I came here on a thursday around 4pm to check in. lots of parking spots. I was greeted by a guest service named John/Jon. Super nice, very welcoming, and funny guy. Check in was very smooth. He explained the layout of the place; hot tub, 24hr gym, free breakfast by 9:30am, coffee and water 24hr. After the check-in, I went to my room and is super clean. Lots of towels to use. They do provide body soap, shampoo, and conditioner. For the bathroom sink, I think there was a small hand lotion like a size of a lip balm, bar soap, and a single wipe of makeup remover. Overall, the one night stay was good. Felt very safe. The only thing was that there was some noise outside in the middle of the night where few cars was drifting on the road. Im not sure if they get that often. I also love that there's a beach near by at least a few minutes drive to see the sunset! read more

Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Santa Cruz - Breakfast time - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Had quick mini staycation with the family. After a long evening at the boardwalk I was excited to come to the room and relax. We had two connected rooms so the kids can all hang out. Rooms were double beds and spacious. We had a view of the pool area and were surprised people were in the pool at 9pm in December. Even the next morning people were in the pool and it was raining. I deducted a star because in one of the rooms, the tv wasn't working properly. It was hard to change channels and randomly while a show was getting good, the channels were changing to the last show we watched. Really odd. Breakfast was pretty standard but they did have Canadian bacon, egg & spinach bites and a sausage and cheddar biscuit sand-which. Kids always love going for the waffles I would recommend this spot, it was about 15 minutes from the boardwalk read more

Nice affordable hotel very close to the downtown area and central to everything. Although the hotel is on the main strip the entrance is on the back of a side street. Plenty of parking but no on premise EV chargers. Hotel has nice big open lobby area. Morning free breakfast was simple and hearty but in all's fairness don't expect gourmet and the staff do their best to keep everything replenish. The hotel rooms were nice, spacious and clean. The shower faucet was a bit finicky and take time to get the water temperature right. Bed was clean and comfy but the pillows were a bit flat for my head. Overall this is a great hotel at a budget price; a definite bookmark for future stays! read more

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We loved our stay here! John was so friendly and welcoming throughout our stay. The breakfast service was clean and well stocked with yummy options. The location was perfect and we loved the ample free parking. We will definitely come been here on future visits to Santa Cruz! read more

My mom and I stayed overnight at Fairfield Inn Santa Cruz. The check-in process was smooth as I presented my ID and reservation at the front desk. Our room size was slightly smaller than expected, and maybe we'll opt for a larger room on our next stay. On the bright side, the window, sliding door and balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean was an advantage. The bed was comfortable, bathroom was clean and modern and the TV is updated and capable of streaming (using your own subscriptions). I am also fond of the air conditioner/heater/fan trio, microwave and mini fridge inside our room. There is also plenty of complimentary parking spaces available on their lot. On the next day, we ate breakfast at the lobby. Complimentary breakfast is served from 7am-10am on weekends and 6:30am-9:30am on weekdays. We opted for their mini waffles, with some scrambled eggs and turkey patties. The scrambled eggs were fluffy, while the turkey patties were quite juicy. The waffles were crunchy, warm yet soft at the same time. It was well-paired with sliced strawberries and breakfast syrup. Overall, I am impressed with my stay at Fairfield Inn and will likely return here on my next stay in Santa Cruz. read more

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This was a very good hotel experience for this level of hotel. The breakfast had a very good cold food selection and of course waffles. The egg sandwich's left much to be desired. The stations were busy and replenishing took a minute. The rooms and staff were both neat clean and accomodating. read more

