Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection

I’ve stayed at Hotel Paradox approximately four times now and have really come to enjoy this hotel. I would give it a 5/5 but they have an unreasonably high overnight parking fee which seems, otherwise this hotel is fantastic. They have gone through a lot of management changes over the years, but recently things seem to be running quite smoothly. The new chef is very good and the food as of my writing has been great. I’ve ordered six items off the menu I and each item I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. The staff is the best part of the hotel. Kelly and Jeff who run the bar are great and make some absolutely fantastic drinks. They’re conversational, polite and fun to be around. Paradox can be pricy during peak season so I recommend going off-season as prices are 2-3X cheaper. In terms of location you can’t beat it. A short walk from downtown and many other spots this is one of the reasons I stay here is because I really enjoy walking around town. I plan to continue returning to Paradox and look forward to my stay here.

Hotel Paradox is great for families and also a nice option for couples. The heated pool in December was amazing, and the jacuzzi was perfect for relaxing. There are fun games like ping pong near the pool area, as well as card games and other activities in the lobby, which makes it easy to enjoy your time at the hotel. My main issue was the room cleanliness. The room was not very clean and there was a strange smell coming from the bed and under the bed, kind of like dampness or mold. The sink was also not working properly, and we had to manually open the drain for the water to go down. Additionally, no one came to clean our room the next day. That said, all the staff were friendly and helpful, and the check-in process was very smooth. Overall, it was a good experience, but the room cleanliness definitely needs improvement.

I stayed at the Paradox hotel for a quick weekend getaway. The experience left me wanting more. The property from what I used was well kept. It’s walking distance from downtown making it easy to access the restaurants and shops nearby. My room was quaint but there were small signs of wear and tear on the furniture. The TV was damaged, having a light red line going through the middle of the screen. Neither ruined the stay but was a mild inconvenience. What put a sour taste in my mouth was the parking situation. They charge $28/day, a fee I was told would be waived for me. However, I checked my card a few days after my trip and they ended up charging me anyways. Granted, I called and the associate on the phone was very helpful and refunded the charge, but between this and the mediocre room condition, I can’t say I’ll be clamoring to stay here again.

Excellent hotel!! Clean and comfortable rooms with great water pressure in the shower! Shaun (Shawn?) was so friendly and helpful! He turned on the hot tub jets for us then lit the beautiful fire pit. You can tell that he loves his job by his excellent customer service skills! All of the employees that we encountered were very friendly and accommodating, but he really went out of his way to make sure that we were comfortable and happy with our stay. Highly recommend this hotel!

A comfortable hotel about 20 minutes outside of the cruise port and 30 minutes from the airport. This hotel could be mid range upper lower premium. I love the indoor bar the service is good inside. They have a lovely high tea and management is attentive if needed. all of the guest amenities are pleasurable. The rooms were very clean and spacious.|If you want to eat, Starbucks is around the corner and across the street is a lovely mall with an eclectic lower level set of eating spots as well as a grocery store and it’s also where you can catch the MRT

Stayed for 2 nights. The positives were the nice decor and style, particularly around the lobby. It's in a convenient location to walk to Downtown, and the pool area seemed nice and popular although we didn't really use it. Also complimentary water and coffee in the lobby. The negatives were that the general amenities were poor and basic, the towels were bad quality, cups weren't replaced, many fixtures and fittings in the room particularly the bathroom were worn and mouldy, the room smelt, and worst of all the pillows were lumpy and gave me a really sore neck. Also the walls are paper thin and you can hear your neighbours flushing toilets etc, and you can hear the road throughout the night as there's a small gap under the door. The rooms were also cold even with the AC off.

This was an excellent stay... was very happy with everything. The room was super clean, bed was extremely comfortable. The Bacon is absolutely legit, as is the Bloody Mary. The Bartender (Rainbow) was a delight and a skilled mixologist. The hot tub & pool brought it all together. I loved that it was a mix of family as well..just an all around great place to stay and I'll definitely be back!

Very alarmed that this is in the Autograph Collection. I have had such great experiences with Autograph that this sticks out as a horrible let down. The hotel lobby was beautiful and grand. Now the hotel rooms are in the format of those old cheap motel rooms. The old curtains are what's keeping your privacy. Flooring is newish but dirty. Everything is dirty. The coffee machine is disgusting. There was no slippers. The bath towels were old, wornout and appeared slightly dirty. The only redeeming thing is the shower gel and lotion was excellent. Bed was ok also. I couldn't wait to wake up and leave as quickly as possible.

i just wanted to send a special thank you to Ethan. he was such a delight. he was extremely professional and dressed impeccable. he made our stay perfect. special thanks to rainbow and alex for also providing us great service and conversation. i lost my phone and rainbow went out of his way to make sure it got back to me. the hotel was beautiful. the pool area was amazing. we had such a great stay. thank you.

Don't let the lobby deceive you, the rooms aren't that great. The upside is that they allow pets for a fee. Like others have mentioned, they built a new lobby building and attached it to a motel. You exit the lobby into the outside to get to your room, whose front door is also exposed to the outside. Our room looked okay, but the shower had a semi clogged drain that would end up having you standing in water. The wallpaper in the bathroom was lifting on the edges in several places. The exhaust fan didn't do anything and was just noise. The barn door was ineffective at separating the two spaces. Combined with the lack of fan ventilation, hopefully your farts don't stink and your poops are rainbows! The phone in the room didn't even work. Something Ive read in other reviews of this hotel. We had to call the front desk using our cell phone on their public number. Would not recommend staying here if you could help it.

