Sunny Cove Retreat

Am I taking crazy pills? All of the reviews for this place are stellar! But if you dig deep, you will find the one star reviews that are completely accurate. Allow me to add to that small collection:
I will say that this place is in a great location with a great view, but that is all that I can say that is positive. My family paid over $ 5,000.00 for 4 nights over the 4^th of July weekend. We were immediately discouraged by he dirty and sandy floors inside and out. The patron which houses the fire pit was especially dirty. The couches surrounding the fire pit were dirty, ripped, and in some places huge chunks were taken out of them! We were unable to use the advertised fire pit because ALL 3 propane tanks were completely empty. I had to go out and get one filled after arriving. The refrigerator door in the kitchen was completely corroded and chipping. The middle shower had mold inside and out. One of the main reasons we rented the property was because of the hot tub. Not one of us went in because the water was yellow and mildewy and the bottom of the tub had lots of sand in it. My family had to eat dinner on the floor the first night because there isn’t a table in the whole house. The nest day we had to call to find out about the «custom» table top which was 3 huge slabs of peeling plexiglass that you have to place on top of the pool table.
I contacted the owner about these concerns and while I did get reimbursed for the propane, I didn’t get any indication that these things would be fixed or if he even cared. You can dig deep in reviews here and on trip advisor and the one star reviews are there, and they are a lot like this one. I don’t feel like these concerns are new. I’m submitting this review in the hopes that these concerns will be acknowledged and fixed by the owners, and to also inform future renters that this place is not at all like it is advertised. Please beware!

Sunny Cove Retreat (SCR) is tucked away in a small private neighborhood. The front of the house faces a private neighborhood beach cove. The cove is pretty popular with many cars visiting to sit and gaze at the amazing view from the cliff lookouts.
I had a work retreat here and it was perfect. SCR is spacious and has many beds (4 bedrooms with some rooms having multiple beds, the rooms are large and spacious, never felt overcrowded). It’s a very beach house feel. The house is fully stocked and we cooked many meals as a team building exercise after purchasing groceries nearby. SCR has all the amenities a home would have as well as plenty of parking (the driveway can fit 4+ cars, which is great during busy summer season). Home has nice outdoor seating areas and also has a hot tub. Beach access is literally just step and out the front door and walk down to the private cove. Views can be seen from the kitchen and living room as the front of the house faces the cove.
The owner/​host is very accommodating, providing lots of information sheets about the house and local surrounding area. Owner/​host was also very responsive to our needs and any issues that we had. House is well maintained especially given that it’s a beach front property that is prone to weathering issues.

I don’t think words can quite portray how amazing our weekend was at Sunny Cove Retreat, but I’ll give it a try… 11 friends and family, from all across the US, came to Sunny Cove Retreat to celebrate 4 birthdays in one long weekend. Between the great company and the beautiful landscape (not to mention the beach being across the street!) I couldn’t have asked for more.
Each morning we woke up, and enjoyed a cup of coffee on the front porch while catching up with one another, stopping every so often to point out a whale, or a sea otter, or a school of dolphins, or just to admire the scenery. That was followed up with either beach times or surfing for the day, only to return when we were ready for some BBQ! Then we topped off each night with the hot tub, billiards, and hanging around the outdoor fireplace.
There is plenty to see and do in Santa Cruz, but we had so much fun at the place and the beach that we didn’t even end up leaving! I would highly recommend Sunny Cove to anyone looking to get a choice waterfront experience in SC.
Big thanks to Joyce and Adam, they’re great to work with and made our trip that much more enjoyable!
Also, I read through many of the posts about it noting being up to par with respect to cleanliness or certain aspects of the house not working, but I’ll be honest, everything was fine and the place was clean when we showed up and we had 0 issues other than not wanting to have to leave the last day.

SCR is a beautiful home with lots of fun amenities located right across the street from a secluded, locals only beach. It’s very roomy, so perfect for a group. We enjoyed the large outdoor porch where we were able to grill, after picking up ingredients at the Sunday farmers market just a short walk away. We also enjoyed the hot tub, games and and pool table. Wonderful for adults and kids, I’d highly recommend this home for any vacation.

Sunny Cove was an amazing rental experience. House if fully equipped with everything you need and more to enjoy your time and feel right at home. BBQ, hot tub, fireplace, outdoor fire pit, pool table, spacious kitchen, plenty of sleeping options for guests are just a few of the great features of this house!!! Location and proximity to the beach is fantastic and you can see the ocean from the house and yard. What a view! Close by to surf areas and a quick drive to the main SC town area. It was a pleasure to work with Joyce, she was extremely quick to respond to any questions I had and I couldn’t have asked for more from a vacation rental. I would go back to Sunny Cove in a heartbeat.

Sunny Cove Retreat was perfect for our purposes. We are a student group that used the house for our annual retreat. Sunny Cove had beds for everyone in big, bright rooms, and a great common area in which we held our meetings. We loved the outdoor seating area on the side of the house. The house is cheery, well-​maintained, and stylish, and the location can’t be beat. The owners were a pleasure to work with.

