Costanoa

I’ll start by saying the location was great for me, close to Santa Cruz and Ano Nuevo state park. The grounds are great and the outdoor fireplaces are incredible as are the saunas. Rooms were nice and clean and the beds comfy. That being said I’ve stayed in more plush rooms for $ 200/​night and the room we stayed in had a really bad ant problem. You could not leave any food, coffee, creamer … Anything foodlike on the counters or they would be covered literally in ants. Luckily I’m not afraid of, or offended by ants in a remote environment however, if you ARE please check your room carefully. The staff was nice but replied they don’t use chemicals for exterminating they would «try» some peppermint oil. (and I mean 100’s and 100’s of tiny ants) otherwise I would say it was an average stay.

We do an annual trip with about 10 other families on MLK weekend. This year, there was a new rule that you couldn’t use outside TV’s. Not sure what the logic here was as the football playoffs are in full swing. The roving security made an issue of it with us, even though we had booked over a year ago. Petty and silly since we have all the surrounding spots and were quiet and respectful. We didn’t book for next year breaking a 5 year run. Will look for other options.

My wife and I stayed at Costanoa recently and, overall, it was a good stay. We stayed in the south lodge. The room was clean and the staff was friendly. In addition, the on-​site restaurant (Cascade) was also very good with tasty food and attentive service. Yes, the lodge and the restaurant are both a bit pricey but their coastal locations are relatively isolated so that is somewhat understandable.
As others have stated, the focus of the property is its location on the coast near the ocean and hiking trails. If you’re not going to take advantage of these and you prefer a hotel with more amenities and a lot of shopping, then you will likely find Costanoa disappointing. However, if you enjoy relaxing walks on the beach and hiking trails as well as some great Pacific coast scenery, Costanoa will be more to your liking. My recommendation would be to first make a visit for lunch or dinner to check it out to see if it’s a good fit with what you like to do.

This place was best we have stayed at. Showers beautiful and real clean. Spaces were great. Easy walk to beach. Lots for adults and kids to do. Depending on timing they have evening bbqs, they bring things for kids we saw bird handler with owls and falcons was spectacular. We are in 70’s and just started this type of travel best time ever going back soon. Also an easy drive from where we love in Modesto. Can’t say enough

We stayed in the tent bungalows and they were pretty nice for camping. It’s a bit older looking but pretty clean. The bedding was decent and most importantly clean. The blankets are heated which is perfect for winter camping. Also nice to have electricity. It could use some updating but totally fine considering it is a tent.
The bathrooms are super nice and clean. Definitely the nicest bathrooms I’ve ever seen for camping.
We had a really nice time here and would go back.

I’m not sure how or why this place got such a low rating. My only real complaint is I was unable to secure a checkout past 1 pm, and found the noon checkout a bit early, but understandable.
I was glad I opted for a cabin at $ 60 more than the canvas tents, as I ran into a few folks who had broken heated blankets. The fireplace and patio were a steal for $ 215 a night! We used the sauna and hot tub, and hiked out to the beach. Yes, there were shared comfort stations, but I only actually ran into another person in the bathroom on 2 occasions, so it was private enough.
The property was well maintained and nestled between Davenport and Pigeon Point Lighthouse. It made for a quaint weekend getaway to explore the gorgeous beach towns dotted along Highway 1.
I can say that the walls were pretty thin, and while I was off of Mommy duty for my Birthday weekend, we roomed next to a family of 5 with 3 kids under the age of 7(?), so we were bombarded with the loud sounds of 3 boisterous kids confined in a space much too small to occupy their attention.
But, this makes for an easy romantic getaway. And if you spring for a little more, you can book a room at the lodge which comes with its own hot tub and fireplace.

I’m a local Santa Cruzian and went to Costanoa for a wonderful workshop a couple weekends ago. I booked a tent bungalow and was frozen. Definitely didn’t think that I would be cold. I asked the next morning if I could use the hot tub and found out that only guests staying at the lodge could use the tub. ;(Liked the idea of the comfort zones aka bathrooms, but there wasn’t any shelves in the showers for me to place my belongings on so that they wouldn’t get wet. Would be nice to have shelves in there along with shampoo and soap. At $ 109 a night, I want some essentials provided. Basically a glorified camp ground that is really expensive. Not sure if I’ll bring my family back there.