Our room was nasty and dirty with hot all over the bathroom Blood on pillows and curtains and overall dirty I've called 5 times and no one can fix this wrong. Warning stay away.

Paradox indeed. This is a motel and all room doors face an outside walkway. No interior halls. Rooms were spacious but very noisy, every flush nearby was audible. Cheap trendy furniture. Had to unplug the alarm clock to fit a standard iPhone square brick in the socket bedside. Drapes did not block sun or security lights. Light and air came underneath the doorway. The paradox is how they charge boutique hotel rates for a mediocre motel with a fancy lobby. Might be best for an event where you don't stay overnight in the room.

We really enjoyed our experience here overall. It was a last minute book on Expedia as the hubs and I were both off for Xmas week and no family in town so we were like "Let's go to Santa Cruz!" The hubs, the pups, and I all stayed together. I really love how they are dog friendly. The hotel itself is modern and beautiful and chic. There are games that you can play inside the lobby like chess, etc. Our hotel room was decent, nice. Yes, it looks like it was renovated from motel to hotel and we are ok with that. It was decently sized and I like how it was renovated. We stopped by the restaurant for dinner and there were people by the pool enjoying drinks and several groups of people at the restaurant. Service was decent but slow but it's Xmas night so what can we do. We sat on the outskirts of the restaurant b/c of our puppy and enjoyed the pool view and restaurant view. We got the cesar salad and Burger and fries to share as well as two cocktails. We ended up having breakfast the next two days at the restaurant too and the food and our waitress were excellent! The coffee was delicious and piping hot just the way I like it. The waitress was so attentive and caring and even took back our food to warm it up since the hubs had gone out for a while and came back. The only complaint is for the first breakfast, the front person who would be seating us was super frazzled and passive aggressive. He said it would be some time before we were seated and we saw him seat a family that came after us first. Then when we asked him when we would be ready to get seated, he did not apologize about seating the other group before us. And then when he called us from the lobby chairs we got up and were getting our things ready to walk over, he said "follow me!!" And b/c we didn't follow him immediately, he got visibly upset and then only brought one water for us lol. So weird. If you're frazzled, don't put it on the customers and expect them to be thrilled when you do your job. Our puppy loved him like he does everyone so that kinda broke the tension. Also pro-tip: when I checked their actual website for prices, it was substantially cheaper and included free things whereas the Expedia booking did not! Now we always try to check both the hotel's website compared to 3rd party sites. Otherwise, nice stay! Just expect that Xmas might be as good of an experience as maybe a less busier time.

The one bedroom suite is HUGE in both the room and the bathroom! I was seriously in shock. Starting in the bathroom, you have the walk in closet then a sink, toilet big ol bathtub AND an oversized standup shower. Not only is all that there, but it is all incredibly spacious too! The room is modern and clean with a king bed with one of the comfiest mattresses I've ever slept on. I was so impressed and would actually love one at home! It's well lit and the floor to ceiling windows bring a lot in too. Just remember to close the blinds when you're getting dressed! There was a lot of unused space in the main room if I'm being honest but with the kids it was great for them to play. The second room has a sofa bed, microwave, fridge and tv. Either the bed out there was just enough room to move around, which is good by my standard. Property is well kept. Parking is charged, which I personally hate, and it's also not in abundance either. We found decent spots about half of the stay but the other half we had to hunt down a spot. Staff was super friendly and attentive. They happily greeted us in the hallway, answered our questions and seemed genuinely happy we were there. The pool and hot tub are great features. Both are nicely heated and can be enjoyed most of the time. It rained a lot during our stay and plenty of people were swimming away including us! With the rain the restaurant was cool and shared their patio with guests too. All in all we enjoyed the stay. We enjoyed everything and the hotel definitely has good vibes all around. Even if it might've felt a little pricey.

Room 112. So after our stay and Marriott asking for our review. We have giving an updated review to Marriott based on the questions that was based on the questions asked. When you stay at a Marriott, you should expect the details to be nice, clean and upscale. Our room, while ok... and we know what we get when we arrive since this is our second stay there, should be looked at more closely by the housekeeping/maintenance. On initial entrance, the room was ok. Once you look further, you see what was passed over. In the bathroom, the baseboards were not clean. The wallpaper was peeling away from those baseboards and other places. The body wash dispenser was almost empty and when we requested that it be refilled, it was but fell off the shower wall sometime in the late night hour. Like I said, it's all about the details. Whoever is reviewing these rooms should be alerted and reeducated on what is clean and maintained in an acceptable manner. Will we stay there again? Yup. The positives out way the negatives. The pool area is fun. The Sunday afternoon, display of sort of circus performers and music was a nice addition since our last trip. The lobby, the restaurant and the staff are just great. Our dog, loved to jump up on the front desk to say hello to the staff! This hotel is, what it is. If you accept it for the pics that they offer up, you'll be fine. If not, go somewhere else. They're still working with the city to address the homeless population. This trip, this situation was much, much better at San Lorenzo Park. Nice job. Since, last trip, valet service is available now. Those dudes were great. Just tighten up the room maintenance. If you need any help with this, just reach out. I'm available. It's all about the details.

