Surfside Apartments

Ever been in a cult? Wanna pretend you are even just for a few days? Then the Surfside Apartments are the place for you! Given the boutique nature of the motel, the check-​in time of 3 is firm. As we were a little early we were on the street talking among ourselves when the manager came bounding down the stairs bearing parking passes. We were shown to our cabin, past an expansive, lush lawn and cute gazebo. The cabin itself was an adorable one bedroom with a La Z Boy pullout sofa in the living room. The highlights were a canopy bed in the bedroom, new looking carpet and a booth in the kitchen. The downsides were a single 13 inch TV in the living room, a lack of air conditioning and the absence of amenities (we were given three towels for four people and not offered fresh towels over the three night stay and there was no shampoo/​conditioner/​soap which made it more like a cabin than a motel). Regarding the tiny TV, yeah, I know it’s Santa Cruz and you’re not really there to watch TV. However, that is no excuse to act like it is 1994. There is basic cable provided, and I do mean basic (even channels like TBS, TNT, and ESPN are not included). They do offer free Wi-​Fi but the signal was awful in our unit. I am guessing that they use a wireless router that is at least 8 – 10 years old and you would have to be in a unit very close to the main office to get a decent signal. Here’s where it gets weird. We decided to play a game of ladder golf where you throw golf balls on ropes over plastic rungs. We had been playing maybe ten minutes when we were scolded for throwing balls too near the manager’s garden and asked to re-​position the game and did so obligingly. When the manager came by my mother in law was admiring the rose garden and fawning over one type in particular. She asked the manager, «what do you call this?» gesturing to the rose. He replied with a too-​pleased smirk, «roses.» And so began the unveiling of the real thorn in the Surfside’s…er, side. The obnoxious, omnipresent management. On the second day my boyfriend was smoking outside and I went to join him. Not even a minute later the manager sidled up and informed us with disdain that the property was a no-​smoking property and he would have to move to the curb. We later checked the information folder and while it of course said the cabins were no smoking, there was nothing about the property itself. Remember the game of ladder golf from the day before? We had moved some chairs and when we left pushed them in but didn’t re-​position them as we found them exactly. Well, when we left our cabins an hour later every chair was EXACTLY as it had been before our game. The rest of the stay I tried little tests, angling chairs slightly askew and they were always put back exactly as they started. The watchful eyes of management are not reserved for just the landscaping and violators of their non smoking «policy» but watch you from inside the cabins via little notes. A note in the bathroom reads «the mold patrol reminds you to open the window while showering.» There is also a note on the refrigerator telling you not just to clean up but exactly how to clean up. All in all, the units are cute and the location is prime but it felt like visiting weird relatives where you never feel quite at home/​comfortable. The feeling lasted right through check out when the manager followed my mother in law from the curb to the cabin and then INTO the cabin uninvited, likely to check the state of things. Had we known all of this, we would have opted for something more corporate or relaxed (think the Torch Lite).

I love this place! Perfect location (2 blocks from the Boardwalk) For the past 3 years we have ran Wharf2Wharf and this has always been our place of comfort. They offer these cottages, with a kitchen, stove, and fridge for your convenience. The rooms are pretty small but it does it’s job with a living room. It’s like your own little apartment. The place is out of date but it’s clean and for a good price for the location. We paid $ 140/​night for Apt. B and 4 of us stayed there comfortably. Maybe bring your own air mattress if you don’t want to sleep on the fold out sofa bed in the living room. The best perk is you get a parking permit which allows you to park anywhere in the residential area! No need for waiting in lines or driving everywhere to search for parking. For 2 extra dollars Joe gave us an all day parking permit for the day we checked out so we can enjoy another day in Santa Cruz without the hassle of searching for parking.
If you want a cheap place, with GREAT service Surfside Apts is the way to go. It is out of date, but who needs a flat screen TV when you’re in Santa Cruz?!