I had the worst motel experience of my life staying at Aqua Breeze Inn in Santa Cruz from March 25–28.
I was traveling with another adult female and three children, including a toddler in a stroller. We were placed on the third floor with no elevator and given no prior notice. Carrying everything upstairs with kids was extremely difficult. When I politely asked about a lower-level room, I was told no.
Upstairs, a cleaning cart blocked the walkway, so I moved it slightly to get through. Shortly after, a large male staff member came to my room while I was unloading and began yelling at me, calling me disrespectful and accusing me of being aggressive. He then threatened to kick us out without a refund, leaving two women and three children without accommodations. I tried to de-escalate, but it was intimidating and unprofessional.
Later, he aggressively confronted a visiting friend about parking and continued to question her, saying he would be watching cameras. That same night, I received two back-to-back calls from the front desk around 9:40 PM, which felt intrusive.
At checkout, they kept my deposit over a smoking rule that was never clearly communicated—no signs or paperwork.
The treatment felt targeted and uncomfortable. Overall, the staff was hostile and unprofessional. I would not stay here again.
