Babbling Brook Inn
1025 Laurel St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060-4237
Lowest prices for your stay
Only 1 left at
$246
Only 1 left at
$246
$246
Only 1 left at
$225
Hotels.com$246
FindHotel$246
Etrip$246
View all 12 deals
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Full view
View all photos (223)223
Room & Suite (60)
Dining (10)
About
#2 of 14 B&Bs / Inns in Santa Cruz
Location
4.4
Cleanliness
4.7
Service
4.7
Value
4.3
Babbling Brook Inn infuses contemporary design with the ageless architecture. As you arrive, you will feast your eyes on the stunning foliage, winding brick and stone pathways that weave through Babbling Brook Inn’s grounds. The generous wooden decks and balconies offer views of hillsides brimming with climbing vines, mature trees, and the waterwheel that is serviced by the creek that flows through our lush gardens. Thirteen elegant rooms with thoughtful touches, soft pastel color pallets, and a décor that integrates the works of renowned artists Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Degas, and Tennyson which line the walls of each guest room. Meticulous attention to detail is apparent in every guestroom and the common areas within Babbling Brook Inn.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Free breakfast
Bicycle rental
Bicycles available
Hiking
Non-smoking hotel
Room features
Fireplace
Private balcony
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Green
Romantic
Location
Full view
80Somewhat walkable
Grade: 80 out of 100
140Restaurantswithin 0.75 miles
41Attractionswithin 0.75 miles
Contact
1025 Laurel St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060-4237
Getting there
Rental CarsSee rental cars from $37/day
442Reviews4Q+A95Room tips
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 296
- 84
- 26
- 10
- 26
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
More
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
Cute property but needs some TLC and more helpful staff. Our room was spacious and comfortable, the beds were great and so was the location, but the property does seem to have been allowed to get a little rundown. We had some issues with checkout and followed up with the manager who did make up for the issues. I would stay again, no major complaints, but it could be so much more!
Read more
Date of stay: August 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
This place is well located for the Santa Cruz main beach area and meant we could walk there which was good. The place itself is as quaint as the pictures suggest and has loads of character. However, as many of the reviews point out, the pictures make the rooms look nicer than the reality, based on our experience. Whilst clean and with nice linen, the room we had was very tired and sparsely furnished, with Wi-Fi that did not work well or consistently. We were only there for one night so it didn’t matter too much but if they (a) invested in the rooms and (b) had a properly manned front desk this could be real gem.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
+1
This place is using outdated photos based on the dates that I can see from when they were uploaded. I feel that I was falsely advertised to by this place as well as Hotels.com, which was how I booked my stay. I requested a refund from Hotels.com and was required to send pictures of each complaint that I had. Obviously, the place refused me a refund and there is nothing to be done about it. My room looked like it had been stripped of all that made it cute and unique without a repair or appropriate replacement made. For example, the window dressings were taken down and all of the marks from screws and discolored paint were left behind without an obvious attempt to repair or make it presentable. The room looked nothing like the picture and the property looked like the picture only if it had been left to disrepair for quite some time (stained steps, overgrown landscaping, exposed pipes, rusted metal pergola-like structure that looked unsafe, and every item that made it look inviting from the pictures was absent). The bathroom was so dirty that it made me question the cleanliness of the entire room. My husband and I felt uncomfortable sleeping in the bed because of this. The towels were stained with a rust-colored substance, the towel left as a rug was covered in bugs, the bathtub was covered in bugs, the bathtub was lined