Name: Hitching Post Studios Inn
Address: 1717 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz, 95062, US

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2026

Bradley

Great stay.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jul 2026

Brittany

Absolutely Love This Place! Stay here every time I am in town and recommend it to everyone I know. This is a family friendly place to stay where you can still have family dinners while on vacation. Amazing Owners who remember you and warmly welcome you on your return ❤️

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2026

Jaylee

The room was clean, the bed was comfortable and the check-in was fast and easy

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2026

Douglas

It was nice with a full kitchen no carpet very clean. Would go back there again for sure.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jun 2026

Anne

The room was very clean and the property was quiet even though near a busy street. Our stay was short, 3 days, but next time we will be able to stay longer.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jun 2026

Stephen

Staff was very helpful

Self

8/10

Excellent

26 Jun 2026

Miguel

Great customer service and the room was simple but made for comfort. The only thing that was wrong and it was tiny was the button on the A/C was broken in my room so the button got stuck on so you would have to push it two or three times to turn it off. I give this hotel 4.5/5 I will gladly come back to it.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jun 2026

Merle

Great place to stay. If we are in Santa Cruz again we will definitely stay here.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jun 2026

Benjamin

Studios have excellent kitchen setup. Big rooms.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

24 Jun 2026

Michael

There was only coffee service in the kitchen, nothing to cook, serve food, or clean with. During check-in or in the kitchen, there should be some information on what is available.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2026

Roxanne

Everything was good
Quick check-in
Easy access to room
All the accommodations we needed for a single overnight stay

Partner

8/10

Excellent

22 Jun 2026

Eleonora

The room was fine for what we needed.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

21 Jun 2026

Wes

Don't be fooled by the photos.
1.) The \"garden\" is a very small patch on the property next to a busy street,
2.) The rooms with kitchens come with NO utensils to cook or eat. I'm on the road 7 months. I occasionally book a place with a kitchen because I want to cook for myself. Rooms with a kitchen are totally useless at this property.
3.) If your idea of relaxing is being in a room with no lamps, blinding bright lights and peeling paint, this place is for you!
4.) When the toilet backed up, they just pointed to a bin with a bunch of plungers to do it yourself. Clearly, I was not the first person to have issues with the toilet.
5.) I had to book one more nite because I had to delay getting to my next city by one night. I booked a room without a kitchen because it was a little less. When I went to move to the new room at 11am, they told me I would have to wait. I suggested that maybe since the kitchen was not functional for me (or anyone) perhaps I could just stay in the same room. But nope, they had to extract another $20 dollars out of me to stay in the same room.. So, their \"logic\" was that it was better to have me move to another room, which would actually mean they would have to clean two rooms if I were to switch rooms. I found this to be clueless and petty.
6.) Most everything could have been overlooked if the guy at the front desk (the owner I assume) had a more practical customer service approach.
Hope it was worth the $20 to lose a client, dude.

2/10

Poor

20 Jun 2026

Wes

1.) The \"garden\" is a small area right next to a road.
2.) Room with kitchens are useless. They have nothing to cook with. When I inquired about that, I was told I was sent an email saying there were no cooking utensils in the kitchens. 100 percent not true. I received no such email.
3.) No lamps, only blinding (headache inducing) bright overhead ceiling lights.
4.) When the toilet backs up, they point you to a bin next to the vending machine that has a bunch of plungers. Clearly they have an issue with toilets.
5.) I had to book another night due to a work delay. I booked one without kitchen because it was less. It was check out time, but I was told the room was not ready yet. I offered to stay in the room I was in. Which would have been one less room for them to clean. But they decided it was best that i wait or pay them $20 more. I had a meeting to get to so I just gave them the $20.
6.) This is a cheap motel remodel that is already showing wear. A property's decline usually starts with peeling paint and yep, that's happening.
7.) I hope the extra $20 the owner needed to extract from me was worth it, because I won't consider staying with them again. It's pretty rare for me to write this type of review. But when I experience such cluelessness, it should be called out.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jun 2026