If you plan on working from here, DON'T. The wifi is incredibly slow. I've been trying to load Yelp and the Speedtest site for the last 14 mins (and counting) on my computer and have now resorted to writing this via my cell phone. The ethernet cable doesn't work. They sent someone to check it yesterday and they said it's not working in many of the rooms and suggested to use the wifi. We would, and that's exactly why we've asked you to come look at the ethernet cable. Nothing is working. Back to square zero. We were able to do a speedtest - 3mbs. He said he'll ask if it's always this slow and if this is all we'll be able to get and let us know. This was yesterday afternoon and it's now 12:30p the next day. I'm still waiting for him. Is he okay? Did he get stuck in the slow wifi? What a pain. There goes the working staycation. I'm praying to the wifi gods to please load my work emails and server. There was also a worm that crawled out of the sink drain. Ughhh. And don't get me started on the shower pressure or the AC/Heater. Otherwise, the appearance of this hotel is cute.

It's NOT a hotel. It's a motel. It's a Marriott bought an existing motel and tried to pretty it up. For $500 a night this room lacks upgrades, ambiance, indoor security, and location. Charging $28/night for parking which isn't in a secure location is crazy. The pool are looks nice but all reservations are done outside of the location itself. Cabanas for this weekend, which aren't available, are $326 on Resort.com. There are patios for ground floor rooms, but just the cement open hallway outside our room. Save your money, don't get fooled by the pretty lobby pictures, and stay anywhere else. This is NOT a boutique hotel. It's an overpriced Red Roof Inn

We LOVED staying here for the week. Parking was easy---the town was a short walk over a cute bridge. But... the most impressive thing about this hotel was the SERVICE we received. Anytime we had a concern or needed something (extra towels, microwave, etc) the reception responded immediately and had a great attitude. CUSTOMER SERVICE was extraordinary. I would stay here again in a heartbeat!! One request would be that they have a full service espresso coffee bar but VERVE coffee in town is amazing.

Beautiful newly renovated modern lobby, lots of space to sit and hang out, work, talk. New bar too. Staff is super friendly. The room was very clean and modern with a cozy touch. The pool is heated and the hot tub is big. Would definitely stay here again. Town center with restaurants and bars is withing walking distance through the riverside park.

Cheap hotel that looks fancy. This is not a 4-star hotel as advertised. I am local and booked a 2-night stay so I could be close to the hospital for a scheduled medical procedure. Their website advertises a local discount, that includes free parking, free wifi, food coupons, etc. I thought this would be a fun way to treat myself for a heavy procedure. NOPE. The first red flag was at check-in. The front desk could not confirm if I got the local special. It wasn't noted on my reservation. I had to recite what was promoted on the website because they didn't even know what was included in the local special. The first room I was assigned to didn't have a bathtub, even though it was a listed amenity for a double queen. I was reassigned to a second room and the toilet didn't flush properly. I discovered this after it was too late to switch rooms. I was already prepping for my medical procedure and couldn't go anywhere. The next day, I asked to be reassigned to a third room while I was at the hospital. The didn't offer to help move my things while I was at the hospital. I had to ask if I could load my belongings on to a bell cart before leaving so that they could move it into my new room for me. This would be standard treatment at a real 4-star hotel. They didn't have another double queen available with a bathtub so they downgraded me to a regular queen. There were no offers to discount my reservation or comp a night even though they put me in a smaller room. I tried to run a bath after returning from the hospital and the bathtub plug wasn't installed properly. It took maintenance 30 mins to come and reinstall it. There were so many opportunities for the staff to provide service to compensate for the terrible experience and they didn't. I spent hundreds of dollars to treat myself and I really wish I hadn't. This was a total waste of money. To top it off, the two dysfunctional rooms I stayed in are ADA rooms. How sad is that? If you have any needs or decent expectations, go somewhere else. If you're local, don't fall for the promotion. It doesn't exist. UPDATE on 12/02/2024 This company acknowledged my negative experience on different review sites but I have not yet had an in-person or over the phone interaction with a manager nor have I received any type of compensation for my stay. The reply from them below is another example of poor customer service. It was bad enough that I paid to endure poor treatment during a medical procedure but now, as I'm finally getting acknowledgement, I'm also learning that my experience is being leveraged as a training example to benefit the company. At what point will I receive some benefit from this experience?

This hotel does not deserve the Autograph name. The room was absolutely disgusting and clearly hadn't been cleaned. By looking at the surfaces, you could tell it hadn't been so much as wiped down in a very long time. The grounds smelled of cigarette smoke. The room was cold and uninviting overall with a lot of neighbor noise. The hotel is located between a homeless encampment and an urgent care and the parking lot did not seem secure. I could not stay here and ended up finding somewhere else.

Ok so lovely hotel. But I've stayed here 3 times and twice my cars been broken into and they charge so much for parking the least they could do is keep it secure. I don't file police reports. I don't keep anything of significant value in my vehicle. But COME ON. You're on ocean street. You're charging a premium for parking. And you can't keep the lot secure? Thats ridiculous. This time I left my car unlocked intentionally to save a window. I'm just pretty disappointed because the hotel is so cute but ocean st is so terrible. The best the staff could tell me is to file a police report. As if the camera footage would get my petty items back. I don't care about it enough to do so. I won't be staying here again.

This place was such a cute hotel! Spent the day hanging out at the pool, having snacks and enjoyed a few cocktails. It was a lovely day so the place the packed.

