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Hyatt Place Santa Cruz Review: A Great Family Hotel Near the Boardwalk
Planning a Santa Cruz family vacation? See our Hyatt Place Santa Cruz review, including breakfast, pool, rooms, and nearby attractions.
We were looking for a family-friendly hotel in Santa Cruz and the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz ended up being a great fit for our trip.
Location: 407 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
We used our annual free night certificate from our Hyatt credit card, which honestly felt like a pretty great redemption.
The hotel had spacious rooms, free breakfast, a heated pool, and was close to so many toddler-friendly activities around Santa Cruz.
➡️ CHECK ROOM RATES HERE: HYATT PLACE SANTA CRUZ
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz had a very nice lobby to lounge in
Why We Chose Hyatt Place Santa Cruz for Our Family Trip
Traveling with toddlers means our hotel checklist looks a little different these days.
We wanted:
✔ Space for toddler beds
✔ Free breakfast
✔ Pool for downtime
✔ Close to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
✔ Easy access to family activities
The Hyatt Place Santa Cruz checked all of those boxes.
A fridge is always handy for leftovers or holding yogurts! The Hyatt Place Santa Cruz had a nice sized mini fridge.
My biggest complaint is the powdered milk for creamer in the room, but I just went downstairs and grabbed a freshly brewed coffee with cream in the morning.
Open mini fridge (empty) in Hyatt Place Santa Cruz
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz Amenities for Families
Free Breakfast that is included with Hyatt Santa Cruz room - eggs, French toast, sausage, potatoes
Free Breakfast Included
The hotel includes complimentary breakfast in the lobby area every morning.
When you have toddlers, quick food options are a lifesaver and while this wasn’t the best hotel breakfast we’ve ever had, it absolutely worked for busy mornings.
Breakfast options during our stay included:
Fruit Loops and Cheerios for the kids
Eggs
Breakfast potatoes (hash browns or diced potatoes depending on the day)
Sausage or bacon
French toast, waffles, or pancakes
Donut holes
Bagels and toast
Yogurt and granola
Fresh fruit
Sometimes you just need food immediately with little ones and this definitely made mornings easier.
Pool at the Hyatt Place in Santa Cruz is perfect for kids
Heated Pool, Spa & Fire Pits
The pool area was another big hit for families.
Amenities included:
Heated pool
Spa / hot tub
Outdoor rinse shower before heading back to your room
Evening fire pits
S’mores kits available for purchase
One note for families with little swimmers: the pool appeared to be under 5 feet deep, which felt very kid-friendly.
Large rooms at the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz - perfect for families
Spacious Rooms Make a Huge Difference with Toddlers
One thing we loved most was how spacious our room felt.
Our boys are in that awkward phase where they’re too big for cribs but we don’t trust them on tall hotel beds yet, so we travel with our Rigalo Toddler Inflatable beds.
Sometimes hotel rooms feel cramped once we set them up, but our room at Hyatt Place Santa Cruz felt huge.
We stayed in Room 331, which had a wider layout (some rooms appear longer and narrower).
The extra width gave us room for:
Two toddler beds
Walking space around them
Storage space when not in use
Enough open floor area that the boys could literally do cartwheels
We also had a slight view of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and even a small peek of the ocean in the distance.
My favorite part of the room was the cozy couch nook! there is an “L” shaped pull out couch sofa with a lamp overhead creating a cute little nook where we sat and read bedtime stories. I had the boys snuggle up and we read a few of our favorite books we packed including The Trucks that Saved the Park!
Cozy nook at the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz - perfect for reading books to kids
Bathroom in hotel room at Hyatt Place Santa Cruz did not have a bath tub for kids
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz is a great central location
We loved the location of the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz because it was close to the boardwalk while also being within easy driving distance of several toddler activities.
Serpent Slide at San Lorenzo Park - walking distance from Hyatt Place Santa Cruz
Things to Do Near Hyatt Place Santa Cruz with Kids
San Lorenzo Park
Location: 137 Dakota Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
We walked less than 10 mins to the San Lorenzo Park that had a cute playground! It had lots of structures to climb and burn out some kid afternoon energy. There was
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Location: 400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
The hotel is about a 15-minute walk to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
That said, personally I’m not sure I would choose to walk back after dark with little kids.
We drove and found parking by the boardwalk for $5 midweek in May 2026.
The valet mentioned nearby lots can reach around $30, especially on weekends.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Location: 101 N Big Trees Park Rd, Felton, CA 95018
One of our favorite stops was the flat Redwood Grove Loop Trail at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
It was only about 15 minutes from the hotel and perfect for toddlers.
The loop is approximately one mile, mostly flat, and stroller friendly.
Roaring Camp Train in Santa Cruz - fun thing to do with toddlers
Ride the Roaring Camp Train Through the Redwoods
Location: 5401 Graham Hill Rd, Felton, CA 95018
Right next to the redwoods is Roaring Camp Railroads.
They offer train rides through the redwoods (we saw departures twice daily during our visit).
We were also told the Beach Train connecting the boardwalk and redwoods is beautiful, though it can be slower because it travels through town and stops frequently at crossings and intersections.
Final Thoughts: Is Hyatt Place Santa Cruz Worth It for Families?
For families traveling with toddlers and young kids, Hyatt Place Santa Cruz worked really well for us.
The highlights were definitely:
✔ Spacious rooms
✔ Free breakfast
✔ Heated pool and fire pits
✔ Close to the Boardwalk
✔ Easy access to toddler activities like Henry Cowell and Roaring Camp
If you travel with inflatable toddler beds like we do, the room size alone was a huge win.
➡️ CHECK ROOM RATES HERE: HYATT PLACE SANTA CRUZ