Rio Vista Inn & Suites Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz ➤ Reviews, Rooms & Prices 2025

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About the Hotel

611 Third Street, Santa Cruz, California, United States, 95060

Rio Vista Inn & Suites Santa Cruz is a historic 4-star hotel with 12 elegant guestrooms, offering stunning views of the San Lorenzo River and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The Victorian-style building features modern amenities and provides a unique blend of comfort and luxury for guests. This Santa Cruz hotel offers amenities such as a lounge with a fireplace, complimentary toiletries, and wireless internet access.

Rooms & Amenities

Rooms at Rio Vista Inn & Suites Santa Cruz feature modern décor alongside Victorian charm, equipped with premium amenities including 40-inch LED HDTVs, iPod docking stations, and luxurious bathrobes. Each private bathroom includes water-efficient fixtures and complimentary toiletries. Many rooms offer views of the San Lorenzo River or the iconic Beach Hill.

Services & Amenities

The hotel provides a range of services including concierge recommendations for local activities, access to daily refreshments, and express check-out options. Guests can enjoy complimentary toiletries and daily housekeeping services during their stay.

Local Attractions & Accessibility

Rio Vista Inn & Suites Santa Cruz is located in close proximity to popular attractions including Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Natural Bridges State Beach, and the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. Guests can engage in various water activities such as whale watching, surfing, and kayaking at the nearby beaches. The hotel ensures that all paths and walkways are accessible for guests using mobility aids.

Transportation & Accessibility

Transportation options include nearby bus stops at 2nd Street & Leibrandt Avenue and Santa Cruz Metro Center, providing guests with easy access to the area. The hotel also accommodates service animals at no additional charge, adhering to ADA standards for accessibility and comfort.

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Select your room type

The hotel offers a variety of rooms including double rooms, family rooms, and suites with breakfast, free cancelations, and special deals

Standard Queen Room # 12

Max:

2 persons

21 m²

Bed options:

1 King-size bed

Heating

Fireplace

room details

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Standard Queen Room #15 Annexed

Max:

2 persons

12 m²

Bed options:

1 King-size bed

Heating

Bathtub

room details

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Economy Queen Room # 9

Max:

2 persons

21 m²

Bed options:

1 King-size bed

Heating

Fireplace

room details

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Getting around

A list of all available modes of transport

City Centre

Santa Cruz800 m

Airports

Mineta San Jose International (SJC) 54.0 km

Monterey Peninsula (MRY) 67.9 km

Bus

Bus stop200 m

Facilities

The hotel offers amenities for your comfortable stay and unforgettable experiences

Really good Recommendations!

“I was impressed by the personalized suggestions for activities and dining around Santa Cruz and California, making my stay nice.” view full review

Charming Room!

“My room was impeccably clean, featuring tall windows that offered a fantastic view of the San Lorenzo River, enhancing the overall ambiance.” view full review

Great Amenities!

“The annex provided a well-equipped kitchenette complete with a large refrigerator, microwave, and even a common kitchen, which was perfect for our needs.” view full review

Impressive Mansion!

“The beautiful restoration of the Victorian mansion showcased intriguing historical objects, which added a unique charm to our stay and sparked my curiosity.” view full review

General

No smoking on site
Wi-Fi
Free parking
Off-site car park
No pets allowed
Rooms/ Facilities for disabled
Adults only

Sports & Fitness

Wind surfing
Horseback riding
Cycling
Golf course
Fishing

Services

Housekeeping

Business

Fax/Photocopying

Spa & Leisure

Beach access
Garden area

Room features

Air conditioning
Heating
Sitting area
Ironing facilities

Bathroom

Free toiletries

Media

Flat-screen TV

Room decor

Parquet floor

Location

611 Third Street, Santa Cruz, California, United States, 95060

Map view

611 Third Street, Santa Cruz, California, United States, 95060

City landmarks

Harbour

Santa Cruz Wharf

770 m

Museum

Museum of Art and History

1.2 km

Museum

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

1.4 km

35 Pacific Ave

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center

810 m

Shopping Area

Pacific Garden Mall

960 m

Lighthouse Point West Cliff Drive

Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse

1.6 km

Museum

Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

2.2 km

Park

Neary Lagoon Park

1.9 km

600 West Cliff Drive

To Honor Surfing Monument

1.5 km

Spa Centre

Tea House Spa

650 m

Spa Centre

Well Within Spa

680 m

144 School St

Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park

1.6 km

400 Beach St

Cave Train

620 m

Store

Cowell Beach

970 m

Store

Cowell's Beach Surf Shop

790 m

Beach st

Cocoanut Grove Banquet and Conf

1.3 km

Park

Abbott Square

980 m

Store

Shopper's Corner

1.1 km

Beach

Seabright State Beach

1.8 km

325 Soquel Ave at Ocean Avenue

The Satellite Workspace and Digital Media Studio

770 m

Santa Cruz

Lighthouse Field State Beach

2.3 km

102 Ocean View Ave

Ocean View Park

1.7 km

Nearby

Mall

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

500 m

400 Beach St

Sky Glider

510 m

400 Beach St

Giant Dipper

520 m

400 Beach St

Undertow

460 m

299 San Lorenzo Boulevard

Mike Fox Skate Park

380 m

Raymond St

Beach Flats Community Garden

420 m

Beach

Main Beach

550 m

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Holiday Train

590 m

Restaurants

Beach Street Cafe

520 m

399 Beach St

South Beach Pizza Company

560 m

303 Beach St

Saturn Cafe

510 m

145 Laurel Street

The Picnic Basket

790 m

125 Beach St

Casablanca Bistro

660 m

101 Main St

Sawasdee By The Sea

690 m

101 Main St Casablanca Inn

Mumbai Delights

540 m

810 Pacific Ave

Zachary's Restaurant

630 m

819 Pacific Avenue

Tampico Kitchen & Lounge LNG

610 m

822 Pacific Ave

Subway

630 m

825 Pacific Avenue

A Slice of Kianti's

710 m

46 Front St

Sesame

700 m

435 Front St

Reviews and Ratings

Feedback from previous guests about their experience.