This is. a review of the Resort Pass pool option at Hotel Paradox. Resort pass lets you buy time/space at the hotel's pool for a day. We rented a cabana on a Tuesday during non-tourist season. The check-in went smoothly. The hotel has an upscale lodge vibe. The checkin desk is a fallen tree. There are burl chairs and stumps everywhere. The lobby is designed around a well-appointed bar that opens out to the pool deck. The overall theme would have seemed hip several years ago, but the hotel decor and the pool were worn-looking. The planters around the pool were all dead. The hotel was half-empty the day we went. All of the other guests were at a conference, so we were alone out there almost all day. I'm not sure we really needed the cabana, but we enjoyed it. Each one contains a couch, four chairs and some stumps. The hot tub was a good temperature, but I love jets, and this one didn't have them. The pool was great, even though they don't prioritize skimming it, even though it is right next to a giant redwood. Hotel Paradox has a pool menu, and I had seen various reviews of it online. You aren't allowed to bring outside food, so you are really stuck ordering, if you plan to stay awhile. My advice would be eat before you go. The food is expensive, and not anymore interesting than the costco freezer section. There is a really good Chinese restaurant a couple of blocks down for afterwards. There are a couple of things worth mentioning before you choose a Hotel Paradox Resort Pass. The first is the sun. We initially picked the most private of the cabanas, until we realized that the sun would be beating on us all afternoon. We moved to the one against the back fence, and it was much nicer. Being far away from the pool gate, however, brings up another point. There are no bathrooms on the pool deck. The closest one is all the way in the lobby. It's a hike. The other thing worth mentioning is that there is no dedicated service for the pool. There is no way to order food than to hike over to the bar. It's really inconvenient. On the plus side, they will give a big cup of soda water over ice with lime if you ask. Overall, we had a really nice day, and I would do this again. Price-wise, it was the most reasonable for the cabana option in town. Lazing around in the cool shade after being the hot tub or pool was very relaxing and was a nice date for my husband and I to spend time together.

Had a great family friendly stay here for a weekend in the summer. Very hip, well designed hotel perfect for the kids with the large heated swimming pool and hot tub. Definitely saw other families with kids around as well! The restaurant is very nice and located right next to the pool. They will serve you food from the comfortable pool lounge chairs! The rooms were great for us - updated and stylish. They provided a pack and play for the baby. The location was walking distance from downtown, which we enjoyed. There's also a park with a playground right next-door, and the beach is about a 25 minute walk away. I think this will be our go to spot for summer beach weekends in Santa Cruz!

After weeks of going back-and-forth trying to get a refund I just wanna point out that Marriott just decided that they wanna settle this by giving me 20,000 points and I went ahead and said fine. I also wanna point out that Yelp wrote me and said that they removed my review because "We typically remove reviews that describe individuals or situations with objectionable terms that go beyond simply reviewing a customer experience with a business. We ask that reviewers avoid commentary that reinforces stereotypes, makes light of physical or sexual violence, or otherwise includes unnecessarily graphic or offensive descriptions." I think it has more to do with who the "paying advertiser/client" is complaining about the review. I am a Marriott gold rewards member, and have been for over a decade. Our son just graduated from UCSC. We needed a place to stay, and everything was completely sold out, so this was one of the only places that had available rooms. Once I saw the photos, I thought we were in luck and what a cool hotel to stay at considering it's an "autograph collection". I'm not exactly sure what that is supposed to mean but this place is absolutely atrocious. It is next to an urgent care that resembles an abandoned Planned Parenthood. It doesn't make me feel safe when I see a caution sign that says "biohazard" just 20 feet away from my room. But aside from all of the façade to make this place, that is basically a rehashed Motel 6 to look like a boutique hotel, the check in process was a complete disaster. I was here with my elderly parents and my family, and was told that I would be checked in early. One room was ready for us to check in early. But we received the wrong room with a cozy queen, which is basically a Full bed. The room was tiny. I had to go back to the front desk which you have to walk out of the gated area, which is something like being at an incarceration facility. Then I was told that I did not purchase two queen beds per room, and I was showing them exactly that I did. After some back-and-forth, I was able to get the bedroom with two queens. When we got back after the graduation, we were able to get the other room before 4 PM and check-in, but it was on the other side of the hotel. Both rooms on the first floor. I can go on and on. But I think my wife has done a more eloquent job of explaining this place,which was retrofitted from a Holiday Inn that was from the 1960s, later turned into student housing by UCSC. If you're planning on staying at this place and look at the pictures don't be fooled. It is nothing like what the pictures illustrate. The pictures that I have posted is the place that you will be staying at and it is not worth $600 or $700 a night. In fact, I would not pay $150 a night for this place. I would rather stay at a Motel 6 with Tom Bodett before I stay at this dump. Marriott should be ashamed to have this place in its portfolio. Embarrassing. I took out the part about the "people" loitering in the parking lot and coming and going when the gate was open.

This is my favorite hotel in Santa Cruz! They are very accommodating to the local community which is a huge deal to me, especially in a high volume tourist town. Many fun events here, this is my choice spot for staycations. The rooms are clean, and the entire staff are always professional and kind. The food is fantastic and I am obsessed with the decor. The level of service from the staff is phenomenal, I can't say it enough. They made sure I was taken care of. The location is great too, its a quick uber ride to the favorite spots in santa cruz. Its honestly easier to uber or even bus to places from this spot instead of dealing with driving around in circles to find parking. Thank you again!

Stayed here from Sunday-Tuesday in April and enjoyed our short trip. Super trendy and great decor throughout the hotel, especially the lobby area. The hotel was smaller than expected but had everything we needed. They had electric bikes available to rent which we loved! The hotel is a quick bike ride to downtown. We had breakfast for 2 one morning and they seemed short staffed or didn't expect the volume of big parties/walk-ins so it took awhile compared to dining at a non-hotel restaurant. I used to work in a hotel restaurant so we didn't give them a hard time about it. It happens! Service was above and beyond despite the slowness. Very polite staff. Food was really good overall. Very creative and tasty. We also stopped by the restaurant mid-day for a small bite and drinks. It was nice and relaxing.

