Guy who welcomed us was friendly and the grounds were lovely. Room was not as stylish as it appeared in the photos, but beds were comfortable. We were awoken at 9:15am on the morning or our departure by a persistent knocking on the door, and the housekeeper greeted my son who answered the door by telling him she’d like us to be out by 10am or 10:30am because we were the last room she had to clean and she was just waiting for us. My husband later confirmed that check out time was 11am, we left shortly after 10:30am (with the housekeeper waiting outside our room and making us feel like we were massively inconveniencing her even though we weren’t late). It was a rude and unpleasant way to end our vacation after a lovely late Saturday night out at the Boardwalk. Hotel is well located, walking distance to many of our favorite Santa Cruz spots.

The entire property is rundown and shabby. No one to talk to. No heater. No sound proofing. No one cares about anything but tricking you out of your money!

So, the place is really cute from the outside and you can see what it used to be from the inside. There is definitely maintenance that needs to be done (all of the winding knobs for the windows pop off, there is a gap in the bathroom window where the knob is exposing to the outside without a screen, scratches and divits in the walls, dirty near the bottom of the walls) and some sound proofing wouldn't hurt (especially with the number of couples that were there... if you get what I'm saying). Additionally when I showed up to check-in, i was told to go outside to the lockbox and look at my email. I didn't ever get an email from them (and service there is terrible). When I said I never got an email, it was clear the check-in person was annoyed. Then, in the morning around 10:30am there wasn't anyone there to check out. I was told to use the lockbox (and had to request the code because, again, no email). Also, do NOT count on wi-fi. It did not work at all while I was there -- I couldn't even see the network (and I reset my phone multiple times).

This was the second time we’ve stayed at this property. The property is just okay to stay. It was a little outdated and needed more upkeep but it’s quaint and has a real “home” feel to it. The jet feature in the tub was broken, it was missing a smoke detector, the fireplace was on even though we turned it off, and the water pressure in the shower was very week. I guess if you stay here you have to look passed all of the normal comfort of a “hotel” room and look at it kind of like staying at a family member’s house. The price is right when you just need a place to sleep for a night without feeling like it’s a mortgage payment.

Our room smelled of mildew and the pictures of the room on the website do not match the reality. They've removed all of the things that gave the room charm and painted the whole room white. Also, their is a window facing a busy street that has no window coverings. The beds were terrible and I could barely sleep

Very cute and quaint, off a busy street but set back and very foresty, the staff was very nice and accommodating , would stay here again

We stayed for a birthday weekend getaway! We absolutely loved it! Very cute and charming. Tons of character! We had a bolted ceiling room with a wood beam going through it. Also had our own balcony that over looks the Garden and the babbling brook. Very clean and comfortable. There is no fridge in the room, but we had our ice chest since we were planning to hit the beach. So it wasn’t an issue for us. It definitely is one of the older places in Santa Cruz, so if you’re looking for super high end then it’s not for you. I still would recommend to giving it a try because this place was super quiet and tranquil. We plan on returning to the Babbling Brook for our next visit! Love it!!

Loved it ! It was very private and quiet in a great area.

No help on site. No refrigerator. Too bright in the room I had (Renoir). Had to leave and get another hotel.

Great location!

The location is convenient. However, the property overall is way past it's prime. The furniture and fixtures in our room were tired, not in good condition, and need to be replaced. It was likely a nice place 25 years ago, but not great now. Overall cleanliness could be better. We found some trash and a personal item left by previous guests in a corner of the room. The windows are so dirty, they must not have been cleaned for years. Another issue was that we could hear every footstep, the television, and muffled voices from the unit immediately above us until almost midnight. The people weren't being especially loud. Thus, the building itself must be poorly built and/or needs to be insulated. Unless you get a fabulous deal, the Inn is not worth the price!

Babbling brook was quiet, close to downtown, just a 15 minute walk. Service was poor to terrible. No one was at the front desk. Room needed some minor repairs, such as smoke alarm and blinds. Otherwise, nice stay.

Although the location of this hotel is wonderful, so close to downtown, it is not as charming as it is worn and dated now. The floorboards are creaky and our entire room slanted downwards. In the nighttime, when any other guests were walking on the stairs, it was noisy and woke us, as well as a very unhappy child next door. There is small refrigerator in the rooms, making it impossible to chill water or other small drinks, except by continuing to make trips to the ice machine. We changed our reservation prior to the allowed date, but still received a phone call at 1:20 am the night before asking where we were. Then were told that they saw the change, but only after waking me for the night. This should have been checked prior to making the call, in my opinion. Upon checking in, there was noone available, even though we arrived promptly at 3:00 pm. We caught someone in the office, who gave us our key, but no other check in was done. Same with check out--we needed to leave early (around 7:30am) and no person was in the office or available, and the phone outside the office did not work. We had to call the emergency number and figured out how to leave the key. I have never scored a Hotels.com hotel this low, but I believe the overall poor service and declining quality of the hotel made this review inevitable. We will not be staying here again.