We had a great, quick stay at Fairfield Inn. When we checked in the lady said we got her favorite room, 413, and it was really was a nice room. 1 king and 1 couch pull out bed, we slept comfortably, though if my kids were any older they might not be as thrilled with there couch bed. The balcony was nice, we got to see the ocean and kept the door open majority of the time for fresh air. It was such a quiet stay, probably the most quiet hotel stay we've ever had. The room appeared well kept, clean, and everything was in good working order. The breakfast was solid with decent options each day. From yogurt and oatmeal to eggs and bacon, or my families personal favorite, the waffles! Our only drawbacks were that parking can be a nightmare, or maybe it was just because it's a holiday weekend, but the spots are tight and it appears people really don't mind occupying multiple spaces. Also the kids were bummed that the pool and hot tub were out of service. I would definitely stay here again! read more

Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Santa Cruz - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Easy access to all parts of Santa Cruz. Minor quibble about the ADA room. It was spacious. It had a tub and sturdy shower bench and we would have preferred to have a XP walk-in shower. Stepping over the tub side is getting more difficult. The staff was very pleasant and helpful. The breakfast bar was solid. Do it yourself mini-waffles, eggs/sausage, hot/cold cereal and a wide array of baked goods. Toasting a bagel took a long time. read more

Pleasantly happy to give a five-star review. My stay was fantastic. The room was comfortable, and there was even a view from the fourth floor. Way off in the distance I could see the ocean. I was able to work remotely including doing a 1 hour video webinar from the lobby. The workout room is small but well equipped. The pool water temperature is perfect given the ambient air temperature, around 55°. And the hot tub, although the Jets were not functional, was also clean and warm. Staff were friendly. Plenty of free parking. The only issue, and it really wasn't much of an issue for me, the high school adjacent to the hotel produces a line of cars about 1 mi long during pickup in the afternoon. The drivers completely block the road requiring you to drive on the opposite side of the road for as long as a mile to get to the hotel. If you did not know this was a line of parents waiting to pick up kids, you might be inclined to wait in line thinking there was a traffic disaster up ahead. I wish Santa Cruz police would require an alternate plan for parents picking up kids. This hotel is not centrally located, and there really isn't anything within walking distance. If you don't have a car you will definitely be taking Uber, even if you want to go to 7-Eleven. If you're in Santa Cruz on business, or you've come here to go hiking, this is a great location because you're going to have to drive anyway. read more

Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Santa Cruz - Oh my God I match my $9 tote. - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Our first family vacation with our 3yo was Santa Cruz during Memorial Day Weekend. I booked Fairfield Inn on Mission using Hotels.com after doing some research. Being unfamiliar with Santa Cruz, I wanted a family-friendly hotel that was clean, quiet, and away from the hustle-and-bustle of the touristy spots like the Boardwalk. Also, if I'm paying premium hotel rates for the holiday weekend, I avoid places with daily parking rates or ridiculous valet parking. Fairfield Inn has exceeded by expectations. It had all the things I liked about Marriott brands and then some: 1. Free, plentiful outdoor parking. 2. Big, clean rooms with two queen beds with firm mattress and soft pillows. Our 3yo slept like a rock both nights. 3. Decent, free breakfast buffet with occasional gourmet premade breakfast sandwiches like gouda-egg-black forest ham sammies and spinach quiche. You can get a nice blueberry compote with fresh, little spheres of blueberries on your waffle. 4. Free and fast wifi 5. Powerful shower and generally clean bathrooms 6. Easy access to Natural Bridges Beach, Boardwalk / Wharf, and Downtown. 7. There's no easy changing table for babies so you can use the desk which is pretty good sized. Just bring a soft pad - works perfectly. 8. Decent small beer fridge that can keep a half gallon of milk cold. Note: it may be one of those COVID rules but there's no daily housekeeping if your stay is 2 days or less. Still, we left a generous room tip since we need to dispose of diapers somewhere. read more