Only the lobby looks nice. The rest of the place looks like a motel. That is not the worst part, however. I left a beautiful and memorable trench coat in our room. I immediately called the service department, who assured me she would call back before 5 pm. Of course, I have yet to hear from them. When I called the next day, they told me they had it and would call me back shortly to ask for details--I am still waiting to hear from them. I waited for another 2 days and called back. Christian told me he was with the services department, not housekeeping, but would call me back before 5 pm. That sounds familiar. It's been eight days, sadly, and I am resigned to the fact that it's gone. Security and service should be zero. I'm never going back there again!

All in all this is a nice place to stay. Rooms are reasonably comfortable. They have a fantastic pool and hot tub. Gym equipment is relatively new and well kept. Rooms are small but not exceptionally confining. Most impressive, unlike many Marriott properties, they do perform daily housekeeping. Of course the housekeeper came when I was in the shower, and despite instructions to the front desk, the housekeeper never returned leaving my room a mess. When I visited in April 2023, there was construction in the hotel. This made for some deafening noise in the morning. Most troubling, the gymnasium has no exit signs and one of the exits is voltage shut due to construction. This is in violation of fire ordinance. If there were an emergency it would be very dangerous. Also troubling, many guests have glass bottles and glasses around the pool and hot tub. Absolutely no staff working in the area. Pool towels empty all Friday and Saturday night. Guests removing towels from the gymnasium and from the guest rooms.

Hello... I have to appreciate everyone during my stay. Your team made my Thanksgiving stay wonderful. My first Thanksgiving alone and away from my family, but I had to be there for work. You made me and my doggy feel warm & welcomed. Everyone was so pleasant and comforting. Your chef is amazing. I watched all the different meals coming out to guests. I'm vegan and he confirmed my pumpkin soup was vegan. Deeelish! I can't wait for my next stay! Thank you for all you do and keep up the great work! You are all amazing!

Absolutely amazing hotel and pool! 10/10 I recommend staying here! The beds are so comfortable! And what makes Hotel Paradox so unique is the pool/restaurant area overlooking the redwoods. Special shout out to Krystal, the cocktail server at the pool area. They made my stay so special.. always for seeing my needs at the pool, making sure everyone is staying hydrated and even hand delivering drinks and food. They really made my stay so special! I'll be back!

Lipstick On a Pig We stayed at The Paradox in Santa Cruz for four nights, with five rooms reserved for people invited into town to join in the celebration of our 50th Anniversary. Marriott corporation bought an old chain motel, put in some pretty furniture, slapped on the "Autograph Collection" designation and called it a "4 Star" Hotel. However... It is a motel, not a hotel. Marriott did nothing to remodel the room configurations, so they are still the postage stamp rooms of the low-end chain, with a phone booth-sized bathroom. There are few amenities, not even a plastic shower cap that a 2 Star motel would offer, and no facility info or map in the room. The 'Fitness Center' is nowhere near that of true 4 Star hotels, with just a few treadmills, two stationary bikes with no functioning heart rate monitors and a sad little weight rack and bench. No mats, stability balls or foam rollers for stretching. The Fitness Center was not maintained, with rotten fruit sitting in a bowl for several days. 4 Star? Customer service is a hallmark of a true 4 Star facility. Marriott has not invested in 4 Star staffing levels, so over-worked frontline workers are expected to do multiple jobs (simultaneously?). Example: We needed pillows. I called the desk and was told they'd be 'sent up right away - stat.' An hour later with no sign of the pillows, I called the desk. No answer, except by a robot, and when I entered the 'Customer Service" number as directed I ended up in a loop where the line rang and rang before defaulting back to the robot (3X). I finally had to dress and walk down to the desk myself to get pillows. Same robot loop and no human response the next day when I called the desk with a facility inquiry. Example: The young man in front is expected to be valet and bellman, helping move customers' luggage to their rooms. Inevitably, he is unavailable for either valet or bell service 50% of the time - two jobs Marriott corporation and local management try to cover on the cheap with one over-worked employee. Example: My daughter and son-in-law had no air conditioning in their room, and management never made an effort to respond when informed. "Customer Service" is atrocious. Far from a 4 Star profile, "service" is maybe a weak 2 at best. Not the fault of the working staff - poor management and sufficient corporate investment are the culprits. We have stayed at other "Autograph Collection" hotels in America and abroad. The Paradox is nowhere in the ballpark of these true 4 Star+F hotels. My advice, stay at a reputable chain with reasonable pricing, as the 4 Star prices at The Paradox are a rip-off, given the state of the facility, the poor management, and the farce that is "Customer Service. Superficially pretty. This is not a 4 Star facility. You can put lipstick on a pig; it's still a pig.

Stayed here for 4 nights and the location between down town and the broad walk was great, both were in walking distance from the hotel. The ambiance was also really nice. Our biggest issue was with the staff. The service at their restaurant was bad because our server checked on us right when our food was served and left us for about 20 minutes when it wasn't busy at all. Plus the food was not worth what we paid (it was hotel food, we should have expected this). My wife forgot her sunglasses at the restaurant and they were gone only 5 minutes after we left. They weren't at the lost and found/front desk, restaurant, or bar, so someone definitely stole them. There were issues reaching the front desk through the phone. We asked for our room to get serviced but they never did it. TLDR: Location to surrounding areas was great, but experience with staff and service was not good.

