The Darling House

I had called the place to set up a time to view the property for a wedding. I had an appointment and when I showed up nobody knew anything about me coming and the lady said she was leaving & wouldn’t be able to give me a tour. Definitely wouldn’t want people that can’t keep a simple appointment to be in charge of hosting my wedding.

Beautiful home Darryl and karen are gracious hosts the breakfast was delicious all food homemade. The property was in full bloom, and got many pretty photos of flowers. look forward to visiting again soon.

Loved the old-​timey feel, the graciousness of our hosts, the INCREDIBLE BAKED GOODS, and (of course) the view of the ocean. Very homey and locally owned, and a very short walk to downtown and the Boardwalk. West Cliff is the best view in town!
The bad reviews on here honestly just seem like a difference of taste. If you don’t like antiques, you’re not going to enjoy an antique B&B. There’s a hotel across the street for soulless modern cubes, if that’s more your thing ;)

I have stayed at many places all over the world. This is not the worst. It is an old house that has not been well maintained. The carpets are dirty and worn, the faucets are old with crud around them and the shower barely functions. I didn’t have any trouble with Mosquitos and I slept with the windows open because it was very warm. The bed was comfortable and clean. Several rooms require the use of a shared bathroom. Finally, the hosts are not very flexible. They had rooms open with a private bath, but wanted us to pay another $ 100 to switch. We paid $ 255.00 including tax.
This is a long winded explanation about why value for dollar isn’t here. This should be a $ 70 room, allowing for location and value of the dollar.
I will not stay here again.

I loved this place! We stayed in the rainbow room, and had a great view of the water front and the boardwalk. The breakfast was delicious and healthy too. Also, the owners were super friendly and helpful, and a pleasure to talk to.

I chose this place to stay for Memorial Day weekend on a whim and was thoroughly impressed! The house is beautiful and maintained excellently with a lovely garden, interesting conversation-​pieces of artwork around every corner, and an array of musical instruments and books. Every room provides a chess board for quiet nights where all you can hear is the sound of the waves (just across the street), people having fun on the Boardwalk (less than a mile away) and the sea lions winding down for the night. There are no televisions and for many people that would be a bummer. It was just what I needed! The owners are an older couple with so many interesting stories to share and knowledge of the area. They recommended places to eat, attractions to check-​out and provided a map of the area.
Also the breakfast was delicious and had great presentation. Honestly, I didn’t want to leave this place and can’t wait to visit again!

We had walked by the Darling House for many years when visiting Santa Cruz and always thought it would be a treat to stay at that beautiful place in such a wonderful location. We finally had the opportunity and reserved one of the more expensive rooms, the Rainbow Room because it had a good view of the ocean and a king bed. We thought we could deal with the bathroom in the hallway outside the room.
I suggest that you do not reserve the Rainbow Room. During our stay, it had a musty smell, the area rug covering a beautiful wood floor was stained and needed cleaning, and, according to Mr. Darling, is the «coldest room in the house.» We called to see if we could have some heat turned on (hot water radiators). and after a few hours of chilly living, we were told that there was an electric space heater in the closet that we could use.
Do not reserve the Rainbow Room if you would like to bathe. There is a tub that is unusable, with a faucet that runs water down the side of the tub along a rusty streak. The tub drain is likewise rusty and there is no way that we could figure out to fill the tub for a bath even if you were inclined to get in the tub. There is a pitcher that can be used to catch some water from the faucet, and after a day of driving I felt the need try to clean. I sat on the edge of the tub and poured water from the pitcher to take a «sort of» bath. By the way, the tub continuously leaks water from the faucet down the rusty trail to the rusty drain.
The Darling House is a bit tired and worn. You may find it charming or somewhat worn out. The choice is yours.
The two stars are in recognition of good intentions of the owners, the Darlings, and the effort they put into their B&B for the last 30 plus years.

Stayed in Pacific Ocean Room at the Darling House. The room had a fireplace, a comfortable bed, and a view of the ocean!
Denise was a great and friendly host. She was accommodating and made reservations for us at the Crow’s Nest that night.
Will be back for sure!

