The Seaway Inn sits on a hillside in Santa Cruz with views straight out to Monterey Bay, and yes, your dog can enjoy them with you. It’s a classic beach hotel setup with modern amenities—the kind of place that feels genuinely welcoming rather than just tolerating pets.

The rooms are comfortable, and many have those bay views. There are outdoor spaces where dogs can move around and breathe in the ocean air, which matters more than you’d think after being cooped up in a car. The location works well if you want to explore Santa Cruz without having to leave your dog behind at the hotel all day. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is walkable from here, and while dogs can’t go everywhere on the Boardwalk, there are designated areas where they’re allowed, so you can at least soak up some of that boardwalk atmosphere together.

What makes this location genuinely useful is what surrounds it. Natural Bridges State Beach is close by—your dog can actually run on the sand and wade in the surf in certain areas, which they rarely get to do. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is also within reasonable driving distance if you want to get out on trails with actual elevation and shade under old-growth trees. These aren’t day trips you have to plan around finding someone to watch your dog.

The Santa Cruz area has enough dog-friendly parks and coastal access that you could spend several days here without running out of places to explore. The Seaway Inn serves as a decent base camp for that kind of trip—nothing fancy, but reliable and positioned where you can actually do things with your dog rather than treating the hotel as just a place to crash.

Call ahead about specific pet policies and any deposits or restrictions they might have, since those details vary even among dog-friendly places. Your dog won’t get any special treatment beyond being allowed to stay, but that’s usually enough.