Seacliff Inn Aptos, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

The grounds are lovely, the heated pool is a plus, and parking is usually plentiful. Inside, the hotel is quiet, the rooms are clean, the beds are comfortable, and the pillows and blackout curtains are great. There are a few inconveniences: no elevators, outlets are hard to find, and the ice machines are awkwardly placed. There also isn’t an easy-to-access coffee pot or hot water for tea all day, apart from the in-room coffee machine, which I never trust because of my overactive imagination.

The location made this a convenient base while I commuted each morning to work at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in Monterey. Gas stations, banks, Safeway, freeway access, and a route to the beach are all nearby. The boardwalk area is close too, so it’s easy to enjoy the Santa Cruz/Aptos coast without getting stuck in heavy tourist traffic. I stayed at Seacliff Inn Aptos, Tapestry Collection by Hilton for the week. The relaxed coastal feel stood out, and from what I saw, the bartenders and live music/jazz can be a real highlight. It seems like a lovely place for a Valentine’s Day date night. I didn’t have a date, but it still felt welcoming, small and family-friendly. It was a good place to unwind after long days on the road or at an event. I’d stay again.

The front desk staff were polite, friendly, and attentive throughout my stay. When a bulb by the nightstand broke, they sent someone to replace it within 15 minutes. Five stars for the staff. I liked the refurbished room and the well-kept garden and pool in the center of the hotel. Mine was oversized and faced the backyard, though next time I’d pick a garden view even if it meant a smaller room. The AC and heating were quite loud, so I switched them off at night. There’s no elevator to the second floor, which wasn’t an issue for me. The location near the PCH is convenient but not quiet. Seacliff beach is an easy 10-15 minute walk and well worth it. The hotel was much better than I expected from the reviews.

As a Hilton member who travels a lot, I know stays aren’t always perfect, but the service here didn’t match what I paid or the Hilton experience I expected. I was in town for work and left very disappointed. There was a huge coffee stain on the carpet, and the room had no wash towels, only very large hand towels. On both mornings I ordered room service breakfast, half the order was missing and the items that arrived were wrong. I was then overcharged for those wrong items.