Marlena

Staff was genuinely kind and helpful. Decent price, great stay. Every room has a full kitchen with a fridge, microwave and a stove. Theres even a kitchen table. 9 mins from the boardwalk. 5/5

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

16 Jun 2026

andrea

The facility is nothing like the photos. It was completely false advertising. The parking lot was tight and there were so many old broken down looking cars-I got the feeling people were living there. The outside is completely open and people from the street were coming in and trying to use the soda/snack machine. I asked for a room with 2 beds. We walked in and first, the door wouldn’t close. I couldn’t get it to lock without substantial force. The room was so weird. One bed on immediately opening the door and then the other “room” had a window open to the outside that we couldn’t close. Bedding was old and nothing like the photos. The bathroom was just open to the room and only had a tiny mirror. It felt so unsafe that i immediately booked another room. I booked through hotels.com and asked for a refund. I was denied any compensation by the owner of the Hitching Post. It was AWFUL. Please don’t go by the photos or the 8+ rating. I did and I truly regret it.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

13 Jun 2026

Susan

The beds were uncomfortable. The staff was very friendly.

8/10

Excellent

11 Jun 2026

Steve

This was a basic, well maintained property and I had a comfortable night. My only specific complaint was that I got the full afternoon sun and for the life of me couldn't figure out how to get cold air out of the air conditioner.

Self

8/10

Excellent

08 Jun 2026

Delia

Good cleaning and parking staff very good

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

05 Jun 2026

Carey

Not very ADA friendly, lots of steps and stairways only a couple of rooms that didn’t involve stairs on the property

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jun 2026

Adriana

.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2026

Catrina

The room was clean but there was no soap or bodywash in the shower. The exterior was a bit dated but clean.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2026

Mike

Best in town

6/10

Pleasant

30 May 2026

KATHRYN

A little off the beaten path from the boardwalk and town, but quiet and safe. Clean. Bedding made us wish we brought our own pillows and blankets however. Super basic and lightweight. Staff made check in easy. Decent spot for one night.

Family

8/10

Excellent

25 May 2026

Delia

Good clean and secure

Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 May 2026

rakesh

All good

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2026

gary

This motel is conveniently located in the Eastside neighborhood, in the Soquel triangle. We love this neighborhood! A classic 50s style motel, very roomy, great wifi and cable tv, clean and spacious bathroom, comfy bed

Partner

4/10

Poor

10 May 2026

Maura

The online pictures and the price led me to believe that this was a fully renovated old style motor lodge. When we arrived we found out that it was just an old motel that likely gets by with long term rentals for locals. I still don't understand why the Expedia price was so much higher when I booked compared to what it is today. After seeing the room we called Expedia to see what our options were. The service agent called the motel manager while I was put on hold. He came back on the line to tell us that he managed to get us a full refund. I will say that the room though dated and worn was very clean. Great job by Expedia customer service! Very rare to get such help these days.

10/10

Exceptional

09 May 2026

James

Older yet well taken care of facilities, very comfortable

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 May 2026

Edward

The room was clean and comfortable. The property was quiet. The check-in and check-out process went very smoothly. I really only needed a place to sleep for a few days and this worked out fine.

Self

8/10

Excellent

30 Apr 2026

Noah

Did the trick. Perfect for a quick overnight. No frills, nothing fancy.

6/10

Pleasant

25 Apr 2026

Cindy

Plenty of parking available.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Apr 2026

Ann

Overall the room was clean and more quiet than expected, given proximity to a busy road. Nice sized refrigerator for a motel room as well. Someone was smoking in the parking lot and that was unpleasant as we could smell it in our room. Otherwise the stay was good

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2026

a d Basanth

This is a gem of a hotel in the Santa Cruz area. Very neat and clean; extremely spacious, ample parking, well equipped kitchen. And very reasonable pricing. I usually stay in the Courtyard or something similar. This time I tried out Hitching Post and was very pleasantly surprised. Will definitely repeat

10/10

Exceptional

18 Apr 2026

Dennis

Hitching Post came through for me again. They are now my go-to for expeditions to Santa Cruz. Convenient location, great prices.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

16 Apr 2026

Cosmo

Old place- fine for a night or two. Seemed safe, was clean- just dated. Typical for Santa Cruz motel vibe, people running the place were nice and helpful.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2026

Abu

Wow like living in an apartment, and we had cooking and heating stove! Easy parking next to your room. Loved this facility. My wife loved the add on room next to the bathroom for clothes and bags and changing.

