden at the front desk goes out of his way to make sure guests are properly cared for. While staying there, I ordered a late-night pizza for my family, and the delivery driver didn't show up with my order. I then ordered from someplace else, and Aiden, who had just gotten off of work, kindly offered to go pick up my new order and bring it back for me. I almost cried. I haven't seen customer service like this since the '90's. It is good to see such a high-level of customer care still in existence. Thank you Carousel Beach Inn for a wonderful family vacation. read more

The location is pretty good if you're planning to go to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk which is right across the street. This hotel has pretty much everything you would need for a comfortable stay, a parking lot, fridge and microwave, temperature control, and even free breakfast (though it's pretty limited, especially if you come late during breakfast hours, ie. scones). The place was really clean too, including the bed and pillows. They even had a balcony attached to the room, with two seats. One awkward thing, they only gave us a couple bath towels, and zero hand towels or face towels. Also, be aware that they have thin walls, so you may easily hear kids playing outside or people having conversations next door. Overall, we were happy with our one-night stay and didn't experience any noteworthy problems. read more

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My husband and I had the best stay Mother's Day weekend. Our room/bathroom was very clean and had everything we needed for a quick trip. This location is the BEST and we can't wait to bring the kids next time. Thank you to the staff for making this a memorable experience. read more

Location, location, location! My daughter and I came to Santa Cruz specifically to spend a day at the Boardwalk and you could not get much closer than this place! This is a no frills inn but our room had a view of the boardwalk from the balcony and it was clean. They offer a free continental breakfast (bagels, cream cheese, yogurt, fruit, pastries, coffee), free parking, and it is reasonably priced for the area. However, it could be a little noisy. We could hear excited little feet running back and forth in the room above us and, since the Boardwalk was open late at night for a special event, we could clearly hear the spinning coaster across the street and its screaming riders. If we ever plan to come back to spend time at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, we would consider staying here again. read more

Carousel Beach Inn - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

This place doesn't claim to be a luxury hotel with all the bells and whistles, if you know that, this place should meet all your expectations for a inn by the beach. The biggest pro in choosing this inn is that it is a one minute walk from the boardwalk! I wanted a place where I could go back often to drop off my beach bag/ use a private restroom/ take a rest, and this place is absolutely perfect for that. It is the closest you can get to the amusement park. If you're not interested in being close to the park, but rather want a view of the beach, there are other (more expensive) options. Check-in starts at 3PM and there is someone in the lobby 24/7 in case you have any questions or need additional items. There is a private parking lot that can fit more or less 15 cars, but we had no problem finding a spot. Parking is free and for hotel guests only. You will receive a ticket to place on your dashboard upon check-in. The only weird thing about the inn is that there is only one elevator with squeaky doors, which was off-putting at first, and we thought that would be a precedent to a run-down hotel room. The room: This is the first time that a hotel room looked exactly like the photos. I was so pleasantly surprised with the space, cute color scheme and minimal decor, and the spacious bathroom. We had a King room with a patio that overlooked the amusement park. The view was mostly the park's parking lot, but I really enjoyed seeing the busyness of the park, the bowling alley across the street, and when the staff test out the rides in the morning. Although the room is right next to the road and park, I had no problem with the noise. There is an HD TV, mini fridge with 3 shelves, circular table with 2 chairs, 2 bedside lamps, and a microwave. Funnily enough, the microwave has a socket and 2 USB ports...I personally would never plug anything into that haha. The bathroom has all the soaps in a dispenser on the wall, so there are no mini individual soaps or lotion, but you do get a lot for your stay and don't have to ask housekeeping for extra. Continental Breakfast: 7:00 or 7:30am - 10am. Simple grab and go breakfast including cereal, yogurt, muffins, bagels, hard boiled eggs, instant oatmeal, and hot beverages. You can dine inside the lobby which has 4 tables. Perks: You can purchase all-day boardwalk ride wristbands at the front desk for a discounted price, a perk for hotel guests only. read more