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This is one of the newer hotels on Westside Santa Cruz, right on the edge of town. It offers a great free breakfast and somewhat affordable rooms compared to downtown Santa Cruz Marriott. Surprisingly good coffee for a free breakfast. And I love that they had the half-and-half in a picture instead of tiny little individually wrapped containers. They also had oat milk! I don't really like oat milk, but it seems to be catering to the Santa Cruz population, which I liked. The challenge with this place is it's right next-door to a high school so don't plan on leaving the hotel between 815 and 845 as it is gridlock... The hotel is clean, welcoming and friendly. All of the staff were friendly and helpful. There was a group of teens staying at the hotel, visiting colleges, I think... And they were being teens and not really aware of their surroundings. But the staff treated them kindly and professionally without annoyance. Which I really appreciated. The hotel has two elevators, which makes getting to your room easier. The conference room is relatively small for meetings, but worked ok for our group. My room had an ocean view with a balcony! I needed to head north the morning I was departing and it was so nice to just hop on the highway and go. If you are coming from the north, this is the perfect hotel. You don't have to deal with any of the Santa Cruz wild traffic upon departure. It is also walking distance to some great culinary delights. Swift Street has some great restaurants and breweries to explore. I will probably stay here again. read more

This hotel gets a 2 star review from me because of the cleanliness of the room. However everything else was a grave disappointment. Yes they serve a free breakfast but the staff are unfriendly. I understand not having the ability to give me a late check out, but being unwilling to store my luggage either isn't exactly friendly. The front desk staff laughed at the fact that their pool is cold and not kept up. This morning the front desk staff were not accommodating to folks checking in. I'm not staying here again and recommend that anyone reading this doesn't either. Never staying here again. Oh did I mention that their front desk staff is totally correct, the pool isn't cleaned so if you want dirt and grime in your face while you swim please do use their pool. read more

Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Santa Cruz - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Have stayed here a few times when visiting Santa Cruz. Spacious,clean, and comfortable room. Very nice free breakfast. Quiet area (seemed like a business park) convenient to downtown, the freeway, etc. Well priced for what you get. read more

My sisters, two nieces, bro in law, the dude and I came here for a getaway weekend to beat the heat during Fathers Day weekend 2021. Upon arrival we didn't have any issue checking in which it just took forever due to only having one person on staff. It took about 30 to 40 min. By the time we were done checking in there were so many angry people waiting longer than us and I honestly felt bad for the new girl who was totally new to the job (her third day and they had her working by herself). Someone should give her a promotion. The location of the hotel felt we were in the boonies as it was a struggle to get Ubers or Lyfts to come get us. We were about a mile or more away from the Board walk but a lot of drivers didn't want to venture to our location which was a bummer. We were about 8 min or less away from everything which was nice. The hotel itself was beautiful and spacious. My sisters and nieces along with brother in law swan in the pool which is to be reserved. The free breakfast was alright. The experience was disappointing. The grown ups didn't like the location, the elevators were not working properly and they need more staff. Our experience was not the worse nor was the best. Compared to the other vacationers were got lucky as they had so many complaints. I personally would not stay here at this hotel, location is too far for Uber and Lyft drivers (it took two hours to secure ONE and we needed two). Hopefully they get their staff issue under control. The woman handled it well but if she was busy it would be a long wait. So ridiculous they have her alone. I'm not faulting they worker but the hotel. Father Day weekend was a very busy weekend and they should have prepared with more staff than just have one person checking everyone in, trouble shooting, refreshing the place, clean, etc A part of me wanted to roll up my sleeves and help the poor girl and provide some relief. Overall, we will not be coming back. You may love it but we didn't. Definitely beautiful inside and out but it needs improvement on logistics, hospitality and more staff! read more

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Hotel was ok. Breakfast was just OK most mornings. One morning they had some great soufflés and English muffin sandwiches. I also got woken up at 5AM by someone pounding on the door next to mine but I guess that could have happened anywhere. My room also had a weird smell of body odor and opening the window didn't really help. It was an okay experience but not worth the typical cost. read more

We stayed one night while traveling up the coast. The room was clean and friendly staff.