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

11 Apr 2026

Karime

The floor was so filthy that it was noticeable through our shoes.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2026

Dennis

Convenient and affordable. I would definitely stay here on my next trip to Santa Cruz.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Apr 2026

Lisa

Really good value for the price. No frills but clean and comfortable. Well kept property. Easy, friendly check-in. Window in my room was screened and could be opened for fresh air, which is rare and appreciated. Good shower. The one complaint I have is the same one I have for every budget hotel: WAY too much febreeze or whatever spray is used to “freshen” the bed covers. It’s overpowering and nauseating (in my opinion)…hence my appreciation for the openable window.

8/10

Excellent

06 Apr 2026

Anthony

Very large space great for families or to have that extra space . Good centralized, location, easy access to local points of interest.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Mar 2026

Karla

Staff was super friendly. The room was clean. Parking was easy.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

29 Mar 2026

Robyn

Parking was ok.but trying to make the turn in Parking lot was very tight

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Mar 2026

Lindsey

I’ve stayed here twice in the past year. Once with my kids. I really enjoy it. Full size kitchen, good shower, parking in front of the rooms, beds are comfortable, very clean, I did not use the wifi. It’s in walking or short driving distance to anything you could need or want to do. I will definitely be back.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

28 Mar 2026

Charles

Danny at the front desk was very accommodating. Not a bad little no-frills property. Good for a quick crash.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Mar 2026

James

Friendly staff,clean room and convenient location. Highly recommended.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2026

Diego

Staff was good and property was clean.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2026

Dan

Clean and close to Capitola and Santa Cruz. Would stay here again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Mar 2026

Julie

I needed a place to stay near my friends and this was perfect, convenient, quiet and well equipped.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2026

Reed

Surprisingly large room with a separate kitchen. Quiet location. Can't beat the price. Ill return

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2026

Deborah

Rooms are clean and quiet

8/10

Excellent

03 Mar 2026

Andrea

The room was nicely updated for the age of the hotel

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2026

Alissa

Very nice has a full kitchen

8/10

Excellent

28 Feb 2026

Mohammed

Room was bigger and better than expected. Danny at the desk was very friendly and accommodating as we arranged for a cross-country move. The two room kitchenette and extra space really came in handy for family of 5. Thank you!

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

26 Feb 2026

Kerry

Dirty

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Joe

The hitching post has it all: clean room spacious and a fantastic location.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

10 Feb 2026

Martin

It was a fine place to stay considering the price. Get what ya pay for. Make sure you bring your own coffee n filters, and you may want to bring a cozy blanket as there is basically a curtain for a comforter.

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

09 Feb 2026

petra

Unbelievable stench of strong disinfectant. Woke up with a major headache, and clothes out of the suitcase at home reeked strongly of it. This is highly unhealthy. Also towels didn't soak up water at all, likely from softening chemicals.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Eleazar

Yes clean property clean rooms walk to the beach in 10 min 10 min to downtown safe area and affordable

2/10

Poor

05 Feb 2026

Nick

The room was ice cold and the heater didn’t work. It’s dirty with splatters of unknown origin but appear to of human waste.I definitely wouldn’t suggest gambling with picking a cost friendly location in this area of town

2/10

Poor

31 Jan 2026

Eleazar

Managment suxks

Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2026

Heather

A great value for the a clean, comfortable room with everything you need. The staff was helpful and friendly. Convenient parking right by your room. Although it’s quiet and I heard no street noise, the hotel is located on a busy street with lots of businesses, so if it’s a view or nature you want, this is not your choice. If you want convenient location with walkable stores and restaurants, this is perfect. Clean, safe and affordable- I’ll be back for sure!

