Leaving Pismo Beach, we continued our drive Northward along the PCH until we eventually made it to Santa Cruz, CA, at nightfall,
For our first time visiting Santa Cruz, we decided on staying at the Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection.
But was that a wise decision?
Review: Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection Hotel
Full Disclosure: We visited this hotel during the pandemic (when resort services were limited).Â
Image: hotelparadox.com
The Booking And Marriott Bonvoy Redemption
The nightly rate during our stay was $168.88 for a “Cozy Guest Room, 1 King”, which we booked as part of the “Work From Here” package (I’ll get to that in a minute).
Hotel Paradox was a Category 6 Marriott Bonvoy hotel, which meant it was also bookable for the [off-peak] rate of 40,000 points.
At just 0.42 CPP, that would have been a mediocre to poor Bonvoy redemption, so we decided to just pay cash.
Before our arrival, I put in a request for a “Suite Night” through the app, but I wasn’t sure if it had been granted or not.
Location, Arrival & Parking
The Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection was located pretty much smack in the middle of Santa Cruz, pinched between the San Lorenzo River and Branciforte Creek near the Santa Cruz Riverwalk.
It was easy to find, and there was plenty of self-parking.
The Lobby & Check-In
The Hotel Paradox was famous for its front desk which is composed entirely of from one large coastal redwood tree, and seeing it in person did not disappoint (you don’t see that everyday).
The gentlemen working the front desk during our check-in may have been the nicest, most professional hotel employee I’ve ever met in my life.
I was genuinely warmly greeted and thanked for my Bonvoy loyalty and Platinum status.
I was then handed a welcome bag and told I could pick any two items from the snack bar next to the front desk.
He then told me that “he owed me a bottle of wine”, and that I could take my pick from their available selection. I asked him for his recommendation, and after going through the merits of several different bottles, he recommended a local bottle of 2015 Merlot.
Then he handed me a breakfast coupon for two as my Platinum benefit (to be used at Solaire) as well as a $10 coupon towards anything at the [well-curated] “bar” behind the front desk. We went with a couple of beers.
As he was grabbing the beers, he noticed I was checking out the Santa Cruz Skateboard exhibition in the lobby (I’ll get to that later) and so he reached in to the desk and handed me a couple official Santa Cruz “screaming hand” stickers.
Next, he informed me that our “Suite Night” request had been granted, and they were giving us their largest room, the “1 King Bed, 1-Bedroom Suite” (which went for $357 that night, in case you were wondering).
As if all that wasn’t enough, he offered to personally show us to our room.
I felt like I was dealing with the Jedi Master of excellent service!
The Lobby
Rental Bikes
The Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Benefits
The “Work From Here” Package
As I mentioned earlier, we booked the “Work From Here” package which was supposed to come with free parking and a 1/2 bottle of wine per the terms of the package.
Well, as it turned out, we got a full-size bottle of wine!
The “screaming hand”
The Room Key
 The Elevator Area
By now, it was clear Hotel Paradox was a special place indeed.
It was “kooky” in the best possible way (and I expected nothing less than that from the town that brought us the “Lost Boys” movie from the 80’s).
Why the telephone? Why ask why?
The Hallway
The “1 King Bed, 1-Bedroom Suite” (Suite Night Upgrade)
As soon as I opened the door, it was love at first sight.
The room had that very “NoCal” feeling which was perfectly expressed through the mix of white and black wooden accents throughout the room.
The room was “warm” and warmly lit, and even came with a legit tree-stump table.
The Bedroom Area
The Living Area (Room)
The living area in the room next door was also warm and well-lit.
In fact, the entire suite just had a “good-vibe” to it.
The Bathroom
The bathroom, unlike the rest of the suite, went with a “cold” aesthetic of white-light, dark stone, and river rocks.
Like the rest of the room, I really dug it.
The Italian ACCA KAPPA line was the Hotel Paradox’s toiletry brand of choice (although they also snuck in a Pharmacopia bar of soap).
Stone-floor shower
The Closet (In The Bathroom)
The rooms closet was [strangely] placed in the bathroom.
The View From The Room (Balcony)
The swimming pool…in a coffin shape?
The parking lot
The Encampment Next Door
One thing to note, there was a large homeless encampment along the Riverwalk in the San Lorenzo Park (next to the parking lot).
However, it was strangely quiet, I didn’t actually see or hear any people there at all.
The View From The Room (Balcony) At Night
Walking The Property
Walking the hotel was just straight-up, plain-old fun.
Everywhere we looked, we found something awesomely weird.
From the white squirrels on the wall, to the “playable art exhibit”, to the Santa Cruz Skateboards, there was plenty to explore.
Train exhibit (on the wall)
An army of white squirrels
The Art Installations
Playable art
Santa Cruz Skateboards Artwork By Jim Phillips
Man, that Jim Phillips Exhibition sure brought back some great memories!
To see these special versions of the original legendary skateboard masterpieces was awesome.
The Boardroom And Hall
Where else are you gonna find a board room surrounded by Redwoods?
Breakfast At Solaire
As part of our Platinum benefit, we cashed in our breakfast coupons for the complimentary breakfast.
We were given a $12 credit each to order anything off the breakfast “grab and go” menu.
We went with the Avocado Toast and Eggs and the Chilaquiles. Both were excellent.
The Avocado Toast and Eggs
The Chilaquiles
The Swimming Pool Area
The Bottom-Line Review: Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection Hotel
I’ve stayed at some amazing hotels last year (including Ritz-Carltons, Park Hyatts, etc.) but this was easily my favorite. It was just the most fun. Everything about the place was right up my “Generation X” alley.
The Hotel Paradox, Autograph Hotel [paradoxically] had a certain tangible darkness, but also a really powerful and overwhelming “good-vibe” to it. It was just awesomely weird in the coolest possible way.
We loved the suite, the breakfast was great, and the bottle of wine was gone within the first ten minutes. Not to mention, the value we got from booking the “Work From Here” promo, using our “Suite Night” coupon, and for being Platinum members was almost as great as the hotel’s service itself. The service was just stand-out exceptional!
The bottom-line? We loved it!
Final Rating: 10 out of 10.
