Sea and Sand Inn, Santa Cruz

For a long time, this was a favorite secret around the Boardwalk: a modest motel with the ultimate ocean view from the top of a bluff over Cowell Beach. A recent overhaul upped the ante, rebuilding four ground-floor rooms, adding three upstairs and refurbishing the rest. You won't confuse it with the Ritz, but the rooms - all taking advantage of that gorgeous Pacific view - now bear a distinct resemblance to a tasteful boutique hotel. If your ideal weekend is honky-tonk fun by day and a serene, rather elegant retreat at night, you won't do better than this.

Comfort zone

We stayed in a ground-floor, deluxe king spa room, one of 12 room types with varying space and amenities. Its cathedral ceiling, gas fireplace and table and chairs next to a window looking onto the ocean and Boardwalk gave it the feel of a moderately upscale hotel. The Jacuzzi in a corner of the room is described as a one-person tub, but my 6-foot-2 husband and I had no problem sharing. Our patio abutted a common walkway, but we were at the end of the property and it never felt intrusive. The bed was quite comfortable, the linens were smooth and reading lights were ample. Some guests have complained of thin walls, but our stay was noise-free.

Bath and beyond

Our bathroom was plenty roomy, with loads of storage space on the tile countertop and in wooden cabinets below. Fixtures were a cut above motel quality; I especially liked the double-handled basin faucet. We had a spacious tiled shower; some rooms have tub/shower combinations. Towels, toiletries and wall-mounted hair dryer were typical for a midrange hotel.

Grounds for approval

No fancy stuff here - this is a place to settle in with a good book, nibble afternoon treats on your patio or balcony, or follow the paths to a bluff top deck. The Pacific panorama is always at your feet. The congenial, efficient staff maintains an appealing ocean-view lounge area, stocking it with wine and cheese in fall and winter afternoons or iced tea, lemonade and snacks in spring and summer. The nicely landscaped ribbon of bluff separating you from the ocean is securely fenced to keep romping kiddies safe.

Geared up

Most rooms, including ours, have a 42-inch LG high-definition LCD television with a Sony DVD player; standard kings and queens have 27-inch TVs with VCRs. The movie library ($3; popcorn $1) has about 75 titles with a mix of family, comedy, action and, to a lesser extent, drama. Wi-Fi is free. Mercifully, the room's hugely informative info binder provided a channel guide and instructions for everything. We also had a mini fridge (standard rooms don't), which I find infinitely more useful than an overpriced mini bar; a basic phone charging 50 cents for local calls; and the typical hotel-issue alarm clock-radio.

In the vicinity

Cowell Beach is right below you, the municipal pier and Boardwalk are a five-minute stroll, and Pacific Avenue's shops and restaurants are a reasonable walk away. If you're feeling adventurous, walk four blocks to Cruz Carz (131 Center St.; (831) 423-9666, www.cruzcarz.com) and rent a two-passenger "scooter coupe" to buzz around town.

Good to know

Especially in summer, prices here are high by motel standards, though still a fancy dinner for two lower than the Dream Inn next door. But they're a good deal in mid-March and early November, when winter rates are in effect and the weather is often glorious. (Keep in mind the Boardwalk is open only on weekends in winter.)

Highs and lows

I'll go out on a limb here and say this is the best ocean view in town, combined with an ideal location for a classic Santa Cruz vacation. It also has the most cramped parking area, at least for the parallel spaces along the front of the building. It was a nail-biter for my Civic; if you have more studly wheels, I'd suggest calling ahead for advice.

Sea and Sand Inn: 201 W. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz. (831) 427-3400. www.santacruzmotels.com. 22 rooms, one wheelchair accessible, no pets. Rates: $199-$409 (summer), $149-$369 (spring and fall), $109-$279 (winter). Includes continental breakfast.

- Christine Delsol, 96hours@sfchronicle.com

This article appeared on page G - 29 of the San Francisco Chronicle