Chaminade At Santa Cruz

Chaminade was our second stop on a 4 day trip up the coast, and was by far the most disappointing accomodations that we experienced. The young woman at the front desk seemed almost indignant that a Priceline customer would request a room with 2 beds. Our assigned room was in a rundown building that can only be described as a glorified dormitory. The hallway was really gross.....The carpeting was stained, the light birch doors were significantly scratched, the wallpaper was peeling away from the baseboards and seams, the lighting was exposed fluorecent tubing, and the patio was "closed at this time". Our room was very spacious, nicely decorated and the beds were incredibly comfortable. Unfortunately, the bathroom was not much bigger than a closet. The paint on the walls was chipped, the grout in between the counter tile was chipped and the toilet paper supply was the 1/4 of a roll on the dispenser. When we awoke the next morning, I walked to the main building in search of coffee. Coffee was available in the bar area, which has a beautiful view of the ocean. I was going to sit down and enjoy both the coffee and the view, however, the fabric covered chairs were so grimy and stained, that I opted for an outdoor bench. Given the accomodations that we experienced both the previous and following nights (which were charming, spacious and less expensive), Chaminade was definitely a disappointment. Chamindade is a beautiful property that has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it's current rundown condition will keep us from becoming returning guests.

We have stayed at Chaminade several times over the last 8 years - the last time during Thanksgiving week 11/23 - 24. Each stay has been very enjoyable. Staff is very courteous. One stay I injured my leg playing tennis and a staff member at the rec area was very attentive providing ice and even followed up with a phone call to my home a few days later. We go for the tennis, pool, jacuzzi and fitness areas. Thanksgiving week was very nice as there were fewer guests than the summer periods. Our 3 boys have more than enough to do. The location is awesome and away from the main roads, but has easy access to the freeway. Capitola, the Boardwalk and downtown Santa Cruz are very easy to get to. The beds are extremely comfortable which prompted us to buy our own feather bed for home. The rooms are clean and well-kept. We will only stay at Chaminade for our Santa Cruz vacations.

We stayed at the Chaminade Sept. 23&24th, we were happily surprised by how peaceful and pleasant the hotel and grounds were. Our room was very clean, plus a good size. The beds were very confortable, you had the feeling you were at a very nice resort. The breakfast buffet had everything you could want, and I thought at reasonable price. I found all the staff more than pleasant and willing to help with any need or question. I would definitely recommend staying here in you are going to be in the Santa Cruz area. The view is just lovely. I would not bring children here, even though they have a nice pool, children might find it too quiet.

This is such a beautiful hotel, I couldn't believe the price for the quality. The bedding was so soft and dreamy, I slept like a baby. Our room had a forest view with an alcove, plenty of space and an ice machine right outside the door. I loved being able to stop in at the computers in the lobby and check my e-mail or surf a bit on the internet at my leisure. The view from the restaurant was very, very nice. The Chaminade is a tranquil retreat.

I'm docking them for one star because they advertised having a kids program called the Redwood Rascals and cancelled it, but kept their advertising sign up in the lobby and on the internet. Also, when checking out, they overcharged and we had to point that out to them and have it adjusted. However, they were very friendly and it worked out well.

We spent last week-end at Chaminade for a relative's wedding. We found the rooms adequate, even though the drawers in the dresser would not stay closed. But the resaurants were understaffed and so the service was very slow, esecially in the main dining room. Also, our room was not made up by 2:45 in the afternoon, even though we placed the "Please make up early" sign on the door. We felt that for almost $200, this room was overpriced. HOWEVER,--the food at the wedding was TERRIFIC! And the drinks were NOT watered down,--they were great! I think the place could use more staff.

The Chaminade was a wonderful surprise and I felt lucky to come across this gem on an internet booking site. I stayed very recently on business and found the grounds, rooms, and amenities to be impeccable and luxurious. My favorite times of each day were my morning walk on the Chaminade's beautiful forest trail, and on the deck of the lounge, overlooking the ocean each afternoon. I was by myself and made to feel welcome and comfortable the entire time. Even with its convention/event attendees, it maintains an intimate feel for individual travelers and families. It is off the beaten path and yet fully elegant, all for a reasonable price.

On April 23 2004 I booked a room on Travelocity at the Chaminade for the following night. When we arrived at check in, we were told that Travelocity had never faxed them about our prepaid reservation. The hotel was sold out, they were hosting a large wedding and it was clear that they could care less about our lack of room. I had all the paperwork and reservation numbers from Travelocity. We were kept waiting over an hour and a half while they bumbled around. They did give us complimentary drinks while we waited, the very least that they could do. They blamed Travelocity for the mistake, and said because it was Travelocity's mistake they would do nothing for us. I felt very clearly that Travelocity customers are second class citizens at the Chaminade. Chaminade choses to use Travelocity to book rooms and advertise, and to collect prepaid reservations, but it will not help you out if there is some kind of mistake. We asked several times what Chaminade would do to make up for this and were told that they would do nothing. They did to try to find us another room, in Scotts Valley 25 minutes away, that we would have to pay for. We ended up paying a lot of money for a less than great place in Santa Cruz as all hotels at that time were booked and we wanted to be in Santa Cruz, not miles away. I have stayed at hotels both grand and budget, all over the world, and have never been treated this way. A ruined Weekend. My husband has called teh manager to complain. I have sent my complaint in writing to Chaminade over two weeks ago and have heard nothing back.

My son was married this past April at the Chaminade. My family stayed in rooms prior to the wedding. It is a fabulous place. The beds are European style fine linens feeling soft as a cloud. Everything is new and clean. The grounds and view are spectacular. There is a gym, pool, and spa with all services. Truly, it is beautiful. It is also REASONABLY priced. Most rooms have two large beds and a patio area. There is also a game room.

My family and I have stayed at the Chaminade many times over the past 10 years. The property is absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, you can hear people talk when you are inside of your room. I have asked many times if they are going to do anything about it (sound insulation?) but have not had favorable responds. I try to feel out the front desk to see if they can put us in a room where there are not a lot of people in a particular location (they have different buildings) to cut the noise.

Also, the swimming pool is a bit beat up. On our last visit (Summer, 2002) the bottom of the pool definitely needed help. I'm not sure if anything has been done since. The breakfast buffet and staff are wonderful. It sounds pretty bad but I guess it is all about location, location, location.

I had the pleasure of staying at The Chaminade recently and it could not have been any better. The grounds are gorgeous and the view is breath taking. Chaminade sits on a hillside overlooking the entire Monterey Bay. They had just opened their new spa and the treatment I received was top notch. The food served in both their main dining room and in their bar was fabulous and the view just adds to it. But I must say that what really stood out was the service and the staff. Everyone smiled and greeted me warmly thoughout my stay. It could not have been better.