with mold, the shower head was rusted, the sink was lined in mold, the skylight was covered in mold, the window was covered in what seemed to be bird poop, and there were unrepaired holes in the shower. The shower itself was unusable. The water barely got warm and the water pressure was completely unusable. There was a fireplace attached to a thermostat, but it did not work. When I went to use the thermostat is fell off the wall and the wires were exposed. It felt dangerous and the room was left without heat. Even in July, the room got cold. I can’t imagine how it would be in winter. Oddly enough, these things would not have been enough for me to spend my time reaching out and requesting a refund. It was the bright red spotlight aimed at our bedroom window that permeated the blinds and left us unable to properly sleep that tipped me over the edge. It came on a dusk and did not disappear until sunrise. It was bizarre, uncomfortable, and so shocking I still don’t quite know what to think about it. Why did I not reach out to management? Well, there is no one present on the actual property. There is a piece of paper taped to the gate that has a number to call. When I called, it went to the voicemail for someone apparently in charge of another property and did not mention this one at all. No call was ever answered, but I did receive a text in response to my voicemail. Contact was initially pleasant, but I stopped being responded to after I mentioned that our email with check-in details never arrived. Check-in was supposed to be at 1:00pm and we received an email at 4:05pm with the code to a lock box. The box contained every key to all of the rooms. We never heard from the manager again and there was never a single person on-site. I have stayed in roadside motels and places that are considered dives. I have no problem with that when it’s what I’m expecting. When I am expecting a bed and breakfast with charming details and I pay over $300 a night, I expect the place to look like the pictures and offer amenities as advertised. There was no breakfast, nothing looked like the pictures, it was dirty, it was in disrepair, furnishings were absent, the shower didn’t work properly, the fireplace didn’t work at all, the blinds on the door didn’t work, the patio was unusable due to a spotlight, and we were made uncomfortable all night long with a light directed at our window. This place was the worst place I have ever stayed at and I feel completely lied to. It is not worth the risk. Please don’t stay here.…
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Do not stay here.
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
This B&B used to be great, but it has gone WAY downhill. Do not stay here, and I don’t say that lightly. If this property were listed on air bnb they would be kicked off the platform for being TERRIBLE hosts! My 80 year old mom booked two nights here, when she arrived there was no one to help get the key and she wasn’t emailed any instructions. Finally someone showed up and informed her they didn’t have her reservation even though she showed her reservation confirmation. They then told her they’d accommodate her but she’d have to switch rooms for the second night. Ok. So the next day when she returned to check into her new room, AGAIN, no one was there to help. She finally got a hold of the person listed on the key box who gave her the code to the key box. However when we opened the key box her keys weren’t there. The person said she would come right over. That was 15 minutes ago we are still waiting. Contactless check-in only works if the hotel is organized. This place is not. Don’t waste your money, there are better options. …
Read more
Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Worst experience ever! We paid for a room we never got. BEWARE! We booked through Expedia and the property sent an email explaining the contact less checking. It was a code to a lockbox with all the other keys to the rooms in it. And our room was not ready. The door was wide open when we got to it and the room was in total disarray. When you called the number provided, you got a voicemail to a Mobile Home park. Leave a message, sure, but you won't get a response. When you ask for a refund to their non-refundable room, you're denied. Please don't fall for this trap.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip: Things to avoid.....this hotel!
