Have you always dreamed of having your wedding on the beach with panoramic ocean views? Dream Inn Santa Cruz is a full-service beachfront hotel wedding ceremony and reception venue located in Santa Cruz, California. We offer breathtaking views of Santa Cruz’s Boardwalk, historic wharf, scenic West Cliff drive, and the Monterey Bay. Begin your wedding day with your toes in the sand, then party the night away in our ballroom space with floor to ceiling windows and sweeping ocean views. The Dream Inn Santa Cruz pays tribute to its history with 1960's whimsical decor and relaxed seaside atmosphere. We offer rentals, catering, bartending, and wedding planning services on site to make your special day everything you have dreamed of!
Facilities and Capacity Santa Cruz Dream Inn can accommodate up to 200 guests. Spanning 3,500 square feet, the Dream Ballroom features floor-to-ceiling windows that frame scenic views of various iconic landmarks in Santa Cruz.
Services Offered Santa Cruz Dream Inn has an experienced wedding planner who can help couples make the big day perfect. The venue also offers the following services:
Bridal suite
Event planning
In-house catering
In-house bar
Lighting/sound
Event rentals
Accommodations
Set up
Clean up
Cuisine The Dream Inn has a full catering staff and bartending services. It mainly serves American and local cuisines of Santa Cruz. The venue offers various serving options, such as buffet, plated, family style, wandering reception, and more. It also can accommodate dietary needs such as gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
Accommodation Santa Cruz Dream Inn has a number of rooms for couples and guests to stay in. This full-service beachfront hotel offers 165 guest rooms, each of which boasts a stunning ocean view.
Other Facilities Aside from event spaces and accommodations, the venue also has the following facilities:
Parking
Valet
Wheelchair access
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From the first time we spoke with Shelby at the Dream Inn about planning our wedding weekend, we knew that she and her team were the right choice for us. For a 200+ person wedding of folks from all over the U.S., the Dream Inn was a perfect place to host everyone with low stress. We had a great room block, a gorgeous beach ceremony, and a spectacular sunset ballroom reception. We were able to do a second line from the beach to the reception space, and had a live brass band for our Mardi Gras style party! Shelby and Briana were both amazing to work with in the months leading up to the event, making sure to keep us updated on timelines and helping with vendor selection. We needed some big last minute changes due to a family health incident, and Shelby and her team were responsive, supportive, and totally unfazed. They always seemed to be just as excited as we were about the whole event!
Kelsey Sent on 08/17/2024
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Honeymoon stay
We stayed at the Dream Inn in June for our wedding night and had a wonderful experience. Before our stay the staff was kind enough to let us tour a couple of different rooms so that we could request the one with the ocean view that we wanted at the time of booking. Our parents arranged for decorations, gifts, and champagne to be delivered to the room before our arrival, and the staff did a great job setting everything up and were very kind and congratulatory on check-in. Our only regret is that we didn’t get to experience the many amenities of the hotel because we only stayed one night. Overall we loved the ocean views and retro vibe and are looking forward to returning for an anniversary!
Alana Sent on 06/03/2021
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
The Dream Inn is a dream!
Covid bride rescheduled from Dec 2020 to May 2021, The Dream Inn never wavered in support. The whole team was so accommodating, answering continuous questions and working with us to make our wedding happen in any way that it could, safely. The day of went without a hitch and it is the MOST BEAUTIFUL setting to get married. Highly recommend the Dream Inn for both the beauty as well as the service - especially Dan and Danielle. Thank you all!
Priscilla Sent on 10/29/2019
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
What a day!
What a beautiful day! Everything was excellent. Chelsea and Katie were on top of everything. All my guests were so impressed with the professionalism and responsiveness. Such a wonderful venue.
Just gorgeous. Thank you so much!
Marnette Sent on 04/17/2019
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
We had a dream wedding at the Dream Inn
I can't rave enough about this venue. During my rehearsal, everyone in my wedding party "oohed and aahed" as they got to see the view for the first time. We chose the Dream Inn because Santa Cruz means a lot to us and we love how close it is to everything, especially the beaches and th Boardwalk . I loved working with Katie, who was super responsive to all the little questions that I had. I was very anxious about the planning, but she put me right at ease. Our ceremony and reception turned out beautiful. We had so much fun and our guests had positive feedback about the food. We stayed at The Dream Inn for the whole weekend and everyone was super helpful and made us feel especial. We did a lot of the decor ourselves so we needed lots of help bringing items back and forth. Thank you, Dream Inn!