Not a bad place to stay overnight but might not be too safe of a location as hotel has to lock doors at midnight. However, it was clean and neat. Parking lot spaces are extremely small and I had to get out from the trunk of my car after parking. Breakfast was good with a decent spread. Wouldn't mind staying the night when in the area. read more

There's something disappointing about expecting a familiar level of service and realizing it's no longer there. As a Titanium Elite, I stay at Marriott properties year-round, but this hotel has taken a turn for the worse. While other Elites were greeted warmly, my family was ignored. A confirmed upgrade was denied, despite availability, and the staff's internal issues were taken out on me. Management promised to make things right over a month ago, yet nothing has been done. I've communicated to the property manager several times as well as calling the Titanium service line - both of whom promised action within specific deadlines - but they took no action and are now nonresponsive. A promise without action is meaningless, which is how they make you feel at this property. The hotel itself still holds its charm, though practical issues made themselves known. The breakfast area was terribly crowded throughout its open hours, even with an excellent staff keeping things flowing. The parking lot can also get really crowded, especially when construction crews stay at the property. Meanwhile, the hot tub stayed dirty all week, an afterthought rather than an amenity. I don't need every stay to be perfect, just consistent. Lately, that seems like too much to ask. read more

Hotel and rooms were clean, comfortable, plenty of parking, short drive to things, pool (doesn't open until 10am-wish a little earlier) for kids, etc. Not sure if just my room, but try and avoid room 410 (maybe 408 too). At 2:40am, I think the buildings main A/C unit kicked on until 3:20am. I was on the top floor, and our room A/C was turned off, but the wall where the headboard was located and ceiling were vibrating loudly and had a sound, like at a concert where they turn the speakers up to high but no one is speaking into the mic yet. Luckily my son slept through it as I had a sound machine right next to him. My wife and daughter in room 404 didn't hear anything. read more

What a wonderful gem. We have stayed here before and find it very convenient and close to all the attractions. The rooms are very clean and smell great. Jana and Erin were working the front desk and were super nice and helpful. We will be back. Thank you. read more

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This is a very nice hotel in a quiet area of Santa Cruz near Natural Bridges State Park. The facilities are new and well-designed. The room was spacious and comfortable. The free breakfast was surprisingly good. The lobby and staff are welcoming. Parking is free and ample. I will stay here again. read more

When Gayle and I travel domestically, I'm a frequent traveler points hound. I collect Hilton, Marriott, Holiday Inn/IHG, and sometimes Hyatt points. As I research through the various Hotel apps, price and location often become the key factors. This time around, we were meeting family members in Santa Cruz and this is where they were staying. So, that was that, although the price and location were still solid. Santa Cruz area traffic can be a bit challenging, and it wasn't an easy drive to get to this Fairfield Inn. But once we were here, Natural Bridges is close, as are various walking options towards downtown or the other way to Wilder Ranch State Park. The Hotel is also located right next to the public charter high school, so caution in the morning and afternoons bookending the school day is advised. Speaking of students, this Hotel apparently has a overflow population of UC Santa Cruz students. We were assured at check in that they knew the rules and I would say that our 3-night experience here bore that out. My only caution is that getting downstairs for the free hot breakfast is better done on the early side. In any event, Hotel staff were right on it and helpful and friendly when we needed them. Our room was roomy and comfortable. Besides the bedroom, there was a nice Livingroom/office area where it was possible to relax, even in the early morning hours when I was up, and Gayle was still asleep. We both liked the design of the shower, although we sometimes had trouble with consistent hot water that might have been in higher demand at the time. There's also a Hampton Inn nearby and I do collect their points. However, that property is on a busy road, while this Fairfield provides a little more protection from the maddening crowd. read more

