Fodor's Expert Review Dream Inn Santa Cruz

A short stroll from the boardwalk and wharf, this full-service luxury hotel is the only lodging in Santa Cruz directly on the beach, and its rooms all have private balconies or patios overlooking Monterey Bay. Accommodations have contemporary furnishings, muted retro-chic colors, and upscale linens, but the main draw here is having the ocean at your doorstep. In the Jack O'Neill Restaurant and Lounge, named for the famous wet suit inventor and longtime Santa Cruz resident, you can view vintage photos and memorabilia while sipping surf-theme cocktails.