I really like this place! It’s fantastic! Stayed there twice this summer with my family, once in the brand new lighthouse bungalows and once in the hotel room.
So, why do I only give 1 stars?
Both times I was there I had personal stuff «disappear». First time just a long sleeved surf shirt. I forgot it at the hot tub, next day it was gone and no one ever left it to lost&found.
Next visit I left my beach bag by the fire place and early next morning it was gone. Unfortunately it contained my prescription sunglasses, worthless to everyone except me, but still cost me many hundred dollars.
I found it very strange that no one gave the stuff to lost&found at these 2 separate occasions. It doesn’t matter if it is guest or employees stealing, I still don’t want to go back!

I visited this place on a road trip I took. I was living out of a van and asked them if I could use their restroom to take a shower. The lady at the front desk told me that they couldn’t let me shower and that they were booked. I offered to give her $ 20 and she acted insulted. It looked like a dump anyway. I was desperate and she wouldn’t help. Not cool!

Our stay at Costanoa was almost perfect. My bf and I planned a trip to San Francisco and decided to stay here for it. We were very close to booking a tent bungalow but when I realized it didn’t come with a personal restroom, I opted to stay at the lodge. It’s the only option that comes with a full personal restroom. We did pay a great amount for it. Not worth the total amount, but it was a great stay.
Getting there was a treat, the drive has great views of the ocean! If you’re not paying attention, you might miss your turn into Costanoa, there’s a sign at the entrance and we saw it too late. We were still able to turn back, with caution.
As soon as you step foot (or wheels) into the property you feel like you’ve entered serenity. You drive a road with many trees on both sides which looks very cool. You then begin to see signs to find your way around. And we did, very easily. With plenty of parking, too. Checking in was a cinch, since the guy at the counter called us by name, before giving him any info. Seems we were the only ones checking in that day. Lol. He explained the whole property with a map. Mentioned activities, spa, trails, and also the restaurant and general store which close at a certain hour.
When staying at the lodge, you are given actual keys to your room, not activated cards like in other hotels. But 2 keys, which also give you access to their hot tub.
It seems like there was plenty to keep you busy, there, but we didn’t participate in any.
The lodge we stayed in was decent, I believe we got a room meant for people with disabilities, which we have none. But who knows, maybe all room are like that? The restroom had a wooden sliding door (which was pretty heavy to slide.) But was very roomy, assuming it was to fit a wheelchair. The tub had a bench that could be placed down or latched up, with plenty of metal bars for support. Of course we didn’t need any of it, but it was there.
The room had a mini fridge, coffee maker, organic coffee, half and half, sugar, tea bags, 2 cups, and 2 mugs. Ice bucket, 2 wine glasses, notepad, pen, and toiletries. Extra towels, and 2 robes to use while you stayed. It has a small closet space. Which we didn’t need anyway. The king bed was so very comfortable, we loved it! There was 2 chairs which were tiny, also a table in between. And get this, NO TV!!! I didn’t know if this was good or bad. But who cares they have free WiFi, right? Of course! But the signal sucked so bad! Anything I tried to watch or load would just buffer and upset me.
The only thing that kept me sane was the view!!!
Our room didn’t have a window, it had 2 french glass doors that would open to our personal patio, and the most amazing view that anyone could get used to!!!
Grass, trees, mountains, skies and wilderness! The fresh cool breeze! In the morning you can get up to see the sunrise. And at night, you can stay up and stare into the sky and see millions of stars!!! This was breath taking!!! Not something I get to do much, living in the city. And to add to that, you can hike or drive out across the road to the beaches and a nearby lighthouse (Pigeon Point Lighthouse.)
I explored outside the lodge one morning, and found the restroom facilities for their cabin guests, and to tell you the truth, they were very decent. Very clean, and very private. With plenty of showers, toilets, and sinks. The showers there were like a private room with a lock, with enough space to shower and enough space to change after.
We visited the restaurant the first night, they had told us at check in we would need to make reservations, to eat there. But we showed up and got seated without any. Maybe due to it being a slow night, who knows. Personally, my boyfriend and I did not enjoy the food, the only reason we ate there was because everything else was miles away from us, a very far drive away from any restaurants. The food was also pricey and they didn’t have many options.
The general store has plenty of quick meals (microwavable), snacks, drinks and souvenirs. But it isn’t open 24 hours. AND is the only location with a microwave, to heat up anything you might need.
So if you get hungry in the middle of the night, and want something warm, you’re in for a long drive out!!! FYI the roads are not lit up, they’re pitch black at night, your car headlights are the only lights!
One more thing! The water from the toilet, sink, and tub had a yellow tint to it, I don’t know why. But we still showered and brushed our teeth with no problem. It didn’t have any bad taste to it. The pressure from our shower head was not that great, either, but it did its job.
All in all, my boyfriend and I enjoyed our stay here, and would still recommend and are planning to come back to enjoy their other accommodations and activities! It’s a great escape from our everyday city life!
If you’re still reading, I took many pictures! Enjoy!