TL; DR: I'm a monthly traveler and this Fairfield Inn was absolutely a gem in Santa Cruz. Very clean, modern and well kept. Definitely coming back. This is a nice quiet property just off Hwy 1, but shielded enough from traffic that it's pretty quiet. Fairfield Inn SC is a newer property that is well maintained. Anthony at the front desk was very friendly and accommodating of special requests (higher floor, view, later check out). Staff in general were very friendly and staffing was appropriate for the traffic. We got the suite w/ a balcony on a higher level floor - though the hotel doesn't have amazing views from its location, by request, they placed us where there was a view of the ocean at least. The suite was spacious, well appointed, modern and best of all - immaculate. You could even see where housekeepers had wiped down high touch surfaces and counter tops from the residue of microfiber cloths being wiped across them. Save money on breakfast - they had something for everyone, including for those w/ dietary restrictions like gluten allergies or vegetarian. The breakfast had a good spread of various proteins, cereals, fresh fruit, juice, tea/coffee and even grab and go items. An extra plus, that the set up of the breakfast area allows for plenty of social distancing. There's even a patio you can eat breakfast on. read more

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The hotel overall was clean but I felt I overpaid for the value of the hotel. The staff were all very nice and helpful. We were able to check out and hold our luggage at the hotel while we spent a few hours at the boardwalk. I appreciated the environmental consciousness of this hotel. We had just come from San Francisco and paid slightly more for a hotel that was far superior. Even my 9 year old commented that this hotel sucked. Here, some of our towels looked threadbare and the bed linens were not that plush. Our 4th floor room faced the parking lot and swimming pool and we heard people talking outside and in the hallways from our room around 9:45pm while we were trying to go to bed. I don't feel it's a very soundproof place. The free breakfast was not good or worth it. The quality of the food tasted like what you would get out of a vending machine; gluey oatmeal, eggs didn't taste fresh, yogurt was glassy looking as it had more sweeteners and fillers. We only stayed one night and if we had to any longer I would have gone to McDonalds for a tastier breakfast and that's saying a lot! If I was coming back to Santa Cruz I would research another hotel before choosing this one hoping for a quieter stay as a guest and a better value for what we spent. read more

I am disappointed in this hotel for a customer service encounter that left us with a feeling that we were not important to them. This property has fairly reasonable reviews online and also at the time of this review has 3.5 stars, but I must give their customer service a thumbs down, along with reinforcement of others' comments on room wall thickness (or rather thinness) and notable perfumed room odor. The first thing we noticed when we got up to our room was the loud barking dog across the hall. It did not sound like a small chihuahua yapping or anything, this was at a deep rumble of a bark that vibrated the walls. I later asked at the front desk and they replied that yes, they have a no-pet policy, but they must allow for service animals--of course that's understandable, but I have Never heard a service animal bark this much or loudly. But I totally get it, that's not for me to decide on, but I started to get a bad feeling about this stay from that moment on. It is not the basis of this review though. Secondly, as we entered our room, I began to sneeze from all of the heavy perfume sprayed into the room. We had to immediately turn on the air to try to circulate the smell. After reading a few Yelp reviews, I saw a few others complain about the strong scent in their rooms as well. Thirdly, the rooms have paper thin walls. At a normal speaking volume of our next door neighbor (they were not speaking loudly), we could hear every word they said very clearly, and also their crying toddler at full volume. Maybe they should provide ear plugs to all their guests who would like to not hear their neighbors brushing their teeth (kidding, but if your neighbor is noisy, good luck). Lastly, and this was the final straw, was their poor customer service. We called to request a room change (based on the above issues) after checking online (there were vacant rooms available to book), and were told immediately they were completely sold out of "two double-bed rooms." There was no checking or sincere apology or options or any kind of attempt to fix things, just a flat out, curt no. When we asked if we could just split our party up into two king bed rooms, they then curtly clarified that the entire property was sold out. Interestingly the parking lot out front (which other Yelp reviewers have mentioned is insufficient for their property) had plenty of open spots at around 10pm when we called--so how is it full when there's no one parked there and online, there are reservations available? On the plus side, the rooms were generally clean and the breakfast is included and there are plenty of items (see photos). --------TL;DR-------- PROS: clean, nice breakfast CONS: read above, customer service is the first way to lose my future business. Thin walls. Perfume scent in rooms. BOTTOM LINE: It's sad but one employee encounter can really turn down a person's opinion of a place. read more