This is the worst Bed & Breakfast of all time! I cannot stress how terrible it is. Run down, smelly, cold, dirty. I’m lucky I didn’t catch hoof n mouth from this filthy barn of a place. Jesus’ manger was a five star next to this stinking mess! I’m surprised they remain in business. Horrible, disgusting and creepy. May I suggest they film a horror movie here. The place is ready as is.

Where do I begin… well I downloaded the « Unilocal» app even though I’ve known about it for years in order to specifically write this review. I’ve been awake since 2:30am…it’s 3:53 and I’m not even a morning person. My fiancé booked this last minute as it was one of the few hotels in town that were available. I’m not meticulous about perfection and am very okay with camping… I’d rather be sleeping outside then sleeping in here. Everything you read on the negative reviews is absolutely true. Hopefully breakfast will at least be okay. To top it off the old lady who walks around barefoot in her pajamas and no bra always seems to be lurking around… like we are some trouble making hoodlums that are putting her out and invaded her space… all for the low low price of $ 251/​night! Oh how I just wish we stayed at a traditional, predictable and CLEAN real hotel instead. This stay may have ruined me for BnB’s in the future and I’ve been traveling my whole 37 years of life. On top of that she asked me if I made sure we weren’t laying on her decorative pillows in our room and barged in to remove them. Also checked to make sure we didn’t use the blanket «decorative» cover… as if you have to tell me more than once. Also if there were pillow or blanket ‘do not use instructions’ I wish we would have been warned of the Hitler style accommodations. I’m still wondering how I’m going to take a shower this morning because a bath with an old pitcher seems to be the only option. The picture is accurate but now imagine filth in the tub from never having been clean. Awesome. Totally makes me want to take a bath in that. Oh wait but we paid extra so that the communal bath IN THE HALLWAY is our private bathroom. Don’t be surprised if you see the old lady walking around in the wee hours to make sure you aren’t doing anything naughty. Creepy, unclean, gross and all the things that the negative reviews said. We didn’t care about the money but you couldn’t pay me to stay here another night.

Old charm, yes. But a lot of that charm is lost on the lack of upkeep and cleanliness. I wanted to love my stay here. The photos looked nice and you can’t beat the location, gardens, and grounds. However, it was simply unclean. I am not a clean freak or afraid of a little germ exposure, but this place made me feel uncomfortable. The other reviews proved accurate: musty smells, dust, stains, peeling wall paper, and very old linens that just didn’t smell clean. You can’t really tell this from the photos. Waking up and not being able to shower off that unclean feeling was the hardest because there was no shower– only a tub. That was extra challenging for me. The Darlings should open a café, though, because their breakfasts were fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented.

Highly disappointed with our stay here.****Bottom line: We should have read reviews. We would not have stayed here and could have saved $ 200+.
CONS:
1. We booked (reserved with credit card online) the Chinese Room online after speaking with Denise about availability (and confirming it was available). We got an email the following day saying that we were confirmed but we were being switched to the Ocean room. In their defense, I saw the preview of the email saying we were confirmed but I didnt read the entire email stating we were being moved.
2. We check in and notice that the place is old (1918). As we get into our room we notice the bed is so old and lumpy and the blanket looks super dingy. I honestly didn’t want to sleep there. I told my husband that I would rather sleep in the car but he felt the $ 200+ we spent to stay there would be a waste if we left. That night we slept on top of the blankets, tossing and turning from being so uncomfortable.
3. Carpet on the stair case looked nasty, too. I thought my husband and I would appreciate the décor but I didn’t realize that the place wouldn’t be kept up. We’ve been to places that were old, had antiques but were still properly maintained — this was not one of them.
4. Our room had dust caked up in the windows.
5. Breakfast — We were given yogurt, boiled eggs and croissants. Oh and juice. That was breakfast. That was it.
PROS:
1. You can watch the sunrise directly in front of the house.
2. Location is in between beaches, Boardwalk and Restaurants.
****Bottom line: We should have read reviews. We would not have stayed here and could have saved $ 200+.