+3photos
Max A. Sent on 11/09/2018
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Unreal Views, Exceptional Staff
We absolutely loved our wedding at The Dream Inn! The venue was gorgeous and the staff was incredible both leading up to and the day of the event.
Let's start with the venue. We looked at a ton of venues. You are simply not going to find a more beautiful venue in Santa Cruz. All of our guests were raving about the views of the beach. There is floor to ceiling glass windows that give you a panorama view of the boardwalk, beach and ocean. Unreal. We were even able to slip out onto the beach during sunset to snap some photos in the sand.
If you book the Dream Inn, you'll have the chance to work with Katie. She's wonderful. You can skip hiring a wedding planner because Katie takes care of so much. She did an unbelievable job for us coordinating everything and providing creative input. It's pretty tough trying to figure out what vendors are really legit, but she was able to give us some honest recommendations on who to use and who to avoid. She worked with them all leading up to the event which took a ton of work off of our plate. She's incredibly organized and took care of every little detail on the day of. We just had to show up and the whole place was setup exactly how we had envisioned it.
Travis Sent on 08/03/2018
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Katie and the Dream Inn staff were awesome! They went above and beyond expectations and I highly recommend having your wedding, or special event with them!
Stephanie Sent on 07/27/2017
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
The Dream Inn, newly owned by Woodside Hotels, is an excellent venue for a beach wedding and amazing reception.
We turned the reception banquet room into a magical, gorgeous space. Floor to ceiling windows showcased the beach and sunset. Katie, the wedding coordinator for the Dream Inn, is absolutely fantastic!
My daughter's wedding was a dream come true and the Dream Inn made it perfect.
User2025811 Sent on 01/28/2015
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
I recently had my 50th birthday party at The Dream Inn and I have to say, it was an absolute *knockout*!
From the planning process with Aurora, Noelle and Marjorie all helping me out to make sure the party met my expectations to Alisha and her amazing service crew the night of the event, my family and friends were made to feel like VIPs the whole night. When a small hiccup occurred re. the location on-property of the scheduled after-party, Alisha stepped up and made it more than right... FAR more than right... and our guests were thrilled.
After the whole thing wound down EIGHT HOURS LATER (!!) we ended up spending an unforgettable night in a tower suite. It was unbelievable : )
It really was one of the great nights of my life and I can't think of anything more the Dream Inn could have done to make it better. I send my deepest thanks to them for a job fabulously done.
User1363621 Sent on 10/04/2013
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
We had a small ceremony on the pool deck and then a reception in the Aquarius bar and restaurant.
Everything was perfect. Vinny the Pool Manager took charge and listened to exactly what we wanted, then made it his business to make sure we were the most important people at the hotel that weekend.
I cannot thank him and the staff enough for a perfect day... it was totally amazing
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Santa Cruz Dream Inn includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
Chairs
China
Clean Up
Event Planning
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
Parking
Set Up
Tables
Santa Cruz Dream Inn includes the following items and services in its wedding catering costs:
Cake Cutting
Server(s)
The bar service starting price at Santa Cruz Dream Inn includes:
Bartender(s)
House Beer
House Wine
Limited Bar
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine
The space offered by Santa Cruz Dream Inn for wedding events is known for:
Beach
Hotel
Waterfront
Santa Cruz Dream Inn offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
Indoor
Uncovered Outdoor
Santa Cruz Dream Inn offers the following types of wedding events:
Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner
Santa Cruz Dream Inn offers the following services for wedding events:
Accommodations
Bar Services
Catering Services
Clean Up
Event Planner
Event Rentals
Get Ready Rooms
Outside Vendors
Wifi
Santa Cruz Dream Inn offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
Audio Equipment
Centerpieces
Chairs
Dance Floor
Furniture
Lighting
Tables
Santa Cruz Dream Inn is recommended by 96% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.8 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.9 in quality of service, 4.8 in average response time, 4.8 in professionalism, 4.7 in flexibility and 4.6 in value.