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Nice quite place "in the cut" and not too far from the hustle and bustle of downtown and the ocean, even though there is not much hustling and bustling during this pandemic. We had checked out the other reviews from the hotels in the busier areas, and saw that staying in a remote area worked out better for us for several reasons. Most important was that we stayed away from the Pacific Coast Highway area. PCH up here is not like scenic coastal PCH in Malibu, California. PCH up here is littered with transient encampments and drug activity. One of which happened to blow up and catch fire during our stay. PROS: - Driving distance to all the attractions we wanted to see: UCSC campus, the ocean, the entertainment district, etc.. - Hot breakfast was substituted with a bagged breakfast that consisted of a Kind brand granola bar, self contained fresh fruit (orange), Yoplait light and fit yogurt, and a pastry. The times we stayed, there was an assortment of individually wrapped Otis Spunkmeyer pastries--chocolate and blueberry muffins, breakfast claws, etc. - No daily housekeeping during the pandemic. I actually appreciate this, because I really do not need anyone coming in daily to clean up. - Sanitizer upon entrance. Sanitizer near the gym, sanitizer at the elevator, sanitizer everywhere. - Amenities such as the gym is available to guests by appointment. I did not use the gym, but its good to know that its there and readily available, if I wanted to use it. - Best thing about staying here was that the pillows did not stink. One of the things I hate about staying in hotels is the scent of other people, especially stinky pillows. Smell of marijuana in the halls--fine, just as long as it does not permeate into my personal space. Pillows smelled like bleach and the pillow cover was white. Very reassuring that I was not laying my head in anyone else's funk. - Towels were well stocked and water pressure was strong and steady. Hot water did not run out. Might not seem like something important until you've stayed at a hotel with weak water pressure and you cannot find clean towels. - Complementary Paul Mitchell bath products. Forget your facewash? Fairfield has Paul Mitchell face bar, Paul Mitchell tea tree shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I actually forgot shampoo and only brought conditioner, so this worked out perfectly. CONS: - Smell of marijuana wafting through the halls of our floor when we arrived, and the next two subsequent days. - Really thought we got a suite that typically comes with a separate living space with a couch and tv, but no--just two queen beds facing a tv. - Parking is a bitch. No way the hotel is completely booked on a weekday during a pandemic, and parking seemed to be tight at night. - Personal coffee maker in the room sucks. Personally, I'm surprised they still offer these. Coffee is such a major part of waking up for me, that I was a bit disheartened that the in-room coffee service was no different than a cheap motel, especially when normally fresh brew coffee would be offered during the hot breakfast. This will probably be my go-to hotel when staying up in Santa Cruz. Saw a sign for Saturday Farmers Market in the lot close to the hotel. Will def have to check that out during my next stay. read more

I have to be honest. We came here on the whim and checked in around 9:00pm. I checked in by myself and for some reason the guy at front desk assumed I was alone. He made remarks about the time he was off and was hitting on me. This actually made me very nervous being that I'm not single and my bf was in the car grabbing our bags. He said he place some on the top floor as it was a "favor". It was very weird experience and when I went back to the car I was almost like afraid to walk in, in fear of retaliation. Either way, the guy was off putting. I really enjoyed our room. We did have a great view and the patio made it even perfect. The rooms are spacious and clean. The sunrise was so beautiful and if you look close enough you can see the water. We were In awe. Overall, I would stay again. If customer service is not good, I would lower my review and never come back. read more

What a nice new hotel! Super clean and safe Very end (or beginning of town depending). I lived in Santa Cruz for twenty five years and this was my choice for where to stay when visiting. Nice breakfast. We checked in after 11pm and the lady who came to the desk was very nice for that late at night. Thank you and I will be back ! read more

