Not By The Sea
28/08/2018 Ellen S, Irvington, New York
Welcome to California suburbia. Experience our typical lifestyle by staying in this motel near gas stations and strip malls. Oh, that's not why you're visiting Capitola? You want to stay in a charmin... more
Welcome to California suburbia. Experience our typical lifestyle by staying in this motel near gas stations and strip malls. Oh, that's not why you're visiting Capitola? You want to stay in a charming place near the beach with ocean views — that puts you right in the middle of the enchanting, fairy-tale scene you saw in the guidebook? Well, this is not it. (Instead, stay in Santa Cruz and drive over to the Capitola village area and spend an afternoon walking around. It seems that there's only one hotel in the part of Capitola that really is by the sea. But in Santa Cruz, at the time of our visit, late August, there were tons of seaview lodgings of all kinds with "vacancy" signs posted — everything from tiny cottages to condos, standard motels to larger, more upscale chains.) But I digress; back to the Best Western. Not a bargain. We paid over $200 a night for a standard room with a king bed. The decor is plain and simple motel-room beige, the linens are newish, and everything is clean. I mean clean. You can't walk to the elevator or lobby without passing a huge "housekeeping" room with giant washers spinning away and carts of cleaning supplies lined up in the hallway. The whole property smells faintly of disinfectant. There is a small exercise room. The pool looks okay, but it's been too chilly out to think about swimming. The breakfast is adequate, with the usual cereals, rolls, yogurt, fruit. This one does offer eggs, potatoes, sausages (not very good versions, I'm afraid) and a make-your-own waffle bar. Nice freshly-backed cookies upon arrival. Plenty of free parking in the back. There's a Lucky supermarket next door and a Whole Foods across and down the street where you can pick up something for your beach picnic that's much healthier than what they sell on the boardwalk. less
Kent B, General Manager at Best Western Plus Capitola By-The-Sea Inn & Suites, responded to this review
Dear Ellen S.,
Thank you for taking the time to review our property and for selecting our hotel when staying in the area. We strive to make your experience the best possible and we apologize that we have failed to meet your expectations with regard to location and breakfast. Guest feedback is incredibly important to us and we are taking your comments into consideration as we work to improve our on-property experience here in Capitola. We hope you will give us another try so we may demonstrate our commitment.
Thank you again for your comments,
Kent Berman
General Manager