Stayed here with the family for one night, on our first RV trip. It was such a nice place to visit, especially since it was our first trip in our new RV. Very clean, family friendly, however, a tad pricey for a campsite.
Even with the higher price range, I would go back for sure. We loved the playground, kid’s activities at the rec-​center, live music and games for everyone.
For sure going back!

I arranged a family reunion at Costanoa this past summer. I did not know of the place but loved their variety of lodge, tent, cabins or RV and everyone could do what was in their budget. Planning and trying to arrange was not pleasure at first, I was not impressed with Teri their event planner, but I talked with front desk manager and general manager and straightened everything out. Once there, I was impressed. Good property, family bungalow were nice. Everyone was nice and accommodating.
I have to thank Sharon Carpenter and Trevor Bridge for letting us do a last minute family gathering of 45 people in the restaurant. Kasim Ali and Julietta Labra were excellent servers and Kasim was very helpful and nice through out our stay.
I would love to go back, very nice place… the walk to the beach is excellent too
Janet Beyl

We have taken our RV to Costanoa for many years and have loved it in the past. However, it is now OVERRUN by skunks at night. It’s horrible. Don’t go if you’d like to have a campfire after dark, skunks are everywhere and the management claims they can’t do a thing about it. Also didn’t get the site type we reserved, very frustrating visit this time.

Just back from a two-​night stay at this fine property. Stayed in a tent-​cabin with very comfortable queen-​size bed with heated underpad. VERY nice on the cool nights, plus light comforters topside. Just enough room for a couple of bedside tables, LED lamps attached above the bed and a couple of hangers for clothing. One chair and a small trash can! All you could ask for in this type of facility.
The grounds are very nicely done with BBQ pits, fire pits, game areas, a KOA Kampground, tent camping area, restaurant and «general store». (The store is more of a «specific store», so don’t count on it for your groceries if you’re truly planning to camp there. Just a few basic necessities, drinks, etc., but nothing in the way of serious groceries, etc.) We didn’t try the restaurant, but the menu looked very good. Just a tad overpriced for our taste. We drove to Davenport — just south a few miles — for dinner both nights. One great experience… one not so great. More to follow in a future write-​up.
The shared restrooms are spaced throughout the property with the requisite showers, toilets, sinks, and, best of all, heated floors! There are also traditional fireplaces and small patios with each restroom facility, and the helpful staff provides firewood every evening at no charge. We enjoyed relaxing by the fire one evening, and had our coffee there on the last morning… along with a good book. Very nice touch.
Ano Nuevo Beach — and several other state beaches — is just down the road a couple of miles, and Santa Cruz is less than 25 miles away. Half-​Moon Bay and Moss Beach also nearby to the north — less than 30 miles, I think.
The property also has a lodge with traditional rooms. Didn’t look into them, but several guests said that they’re quite nice.
The tent price through Orbitz was $ 86/​night — the going rate being somewhere around $ 115. Perhaps a bit pricey for a tent, but not way out of line considering the other amenities. Oh, yes, you do get two towels — large ones — for your rent. Bring your own toiletries, however, at least for the tent areas.
Have a look at their website for other details.
It was suggested that it’s a bit noisy during the traditional vacation periods, but very quiet and restful after the beginning of school. Quite a few European visitors it appears, as Fall seems to be a great travel time for many visitors.
We’ll be back. It’s only a little over an hour from our home in San Jose, so is a great place for a quick getaway.

