We found this Best Western to be a really lovely surprise. The room was very clean, the beds very…read morecomfortable, the breakfast selection quite varied and very good, and the overall quite enjoyable. This is not at all what we expected, and will definitely stay here again when we visit.

Out of all the hotels, motels, hostels, and lodging places I've stayed at over the years, it is…read morequite rare for me give one particular place a perfect five-star rating. Reason being is that most popular point out the negatives over the positives. However, the "Best Western Plus Capitola By-the-Sea Inn & Suites" in Capitola, CA absolutely exceeded my expectations in every way possible. Located directly on 41st Ave and just south of Capitola Ave, this hotel is in prime location with an abundant amount of retail stores and restaurants. Most importantly, it is only about a mile away from the beaches and of course, the Pacific Ocean. My lady and booked our stay for one night via-Priceline for the night of Friday 9/4/2026. What made this process easy was that I received a text alert saying that I had the option to check in early. Since we arrived around 2pm, we went to the front desk, provided the credit card I would be using, and was good to go. Our guest suite was amazing complete with a king size bed, sectional sofa, desk/study area, large 55" LED TV, spacious closet, mini fridge, microwave, coffeemaker, digital thermostat, fast Wi-Fi, and multiple USB outlets to charge your wireless devices. The blue colored walls and ocean prints also give you that California coast feeling, a very nice touch. I also wanted to point out that the bathroom also had amazing amenities including various soaps, hand lotions, and even a shower cap complete with lots of towels and wash cloths. The exterior was equally as impressive. This included a 24-hour fitness center, a heated pool/jacuzzi that is open every day from 10am-10pm (complete with a restroom), an ice machine w/adjacent snack vending machine, and a dedicated breakfast/cafeteria area (that is open daily from 6am-10am). I got to enjoy bacon, over medium eggs, biscuits & gravy, a yogurt parfait, coffee, and juice. They also carry assorted cereals, fruits, a waffle maker, pre-packaged Danishes, bagels, and toasts. Some of the other perks was an amazing waterfall at the front lobby, an onsite washer/dryer, and a dedicated room with local brochures around the Santa Cruz/Monterey area. Finally, the parking lot (which is located at the rear of the hotel) has more than enough parking spaces as well as several charging stations for those that drive an electric vehicle. One really amazing perk that elevated our entire experience was that we had made reservations for one of Capitola's most well-known and prestigious restaurants, "Shadowbrook". What made this uniquely special was that the staff that work here made special accommodations to have us picked up and taken via-1955 Checker Cab from the hotel to the restaurant! It even drove us back to our hotel when we were done eating our dinner. I will say that this hotel is as good as it gets when it comes to an amazing and memorable experience. We both slept peacefully (as the bed was comfy), the shower worked flawlessly, and most importantly, the staff was very courteous and friendly. I wanted to add that the rate we paid was unbeatable and way better than I had expected. If you ever plan on visiting Santa Cruz or Capitola for business or pleasure, definitely stay at the "Best Western Plus Capitola By-the-Sea Inn & Suites". My rating, a unanimous five stars.

We had a fantastic stay on a Sunday in the Lilac Room. Stunning views, our own balcony, clean and…read morecomfortable room. Bed was great, shower had great water pressure and the continental breakfast was top notch and delivered to your room at your requested time. When we checked in the woman was taking care of caterpillars in the office to help breed the monarch population. She showed us what they're doing to help. It was a really cool thing to see! She even put a butterfly on my finger. She took us to the room while explaining the history of the place as well. Very cool spot. Highly recommend!

Nice friendly staff and great location, but the facilities are severely lacking. The bathroom floor…read morewas covered in tiny ants, the shower did not work (cold with no water pressure), the cottage bedroom had one power outlet hidden behind the bed so very hard to charge your phone. The owner is selling the property and walks the grounds, but it's clear he's trying to avoid putting money into anything.

