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Capitola · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels near Capitola Beach

Katarina Novak

Katarina Novak Britain and Ireland

Updated 1 September 2026 · 61 Capitola hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Capitola, out of the 61 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 4.4.

All five are within 3.7 km of Capitola Beach.

Inn At Depot Hill

Highest rated of the five

Inn At Depot Hill

★★★★★4.7 from 146 reviews

Inn At Depot Hill comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 146 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 poi and around $372 a night on the dates we checked.

61 hotels in Capitola qualified for this list and five made it. Best Western Plus Capitola By-the-Sea Inn & Suites is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

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All five, ranked

  1. Inn At Depot Hill1

    Inn At Depot Hill

    ★★★★★4.7 from 146 reviews

    400 m from Capitola Beach, about a 5 minute walk

    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  2. Best Western Plus Capitola By-the-Sea Inn & Suites2

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

    ★★★★★4.5 from 784 reviews

    1.2 km from Capitola Beach, about a 15 minute walk

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

    Check rates Read more

  3. Bella Notte, a ZenStay Hotel3

    Bella Notte, a ZenStay Hotel

    ★★★★★4.8 from 142 reviews

    3.7 km from Capitola Beach

    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  4. Capitola Beach Suites4

    Capitola Beach Suites

    ★★★★★4.4 from 113 reviews

    200 m from Capitola Beach, about a 2 minute walk

    • Spa
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Kid friendly
    • Accessible

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  5. Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Santa Cruz - Capitola5

    Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Santa Cruz - Capitola

    ★★★★★4.4 from 630 reviews

    1.2 km from Capitola Beach, about a 15 minute walk

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

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

61 Capitola hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating first and on how close they are to Capitola Beach second, then 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.

Katarina Novak

Katarina Novak Britain and Ireland

Works long ward rotations, then blocks four days off and disappears. Specialises in short trips done well, mostly cities within three hours' flight. Twenty-two logged so far.

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.