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So much better then expected. I really hoped it was good as pictured, but I had my doubt. I perused all of the Santa Cruz lodging options near the water and this one was the only nice one that fit into our budget. There area always the Motel 6 type of places, but we wanted a little more. The pictures of this place in yelp are real. The inn is half a block from the entrance of Santa Cruz. It's so close that you can go back and change, even put away packages, go to the bathroom, or take a nap. It's amazingly close. The free parking is real. They have an internal lot and it's perfect for leaving your car for the entire stay. The free breakfast is perfect. It's everything you need to start your day. Coffee and Creamer, Tea selection and hot water, orange juice, and milk. 3 choices of cold cereal and oatmeal with hot water to perk it up. 2 type of muffins, we were told they are best heated in your room microwave. Individual Yogurt cups. A selection of bagels, toasters, butter, and cream cheese. There is nothing hot, but who needs questionable eggs and greasy sausage patties. The ice machine is on the 2nd floor and is near the drink machines behind the elevator. The beds are comfortable, but when you move they squeak like crazy. Due to they are so comfortable I can't really complain. I do think that issue needs to be fixed, but I'd hate for them to then become uncomfortable. Every room has a balcony. We were on the first floor and I was afraid it would be loud with people walking heavy above us, but there wasn't a sound. We had room 101, next to the gate not near the elevator. It was a big concern. The room next to us was vacant. It's used as storage. I thought the gate would bang all night, either no one used it or it was just quiet. Most people used the other gate, next to the elevator. There is also stairs that are near the ice maker and end up across the way near the front desk. Balcony. The upstairs balcony faces the parking lot, either the internal lot or the external lot. If you look left you can see the boardwalk. It was nice, in the middle of the day we got direct so we could lay out on our first floor balcony. They provide 2 balcony chairs and a table. It's very spacious. The front desk was very helpful and the bill was accurate. Each room comes with a good size fridge and a microwave. We were also equipped with a air conditioner that worked. You may be concerned about the noice of the rides. They were on Noon to 7pm as it was spring break. They were very accurate on time. Being on vacation we didn't sleep during that time so it didn't bother us. Most who stay here will spend more time out of their room and if they return early, most don't sleep during the roller coaster hours. Check the schedule and see if it will work with your sleep schedule. As they are loud. I think I covered everything. You need to stay here and enjoy the beach and boardwalk. We may have gotten a fluke deal. We stayed during the week to avoid the crowds and the higher prices. Our deal was $130 a night plus free parking and free breakfast and no resort fees. read more

Carousel Beach Inn - Love the room. As pictured - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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I definitely reccomend this hotel. I looked through a lot of hotels when booking a trip to Santa Cruz, and this fufilled my needs. Inexpensive and close to the board walk. There is a parking lot specifically for this hotel, and while it's not necessarily "private" anyone really can pull in, it felt safe, and private. All the rooms come with a balcony or private patio. We were on the first floor, so had a private patio, it faced the street, but with a tall concrete wall, we felt very safe. We had a view of some of the boardwalk rides which was fun to see when we first go there. The rooms was really cute, with mini fridge, microwave, table and chairs. Comfortable bed. And the bathroom was very cute. The sinke set up made it feel like you were in an apartment vs. a hotel. It had drwaers that pulled out, with towels and makeup remover wipes. Very cute touches. You needed a key to walk into a court yard that led you to the 1st floor rooms, and elevator to 2nd and 3rd floor. Nice to know a key is needed for safety. Every morning the front office has coffee, muffins, bagels, yogurt. A nice touch and some food to get your day going. We enjoyed our stay here, and will likely stay here in the future. read more

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We stayed again at the Carousel Beach Inn. Over the years (decades) I've stayed at just about every hotel there is in SC. No more! The Carousel is my go-to & has been for years and years. Pros: Location! Ample Free Parking Free Breakfast Discounted Wristbands Balcony rooms. Adjoining Rooms. Clean rooms w/ microwave, fridge, table, bathroom supplies. There's truly everything you'd expect in a beachside hotel. One thing I struggled with on our recent stay was the bed pillows! CBI, please update & upgrade the pillows you provide! Please. And if blankets aren't a part of your bedding, could you have them in the room & easily available? I realized at bedtime that a sheet & light cover wasn't going to be enough for me & I had to call a couple of times to get blankets delivered. Lastly, Discounts. AAA, AARP, a Senior discount, or even a Loyalty Plan would truly be appreciated. :) read more