Beautiful hotel! Service was impeccable and the bar staff were really friendly. Drinks were made well and I love that the bar goes from inside to all the way out to the pool. Will be back again!

Went to the Diversity Center Gala last weekend. The service was a disaster. The banquet room was supposed to open at 6:00, but the doors opened at 6:40. We didn't get served dinner until after 8:15. There was butter on the table but no bread. Two of my guests left at 8:00. I would have done the same thing but I was hosting a table. Everyone was hungry and unhappy. I left a little before 9:00 and many tables were still waiting for food. This poor service cost the Diversity Center much lost revenue during the silent auction and after auction donations. I ordered a wet martini at the restaurant bar before the banquet room opened. The bartender asked me what "wet" meant. Really?

Pool was nice, check in experience good, rooms need a little TLC - mold in shower, blood stain on bedding.

Overprice place. Rather then go Hyatt or Marriott.Book it from expedia and state it is 4 star. But it is a super Expensive motel.... Space are small the fan in restroom is super noisy. The construction some what modern but feel so plastic, all the furniture feel bit cheap. Ins style and Nighttime have good ambience, nice for young people but overcrowded. The pool is super tiny and full of people, definitely over capacity. Definitely not worth the price and it is not a hotel but motel style, but they have restaurants and bar with good service.However will never come back, cuz the room have no windows outside and only have glass facing the walk way. You can not have privacy if you want some of the daylight. My apartment have better facilities here and less people.

Major storm and the Santa Cruz mountains so we decided to head on down stay at the paradox. Kids loved the Dino nuggets and fries. I got the wontons and a non-alcoholic drink that was excellent great local spot.

With a name like this, I expected it to be so cool.. And it was! LOCATION: Just northeast of the boardwalk with plenty of access to grocery, clothing and luxury stores. Parking is pay by the night and can be accessed through posted QR codes in the parking lot. DECOR: Modern, vintage, chic and eclectic. There was reclaimed wood and patterned glass. PRICE: $$$ Around $230 for a one bedroom with king bed and about $100 more for a suite. Military and government discounts available. DRINKS: Complementary fruit infused water and a restaurant with full bar. FOOD: $$ The restaurant on location made a pretty mean burger with some perfectly seasoned fries. Good menu options and somewhat on the expensive side of dining, but if you're here, you're not living on a budget. AMENITIES Large swimming pool and hot tub. Fitness center and book exchange box. Complimentary skateboards and bicycles for in town travel. Themed game nights with prizes. Elevators and complimentary water refill stations. STAFF: Friendly and professional. Desire to assist. Didn't wake past one employee who didn't greet me and/or ask if I needed assistance. EXPERIENCE: From the moment I walked in, I felt like I could stay for a while. Plenty of stunning decor to look at and a restaurant under the same roof. Unique rooms that are morel style (meaning you access your front door from outside of the building. There were plenty of very kind employees ready to help with directions, towels, etc. Had I stayed more days, I would've tried out everything. One or 2 nights isn't enough time.

Point blank, this stay was that of an EXTREMELY overpriced motel. Marriott's Autograph Collection hotels are supposed to be "upscale to luxury hotels that are beautifully curated"...this was the furthest thing from that. There was no mention at all on the website, of the entire lobby/restaurant/common spaces being under construction and walled off. There was no through access to the rooms, and patrons are required to walk around the entire property and through the parking lot for access. The "mini fridge" in the room was an old repurposed mini bar that didn't get cold at all and had exposed cords inside. There were broken shampoo/soap fixtures in the shower, peeling wall paper, and the room we were placed in was supposed to be an ADA room...yet the shower was not wheelchair accessible but still had a shower head at chest height. None of it made any sense. The ultimate cherry on top of our stay was the wood nail sticking out of the wall above our bed. When my husband sat up to watch tv he was stabbed in the back of his head. We have stayed at this property before and at that time felt it was worth the couple hundred bucks back when the common areas were spacious and beautiful, the rooms were well kept, and there were bikes you could use...but this time none of that was the same. I feel completely ripped off and am suspicious that they have upped their price to help cover the construction costs...the quality of the rooms and property over all has gone down significantly. There needs to be a disclaimer that there is property wide construction and most of it is inaccessible and unusable. It can't be a coincidence that SO MANY customers of this hotel are feeling the same way and saying similar things. I'm extremely disappointed and decided to file a formal complaint with Marriott...come to find out it needs to be the manager on site who addresses these issues. Well, let me tell you, Jason Williams, the manager here will not return my calls OR emails. No response what so ever. Thanks Jason! :)

This was the worst stay we have ever had at a Marriott hotel. We will not be coming back. We were in room 503. On the first night, we called reception to complain that a dog in 501 was barking. The barking did not stop until the occupants of that room returned at 9 pm-ish. Furthermore, we could hear literally everything done in that room. From the dog's nails clicking in the floor to their iPhone alarm...we heard it all. The walls are paper thin. In the early mornings both days (5 am), we were woken to the sounds of the doors closing loudly around us. The doors close with unnecessary force, making them incredibly loud. It is impossible to sleep through this noise. The bathroom was also below Marriott standards. The lighting was inadequate, and the shower pressure was almost not enough to rinse out shampoo. Overall, the Paradox is just that...a paradox. Why this hotel is labeled as an Autograph Collection is a mystery to me. It is little more than a renovated motel with a nice lobby. This hotel does not compare at all with other Autograph Collection hotels such as the Lodge at Sedona or the Inn at the Mission San Juan Capistrano. It is just simply not at that level.