I’d been looking forward to getting away with that someone special forever! finally, on my birthday this week, it was time. After calling and getting all the details, I decided to Glamp by renting one of the tent cabins or bungalows in the Cypress area. Since the are restricted to two people NO KIDS, away from the camp grounds, larger «family» tents and cabins, and the lodges, I thought the quiet time of 10pm to 9am would be strictly enforced. We thought we were in for a treat when we realized that there were no other guests on a Monday night surrounding us. .. wrong!
For some reason the noisiest two women in the world went on a giggle fest the entire afternoon and night about 50′ away. Because I was too tired to get dressed, walk to the lodge and complain between 10:30pm and 12:30am, I had to listen to two drunk/​drugged women giggle for 3 hours straight. I was so pissed off I couldn’t believe it. Only me, only on my birthday.
Also, when we checked in we were told the wrong time for our massages. We rushed to get ready only to find out another couple had that time and the people in front didn’t bother to check by our last names, so then we had to kill another hour. We used the hottub and that’s when we figured out everything is on well water. If you are really picky about clean water no smelling like insecticide Costanoa isn’t for you. Everything! the showers, the toilets, the hottub, outside smells like the minerals in the well water (DISCLAIMER: this could be because of the severe drought and lack of fresh water unavailable. maybe it’s better normally, but not this week).
So after killing an hour in the hottub and taking showers, we promptly returned for our couples massage at the prescribed time. They were now late, and I’m really getting mad. I had waited to eat until the massage was over at one time, now they are late with our time. No sooner than 20 – 25 mins into our time we hadn’t started. Strangely at the original end time, we were done. We both felt they had rushed through, discounting our time to 30 – 40 mins max. At these prices, ($ 115 for a deep tissue massage for 50 minutes) you want your full time. Also the massage wasn’t very good or hard, although my masseuse did work well around some of my major injuries causing me great pain.
Finally, we get to eat only to be forgotten about in the Cascade restaurant and they weren’t busy at all. Literally people seated after us got their drinks and food before we got either. Everything was sort of «whatever» with the service level. Totally disappointing…
Costanoa was built as a 5-​star resort and the grounds are so beautiful. Gardens, fountains everywhere. Unfortunately whomever/​whatever company is running the place isn’t up to the task. Service is lackluster at best and downright incompetent at worst. Everything in the place is well built, the tents, the lodge (stayed inside the second night), but things like openable windows in the lodge with a screen don’t exist. I froze the first night in a tent listening to cackling hens, and the 2^nd night I burned up not having a window that would open with a screen.
Inside the bed and linens were top shelf. The colors and detail were great. Again, unfortunately, walls needed a good washing, floors a good scrubbing and things like a very large (say 5′ x 7′) mirror on the back of a door to the bathroom were being held on by only one flimsy screw as they rest had broken. Had I not told them at the front desk, I could see this huge mirror falling on the granite in the bathroom and maiming someone. Somebody on staff should just see and fix these things without being told. In the tent the first night, I accidentally went to another tent than my own and my key opened a different tent. The wifi they tote on their website only worked if you stayed inside. Forget it on the cell service, nonexistent.
So. .. . all in all a 5 star resort with lackluster service that sort of ruined my stay. I’d probably go back to camp in a traditional fashion since the comfort stations with restrooms, showers, outdoor fireplaces and lounges made it worth it.
~Ms. Ali