I arrived at Sunny Cove Retreat ahead of the rest of my family to check the place out. I ended up spending a couple of hours in blissful peacefulness as I looked out the picture window at the amazing view, walked along Sunny Cove Beach right across the street while watching the dolphins play, swung leisurely on the front porch swing, stretched out on the outdoor couch on the sun filled lanai, and ultimately took a short nap on the bed that I pre-​claimed as my own for the weekend.
When my family and extended family arrived, we divvied up bedrooms and sleeping arrangements, and no one was disappointed. I felt so at home… like I could «live» there. It was very accommodating for a large family. We cooked our meals comfortably in the well equipped kitchen as well as the outdoor gas grill; opened the doors and windows and let the fresh air in; soaked luxuriously in the jacuzzi; went readily from the beach to the house and back; and had plenty of everything we needed, including «important» sports programming on the TV, and strong WiFi for our numerous Apple devices.
We didn’t want a place that you had to leave your shoes at the front door… we wanted a home that was conducive to our lifestyle and felt like vacation. From the moment I arrived until the moment I left, I felt relaxed and rejuvenated. My family is still thanking me for the incredible weekend getaway.
Joyce was so easy to work with. We have already recommended this place to our friends and family and will certainly try to rent it again. Thanks Joyce!

We just spent the weekend at the Sunny Cove Retreat and loved our stay! One of my favorite things about this place is the «great room» at the front of the home. Everyone can really hang out in this area between the kitchen, the pool table, the living room and the front lawn area and everyone feels part of the party.
Such a great location and the house really accomodates a group of people comfortably!

Sunny Cove Retreat is truly a spectacular place with all the beach charm you’d expect from a proper beach house. From the hot tub in the back yard to the pool table next to the view of the ocean over the front yard you will fall in love with this place. The view is so good from the front yard in fact that we often sat there in lawn chairs instead of the beach. An unforgettable experience, perfect for a big group of friends.

The ocean is my calm place, my recharging. When I recently needed some time away, to rest and recover, I looked everywhere to find a perfect place to spend some time, where I could hear and smell the ocean, rest and relax. I’m not a hotel person, I prefer privacy and peace and quiet to the bustle of a good hotel. Sunny Cove was my perfect spot. I spent five days relaxing on the beach right outside the door, on the swing on the porch, and in the comfy easy chair by the huge picture window in the living room. The house has an amazing location, you can literally walk off the driveway onto the cliffs that lead down to the beach. The bed was comfy, the house was cozy, and there are some nice places to eat within walking distance too (but check the map, Santa Cruz has a lot of little dead end streets.) But really, it’s all about location, location, location. And this gem has the best location in the world.
If you need some time away from it all, you really can’t do better than Sunny Cove.

We had 12 adults and 5 kids and this place was fantastic! It’s a really pretty home, right across the street from a perfect little beach– wonderful for kids. The kitchen was a great size and seemed to have everything we needed, beds were comfy and there were many of them and they had great toys! A ping-​pong table, a chimnea, a hot tub, a pool table, a movie projector, a big grill– really fun. It’s on a quiet street, not far at all from a little shopping area. Really great location.
The owners were fast to respond, really easy to communicate with and very understanding when we broke a tray. Couldn’t have been easier.
The only thing that would have been nice were a few more towels, but then, we had a lot of regularly wet people so we probably should have brought some of our own.

I loved the location! Walking distance to the beach was AMAZING!
Their kitchen had all the kitchen cookery things I needed. And the place could sleep all of our friends comfortably.
My favorite room was the ducky bathroom, filled with ducks! (not real ducks)
They kept their cabinets stocked with plenty of towels, which was great since we forgot ours, and that worked out nicely for both our trips to the beach and in the hot tub.
It was really nice spending time at the beach and then grilling some meat at night for dinner on the large grill.

This place has the best location! It was right on the beach so anytime we wandered out, we could head right down to the water. One of my favorite memories is sitting on the front porch with friends, watching the light change as the sun set. There was plenty of room for all our friends, the quirky décor kept us all amused, and we enjoyed lounging around in the hot tub. We had a marvelous weekend there! :)

Don’t be tempted by the other reviews. Don’t do it.
We arrived after paying in CASH, they don’t accept credit cards and found the place filthy, unmaintained, and full to the brim with the owners junk.
It is not suitable for a family vacation, the bunk bed mattress had springs popping through and no curtains in their bedroom, the other issues are too numerous to list. Also, any potential renters should know that the «tiki room» is a nasty little space in the garage– no one in our family wanted to sleep out there. Had I not paid CASH we would have cancelled upon arrival and stayed in a hotel.
The location is good, but the owners need to spend about $ 10K and get about 3 dumpsters of junk out of there. Sorry.