Don't be fooled by the photos and image of this hotel they portray. This place is a dump. We're here now. It's 11:45 pm and we're up. Where do I start? Really all you need to know is this: This was formerly a Holiday Inn Express (built in 1960), was then turned into student housing units for UCSC, sat vacant for years, then was acquired by Marriott. They did some funky renovations that don't do enough to take away the shady Motel 6 vibe. This place is weird. The front desk/lobby is in a different building than the guest rooms, and to enter the "lockdown" floor-to-ceiling metal-gated room building, you need your key. Has a weird San Quentin feel to it. This place is surrounded (within feet) by drug addicts and homeless folks. Closely next door to the building is an old. run-down medical clinic with "no appointment necessary". I'm pretty sure it's for the homeless. Maybe that's why they're congregating here. I'm not sure what goes on in there but it's not the kind of place I'd visit - ever. . We met a man today who lives nearby - a former Navy Seal - and he said he doesn't even walk this area at night. The doors to the rooms are exposed to the outside (like the Bates Motel) so we're in our dark, ground-floor room, with all layers of the curtains pulled. This is no way to enjoy a hotel experience. The worst part: It's graduation weekend at UCSC this weekend so we paid $605 for our one night here. Yes, you read that right. Only thing worse is that we have my 80 year-old in-laws with us and they're more horrified than we are. The beds are uncomfortable. You can hear the springs inside and the middle of the mattress is curved in (too much use?) so my husband and I keep ending up rolled into each other. I'm pretty sure the furniture is original (just restored). There's an old mini fridge sitting alone on the floor. The bathroom is only protected by a swinging barn door if that matters to you. Our family travels quite a bit, and always has. We're very loyal Marriott clients and it disappoints me to be forced to leave this poor review. Potential guests beware. Don't let this place be your first choice.

They are working to improve and make a great place. Need music in the bar and pool. Need actual room service. They are most there, keep going. I will keep checking it out.

Do NOT stay here!!! We stayed for 1 night (thank God) with breakfast included. Lobby looks nice and modern . Rooms- are in a different building than the lobby. Looks like an old motel that they refurbished. It's giving me asylum vibes as u have to go from 1 lock door to another. We booked a double queen room and it was tiny! Phone is ancient and forget about trying to use it to call front desk/ housekeeping. It just goes on a loop and couldn't talk to anybody. Bathroom- our toilet was the grossest toilet seat I have ever seen! It looks like it was re glazed to save costs . It looks like it had permanent pee marks on it. It was so gross I couldn't even bear myself to use it! Pool- my kids are water babies and it's hard for us to make them stop swimming. But not this time! They went for a dip and asked if we can leave. They said pool was so dirty . There were trash behind the lounge chairs and there was no worker in sight to clean up and replenish towels. Free breakfast- was non existent! This was totally a false advertising on their part! We were surprised when we went to dining area and found no bfast buffet. I was told by the waitress that usually u just order a meal per person but then she came back and retracted what she said and said we have $30 worth of bfast credit. For a family of 4?!? Absolutely ridiculous ridiculous. I asked to speak to a manager but there's no one on site. Of course! This was the worst hotel experience ever!!! Marriott , you can do better!

Stopped in at Hotel Paradox the other day for my first time. I've been on a kick of checking out hotels that are known for their environment. I had no expectation of Hotel Paradox but drive by all the time since it's on Ocean Ave. which is the main road through town from HWY-17. That being said the environment was beyond expectation. My friend Ava (pictured below on the left) and her friend Jasmin were doing a small performing arts gig so figured what better opportunity to come check out Hotel Paradox and support my friends! So down to brass tax, hotel staff was super friendly and directed us to the pool/ bar no questions asked! Thanks to Sean at the front desk. Then there was my bartender Rambo, super chill guy and made my drinks exactly how I wanted them. Hard to mess up " two henny shots - strait & one coke back " but you'd be surprised how many people in the past have looked at me confused when I ask for my shots to be severed "strait". I dislike getting served shot glasses when I'm not drinking it right there & then. Not to mention spilling on the way back to my table or friends. Now the hotel is very nice and there is plenty of parking in their lot and easily accessible street parking. It's clean and modern and has a lot of cool local Santa Cruz art posted up inside. Love that. The pool area was gorgeous and the bar is one of those half outside half inside so if you're not feeling patio style you can chill inside. They have a DJ some nights out of the week and hopefully soon the performing arts will run along side that. I know me and my friends would come around a lot more! That being said I wouldn't mind popping in here for a drink on my way into town or my way out. Thanks again to the staff of Hotel Paradox and to My friends for putting on a great show!

Omfg, what a damn nightmare. Checked in on a hot afternoon... my room is hotter than it is outside. Went to the front desk to report the A/C not working. They said they'll send maintenance while we cook in our room. When "maintenance" came and told me there is cool air coming out of the vent. There may be SOME cool air coming out, but why am I SWEATING in my room that supposedly has a working A/C. Wtf kind of "customer service" is this? They have some nerve to claim to be a 4-star hotel, but they're really just a redecorated motel. Don't be fooled by the pretty pictures. This place is a dump. What's more, they don't even care to help the paying customers with problems... they just gaslight you and say there's no problem. UPDATE: Okay, it's 3am and finally cool in my room.