We couldn’t have imagined a more magical place to have our wedding. Not only was it the most seamless, gorgeous three day event, but Teri, Rachel, and every member of the staff was amazing.
We had read reviews before we booked that suggested the service wasn’t up to par, but there must have been a change since then, because we couldn’t stop going out of our way to thank each staff member for being so helpful and kind.
The rooms were great (we had the whole lodge, most of the cabins, and most of the tents for the whole weekend), everyone raved to us that the rehearsal bbq and family style wedding food was amazing, and we heard over and over that everyone felt like they were having a true vacation all weekend even though the weather was blah.
We did have a few campground wedding crashers who we had to eject several times, which was unfortunate, but the lawn where we had the tent did border the RV section, so I’m not surprised that one group was disrespectful since it was Memorial Day weekend and the grounds were full. When we talked to the staff about it the next day, they were super apologetic. In retrospect, we should have asked for increased security (we did see a really nice security guy on a golf cart throughout the weekend, but didn’t think until the next day to ask to keep him nearby) — so it might be a pro tip if you plan to have an event that you ask for security. Otherwise…
We feel so grateful that we were able to have our wedding at Costanoa and that Teri was so thorough and helpful and kind. Every little finishing touch went a long way in making it so amazing.

Adding Costanoa to my Unilocal list of kid-​friendly bars because their Pine Tent BBQ (open seasonally) has a nice selection of beers and BBQ right next to the playground, which works out nicely for active kiddos and hungry parents.
We brought our own tent to Costanoa (technically the KOA part but it’s really all the same resort) and it was a nice, easy, quick overnight trip for us. It’s about a mile to the beach, so it’s not exactly oceanfront, but we enjoyed it. Lots of space for the kids to cruise around on their bikes and explore.
The folks who work the little check-​in booth for the campsites were super friendly and helpful.
Also tried Cascade Bar&Grill which was cozy and delicious for breakfast (except for the buckwheat pancakes which were a little too gritty for us). The Route 1 hash made with a duck egg was delicious!

My wife was here to run a distance race and we had high hopes despite the reviews.
We should have known better.
Unfriendly staff, ants in the tent cabin and was told to buy some bug spray.
No firewood or chairs at the fireplaces. Very run down facilities combined with filthy bathrooms 24 hours a day.
I do not recommend.
And all at $ 167 a nite!

Staying here again at costanoa. Beautiful, quiet location. Park is very clean and tidy. I do see two area of importance that need to be addressed. Given fees charge one would expect much better TV cable service which is very poor quality with very few channels. Next is the wifi service. Since there is little to no cell phone service I would think that it would be necessary to improve the very poor wifi service offered. It barely works. Very very poor.
Love costanoa but these improvements would have us coming back even more

Overall we had an amazing stay at Coastanoa!
TL;DR: Perfect outdoor get away for some «city folks» with amazing massages.
Full Version: My girlfriend and I wanted to get away for her bithday so after some research to fun CA get aways I remebered I had been to Coastanoa about 10 years ago and thought it would fit the bill prfectly.
I read some of the reviews and was a bit concerned that its conditions may have deteriorated but thought it was worth the gamble.
The bungalows are as cute as I remember them and even more comfortable. We stayed in the Cyprus Village and not only loved the cozy «glamping» tent but felt it was the perfect mix of comfort and outdoors.
We got 80 minute integrated massages as well while we were there, and man it was by FAR the best massage I’ve ever had. Firm, relaxing but also quite thorough. I wish we stayed longer to get another.
Surprisingly another favorote part of mine was the amazing feeling of a hot out door private shower in the sun rise. Who knew this city boy could enjoy fresh air that much.
All in all we wanted a relaxing get away with a break from the city and thats exactly what we got.
To be fair there were a few shortcomings that could bother some more than us. One, this isnt a HIGH end luxery resort, it is a very high end «glamping» resort but there are definitely places where the age and outdoors have taken its tole. For «glamping» that adds charm. If youre expecting luxury city amenities it looks like flaws.
Second, is the noise. Our first night was a Thursday and faint whispers from tents was all you could hear over the distant ocean. Friday night, our second night, a large group came and you could defintely hear them. No more than any normal camping, but for some it could be an issue.
We definitely plan to be coming back regularly.