The Darling House was the perfect place for my now husband and I to stay at for the night right after our wedding! We had the Pacific room, overlooking the ocean on West Cliff Drive. The room was so very special and decorated in a vintage blue ocean theme. The details made you feel like you were living in that era. The room was quiet even though they had a full house. The room was very clean too.
The owners are lovely people. When Troy and I awoke and walked down the stairs for the community breakfast the owner played his music box. It was this surreal song as we tottered down the stairs as husband and wife. The owner then told us it was a very old music box and a wedding song.
He then proceeded to ask if we would like to hear some poetry that he had written from a long time ago. He read it to us and the rest of the table. It was beautiful. The words touched my heart and I almost feel like going back to ask for a copy. They were words of love that he had for his wife. Love poems.
We highly recommend staying here. What is funny is we only live down the street from the Darling House but it was like being on vacation. We will come back for our anniversary. Thank you Darling House.
Best Wishes,
Sandy & Troy Virostko

We had a lovely stay at this beautiful, history filled home! I look forward to our next stay.

Wish I read some of these reviews before I booked. If you like musty, old and creaky everything then this is the place for you. My pillow (or dare I call it that) was like a loose pile of cracked, dried, featherless feathers — woke up with a major crick in my neck. My bed (a double, mind you) was super short with a footboard (rails) that made sure you knew the bed ended there — didn’t work great for me (5’9) and definitely not my husband (6’4). To boot, the bed was so wobbly and crickety, my 11-​month old son took a hankering to shaking the entire thing with me on it — with ease and fascination. Between that and the creaking form every single movement on either of the beds led to a completely sleepless night.
There is potential here for charm and perhaps historical intrigue but that’s not usually what makes a place worth staying for me.
This place gets a star for the location and the other star is for er,…hot water and flushing toilets.

I had a wonderful experience. The house is a work of art. The owners are delightful. The breakfast was divine. I was here in the area on business, but decided to stay at a B and B to enjoy my time here more. Opening my window I could hear the sounds of the ocean and the boardwalk. It was so peaceful. The Darling House turned my biz trip into a Vaca… well, mostly. See you again soon.

Our rating would be a four instead of a two with clean sheets/​pillows and upgraded bathrooms. There are plenty of positives and other negatives, but the bed and bathrooms were problems. If you’re sensitive to those things, this is not the place for you. If you can overlook a stain and smell here and there, then take a closer look.
Our party stayed in 4 rooms. My wife and I were in the Pacific Ocean room above the porch, with a great view of the harbor. We overcame the stale smell by keeping the windows open and covering the pillows with towels we had brought. In early July, the cool weather helped. But we were never really comfortable.
The pictures on the website have been touched up a bit to look brighter than reality. Hey, that’s marketing — but it led to high expectations — and disappointment. After 3 days we were accustomed to everything but ready to leave.
Overall…
Positives: historic building; excellent location on West Cliff Drive; quiet; friendly inn-​keepers who have contributed to the civil rights movement and the community; free and accessible parking; free Wi-​Fi, beautiful front porch; piano in the living room; nice landscaping around the house; breakfast scones
Negatives: old pillows and sheets; old towels; no shower in main view room; old style tub and sink; no screens on the windows; no A/​C; stuffy; uncomfortable chairs on the front porch and in the rooms; no TV (this may actually be a positive); lack of clarity on where the private areas of the downstairs are

I haven’t had a better vacation experience anywhere. The location, service and the home itself all are top-​notch.
Location: If you’re drawn to the beach, nothing beats this location. There’s something to be said for cracking the windows and waking to beautiful sunshine, ocean waves, sea lions and chirping birds.
Service: Darling House is staffed by a family. Karen Darling is a nurse, and it shows in her approach to service. She is not a woman of many words. Some people, I think, misinterpret that. She is friendly, helpful, and kind. If you show Karen, and her home, respect, she will show you the same.
The Home: Contrary to what some reviewers have stated, I found the home to be in exceptional shape. Despite the fact that it’s a century old, the room was better maintained than many of the (much newer) hotels I’ve been to. It has a peculiar old-​home smell to it, but that adds to the charm for me. If you don’t get excited about the history here, you won’t get the full experience.

Absolute nightmare, do not stay here unless you are a sadomasochist,
Yes the property is a historic landmark, yes the vibe is like the bates motel
Hmm where to start, rude, unhelpful, unfriendly, no sense of humour, lieing, ant infestation, bossy, moldy room, promised a bath in the room & didnt get, no concern what so ever about our well being after having to leave at 4am due to allergies
Called to cancel after initially being lied to about check in time but railroaded into staying by having credit card info
Might be fun to stay on Halloween with gas masks etc
;))

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