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Stayed for one night. Loved how close the inn is to the boardwalk and beach. The room was clean and we liked how there was a waffle station, cereal and other to go breakfast options. We were able to buy discounted wristbands for the rides at the front desk. The staff is friendly and welcoming. The only complaint I have is loud guests. Some women were out on 2nd floor seating area until midnight laughing it up and it echoed through the hall. It would be great if they enforced quiet hours after 10 pm but considering it's the Santa Cruz boardwalk area it's probably asking for too much. Still, the motel is a good value, I would stay again! read more

Excellent location and customer service. Before I get into the positives, the only negatives were that some of the outlets didn't work and the metal frame under the beds (which I kept kicking). What an excellent location! It's so easy for the family to go to and from the boardwalk as we're that close. We could hear the screams from the rollercoasters when we were outside our room (but not inside). The hotel is super clean. We saw people cleaning each and every bar in the railings. Sure, it's not super new, but it's adorable. Our room had a microwave and a small fridge. The 2 queen beds were comfortable, and the decor was nice. The breakfast bar was great with plenty of coffee, breads to toast, cereal, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and a waffle machine/station. Customer service was excellent. Nick checked us in and later got us extra pillows and supplies. Everyone was so nice, all greeted us with smiles. Every year, we take this family trip to Santa Cruz. We'll be sure to stay here again next year read more

I really love it.the staff was amazing. I stayed there for 3 nights from oct 22 till Oct 25.2024. I like my room I was on the third floor .had a balcony room .saw the big dipper roller coaster. My room was nice to..next time In santa cruz will be staying there.i would want stay for 4 nights .but I have a special olympics flag football in the morning. I like how close I can walk to the boardwalk. It was cool.the weather was very nice read more

Perfect location, clean room, free parking in private lot, everyone was nice and friendly, decent breakfast. Why three stars? The squeakiest beds I'd ever slept on, and I got a terrible night's sleep. I spent some of my middle-of-the-night waking hours composing this post in my head. I'd read some reviews complaining about the beds and thought "oh you whiners, what's the big deal?" But as I lay there at 4am trying not to move all I could think about was those reviews, and also wondered whether the owner of the hotel had ever actually spent a night in one of these beds. Also, it's a minor thing but see attached photo -- there's little sense to a blackout shade when you have a normal window next to it. This photo at 6:30am in natural light. Overall though I'd recommend staying here. Just wish they'd oil the bedsprings or something. read more

Carousel Beach Inn - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Staying here one night in December. The front staff super friendly let us check in a little early. Room was clean and the view was great. read more

Carousel Beach Inn - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Another great stay at the Carousel Beach Inn! We absolutely love this place! Steps from the boardwalk, the location cannot be beat. Secure and free parking on the property makes everything so much easier. One of my favorite things about this hotel is the cleanliness of the rooms and the property in general. Everything is absolutely spotless! Staff here is welcoming and accommodating. Buy your Boardwalk wristbands from the front desk and you will save some money. Rooms are spacious and have some outdoor space which is wonderful. They all include a fridge and microwave which is great especially when traveling with little ones. The hotel has a continental breakfast in the lobby from 7-10 each morning. Don't sleep on the scones. They were clearly homemade and absolutely delicious. The Carousel Beach Inn is just the perfect place to stay while in Santa Cruz. We can't wait to come back again next year! read more

The carpets stink in the elevator and room. Elevator permit was expired, bed and pillows were hard. Door to the room wasn't on properly so we had to slam it to close. Room 201. Will not stay again read more

First time staying here, very nice and clean. And super close to boardwalk and beach!! Definitely will be back!! read more

Carousel Beach Inn - Best view - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

First time here and my family and I loved it! The front desk is very nice and accommodating. Free parking too. Location is perfect. Right accross the street from Santa cruz boardwalk. Lastly free breakfast. The only things I know some people would complain about is their rooms. Everything is old from the bed stand to the bathroom showers. Example, our bathroom towel bar was missing so instead of two, there were only one. Overall the hotel is old itself. For the price we paid, I'm not complaining. The rooms comes with balcony, fridge and microwave. I think it's great if you have kids. We would buy food and the kids just heat it up because they are too lazy to go out. Lol. Also the front office has all day coffee and snack which is perfect. I definitely recommend this place if your only using the place to sleep and free breakfast for the family plus convenience. I can't wait to come back with the family. read more

