At Drift Inn, you'll be a short five-minute drive from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Monterey Bay. Free perks include WiFi and self-parking. Also, this motel is within a short drive of University of California, Santa Cruz.
Watsonville, CA (WVI-Watsonville Municipal) - 29 min drive
Salinas, CA (SNS-Salinas Municipal) - 46 min drive
San Jose, CA (SJC-Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Intl.) - 49 min drive
Monterey, CA (MRY-Monterey Peninsula) - 57 min drive
Restaurants
Boardwalk Bowl - 10 min walk
四姐 Special Noodle - 8 min walk
Los Primos Taqueria - 4 min walk
Little Caesars Pizza - 4 min walk
Marea Sol - 10 min walk
About this property
Drift Inn
At Drift Inn, you'll be a short five-minute drive from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Monterey Bay. Free perks include WiFi and self-parking. Also, this motel is within a short drive of University of California, Santa Cruz.
At a glance
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Hotel size
19 rooms
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Arriving/Leaving
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; check-in end time: 11:00 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age – 21
Check-out time is 11:00 AM
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Special check-in instructions
An adult aged 18 or older must assume all liability for the booking
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
If you are planning to arrive after 7:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
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Required at check-in
Credit card, debit card or cash deposit required for incidental charges
Government-issued photo ID may be required
Minimum check-in age is 21
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Pets
Pets not allowed
WIFI
Internet
Free Wi-Fi in rooms (speed: 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices))
LOCAL_PARKING
Parking
Free on-site self-parking
Property amenities
Food and drink
Room service (limited hours)
Services
24-hour front desk
Facilities
Garden
Room amenities
Be entertained
Cable TV channels
Home comfort
Climate-controlled air conditioning and heating
Freshen up
Shower only
Soap and shampoo
Towels
Toilet paper
Stay connected
Complimentary wireless Internet access (speed of 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices))
Food and drink
Mini fridge
Microwave
More
Daily housekeeping
Fees & policies
Refundable deposits
Deposit: USD 100 per accommodation, per stay
Policies
This property does not have lifts.
Guests can rest easy knowing that there's a fire extinguisher on-site.
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards and cash.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
Property Registration Number BL-109689
Also known as
Drift Inn Motel
Drift Inn Santa Cruz
Drift Inn Motel Santa Cruz
Frequently asked questions
Are pets allowed at Drift Inn?
Sorry, pets aren't allowed.
Is parking offered on site at Drift Inn?
Yes, there's free self parking.
What are the check-in and check-out times at Drift Inn?
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; check-in end time: 11:00 PM. Check-out time is 11:00 AM.
What is there to do at Drift Inn and nearby?
Drift Inn has a garden.
What's the area around Drift Inn like?
Drift Inn is a short 8-minute walk from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and 3 minutes' walk from Ocean Street.
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Reviews
Drift Inn Reviews
8.2
Very good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
8.4
Cleanliness
7.8
Amenities
9.2
Staff & service
7.8
Property conditions & facilities
Guest review summary
What guests liked
Parking was easy and convenient with options to leave the car while exploring the area. (4 reviews)
The property's location is convenient to the beach and boardwalk. (3 reviews)
From real guest reviews summarized by AI.
Reviews
Verified
8/10 Very good
18 Mar 2026
Parking is easy, and the location is convenient to the boardwalk, beach, and downtown areas.
Jordan
Jordan, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
10 Dec 2025
The room was clean, staff very friendly, nice place to stay.
Bartlomiej
Bartlomiej, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
26 Jan 2026
We had an amazing stay! Ankit at the front desk was extremely helpful and hospitable when we booked our hotel visit last minute. I would definitely recommend this inn for anyone looking for a cozy and conveniently located place to stay in downtown Santa Cruz.
Megan
Megan, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
5 Dec 2025
rooms were clean, beds were good, staffs were nice.
Henry
Henry, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
29 Dec 2025
Very courteous staff, excellent check in with ease! Walking distance from the boardwalk, highly recommend!
Carlo
Carlo, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
7 Mar 2026
Clean. Nice staff. Good value
Daniel
Daniel, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
27 Jul 2025
The hotel was good, close to the boulevard and beach
Marcia
Marcia, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
20 Oct 2025
Very clean, and I especially liked the separate kitchen area.
Doug
Doug, 2-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
31 Oct 2025
Parking was easy. The boardwalk and downtown was a short walk from the hotel which was great as we didn't need to drive everywhere. The person at the front desk was very friendly and immediately have us a room with 2 queen beds when requested.
Shiksha
Shiksha, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
23 Sep 2025
Room was clean area was quiet . It was within walking distance from the boardwalk.
Gilbert
Gilbert, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
2 Nov 2025
Nice big clean room
Kyle
Kyle, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
25 Jul 2025
Drift inn
Older remodeled hotel, excellent staff, really close to Boardwalk. Allowed to park for free morning of check in day, plus was able to check into rooms by noon not 3.
Verified traveller
1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
27 Jul 2025
There’s kitchen/dining room which was nice.
Natsume
Natsume, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
10 Jun 2025
Customer service at it's best!
The only place I'll stay.
Customer service is amazing which is hard to find now days.
LAURA
LAURA, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
18 Jul 2025
Exceptional customer service from the front desk clerk, he was very friendly and helpful. He welcomed me like I came home. Very nice personality.
Don
Don, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
14 Jul 2025
I liked that it was walking distance from the boardwalk and customer service was good what I didn’t like was the room where a little older needed upgrade
Manuel
Manuel, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
24 Jun 2025
Thank you Ankit
The front Desk agent was very helpful. He gave me a free room upgrade and allowed me to check in early. He was also kind enough to let us park our car after checkout while we hung out at the boardwalk. Our room was very clean and check out was simple.
Emily
Emily, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
29 Aug 2025
Perfect for our needs
The room was clean and near all the fun spots in Santa Cruz. Downtown shops restaurants and bar were all with in walking distance. To me that’s 30 mins. There was also a little kitchen area that had the microwave and refrigerator separate from the room with the two beds. The man doing our check in was training and did a great job helping me check in. I would highly recommend the Drift Inn. And would definitely book there again!
Gabriel
Gabriel, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
16 Sep 2025
The manager was very friendly and great customer service. We got a very spacious room. Right when you walked in there is bed and the next room was a bed and both queens beds and it can with a small fridge and freezer and microwave. The bathroom was pretty cool and the hotel was worth the price. I also need additional room so to my family member wanted to stay the night and instead of sharing beds they hotel manager gave as other room for a cheaper prices of $79 and that room was in its own little area and had like a little kitchen with a microwave and small fridge with a freezer. The bathroom was pretty big too and the shower was amazing
Mary
Mary, 2-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
15 Feb 2026
Room was clean. Check-in was super easy and quick. Woman at the desk was friendly and provided us with an upgrade. Location was walkable to beach and boardwalk.
Patricia
Patricia, 1-night trip
Verified
6/10 Good
12 Nov 2025
Good location
Jeremy
Jeremy, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
15 May 2026
The room was clean and comfortable; check-in was a breeze. The Drift Inn is located near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Downtown Santa Cruz, and the Riverwalk. My only negative is that the towels were a little threadbare.
Patrick
Patrick, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
21 Oct 2025
Loved how close the hotel was to the Boardwalk, wharf and beach!
Laura
Laura, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
6 Sep 2025
Amazing staff, great location and extremely accommodating, overall a great place to stay