Overall Ratings & Reviews Torch Lite Inn

Convenient, comfortable, no frills place to spend the night after a long day at the Boardwalk. I was initially very apprehensive after seeing some less than desirable reviews. However, our stay was comfortable for an overnight stay. It is a short walk to the boardwalk, or about a two minute drive so you are really paying for the convenience.It is in a busy area which means there is lots of both auto and foot traffic, however none of it disturbed us during the night. Parking is also very tight but the front desk employee was so kind and helpful in helping us find spots to park. Also, although a $100 deposit was mentioned on several other reviews, we did not have to put a deposit down. As noted in other reviews, there is no longer a pool so that is something to be aware of. The property has a main building and a separate annexed building located close to an alley. I was located in the annexed building but it did require a key to enter the hallways as a security measure. The actual rooms were clean and spacious. They offered a small bathroom with shower and toilet. The sink and mirror are located in the general room area. There is a good sized refrigerator that would hold lots of snacks and packaged foods. Also, a microwave (hard to come by in most hotels) and a small coffee maker. The beds were comfortable enough, the A/C worked well. If you were staying for a longer vacation, I could see seeking out a place with more amenities, but it worked for our trip.

I put a do not disturb sign on my door and house keeping still came in without permission

Needs a little help on the outside - but overall a VERY convenient location nice staff and owners! Should make big dirt pile a garden with palm trees- improve the outside paint touch up- great parking clean updated rooms - perfect surfer town stop - I would stay again

Location ok, but the room have some flaws ,broken coffeemaker didn't even offer to replace, no shampoo

Don’t recommend

Nice staff

Simple spot, does the job if you just need a spot to shower and sleep. Friendly staff

The couple running(owners?) property were the nicest people. We will definitely be staying with them again soon. Everything was very clean.

This hotel my family stayed at for a fun trip at Santa Cruz. The hotel was very convenient because of how close it was to the Boardwalk. Overall the hotel room we had was very small but pretty neat, the bathrooms were a little dirty (the shower tiles needed more attention) and the toilet paper was really thin. We did enjoy the stay and the parking was tight, and it took precision driving to get around the area. The front desk worker was quite nice and had the things we need in an instant. I would rate my overall experience a 4/5.

Having a hotel be more budget friendly doesn't always mean sacrificing other qualities. I found our room was well kept, and provided all the basic amenities you would expect- a fridge, an ironing board, a desk, wall charging USB ports, a comfortable bed. I was pleasantly surprised to find all the furniture, finishings, and fixtures to be clean and in great condition. Whenever we went up to the front desk, the service was always friendly and helpful. Overall, my expectations were comfortably met for this price point, and I never thought any of the accommodations fell short or were disappointing. Above all, though, I would say the best quality of our stay here was its central location in Santa Cruz and proximity to major areas of interest: The boardwalk is just a brief walk down the street, and the Pacific Ave bars and shops are another short walk away along the San Lorenzo river walk (which runs adjacent to the hotel). There are also plenty of grocery stores, food trucks, and restaurants close by. If you want to go anywhere in central Santa Cruz, enjoy scenic strolls, and don't want to worry about driving around, then this place is great (and if you bring a bike, you probably won't have to drive anywhere at all). For a comfortable place to sleep and decompress while exploring Santa Cruz for a few days that won't take up the majority of your budget, I can definitely recommend this place.

Our family enjoyed our quick stay here!

Not so impressed. The pictures are far nicer than what's presented, inside and outside especially. The bathroom didn't seem very clean, I could see that the shower hadn't been wiped down well if at all. There were cop cars present almost the entire time, at one point, several of them - some sort of incident seemed to be happening. The walls were paper-thin and I could clearly hear people talking, snoring, and moving around. It was very expensive and there was no mention of an additional $100 'incidental' deposit until we got there.

Good

The workers live on site Will not answer the phone We’ll see them minimally one time and never see him or hear from them again. Once you had a reservation, they will not give you a refund. I have never been to this city, so I have not seen the areas around or lodging. This is on the strip of the worst ones. Hard to bare.

The service was good but the pictures of the property was very misleading, not as nice looking in person. Parking was not great.

Good location, clean. Parking is a little odd but made it work.

Pillows too thin. Cheap toilet paper.

It's very clean, quiet area, the only minor con was parking not enough parking and small small space even for a Honda Civic it was very tight. And if you have a more bigger built person with you they would definitely unfortunately hit the other person car if you were to get out of the parking space parked. Doable if your other passengers get out of the vehicle before you park. And it's just you trying to squeeze out of the car.

Definitely coming back, close to the boardwalk. Lots of things walking distance!

Good for the cost. Nothing fancy, but worked well for our purposes. Husband and I getting away. Great location, except at a very busy intersection that was very loud at times. (loud music from cars). Bring some earplugs if you are sensitive to that. Staff very nice.