-
December 2024 by Chrissy G.
This is a beautiful campus, but there were a few hiccups during our stay that made the experience three stars rather than five. Starting with the good: There are really great amenities here, such as a fitness facility, sauna in the women's locker room, two heated pools and one jacuzzi, and beautiful walking trails in the backwoods of the property. There is a restaurant on-site with decent food and a beautiful view of the distant coast. The room was well kept and clean, and I loved the decor, coffee maker, and fridge. The room key is small and on an elastic band to wear around the wrist for convenience. All employees we came in contact with were professional. However, here were the issues: First, there are not enough parking spaces and the spaces themselves are small (just enough for modern compact cars). Second, our room did not have heat and kept blowing 72 degree air in November/December. My partner joked that we will find a space heater in our room when we return from dinner. When we got back, we were greeted by a space heater. The heater had exposed coiled that emitted a panel of orange light, which made me think it was morning throughout the night. Needless to say, I had terrible sleep. To make it worse, the heater barely gave off any heat. But topping it off was when I tried making coffee in the morning, the circuit couldn't handle both the heater and the coffee maker, so the electricity went out. Third, the walls and flooring are thin. My partner is 6'2" and 200 lb and while I was laying in bed, I could feel the floor shake as he walked. He wasn't stomping, just simply walking as he normally does. I can't imagine having to stay in the unit below us. In addition, we could hear, clear as day, kids laughing and running up and down the hallway. Lastly, we had to walk back to our room from the pool to get towels because there were none at the pool. The spa building has towels lined up behind the front desk, but it closed at 8. The pool didn't close until 10, so the only option was to get our bath towels. Once we got to the pool, there were kids screaming and running around the area with no parental supervision in site. I know this says more about the guests, but the property should have employees check in the pool area every so often to regulate and to replenish towels. As for other observations, I am not factoring the following into my rating because it is too subjective on my part, but still worth mentioning if anyone cares like I do: The driveway to the property from the main road is narrow. If you get nervous driving on a narrow road, come in your smallest car. The on-site restaurant charges a living wage fee of 4% of your total bill. There was signage at the hostess area so we expected it, but it's off putting to see that this restaurant is just another establishment that does not pay their employees enough. I have never heard of this mandatory fee where I am from. The nearest vending machine to our room does not take credit cards. A bottle of Aquafina was $2.50 and I'm glad I had a few dollars at hand (which I typically do not and rely on the convenience of contactless or credit card payments). I didn't search for other vending machines to see if those took credit cards. Any change from the vending machine were quarters and the change slot was jammed so we only got $0.75 back when we should have gotten $2.50 back. The signs on the walking trails are not the best. The signs had arrows, but it is hard to understand where the arrows point to. We got off the trail a few times but eventually found our way back. This property seems to be family oriented, and thus, kid-friendly. If you are not looking for a weekend with screaming children, this probably isn't the best stay for you.
-
November 2024 by David K.
I discovered the Chaminade in October and stayed again this weekend for 2 nights and overall I think this is a really nice and unique place. And they are very dog friendly which is great for me because I take my dog everywhere. Overall the staff is great, all very friendly and they work hard to make your experience a good one. Very convenient to have a restaurant on site -- the food is above average and the staff is great ( always brought my dog water and treats). And the service is fast, we were getting our food within 20 minutes for the most part. I like the setup of the main building, with restaurant downstairs, has very nice tile work, railings and decor. The amenities are great -- I've used the pool and hot tub both times I've stayed and my kids really appreciate the facilities too. The grounds are really nice and the hiking trails are great because with them you pretty much have everything you need here for a short stay. The rooms are really nice, simple, clean and comfortable. The one complaint I have is that both times I've stayed here, my first room had A/C or heating problems so we had to move to different rooms. This time, the heating in my first room wasn't working and it was quite cold , so they gave us a new room -- everything was working and comfortable in that one. I will keep going back to the Chaminade since I think it's a great place and a good value for the money and my dog loves their biscuits !
-
November 2024 by Allan T.
