Best Western Plus Capitola By-the-sea Inn & Suites

I love staying here. New Leaf grocery store is almost next door, Whole Foods is down the street, and there are lots of places to eat nearby. Two Bird Bookstore is just a few minutes away, and it's an easy walk to Capitola beach. The location is fantastic, and the staff I dealt with were great. The hotel is spotless everywhere. They even use blowers in the hallways to keep the air moving, and you can open the windows for fresh air. Breakfast is full, with decent, fairly strong coffee and real half-and-half. The lobby machine makes delicious hot chocolate and lattes, though the regular coffee from it tastes odd. My one real gripe is the uncarpeted floors. You can hear people walking above you, especially if a whole family is in the room, though you can't hear their conversations. On the upside, those floors are easy to keep clean.

We'd stay here again. Our room was spacious, clean, and quiet, breakfast had a good range of choices, and the hotel staff were lovely.

Breakfast was a highlight, with plenty of hot and cold food, and coffee was always ready in the lobby. The pool and jacuzzi were clean, although the jacuzzi was only warm, not hot. Our room felt a bit cold in its decor, and the couch had several large stains. Its window looked onto a blank wall, so some plants or artwork would have made the view nicer.

The location is handy, and the front desk manager did move us to a room he said would be quieter, which we appreciated. It was only a little quieter, though, and still had the same issues. The TV sat awkwardly between the bedroom and living area, so watching from either side meant turning your head. The room itself was surprisingly disappointing. The bed was uncomfortable, and the shutter-style window coverings let in enough light that it stayed bright all night. It was noisy too, with kids and families talking loudly, yelling, and running in the halls from around 6 a.m. The rooms are worn: the bathroom's plastic fixtures were deeply yellowed, and several tiles were cracked or broken. A wall outlet didn't work, the built-in chargers were too old for modern phones and tablets, and the locked TV wouldn't let us use our own Roku or Firestick, something we haven't run into in years. It does provide the basics, a bed and a roof, but not much beyond that. Given the cost and high reviews, we were really disappointed. We won't stay here again.