We really WANTED to LOVE this place, it has such "good bones" but alas has been neglected for way too long. For instance there are indications of multiple generations of window coverings (mounting holes, mismatched paint etc). We saw many such examples that could be remedied in less than a day by a handy man in each unit. Such a cute property, but in need of TLC.

Pretty locations with cute rooms, would stay here again!

Manuel was awesome and greeted us as soon as we parked, offered to help with bags, a d made sure we had what we needed. The property is so gorgeous and serene. Im definitely going back when I am in town.

Seeing the photos I expected a lot more than what I got. The staff was friendly and helpful but we had to switch rooms because no outlets were working in the first room, and in the second room it was smaller and the bed was not comfortable.

Great! Just wish the office was open while we were there. And that there wasn’t so much highway noise.

The pictures are very different from what the actual room is like. They are not any where near as nice as the pictures. I would not recomend.

No soap, no on site assistance.

Great forrest vibe! Feels like a little Smurf cottage!

it was nice to return back for a quick get a way! Thanks

We’ve stayed here many times in the past several years. I knew the place was under new ownership and no longer offering breakfast and wine and cheese hour, but the place is as adorable and comfy as ever. The new owners are very accommodating with Keurig coffee maker in the room, excellent towels and nice linens. We stayed in the Artists Retreat and it was a dream.

I was very happy with my stay. Beautiful grounds. Quiet and relaxing stay. I will definitely be returning.

We had a amazing time, absolutely loves it. But.... The stairs to our time are in much need of repairs. Other then that five stars and we look forward to returning.

Very cute storybook-esque inn. Our key was not in the lockbox, but staff was quick to arrive and provide us a key. Great customer service!

This was our second stay. Location and layout is still charming, but we missed the lovely breakfast they used to serve. Check in was through key box so zero interface with staff.

The front desk isn’t staffed except perhaps briefly in the morning, so you call someone to help. The place is sadly neglected and a bit damp and smelly, but has tons of potential and charm if someone sold just renovate it. Location is cute and the grounds are nice. In the phone the staff were helpful. It’s a unique property that is a bit rundown.

A wonderfully charming property! Doesn’t have “all the bells and whistles” — would be nice to have a fridge in the room, for example. However, the staff were very nice and the environment is gorgeous. Feels a bit like a village in a fantasy novel. My husband and I would stay there again, and definitely recommend it.

This place is riding of the coattails of what used to be. I’ve stayed here previously in 2019 and it was amazing. The rooms were old but it was all upkept very well. Staff was friendly and the free breakfast was nice. My husband and I just had an overnight stay, and it was quite literally one of the worst experiences we’ve had at a hotel. First, we got an email saying our room was ready but when we arrived to check in we were told it was not ready and we needed to wait. Took about 45 minutes of waiting till we got to the room. Then they put us in a room that we did NOT book. We booked the Tennyson but when we asked the front desk about it, all she said was that they no longer use that room at all and that apparently it’s broken down and gross. Whatever I guess, but later I found out that the room does exist and someone is staying in it. The woman in the room told us that she stays the overnight cause she’s part of the staff. Sure makes sense, but if the room wasn’t gonna be available why didn’t the hotel contact us ahead of time? And why did the front desk lady give me a total BS lie? Makes no sense. Lastly, the room itself was HORRIBLE. Not at all what they are advertising with pictures on here. Do NOT be fooled. They put us in artist retreat, and it was gross and none of the antique furniture from the pics were present. Just a dirty couch that looked like it was found in a free yard giveaway. Photo of room attached for reference. Compare it to the ads.

It was a rather relaxing stay, the pictures make it look bigger than what it is in the rooms, but the elegance make up for it.

When we arrived, there was no one at the property and we had gotten an email about how to access the key in the lock box, but the key to the gate was missing, and when I called to ask for someone to come help the person who responded was not very welcoming and made it seem that I was inconveniencing her by asking for the key. Finally, someone came and let us in, but when I called back to ask if they were going to bring us a key so that we’d be able to get it later she once again was very dismissive of my request. We never actually got a key to the front gate. They just left it open. In addition there were stains on the carpet in the room. Also, there were no bedside tables next to the bed so you had to put things on the floor if you wanted to be able to access them at night. I would not stay here again.