You have to request a coffee maker , cups , coffee /tea bags if you want them. You'd also have to call and request a hair dryer if you need it. They are not placed in the guest rooms since covid. If you wanna use the pool area or the fitness center you have to make an appointment in advance. Counter space in the bathroom is so small. Two of the electric outlets didn't work next to the full body mirror. You only get a piece of fruit, a granola bar and a bottle of water in a brown bag for breakfast. They told us that they could run out of those breakfast bags if we come pick them up at the lobby too late. I totally understand that there's a pandemic going on and I appreciate that the hotel is taking a safety measure however, I feel they could either give us a little discount for the night since we are not getting the same amenities as we would normally (like buffet style breakfast)or a little better service. Location is good , away from the crowds. The room is spacious , parking is ample. The room was clean. I like the tub in the bathroom. Nice view of the ocean from the balcony. read more

Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Santa Cruz - Hotels Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

If I had to sum up my five nights at this hotel for a work training in a handful of words, I'd say: great waffles, smelly rooms. If I'd come here on vacation and paid my own money, I would have asked for a refund and booked a new hotel after the first night. I'll start with the positive - I love a good self-serve hotel waffle maker, and this one did not disappoint. Nothing like a free waffle to start your day. On the negatives, if it weren't for the first issue this could have been a three star review: 1. The main issue (which other reviews have mentioned) is that my room had a persistent smell of body odor throughout my stay. At first I struggled to identify the source - I thought maybe it was coming through the air conditioner from the RV and boat storage lot next door. But I eventually realized the smell was concentrated in the closet, leading me to believe that a previous guest had stored some truly awful smelling items there long enough that the odor permeated the pseudo-wood. I asked to switch rooms and was told it probably wouldn't be possible, but I should check back at 6am the next morning. After my colleague informed me that his room had a similar smell, I decided there wasn't much I could do but buy some air fresheners which unfortunately only kept the odor at bay for 30-45 minutes at a time. My window only opened a crack to begin with, and this created a minor improvement but was not sustainable at night as my room was on the ground floor facing the parking lot. I should add that I've stayed at a lot of cheap motels in my life, and have a fairly high tolerance for less than ideal conditions. I've stayed in rooms that reeked of smoke with cigarette burns on the mattress, rooms where I could hear crazy noises all night, and even one hotel in Tahoe that was later condemned by the city and now sits abandoned. But the intensity and persistent nature of this BO smell made this experience worse than all those other places (for 3-5x the price). 2. Another concerning thing (also mentioned by other reviews) is that there seem to be people living in the RVs stored on the lot next door who wander in and out of the hotel. At one point I encountered a woman rifling around the office behind the front desk (no staff were present at the time) who seemed startled by my presence, asking if I needed anything and then quickly clarifying that she doesn't work there, saying she was just looking for a package. She then quickly left through the back stairs without taking anything, which seemed odd. 3. As you can see in the photos below, the desk was frequently left unattended for long periods of time. I discovered this when I went to speak to someone about the odor in my room and found that the desk was empty for over an hour between about 5-7pm on Monday 5/6. I felt especially bad for the guy who had been waiting to check in for over a half hour before I gave up and went back to my room. I was also concerned for guests who had packages delivered to the hotel, as there was a pile of unclaimed deliveries sitting in plain view of the main entrance unprotected (or maybe the folks living next door are using the hotel for their deliveries? Unclear...). 4. I noticed several little bugs throughout my stay - one in my room and a couple in the elevator. Checked the mattress very thoroughly and didn't have any bites so I don't think any of them were bed bugs, but still not ideal. 5. Various things seemed to be left open that shouldn't have - the control panel in the elevator, the door to the fire access control room (which let out a high pitched whine, presumably because it wasn't supposed to be left open), and a disproportionate amount of things seemed to be out of order (one of the ice makers, plus the whole pool and hot tub). read more