Attended for work related retreat with overnight stay. Activities were overall lackluster including the paint and sip which did not include the sip portion which was not specifically stated. The artist leading the session, Kimberly, was amazing and she did a great job with our group. We had to provide our own wine which is extremely misleading for the price they charge. During lunch, they did not provide enough lunches for our group, we asked for a replacement and my colleague was provided rotten undercooked salmon. Absolutely disgusting. For $30 a lunch, the rest of us received a wrap with a microgram of flavorless cold chicken, a goddamn nature valley bar, and a Granny Smith apple. Who even eats these raw dog? What in the.... Anyway, onto the pasta making, the guy instructing us did not know how to make pasta. Almost none of us ended up with edible pasta. The whole thing was rushed and it didn't feel like anyone even wanted us there. The experience for the price was insanely expensive for almost nothing. For how much our company paid, the rooms were exceedingly bare. Looks like a motel room I could have rented out for $100 a night instead of the $500+ a night we paid for. Please go ANYWHERE ELSE for your retreat or stay. If you do come, expect to be treated like trash and tossed to the street. There were larger groups there (Stanford) who may have taken all the attention. Maybe they can just buy out the resort so no one else has to come here. Because it sure felt that way. Edit: Forgot to mention that staff 'accidentally' entered a female colleagues room WITHOUT knocking while she was using the restroom thinking there was no one in the room. Who doesn't knock before entering or just checking in case? What did we get for it? $25 credit to spend on their overpriced bland white people food. Insane customer service. They will not treat you like human.
-
October 2024 by G C.
Great location, great property and The View restaurant was very good for both dinner and breakfast. Now about the room; Located in first floor bldg #1. Patio resort view room fronts the parking lot (no privacy). Room is very very dated. Front Doors rattle each time another guest opens and closes their room. Walls paper thin and you can hear your neighbors all night long coming and going. Refrigerator buzzed all night. Bathtub shower combo should have grab bars. Quality of towels were coarse. A/C unit blows air directly at your head while lying in bed. Honestly, this is not worth the $500 per night. Won't be back anytime soon. Very disappointed in quality of room.
-
October 2024 by Max Y.
Facts, no Fluff, some Fuzzy (my opinion) ---- Facts: Review of the Hotel Walls are thin with very little sound proofing. Could hear coughing, talking, doors closing. Refrigerator buzzed all night. Our stay was due to another hotel mishap and we were told that we would not be charged for the room. We were charged. I had to call to get a refund, which we recieved. 15 minute drive to Downtown Santa Cruz. Rooms are larger than normal. Generally a clean room. Friendly reception but made mistakes on our bill. Front door valets were very friendly. The area is in the hills, nice setting. Fuzzy Must get in a car to go to local retail. I wanted to be closer ---- Review of the The View Restaurant Facts, no fluff The Host lacked thoughtfulness. We requested outdoor seating. They were going to seat us but we realized it was a cold night, we had to ask if there were heaters. It seemed as if they were going to seat us at a non heated table. A thoughtful comment might have been "we have outdoor seating but none at the moment with heaters, do you still want to sit outdoors?" We sat inside but the Dining area was chilly where we sat as they left doors open to the outdoor seating. Found a small piece of Plastic wrap was found inside our food. Concentrated clumps of salt in one dish. Live music is great, not our favorite genre Server was friendly and attentive Fuzzy: Cocktail flavor was average, almost seemed watered down.
-
October 2024 by Julia F.
Wow! What a disappointment. Splurged with one night here for my birthday while visiting my son in Santa Cruz. So excited after looking at website. Had multiple problems with this "resort". Here were some of the issues.; -Parking hard to find -King room with patio was on a parking lot -Other guests being given our room and keys and walked in on us. No apology from anyone. -Unable to get into room after this incident. Had to get our keys reset. Again no sincere apologies -After a nice dinner out we return to have a jacuzzi. Walk across whole property to find there are no towels by the pool after 8 although the pool is opened until 10. Found an employee and begged for towels. She told me to go back to my room and use our bath towels. Seriously. I am paying a resort fee for this? So no swim - Decide then to get a drink at the bar. Greeted by employee telling us kitchen is closed. Fine. Can we at least get a drink? -The room was fine but needs updated and painted. -No internet in the morning when we awoke. Went to front desk and was told the internet was working in the lobby. Ok, but can we get it in our room? Will not be back here or recommend anyone to this resort. So sad. So much potential.