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

03 Jan 2026

Tracy

Doors weren’t closing, bathroom wasn’t clean, INTERNET DID NOT WORK! Complained several times about the internet and got “oh it’s the cable company”. I called Xfinity and told them I was staying at this hotel and their response was “they need to reset the router daily”.
I would have liked to see a pan or pot to use since they have a stove/oven. Our refrigerator was leaking into the veggie section. Don’t know how the water was coming from the freezer and dripping through the walls of the fridge to the bottom drawer! Definitely needs replacing! We didn’t complain about anything except the Internet because we were in town for a funeral.
For the price of this place I could have stayed at the Best Western with a breakfast and always free hot coffee, and internet that works!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jan 2026

Darcy

The room was just as expected. We chose this hotel because of location, price & the kitchen. Our son is attending UCSC, and we wanted to find a hotel that wouldn’t break the bank & allow us to not spend a fortune at restaurants. Thank you. We will be back.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2025

Jose

Yes

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2025

Margaret

Very quiet, clean,safe, and perfect for my 2 night stay. Nice new bathroom fixtures. I will stay here when I next come to town.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2025

John-Michael

Room- clean
Shower- roomy and great water pressure
Staff- kind and generous
Bed- big and comfy
Overall a great stay

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Dec 2025

Lewis

Clean room. Quiet location. Easy check in.

8/10

Excellent

13 Dec 2025

Sheri

The room was very clean staff was friendly. The heater was difficult to get to work and the blanket was thin.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

08 Dec 2025

Roger

Clean, quiet and spacious room. It's not Hilton, but it is good value. A full kitchen with all appliances. Kitchen ware is available for $5. I will definitely be back.

Business_and_leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

02 Dec 2025

Maya

Nice size room and full kitchen. Bed was comfortable. There was an unpleasant smell in the kitchen and the fridge was leaking water.

8/10

Excellent

01 Dec 2025

Jose

Nice

8/10

Excellent

30 Nov 2025

Susan

Room was spotless and everyone very friendly and helpful! I was cold at night even after getting extra blankets from staff as the space heater provided took a while to heat up the room. Otherwise this place is a great option /bargain!!!

10/10

Exceptional

29 Nov 2025

Brent

The rooms are always clean and smell fresh! The beds are also very comfortable. We stay here regularly and have never had any issues. It’s a safe area and quiet!
Thank you again for another memorable stay!
B.Y.

8/10

Excellent

22 Nov 2025

Steve

We arrived after 11 p.m. and checkin was a breeze. Parking was available right across from our room in the center building. The heater seemed like it was going to be insufficient for the room, but we turned it off after 90 minutes because my gf was getting too hot. I would like to see a thicker blanket on the bed, but other than that the room was great. Note that there is a walk in shower, but no tub. This was our second stay here and we would stay again.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Nov 2025

Deanne

We arrived before check in time and we were able to get our room. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable. The one night we stayed was quiet. Our room did share a wall with the laundry room but it was comforting because our bedroom at home shares a wall with the laundry room!
The shower head was broken....i had to hold it to use it and the blow dryer in the room was broken. Other than those two things, it was a comfortable place to stay.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Oct 2025

Maricela

Rooms are spacious and comfortable

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Oct 2025

Bonnie

The cleanest hotel room I have ever been in.