This was our second time staying here and we still came away happy. Yes it's a little bit more expansive than hotels further from the boardwalk, but you don't have to pay the $20 day charge for parking in the public lot and everything is within walking distance (gas prices are nuts!) It all came down to location location location. Yes it's a little rough around the edges, but the rooms are comfortable and appeared clean...super helpful and friendly staff and overall, a nice place to stay. Ok so there was an outlet with no cover plate in the room, that sparked when we tried plugging something in, and the TV didn't work (not that we actually had any plans to watch it), and the fan in the bathroom only made noise rather than do what bathroom fans do...but you couldn't beat the location. It could get a bit noisy during the day, but why are you in your room during the day, and not out enjoying what Santa Cruz have to offer? Oh and the location rocked too! read more

Carousel Beach Inn - Boardwalk and ocean from the balcony - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

If you are looking for convenience this is the place to stay. It definitely was not a $350 a night room. Beds were good, definitely have slept in worse. We had a decent view from our balcony. This was a very quiet hotel which was surprising as we were next to a busy street. The breakfast was okay I mean it did the job. The elevator was scary. I don't think they have had it serviced in a long time. read more

Carousel Beach Inn - View from the balcony - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Can't get any closer to the Boardwalk. Breakfast was a plus. Rooms are clean. Noisy, but great spot to access Boardwalk with kids. read more

Carousel Beach Inn - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Location may be great , but this place is not the spot. Run down and old , musty smelling and outdated. I was with my wife and daughter , we checked in and checked right out. Dropped another $315 at a place a few blocks away, I would not stay here with my family!!! read more

What a nice place to lay your head on while in Santa Cruz. The rooms are nicely appointed and the location can't be beat. So central to the boardwalk and area restaurants and things to do. read more

Very good experience, the rooms were very clean and well kept. The Tv was fully functional and it had streaming apps you can choose from. Can't complain about the continental breakfast it was good and free. The walls were pretty thin, but I didn't mind that. The outside looked pretty outdated though. But overall, for the price can go wrong with it would most definitely come back read more

Great location! The staff was cool as hell. Easy to talk to. Great vibe. While we were there we got a call around noon stating they wanted to come in and check for pests(which there wasn't any). When they came, they brought a dog. Kind of made me think of a drug dog or something lol. But it took them a few seconds and they left. The location was right on the beach boardwalk. Our car was super safe and the 24/hr coffee was amazing. I loved the breakfast options too. There is a liquor store right next door. Super convenient. This is a great spot to stay. Next time I come I may hit this place up. We had such a great time! read more

Carousel Beach Inn - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

GREAT hotel to stay! It is literally a few steps to the Boardwalk. Clean, staff was super friendly and had great breakfast options. The only reason I am giving 4 stars is the beds. They were not comfortable but definitely can't beat the price and can't complain too much. We will definitely be staying at this hotel again! read more

This was our second time staying at the carousel beach inn and we're planning on coming back soon! During our stay we decided to stay another night, our room was rented out already so we got to experience a different one. Both were nice but I will say the 3rd floor room we had was much cleaner. The second floor room was clean but whoever cleaned room 301 before our stay had an eye for detail and I appreciated that so much! The staff here is top notch. Everyone at the front desk was so kind and wonderful at their jobs. The cleaning staff were all friendly and seemed to be enjoying themselves. I'd return just because of the way we were treated by all the employees. The location cannot be beat. Free breakfast. Parking. Safe, you need your room key to access the elevator to the rooms. Clean. Comfortable. Friendly staff. Come to the carousel beach inn, I don't think you'll regret it! read more

The moment I walked in to the office to check in the man was completely rude. He immediately stated the amount I already paid for was incorrect and had me pay 50 extra. As we left to go to our room we notice a needle on the ground. I took a picture (same one uploaded) and brought it to the front desk. His response was "oh looks like someone dropped their diabetic needle" I said doesn't look like a diabetic needle to me and he replied with "I'm a diabetic". There was homeless people in & out of the hotel all hours of the night. The only good thing about this hotel is that it's directly across the street from the boardwalk. I was over charged for a disgusting place I paid 500 for 2 nights and barely slept because there was people on drugs screaming & slamming doors all throughout the night. read more

Carousel Beach Inn - A needle in front of the elevator - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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