5 stars for location, being a short walk to the beach, you can basically hear the waves from your…read moreroom and nearby there is walkable restaurants like Margaritaville and Pizza my Heart . When staying here at the Capitola Hotel you can't beat the location and how you can basically walk to anything and everything in the area. While the room for one night ran me $500+ it was worth it because of the proximity of everything around the hotel. Customer service and booking the room was great. Although it was an additional cost for a reserved parking spot, again very worth it. Capitola Hotel has a small lobby that offers continental breakfast every morning. While the main room was small, it still fit a comfy king size bed and the bathroom was huge. Capitola Hotel has 10 different room themes, so each layout is different. Peep the rooms to make sure you are booking the correct room of choice. Only complaint that I have while staying here is, you can't sleep with the windows open because you hear the drunkies from the bar next door and throughout the night you hear nothing but the seagulls mating and talking to each other, even with the windows closed. Didn't get a real good nights sleep when we stayed here. Other than this, I would still stay here again in the future.

Cute little hotel with very nice staff. We were able to check in early. The bathroom was a bit…read morecramped in the room we had but others are fine. Surprisingly quiet for being on the main road across from Sand Bar. Ear plugs provided in the room came in handy when bar music got obnoxious one night. We got reserved garage parking that worked out well. Capitola just doesn't have parking to support the volume of visitors. Continental breakfast is served a bit later, 8:30am.

My husband and I recently stayed at your beautiful historic Inn while showing our '71 VW Beetle…read moreconvertible at VDUBs in the Village, and we had a wonderful experience! Everything about our stay was exceptional. We truly appreciated the attentiveness in scheduling our two-night stay, we were impressed by the cleanliness, the historical décor, and the delicious breakfast. The staff was incredibly friendly, and the location was perfect for walking to the show. We enjoyed our visit so much that we have decided to return next month to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. We highly recommend Inn at Depot Hill to anyone looking for a great place to stay.

Fantastic place 1 block to the beach, comfortable with great hot complimentary breakfast . I would…read morenot stay anywhere else in Capitola

Took my daughter to Capitola for a belated birthday weekend and stayed at the Capitola Beach…read moreSuites. I was trying to be very specific with where we stayed as we wanted a great view of the ocean within walking distance of the shops and beach, all without spending an arm and a leg. Check-in was rocky. Their system was declining all of our cards even though we tried four different ones from different banks. Luckily, we had enough cash on hand to pay the balance. The outside of the building was pretty worn down and dirty and the parking spots were SUPER tight. However, Room 6 was absolutely adorable and clean and they had the rollaway bed we ordered ready to go inside the closet. The view was exactly what we were hoping for and we had easy access to the communal terrace! The fireplace on the terrace came in handy since it was chilly and they had latches placed just right on the sliding doors so you could leave it open to fall asleep to the sounds of the ocean, but still be secure and safe. Definitely willing to come back for another trip and would love to check out the top floor!

We booked our stay here for about a week. For the most part, we enjoyed our stay. We appreciated…read morehow close we were to the ocean as well as the views of the ocean from our room. The little kitchenette was very handy, especially when we wanted to heat up our leftovers. For our room (rm 8) specifically, we couldn't get the TV to work and the plug on the outlet to the lamp was always loose. Thusly, the lamp may or may not work depending on whether I'm paying attention to the plug being on the outlet. Due to our length of stay, we expected housekeeping to come through at some point to collect our trash and dirty towels. However, that was not the case. We had to walk down to the office to request for towels and bring them back to our room. Our trash was also overflowing due to the fact that nobody came by to take it out. There are no outlets near the bed (not a deal breaker but an inconvenience) and shampoo, conditioner and shower gel is provided in those push bottles attached to the shower wall. The building is located near a highway and is easily assessable from the back and front. Some concerns about privacy and security but we had no issues during our stay there. If you just want a place to stay with some basic amenities, this would be the place to be; otherwise, look elsewhere.

Full kitchen, but separate charge for utensils. Separate charge for pots. Separate charge for…read moreplates. Imagine expecting a full bathroom only to be charged additionally for towels. Nickel and dime. Carpet was filthy. Stains all over the walls. Mattresses were uncomfortable. Five stars for location.