This hotel had the cleanest room I think I have ever been in. There was no musty, funky smell, floors were clean walls were clean, shower. Everything was clean!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2025

Lorraine

Would definitely stay here again! centrally located for easy access to many places. Great staff, clean and big rooms.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2025

Kandice

Pleasantly surprised about the cleanliness and space of the room. Will definitely stay here again

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

03 Oct 2025

Lali

Just 2 star hotel, good location, guy in the front desk was good

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Sep 2025

Rebecca

We had a great stay, the manger, Danny, was welcoming and very helpful. Rooms were remodeled and great for the price. Will definitely go back.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Sep 2025

Amanda

7 points, but Danny was the best thing about the hitching post. Very friendly and welcoming. And it smelled good in the office. He remembered us. We like the activism center next door. There was a band there which we were invited to. We can easily access the bus back to 17 and to the beach. We love grocery outlet, the microwave and the fridge. Checking in is so simple, and I was so exhausted. The bed was huge and comfy. My only complaint was too much bleach on the sheets.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2025

Martin

👍

10/10

Exceptional

28 Sep 2025

Kelly

Clean rooms, pleasant staff, lots of restaurants to choose from in the area.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Sep 2025

Martha

Finding a budget friendly place with such nice grounds, comfortable beds, very clean rooms and each with its own little patio , not to mention the excellent, friendly staff, is a godsend. This was my 4th or 5th stay, and I expect to book there again.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2025

Sharon

Although this is an old motel, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed staying here. It was a very convenient, central location. It was quiet, clean and comfortable. Yes, it was a wee bit dated, but that just added to the character. The staff members were friendly and helpful. Keeping in mind this is not 4-star hotel, it certainly met all of my needs and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again. And it is very reasonably priced!

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

21 Sep 2025

Jennifer

Cleanliness very lacking. Could not walk barefooted in unit without feet getting filthy. Bedding threadbare and pretty gross. Person in room next to us seemed to be a long term resident and hoarder. His room was filled to the brim with junk he was collecting that was overflowing from his truck. Strong smell of natural gas in unit that would come and go. We booked 3 nights but left after two. Do not recommend this place.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

19 Sep 2025

Glenn

Hitching Post was a nice little motel. Can't expect much for $100 a night and I think they do a pretty good job.

8/10

Excellent

17 Sep 2025

Karyn

Friendly staff

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Sep 2025

naseem

Little sketchy on the outside but the rooms were nice

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2025

Linda

I was pleasantly surprised to find the room remodeled. Everything was tastefully done. The mattress was a dream. It was very helpful to have a coffee maker, microwave and refrigerator. I would definitely recommend it.

Business Partner

4/10

Poor

10 Sep 2025

Verified traveler

As soon as we walked in the room there was an overwhelming smell of toxic cleaning supplies used. It was late and we were tired, but we stayed up for quite a while with both the window and door wide open. The odor was so strong that it was still present in the morning. The property worker was not available when we tried to address the strong \"cleaning\" odor.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Sep 2025

James

Excellent Staff

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

09 Sep 2025

Maricela

Practical and Convenient - Almost Perfect

The Hitching Post has such potential, and I wish they would see it. The set up is so cute; a little bit of artistic design, and this place would be an even bigger hit!

As far as the stay, it was good. Nothing too extravagant. We've stayed here a couple of times, and probably will again since we have a few upcoming appointments in Santa Cruz (it's about a 4 hour drive one way for us). Nothing looks dirty, but sometimes I wonder if I should bring my own sheets . My husband and I have slept comfortably, but my in-laws have complained of not sleeping well both times.
We got a room that had a separate kitchen with a fridge, stove, microwave and kitchen sink. If you plan on staying a couple nights, bring your supplies and take advantage of it.
The neighborhood looks a little shady, but we felt safe. Not loud, not dirty.

Business

8/10

Excellent

07 Sep 2025

Theresa

Host was very kind, and made an effort to help us secure our bikes. The rooms are clean but are modestly appointed with furniture. Guests must pay extra to access kitchen tools and resources.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

27 Aug 2025

Denise

Very nice and clean

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Aug 2025

Andrew

Had an amazing trip because of how awesome this location was. Quiet, easy to park (even my big truck fit the parking spaces) and the market across the way had all the right snacks for my birthday event on the beach! Thank you again!

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

22 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

The room we had was with a kitchen. It met our needs.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Aug 2025

Douglas

Very clean property with wonderful staff