My wife and I have stayed here three times in the last six months because it is such a nice hotel. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The rooms are clean and amenities very good. The beds are comfortable. I suggest paying a little more and get a room with a balcony to better let in the fresh air that has a hint of pine/redwood. The hotel is far enough from Highway 17 that you don't hear traffic...in fact, it's one of the quieter hotels. The exercise room is a B (cardio machines, dumb bells, and multi-function weight machine.) The pool and jacuzzi is particularly nice...great place to drink a glass of wine (use a plastic cup please). We haven't used the restaurant or bar yet, so on opinion yet. Parking is free.
The hotel is a five minute drive to Santa Cruz which is filled with many C- hotels and is typically "dog-patchy" like so many California beachside communities. This hotel escapes the dog patch look and is, for us, the best choice in this area.

This was a great hotel. The hotel is beautiful from the outside. When I arrived they upgraded me to a suite because I am a gold hhonors member. The suite was also extremely nice as you would expect. The front desk staff where very friendly and willing to help us with anything that we asked. We ate dinner at the hotel and had a great meal and service. This is by far the best hilton hotel that I have stayed in in a while.

If I had to find a fault, which is hard to do. I would say they could really use a couple more elevators as they were very busy and often full.

I don't give many 5 star reviews but the Hilton Santa Cruz is truely deserving of a top rating. We got a great rate here through the secret hotels section of lastminutetravel. Bedroom was large, well furnished, clean and equipped with multi channel Direct TV. All you can eat continental breakfast was a real snip at 7 bucks. Staff were friendly and helpful and the pool area, although small, was pleasant and relaxing.
This property enjoys a relaxed, guest friendly atmosphere and I would be happy to return and recommend it to others.

We got to stay here at a great price and it did not disappoint. Clean rooms and a great location just minutes away from from the beach. We would definitely stay here again when we visit the coast. Most of the hotels seem dated that are in the central part of Santa Cruz. We liked the short drive and staying in the nicer amenities.