Pros: Very unique and beautiful lobby. Front desk was very accommodating and nice. My room was lovely, clean, and luckily had a heater (because it gets very cold at night). Liked how there were many restaurant options within walking distance of the hotel. Cons: I had a real issue with the customer service during breakfast. I could tell one of the waitresses was in training but whoever was training her was extremely rude. (I've experienced that before in food service, and around customers). It's not a good look. Another thing, I got the French toast and had a really bad stomach ache right after. 15 minutes before checkout, I was waiting in the lobby, REALLY had to go to the restroom. Since I had a bunch of luggage, I had to run up to my room but they immediately locked it. Super inconvenient and my stomach couldn't handle it. Almost had an accident ‍ Overall: it was a nice stay but not great with the food service. Sorry.

This place is perfect! It sorta reminded me of a posh Motel 6. Parking is $25/night. I found this to be a little steep. It's open air parking and not secured. Rooms are on outside of building. I loved this setup! I found myself loving the water refill stations and ice stations easily accessible from the rooms. The bed and pillows were super comfy. The water pressure was meh! I must say, the water pressure was better than moat BonVoy locations but still not the best.

The good: Lobby is nicely decorated. Has an overpriced bar. The bad: Rude staff, who are slow. No one answers the phone at reception. Looks and feels like a slightly renovated motel. Pay $25 to park in their lot. No street parking. Things are falling apart and look dated in the rooms. Very small rooms. Loud in the rooms. No noise insulation at all. Elevators very loud, and you can hear everyone using showers and toilets. Super loud leafblowers at 9am all over the place. No clue how this is a 4* hotel. Its on par with 2* at best.

Stayed at this hotel last week and it was great. You should know what to expect, it's a refurbished hotel with a cool vibe. Bar and lobby are great, breakfast was on point. Pool area is retro cool. Every person on the staff I had an interaction with was super friendly and very helpful. If you are looking for a modern and top of the line room, probably not for you, it's an older property that they've done a great job updating and making retro-cool. It's priced fairly and located perfectly. Staff was fantastic, when checking out I asked about the Clean Enough room tags which I thought would be perfect for my daughters dorm room, they actually mailed me one to my home. Home run staff, bartenders were cool. check it out, good spot!!! Well done Hotel Paradox.

This is a complicated review. We booked here to enjoy the evening after an all day work event for me. Hubby got checked in while I was at work and then came fetched me. It was almost 100 degrees which is super unusual in Santa Cruz so we opted to stay at their bar and eventually enjoy the pool. Hands down the is a gorgeous hotel. The decor is light and airy but also dramatic. The great open bar in the lobby is more like a huge family room. Beautiful copper sculptures hang over head and the open space to the pool adds so much to the ambience. Great pool, lounges and hot tub too. Bar service off the charts excellent. Drinks and food so spot on I ordered the ahi wontons twice on the same night. Bed, linens, rooms were perfect even if the rooms are a tad small. When I walked in I immediately felt a strange vibe. There were about 60 people sitting around the lobby and bar, almost all of them young men, some very out of shape. I'm a cultural anthropologist by hobby and my assessment skills are super sharp. I soon noticed the people arriving bringing in huge carts of stuff and noticed multiple themes. Dog crates, huge bundles of adult diapers, men wearing dog collars with tags, one guy on a leash, many others with a dog tail, men wearing diapers dressed in baby overalls with baby like shirts and hats, lots of people carrying in large stuffed animals. I asked one of the guests what the event was and he said secret society meeting as did all the staff. The property was going to be closed to the public for three days the next day. I sensed an animosity from the other guests and noticed my husband and I were the only ones at the bar who was not part of the secret society. Finally after many drinks one of the guests slipped and I over heard that it as a Puppy Play and Diaper/Baby Fantasy convention. Awkward. I did not get any official conformation that that is actually what it was, but by what we observed it seemed to fit . I'm very liberal but I was uncomfortable. The guests challenged me in a way that I didnt need or want on my get away Thursday with my husband where we spent hundred of dollars on food and drink while we were there that night as well as $250+ for the room but I wish that we had known before hand what that a private party was happening so we could have stayed elsewhere. Not judging just have my boundaries.

Worst neighbors in Santa Cruz. They don't care about the noise they cause with their loud pool parties where local dj's blast music at full bass. The beat is felt blocks away. And their Karaoke music is at full volume so the entire neighborhood has to listen to the continuous dreadful drunk singing. The bands are even worse. I'm all about people Having fun but this noise goes beyond common courtesy and decency as a neighbor. I've tried numerous times over the past few years to politely ask them to at the very least turn down the extra loud bass but twas told by managers that the music is part of their "brand". Not a brand I would want to pay for, but maybe I would if I didn't care about other people.

Fire the banquet management. Was there recently for an event that was excruciatingly bad...... terrible service, terribly understaffed, and a banquet room that was painfully loud and illegally overcrowded.

Friendly service, clean rooms, and a cool outdoor/pool vibe. The workout facility is nice. This place is also dog friendly, which we love. The location is close to downtown and a twenty min walk to the boardwalk or wharf. The hotel is also very secure so non guests don't have access to get to the hotel. You do pay for parking. The restaurant is expensive. We would stay here again especially if we have our dog. If not then the Hyatt Place around the corner is competitive so it would depend on which has a better rate.

This hotel is so nice and clean. This is a cool boutique. The service is amazing. This hotel has the largest HEATED pool in Santa Cruz. Great food and great pool service. Rosie is the friendliest server. She cares about customer service. Rosie will make your day. We have gone back 3 times already.

Came to enjoy some time by the pool with drinks and food but was left feeling a bit down given the service. We were able to order one drink from the bartender to get us started off, however when it came time to order our next drink, I had to sit at the bar for over 20 minutes as there were no servers or bartender to help me. I've come here multiple times and had a good time, this time was just very disappointing.