So adorable!!! We had tickets to watch a Hawaiian singer, Anuhea, in Santa Cruz and this was such a…read moregreat deal and so convenient. I've always seen these cute, colorful units and thought it would be too expensive to stay at. To my surprise, mid week was a great deal! The parking situation was close by and we even were able to check in online and I was able to use my phone to open the door keyless!! The decor is beach and relaxing. I wish I was able to take advantage of the kitchenette, but our stay was so short that we were in and out of there. We had a cup of soup, bread and a beverage in Capitola before heading out to our show. We know now that this is definitely going to be an option for future trips. Looking forward to the next time I land in Capitola.

We had a wonderful stay here at Bella Notte. We were looking for a place that was dog friendly…read moresince we had our 11 yr old Pikachu (Pekingese/Chihuahua mix) ESA -Emotional Support Animal with us. Our room was very Spacious and felt Luxurious. The location is perfect since the Beach and some restaurants were walking distance away. Downtown and the Boardwalk was only about 15 minutes driving distance. Their Hospitality was excellent and were just a phone call away. Enjoyed our stay and would highly recommend! Thanks again Bella Notte

Place is clean, staff freindly and location is conveninent…read more The only con is that it just needs to be updated a bit. The shower curtain has a funky smell. Otherwise, it's a decent place to sleep.

This place feels less like a hotel and more like an archaeological dig…read more The room shouldn't look like it was just uncovered from a site. Dusty curtains, walls so thin you hear everything, and an overall condition that no amount of cleaning can fix. At one point I felt like I should've brought a brush and gloves. To be fair, this isn't on housekeeping. You can tell they're doing what they can. The issue is the room itself. It's like brushing the dust off an artifact and calling it a renovation. What stands out most is the pricing. You're paying modern rates for a space that hasn't been meaningfully updated in years. That disconnect feels less like oversight and more like taking advantage of the location. We left and went to a nearby competitor, and it felt like we time traveled back to the present. Clean, quiet, and aligned with the price. Same area. Completely different experience

My family and I booked a room for one night at this hotel, and there was an obvious mistake on our…read moreend when adjusting the number of guests staying in the room. When we arrived, the receptionist, Tracy, informed us that it was against the law to have four people staying in one room with a king-size bed. We completely understood that there were rules and that we had made a mistake. However, when we simply asked what we could do to fix the situation, Tracy was extremely rude, disrespectful, and unwilling to help us find any kind of solution. Instead of calmly explaining our options or trying to assist us, she made the situation even more uncomfortable and antagonized us as guests. Her behavior was completely unprofessional and honestly very disappointing to witness in a workplace. The way we were treated was unacceptable and left a very negative impression of the hotel.

Room was clean and spacious. Bed and pillows were comfie. The restaurant has a wonderful ambiance…read more There is an outdoor pool but was not heated so was a bit chilly. The jacuzzi was just ok-needed a good cleaning. Can hear your neighbor's including dogs but wouldn't keep us from coming back!!

This is our third year coming to this hotel. The customer service has really gone down hill. The…read moreproperty itself is nice, the live bands and back patio are fun and the rooms are clean. No one acts like the enjoy their jobs at this property. Everyone looks put out and grumpy. We didn't get towels for our room. They took them but didn't replace them. No big deal, but a good way to give good service would be to get us some quickly. I called the front desk. 5 minutes later I heard something outside our door. It was an employee with a badge and key opening a supply closet. I told her we called for new towels. She said, "I am sure they will be by shortly". I noticed the cart at the end of the hall. I called the front desk and they said, it had only been 6 minutes since my last call. I explained that I would have expected the person in the hall to have grabbed towels for me instead of acting like it wasn't her job. I offered to come down to the front desk in my PJs to get towels but they said they were on the way. After my shower and drying off with hand towels they arrived. When I went to check out I asked for a printout of my charges. The printout was so confusing and it looked like I was charged for parking when it was credited. So confusing! I asked the front desk for an explanation and they acted like I was dumb. I know customer service work is not always fun. I really go out of my way to be nice, but I am sad this property is becoming just another normal hotel where you hope to get basic decent service.