58%

liked the hotel and would stay again

Awesome decoration

Close to boardwalk

Disappointing dining

Small room

5.8/10

Guest rating

Rooms

5.3

Location

8.3

Service

6.7

Dining

5.0

Joseph

United Kingdom, May 2024

5.0/10

The hotel's room was not as described and felt small, but it was awesome. The decorations made it seem even smaller. Service was lacking improvement. The location was close to the boardwalk but not as expected. The dining was disappointing, with cold trailer arrangements and limited options.

Rooms

6.0

The room, although described as a small suite, felt small and cramped, making it difficult to move around. It was not even touched to be clean.

Service

5.0

Housekeeping service could be better improved.

Location

7.0

The location was a bit different than expected, although it was close to the boardwalk. Not matching the standard shown in the pictures.

Dining

5.0

The dining experience was extremely disappointing, with a set-up in a cold trailer and limited options.

Facilities

5.0

Facilities need some work.

Awesome decoration

Disappointing dining

Nicholas

United Kingdom, January 2024

7.0/10

The hotel was conveniently located near the boardwalk and wharf, offering a perfect setting for exploration. While the room was lovely with a nice bathroom, it was a bit stuffy being on the 3rd floor. The dining experience left much to be desired with delayed service and limited breakfast options, yet the warm bread was a small consolation.

Rooms

8.0

I stayed in a lovely room with a nice bathroom that had both a bathtub with jets and a shower.

Service

7.0

The housekeeping service was satisfactory during my stay.

Location

9.0

The hotel's location was very good, near the boardwalk and downtown, despite some presence of homeless individuals in the area.

Dining

5.0

The dining experience was subpar with delayed breakfast service and limited options provided.

Facilities

7.0

The hotel facilities were adequate for my needs.

Harry

United Kingdom, January 2024

7.0/10

The hotel has a great location near downtown Santa Cruz and the beach, offering a fantastic view of the riverwalk. While the rooms had a strong smell of cleaning products and cheap air fresheners, the service was pleasant and efficient. The dining options were basic, but the overall value for money was reasonable.

Rooms

5.0

The rooms had a strong smell of cleaning products and cheap air fresheners.

Service

8.0

The service was pleasant and efficient.

Location

9.0

The hotel is close to the ocean/boardwalk, offering a fantastic view of the riverwalk. It's within walking distance to the Boardwalk and downtown Santa Cruz.

Dining

6.0

The dining options were basic, should have healthier and more organic items.

Facilities

7.0

The hotel facilities were average.

Robert

United States, September 2023

6.0/10

The hotel is situated along an average Californian highway of the S, offering a fantastic location just about a block away from the boardwalk, ideal for enjoying both the boardwalk and downtown Santa Cruz. However, there were noise issues, and a laundry mishap occurred, which cost $120, a situation I hope is unique.

Rooms

6.0

The room with a small balcony was smaller than expected, and the TV placement risked head bumps, not matching the booked pictures.

Service

7.0

The housekeeping service was good, ensuring a clean environment despite the room size.

Location

8.0

The hotel boasts a nice design and an advantageous location close to the boardwalk, though noise levels required the use of earplugs at night.

Dining

5.0

The breakfast selection was limited, with sparse and stale options, although the highlight was the homemade jams.

Facilities

5.0

The facilities were average, but nothing stood out during my stay.

Marion

United States, August 2023

6.0/10

My stay at the hotel had some ups and downs. The location was perfect for me, within walking distance of the boardwalk and downtown bars and restaurants. However, the rooms were quite small and cramped, making it difficult to move around, and the bathroom felt claustrophobic. The breakfast provided was minimal and forgettable, but the homemade sweets were a nice touch.

Rooms

5.0

The rooms were tiny and full of furniture, making it almost impossible to walk around or access the bed easily due to limited space. We even requested a room change due to the small size for two people.

Service

7.0

The service was decent, and the housekeeping staff were friendly and accommodating. Special thanks to the staff for their hospitality and friendliness in helping us navigate the neighborhood.

Location

8.0

The hotel's location was perfect for me, close to tourist attractions and within walking distance of the boardwalk and downtown area. However, it was quite noisy until around 2 a.m., which could be a downside for light sleepers.

Dining

5.0

The dining experience was mediocre, with limited breakfast options that could have been improved. However, the homemade sweets were a delightful surprise.

Facilities

6.0

The hotel provided basic dining amenities like tea/coffee and pastries, but the breakfast options were subpar. The space could use some improvements to enhance guests' dining experience.

Joseph

United States, June 2023

5.4/10

The hotel was extremely small and cramped, with a lack of privacy due to the room's direct exposure to common areas. However, the location was perfect for us, within walking distance to the Boardwalk and downtown, offering a quiet setting near the San Lorenzo river. The dining experience left much to be desired with limited cheap options, though the freshly baked European bread was a positive highlight.

Rooms

5.0

The rooms were very very small and cell-like, located on the third floor with little privacy due to the direct access to the gathering area outside.

Service

6.0

Housekeeping service was satisfactory.

Location

9.0

The hotel's location was excellent, quiet, and close to both the Boardwalk and downtown area.

Dining

5.0

The dining options were poor, with limited selections of inexpensive products and primarily served in a hallway. However, the freshly baked European bread was a nice touch.

Facilities

5.0

The hotel's facilities were basic, lacking notable amenities.