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
+1
Buyer beware! The best way to describe our experience at the Babbling Brook Inn (BBI) is, it was like meeting someone in person that you saw on a dating app only to find out the picture they posted is 20 years old and they are definitely worse for the wear. Having grown up in Santa Cruz, I had believed the BBI was a beautiful, quaint place to stay. When my fiancé and I found ourselves with a rare break in our crazy busy lives, we booked a room for a Friday night based on the wonderful photos and elegantly written descriptions on their website. Showing up, it immediately apparent the photos were very old and the room (Renoir #110) was in bad shape. I don’t even know where to begin… A dangerous, very dark parking lot greeted us on arrival. The room was a major disappointment… A lot of damage to surfaces around the room. Broken lamp switch, that is both a fire and electrocution danger. Stained carpet. Front door lock didn’t work (major safety issue in this neighborhood). Headboard to the bed wasn’t connected to the bed and just fell back and forth loosely. Shabby bathroom that did not look clean. Hair (very obviously not ours) on the comforter (gross!). Bathroom door didn’t latch. Wifi non-existent. I’ll stop there, but I could go on. There was a name (Dareen) and number in the check in email to text or call if needed. I texted them about the wifi and still haven’t heard back. God forbid there had been an actual emergency or I wanted to mention the broken door lock!! We were ready just to drive home, but there was NO ONE to ask for a refund. Shame on whomever Dareen is … if she even exists. Caveat Emptor. Don’t be fooled by the wonderful old pictures on the website. This place has not aged well!…
Read more
Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
5 Helpful votes
Helpful
While the grounds are unique and lovely, the rooms are run down, carpets worn and not very clean. Most disturbing for us was no WiFi at all in our room and no-one to help at the desk. We did not receive the promised email with contactless check-in instructions and there was no-one there to check us in when we arrived. Housekeeping staff helped us instead. They did supply Keurig coffee and changed the towels, but did not otherwise clean or make the bed. There was not even a box of facial tissues in the room. We asked to use the unused room off the tiny office to use WiFi for a planned FaceTime with our son at 8:30 last night - when we went to the office at 8:30 pm, the door was locked and no one was there even though the sign said office hours are until 10 pm. We sat outside in the cold to be able to use FaceTime since their WiFi is only available within 5 feet of the office. Also, the key for the access gate off the parking lot to our room did not work. We had to climb up and down two steep flights to get to our room after a long day of hiking. I spoke to a woman who said she would give us a discount. There are no charges yet on our card. I hope there will be none at all. They do not deserve a penny for such a failure in hospitality.…
Read more
Date of stay: February 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip: Don't even think of staying here.
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
+1
This hotel is nothing like the website. It is run down and only an electric fireplace for heat. No one can be reached for service or questions. The smoke detector was just lying out on the dresser, uninstalled. Noise from the adjoining rooms was very loud. To top it off, the price was almost $300 for the night! DO NOT STAY HERE.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Beautiful landscape, Covid and time has damaged this property.I loved the quiet! After Covid the Babellin Brook will be renovated. .and I will return to eat fine dining . Care takers and house keeping are very friendly, if looking fir a great place to stay in USA. Look for great inns of America.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
I'm not sure when the photos of the rooms at the Babbling Brook Inn were taken, or if I just happened to get a really bad room (the Contessa Room), but the truth is that their online site in no way matches reality. I had booked the room as a "sister's" trip and thought the rooms looked lovely. After calling an off-site person to obtain the key to the room, we were immediately hit with a musty smell upon entering the room. We were also taken aback by the fact that there were absolutely NO decorations on the walls, no books on the bookshelves, no window treatments, etc. Nothing that appears on the online photos. In addition, in the 1/2 hour we were in the room, my sister had to fix a broken chain in the toilet 2 times. There was no way we were going to be able to remain in the room for even an hour, let alone stay overnight! The cost of the room ($280/night) was way out of line with the condition of the room. We did not take photos while we were there because we were focused on finding a different place to stay. Not sure what is going on at the Babbling Brook Inn but I would definitely not recommend staying here.…
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Terrible room and bathroom (Contessa Room)
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
PRICE RANGE
$250 - $296 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
babbling brook hotel santa cruz
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaSanta Cruz
NUMBER OF ROOMS
13
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Babbling Brook Inn
Which popular attractions are close to Babbling Brook Inn?
Nearby attractions include West Cliff Drive (0.5 miles), Nickelodeon Theatre (0.5 miles), and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center (0.6 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Babbling Brook Inn?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and free parking.
What food & drink options are available at Babbling Brook Inn?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Babbling Brook Inn?
Conveniently located restaurants include Jack O'Neill Restaurant & Lounge, Laili Restaurant, and Walnut Avenue Cafe.
Is Babbling Brook Inn located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.4 miles away from the center of Santa Cruz.
Are there any historical sites close to Babbling Brook Inn?
Many travelers enjoy visiting San Lorenzo River Railroad Bridge (0.1 miles).