-
October 2024 by Kevan M.
My family stayed here for one night in late September. They have charming grounds and a stunning lobby and dining area. The staff all acted courteous, friendly and welcoming. During our stay, we swam in the pool and ate breakfast on their lovely patio. They have pretty nice rooms and beds but they're not the highlight of the resort experience here.
-
October 2024 by Catherine M.
My husband and I kept seeing commercials for this place, so we booked it for our 5th anniversary. The property is in a small grove on a hillside, about a mile from the ocean. We arrived early, and the room wasn't yet ready, so we were given a pass key to the pool. Since it was our anniversary, we were given vouchers for two free cocktails in the restaurant. The poolside bar was nice, and we were comped a cocktail-great service there. The only downside to the place is that the massages and the spa were booked up, and we couldn't get in. Also, be aware that the walls are very thin-we could hear a dog yapping two doors down, and someone was using a printer that we could hear through the walls. Overall, the place has gorgeous views...when the marine layer isn't in.
-
October 2024 by Cindy S.
We were celebrating an anniversary and decided to spend it at the Chaminade Resort & Spa. The property sits on 300 acres, at the top of a hill overlooking the city of Santa Cruz, with the Pacific ocean on the horizon. The onsite restaurant, The View, lives up to its name with a lovely view of the city below and a variety of food options to choose from. Every single meal we ordered was excellent. We had breakfast every morning, with choices that range from a Country breakfast with a side of your choice including bacon, sausage or ham, breakfast sandwiches, french toast, pancakes, cereal, the list goes on. Dinner options included fish, tacos, a hamburger that I totally enjoyed and so many other things to choose from. The calamari was different than the usual batter fried fish you typically have, and so tasty. Everything we ordered was better than I expected, so we ate every meal there. The service was outstanding and every employee was friendly and welcoming. The Chaminade also gives you a $35 food credit every day of your visit, which basically cancels out the daily resort fee. They have live music every evening which was a nice touch and very entertaining. The property allows pets and provides lovely accommodations for your furry family members with a meal, a bed, and treats if you like. They have walking trails surrounding the property, Pickle ball courts, a swimming pool, and a spa for those that want to truly enjoy this wonderful place. We were originally given a junior suite but after one evening we asked if there was a room available that had a separate room to sit or make coffee, while one of us wanted to sleep a little longer. The Chaminade was so accommodating and offered another room that gave us exactly what we were looking for. Thank you so much for that! The occasional deer family roaming the property were a beautiful site and a lovely moment to enjoy nature at its best. The property had been completely renovated since the last time we visited. The remodel is beautiful and inviting. The interior, the grounds, everything was so lovely. One thing I really liked was the Valet person who opened the door for you with a warm greeting and a smile, no matter how many times you came by. There was plenty of parking in the section we were staying, with everything within a short walking distance. Our only disappointment was not being able to stay longer. After this experience we plan on visiting more often, since it's not more than a 2 hour ride from the Bay Area. Thank you to the staff for making our stay so enjoyable. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
-
September 2024 by Barbara C.
The resort is beautiful and perfect for the wedding. But the bathroom was terrible. The shower barely had water coming out and no exhaust in the bathroom so everything fogged up. For a high class resort..... up date your bathroom!!!
-
September 2024 by Hannah S.
Stay out of the pool and hot tub! As soon as the jets were turned on, our eyes started burning and our skin felt irritated. Everyone got out after a couple of minutes. The next day, we realized our swimsuits were bleached and our jewelry was ruined. For such an expensive resort, this is unbelievable and unsafe.
-
September 2024 by Cindy W.
