Torch Lite Inn

2.5 star property
Art Deco motel in Santa Cruz with free parking

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Photo gallery for Torch Lite Inn

Marina
Front of property
Signature Room | Premium bedding, pillowtop beds, desk, blackout drapes
Terrace/patio
Lobby

Reviews

7.6 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Parking included
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Housekeeping
  • Air conditioning
  • Free WiFi

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 2 of 2 rooms

Signature Room

Highlights

Air conditioning
Heating
Refrigerator
LCD TV
Pillowtop bed
Blackout drapes/curtains
Premium bedding
Shower/tub combination
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

Deluxe Room

Highlights

Air conditioning
Heating
Refrigerator
LCD TV
Pillowtop bed
Blackout drapes/curtains
Premium bedding
Shower/tub combination
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Similar properties

About the neighborhood

Map
500 Riverside Ave, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060

What's nearby

  • Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - 7 min walk - 0.4 miles
  • Santa Cruz Main Beach - 8 min walk - 0.5 miles
  • Main Beach - 8 min walk - 0.5 miles
  • Santa Cruz Wharf - 13 min walk - 0.7 miles
  • Cowell's Beach - 15 min walk - 0.8 miles

Getting around

  • Watsonville, CA (WVI-Watsonville Municipal) - 27 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - ‬7 min walk
  • ‪Boardwalk Bowl - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪Los Viejones - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Marini's at the Beach - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪Hot Dog on A Stick - ‬7 min walk

About this property

Torch Lite Inn

Motel near Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Torch Lite Inn provides a terrace and more. Guests can connect to free in-room WiFi.
You'll also find perks like:
  • Free self parking
  • Smoke-free premises, a 24-hour front desk, and a vending machine
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Guest reviews give top marks for the helpful staff and location
Room features
All guestrooms at Torch Lite Inn feature perks such as premium bedding and air conditioning, in addition to amenities like free WiFi. Guest reviews speak positively of the clean rooms at the property.
Other conveniences in all rooms include:
  • Shower/tub combinations, free toiletries, and hair dryers
  • 40-inch LCD TVs with premium channels
  • Refrigerators, microwaves, and coffee/tea makers

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Onsite parking available only on request
  • Free self parking on site
  • Limited onsite parking (max 1 space per unit)

Family friendly

  • In-room microwave
  • In-room refrigerator

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Vending machine

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

Outdoors

  • Outdoor furniture
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Hardwood flooring in room
  • No elevator
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk

More

  • 2 buildings
  • 2 floors
  • Art Deco architecture
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Blackout drapes
  • Pillowtop mattress
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Shower/bathtub combination
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 40-inch LCD TV with premium cable channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Phone

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 6:00 AM
Early check-in subject to availability
Early check-in fee: USD 45
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
If you are planning to arrive after 10:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
This property's listed general deposit is refundable via credit card within 14 days after check-out, pending room inspection.

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
2 children can stay for free if using existing beds when occupying the parent or guardian's room
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Deposit: USD 200.00 per accommodation, per stay

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

This property's listed general deposit is refundable via credit card within 14 days after check-out, pending room inspection.

Optional extras

  • Early check-in fee: USD 45 (subject to availability)

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve onsite parking
This property accepts credit cards and cash
This property reserves the right to pre-authorize the guest's credit card prior to arrival.
Safety features at this property include a smoke detector
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property

We should mention

This property does not have elevators

Property is also known as

Torch Lite Inn
Torch Lite Inn Santa Cruz
Torch Lite Santa Cruz
Torch Lite Hotel Santa Cruz
Torch Lite Motel
Torch Lite Inn Motel
Torch Lite Inn Santa Cruz
Torch Lite Inn Motel Santa Cruz

Frequently asked questions

Is Torch Lite Inn pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Torch Lite Inn?

Self parking is free at this property.

What time is check-in at Torch Lite Inn?

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 6:00 AM. Early check-in is available for a fee of USD 45 (subject to availability). Late check-in is available during limited hours.

What time is check-out at Torch Lite Inn?

Check-out is at 11 AM.

Where is Torch Lite Inn located?

Located in Westside Santa Cruz, this motel is within a 10-minute walk of Ocean Street and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Monterey Bay is 1.7 mi (2.8 km) away.

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Torch Lite Inn Reviews

Reviews

7.6

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 391 out of 1009 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 260 out of 1009 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 169 out of 1009 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 79 out of 1009 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 110 out of 1009 reviews

8.2/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

6.8/10

Amenities

7.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Makenna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff super friendly and was a very easy stay overall. Definitely alleviated travel stress!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jacqueline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Definitely coming back, close to the boardwalk. Lots of things walking distance!
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

dylan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great stay
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kayla

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It was wonderful!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Clean, polite service. No issues.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Caitlin

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities
My partner and I stayed for one night in a deluxe room. It was quiet, had blackout curtains, and the room appeared as advertised. There was also plenty of parking and the location is convenient. We were disappointed in the cleanliness - the floor was filthy and there were some insects. The one window in our corner room did not have a bug screen, so we weren't able to enjoy the fresh air.
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

8/10 Good

Maria

Liked: Staff & service
Staff way very understanding with check in late..
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Esau

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Tv was great sizes.

Hotel was nice inside. Great tv size too.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mitch

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Not where I normally stay in Santa Cruz but was in town for a night and didn't want to pay $300. Will probably stay here again, the room was nice, the location excellent, with lots of parking. Easy walk to the beach, boardwalk, wharf, and downtown, what else do you need?
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

All good.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
For an airport hotel, you couldn’t ask for more.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The place was nice and close to the boardwalk.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024

2/10 Terrible

Claudia

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Dirty and unsafe
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Dylan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Rooms are nice, location isn’t too far from the boardwalk or downtown too.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2024

8/10 Good

tammy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I was pleasantly surprised when i got in our room..it was remodeled very nicely..doesnt match the outside . Quiet ....close to boardwalk
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Nichola

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Good enough
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jame

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

The Torch stayed lit up!

This hotel is a hidden gem and very conveniant as far as bars and restaurants. The rooms were very clean and the manager of the hotel was very professional. The price of the room wasvery affordable and right by the wharf.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2025

8/10 Good

Joshua

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great place to stay

Great place to stay
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Eileen

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
It was great for the price, and the staff was supportive. Made small talk, and the process was smooth, definitely give it a solid 8/10. The only suggestion I have is cleaning the rooms a little more through.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

2/10 Terrible

Laurent

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
When I arrived there, it had no parking at all. I went into my room and I forgot my toothbrush, so I asked them if they had any and they said no. Which hotel room doesn't have toothbrush??! This experience was crazy. NEVER RETURNING THERE
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Consuelo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

definitely recommend!!

great customer service check in was fast and easy, very clean & walking distance to the boardwalk definitely recommend!!
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

8/10 Good

Ulises

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great stay they require a 100 deposit and will return after they check out room
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

4/10 Poor

Amanda

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I would not recommend staying here. I should have paid more attention to the poor reviews. The photos look nice enough, so we gave it a chance. The flooring in our room was sloppily put together with multiple gaps and splitters/ flooring sticking straight up. We didn't feel safe walking barefoot in the room. The room smelled unpleasant. The bed was uncomfortable. We didn't try the breakfast. The location was good, but the hotel needs a lot of improvements.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

2/10 Terrible

daniel

Disliked: Amenities
Car broken into twice in one night. Never again!!!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025