Nice staff, rooms seem clean enough. The location seems like the perfect place for one of 3 things, stopping on the way up or down the coast when you just need a place to sleep. Staying while you are bringing you kid to college at UCSC and you want to stick around for a couple days. Coming from out of town to ride at Wilder Ranch, it's so near you can easily ride over. This spot is on the edge of town, literally the first right turn when you come into Santa Cruz from the north. There is a Saturday morning farmers market on the next block. It's not close enough for most people to walk to the beach. It's really not that far and it's mostly a flat walk with no steep hills. Natural Bridges is 1 mile away. For the more adventurous head to west cliff and walk the whole distance to the lighthouse. Probably a 3 hour round trip walk, best at sunset. The place is nice enough. The pool had leaf issues when we were there. The hot tub looked nice and there is a gym. The complimentary breakfast was decent. There was a small waffle station, small buffet with eggs and meat. Also bagel toast and cereal. read more

A friend And I spent a night at this hotel as a retreat for meditation and journaling. Though a small hotel, we were surprised by the vast lobby with lots of space and seating. The tall windows, high ceiling and the mezzanine above that led off Into the hallways of rooms, gave a distinctive welcome and desire to just hang out. The calm and kindness of the staff added to the tranquil setting. Breakfast had its own large room with a delicious choice of scrambled eggs, bacon, bagels, cereal, and waffles. The whole hotel was tastefully decorated and very clean. The parking under the hotel was gated and only accessible with a key card. We felt safe and welcomed. I want to go back. read more

Staff is very friendly. Great service No major issues. The room was clean with the exception of a bit of clutter that was not previously swept, and overlooked. Plenty of clean linens. Price is reasonable for Santa Cruz. Quiet environment away from the transient population. read more

Good solid stay. The breakfast is great to start your day off right. Room was spacious, clean, and comfortable. Only 12min easy drive from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Good beds. read more

Doing a end of summer family road trip up the coast. This has been the best place we stayed so far. It is kind of a weird location. Updated rooms, clean, comfortable, felt bigger then similar places we stayed. Staff we encountered were really young but very polite, type of hotel. Spread of hot food, grains, waffles, some fruit. Would definitely stay again. read more

The condition of the hotel was very nice, and new-ish. The parking lot wasn't huge, but sufficient. The front desk staff were competent. The reason for only two stars though, is their breakfast service. By my count they have 93 hotel rooms. At breakfast (probably due to COVID, I suppose), they only had seven indoor tables to sit at. Do the math here. The guy who was working as the attendant/busser got confrontational when I pulled out extra chairs for my party to sit in. Is it better to sit in a chair at a table in the breakfast area, or would you rather I still eat in the breakfast area and uncomfortably stand at the same table? Use some common sense, people! Honestly, the guy is lucky I exercised as much restraint as I did. Enjoy your two stars, Fairfield. read more

A solid basic hotel. We stayed last weekend and the same weekend the previous year--both times, we were with a large bicycling tour. Both times, we didn't get to stay long enough to really check out the property. Both times, everything was clean and well-kept. The staff was friendly. And, the breakfast was good. We slept well. Isn't that what it's all about? read more

Clean, spacious and quiet! Location about 5 min drive to the Boardwalk. Also about 10 minute drive to UC Santa Cruz.

My wife and I are in our 70s.. We were supposed to come to Santa Cruz for the Engagement Party of our son and meet his in-laws and their friends. I came down with pneumonia and was told it was contagious. We hoped I would get well but instead I got worse on 5/24/24. I did not want to be the person at your breakfast infecting other people with my deep rattling cough and uncontrollable runny nose and sneezing. Just what your guests would want to dine with? Instead, we canceled our flight, rental car and attendance at our son's engagement party. I called and spoke with the desk person and explained the situation. He was not sympathetic at all and said we would lose our deposit and room charge. My wife and I have been Mariott members for countless years. We will never stay at a Fairfield again. I am a military and law enforcement veteran and I will share this sad experience with people in those groups. read more

This hotel is a typical Fairfield but can say it is one of the cleanest we have seen even during COVID. Very nice how they keep the lobby , rooms , hallway feeling very sanitary. The parking is free and very easy in front. The only downside would be it is in a more industrial area and nothing to walk to close by but if just need a place to stay , very reasonable price, and safe read more