Less than great experience in the spa. Rude and rushed customer service. Poor tea service. Looked tacky and only had Earl Grey for an afternoon treatment. Not exactly a good beginning. Massage was nice. Facial was sub par. When I mentioned the less then stellar experience again front desk staff was snippy and said facial gal was their best hence my birthday girl must not know a good facial treatment. My birthday guest was 70 that day and embarrassed by it all. I was married at Chaminade 30 years ago, am a frequent diner and even hosted a yoga retreat a few years back. Unfortunately, the spa and I will not meet again. Very disappointed indeed!
-
September 2024 by Elizabeth P.
The Chaminade has a lot of untapped potential in my opinion. The staff need to do a much better job of cleaning rooms. We ended up going to the nearby Macys to buy towels, pillows and comforters. The comforters were not clean, so we chose not to use them. We were informed that they is no cleaning service to the rooms during customers stay. The amenities are nice, and the pool, gym and hot tub all were clean. The staff, with the exception of the valets, are not friendly at all, customer service was sorely lacking. The Valents should be hired to provide training for the other staff on good customer service. I understand that it is challenging to find good staff, but a luxury resort and spa without good customer service is not a luxury at all.
-
September 2024 by Heidi W.
Super disappointed in this place. With such a beautiful location and property they could do way better. The room (King with a "resort" view aka parking lot) was beat up. Dents, dings, scratches through out the hotel room walls. The bed was hard as wood with no topper for comfort. You could feel the springs pushing into your back. We checked out at 4:30 am because my husband I and couldn't sleep or get comfortable. No staff on site at this hour to check guests out so I had to phone it in after we left. The furniture throughout the room did not look clean; like they give it a basic wipe down leaving front facing stains on everything. The remote didn't work, dead batteries. No microwave in the room. Burned out light bulbs in 2 of the lamps. Scratchy, cheap sheets, thin towels and rough TP! Ouch! The room building look like apartments and need cleaning outside and in the hallways. It comes across as very outdated. 7 bills for 2 nights! They clearly have a problem, see the other similar reviews. Would love a refund for having to stay in this dirty room. Unacceptable. Two stars ++ here for the pool area and restaurant areas. The pool area is large with two pools and two hot tubs and very clean. Friendly pool staff providing smiles, towels and drinks at their Kioski. Late evening movie playing outside on a large screen while tubbing was cool. The restaurant area (inside and out) was beautiful with a good size lounge/bar area and friendly staff who also offered smiles and hospitality. The drinks were very good and well made both times we went. We did not eat there so I can not comment on the food. . The hospitality staff that I did encounter at the front desk and in the spa need some training on hospitality and an update on what jobs they do, services they offer and the basics of the resort and its policies. It just didn't seem they cared about anything or where into their Hospitality jobs, representing the resort or offering guests any kind of assistance. I always felt like I was bothering them as they were being interrupted while socializing with their coworkers. Doubt we will be back.....
-
September 2024 by Kristin F.
Let's start with the good: The property is absolutely stunning. Gorgeous tile in the lobby, beautiful Spanish buildings everywhere. The check in went smooth, and they gave us a free bottle of Pinot Noir. We booked massages for our girls trip, and the massages themselves were exceptional. Shout out Sharon. Now let's get to the bad; -there is NO parking. Do you practically HAVE to use the vallet. -In our room, the outlets in the bathroom didn't work, so none of us girls were able to do our hair. -The resort website is. It very functional. We booked our massages, and ran into several "error codes." It was not ways to book the massages, and we had to call directly. -the "room service" portal doesn't work well. We selected breakfast burritos, but it FORCED you to chose a "modification." The only Mod available was "tofu instead of meat." There was no option for "none" so we were unable to order the burritos. We called the front desk, who transferred us to the restaurant, who didn't answer. Did this three times. So we went INTO the restaurant, and it was packed and understaffed. Waited about 20 minutes with no help. By this time, we were starving, but almost late for the massages, so we went to the front desk and asked or order to-go bagels or fruit or something. "We don't have anything to do with the restaurant." So we were hangry, and disappointed. No breakfast after almost an hour of trying. -the massages were great, but the facilities are meh, at best. The locker room could use Some major work.