Amazing place. It’s our not so secret hideaway from Silicon Valley. The home is right along the beach (Sunny Cove) and you can see the ocean from all the windows.
The home has a great «summer camp» feel and will bring you back to your youth camp days. There are lots of bedrooms and even a private room with waterbed in the garage.
We love the home and the neighborhood. We plan on coming back every year hopefully for a very long time.

As the summer closes, I wanted to write about a week in the summer we spent Sunny Cove Retreat and I can sum it up in one word — amazing! From the spectacular whitewater views to the welcoming amenities throughout the house, Sunny Cove is truly the perfect vacation spot. I spent the week there with my girlfriend, and the house felt cozy and comfortable for just the two of us. I was out of town one night, however, and she had a «Santa Cruz Slumber Party» for 10 of her girlfriends, and even that number of people was easily accommodated at Sunny Cove.
A bit about the house:
The front two rooms, the living and dining room, have spectacular white water views overlooking the cove and the ocean beyond. Joyce and Adam have furnished the house perfectly with deep, comfortable couches and cozy chairs. The dining room has been turned into the ultimate pool hall with a full assortment of pool cues and an enormous billiards table, which can easily be turned into a huge dining table to accommodate large numbers of people. The highlight of these rooms, though, is the view to the sandy beach and sparkling blue ocean — especially with sailboats sailing by and dolphins playing in the surf below.
The kitchen is large and well-​appointed. The Formica table fits in perfectly with the vintage décor, and is big enough to handle a crowd. The kitchen also features a handy island for food preparation, or, more importantly, a round of perfect margaritas.
The bedrooms in the main house are huge and have their own bathrooms — a big plus when you’ve got 10 girls staying there! Each bedroom is decorated in its own beachy theme, and is well-​stocked with comfy, welcoming linens and cozy beds.
Outside spaces at Sunny Cove are also amazing — the jacuzzi under the stars in the backyard, the enormous side-​deck for grilling and lounging on the comfy couches, and especially the front yard with its welcoming swing and amazing views.
Overall Sunny Cove is an fabulous place to spend some time, whether it be a romantic retreat or a group gathering. We can’t wait to go back!

My fiancée and I stayed at Sunny Cove for a spectacular weekend in early May, and I must admit it was one of the most romantic things we have done. The house is big enough for a larger group, but still felt intimate for two people. We woke up in the morning and cooked brunch in the amazing Mad Men kitchen, went outside to read and lounge on the magnificent front yard with a view of the breakers, meandered down to the beach, explored town for lunch, and then came back for more downtime and a great dinner + a movie on the phenomenal home theater setup. Sunday was spent at the Farmer’s Market, which is literally a 5 minute walk away.
Guys, if you want to surprise your lady with a romantic retreat, this is the way to go. Considering how many bedrooms the place has, double or triple dating would also work.

Sunny Cove is like the beach house you always wanted when you were sketching all the cool places you’d have when you grew up. OK, it doesn’t have the elevator to the submarine dock, but it has pretty much everything else– The big family room with the fireplace, great sound system, and pool table. The shade porch with comfy couches and a huge BBQ. The kitchen with the little formica table and the tall barstool hanging-​out counter, two ovens, and the huge old-​fashioned stove that makes breakfast for a huge crowd and keeps your plates warm in the middle compartment. Hot tub. Bunk beds. Multiple bedrooms that have their own bathroom (and adorable old-​fashioned rubber duck décor).
Sometimes you go to a beach house and it’s all stuffy and full of weird pine-​cone knicknacks. This beach house has corners tucked with books you always meant to read, bits of art, and just enough beachy kitsch to make it feel comfortable. You could bring your folks and family there for your parents’ 50^th anniversary party, or all your college buddies for a «hey, we can still hang out!» weekend, whether you’re a Boomer or a Gen XYZ type. Yep, it’s that great!
We adore Sunny Cove and can’t wait until our next visit. It makes a great weekend getaway ‘staycation’ for Silicon Valley, even if you do nothing but sit out front, on the lawn, and watch the ocean. Because it is truly right there across the street from Sunny Cove Beach! Long live Sunny Cove!

I spent several nights at Sunny Cove with my two kids, 10 and 13 on spring break. They had a blast. The home was very cool, easy to operate and we enjoyed the town as well. The hot tub was relaxing and I am looking forward to our next visit.

Wether you’re spending a week or a weekend, Sunny Cove has all the amenities to make your stay in Santa Cruz absolutely perfect. With room for you and all your friends to play pool, soak in the tub, relax by the fireplace, chillax on the front lawn, nosh in the kitchen, you’re gonna have a great time regardless of what you do.
This is a perfect base of operations if you want to take advantage of all that Santa Cruz has to offer. Order cookies for delivery, have a bonfire on the beach, play on the boardwalk, eat raw fish at the best sushi in the known universe (at MoBo), take a walk at natural bridges, or just relax. I wish I could be there now.
Thanks Adam for all the awesome memories I have of Sunny Cove. I really look forward to spending more carefree time there soon!