Trip GrapevineTop places, picked by travellers

Aptos · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels in the university district, Aptos

Peter Halvorsen

Peter Halvorsen The Nordics

Updated 1 September 2026 · 37 Aptos hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Aptos, out of the 37 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.2 down to 3.9.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $89.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Bernardino

Highest rated of the five

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Bernardino

★★★★★4.2 from 2,438 reviews

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Bernardino comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.2 from 2,438 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under the university district and around $89 a night on the dates we checked.

37 hotels in Aptos qualified for this list and five made it. Dynasty Suites Redlands - Loma Linda is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Bernardino1

    DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Bernardino

    ★★★★★4.2 from 2,438 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  2. Dynasty Suites Redlands - Loma Linda2

    Dynasty Suites Redlands - Loma Linda

    ★★★★★4.3 from 794 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  3. Motel 6 Highland, CA - San Bernardino - East3

    Motel 6 Highland, CA - San Bernardino - East

    ★★★★★4.1 from 284 reviews

    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  4. Dutch Motel4

    Dutch Motel

    ★★★★★4.1 from 140 reviews

    • Parking
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  5. OYO Sleepy Hollow, Crestline5

    OYO Sleepy Hollow, Crestline

    ★★★★★3.9 from 409 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

37 Aptos hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Peter Halvorsen

Peter Halvorsen The Nordics

Twenty-six years of teaching means 26 long summers. Trains and driving through most of Europe, now further afield, usually alone with a tent. Keeps every train ticket since 1994.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.