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Rio Sands Vacation Rentals

2.0 star property

Photo gallery for Rio Sands Vacation Rentals

Fountain
Deluxe Suite, Kitchen | Living area
Exterior
Interior
Standard Room, 1 King Bed

Reviews

8.6 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Parking included
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Laundry room

Explore the area

View map
116 Aptos Beach Drive, Aptos, CA, 95003
  • Place, Rio Del Mar Beach
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Seacliff State Beach
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Seascape Golf Club
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Airport, San Jose, CA (SJC-Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Intl.)
    ‪63 min drive‬

Room options

Room, 1 King Bed with Sofa bed, Kitchen

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(13 reviews)
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed

Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(12 reviews)
  • 10 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

  • 10 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

Deluxe Suite, 1 Queen Bed with Sofa bed

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(2 reviews)
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Sofa Bed

Deluxe Suite, 1 Bedroom

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(2 reviews)
  • Sleeps 5
  • 1 King Bed, 1 Queen Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed

Junior Room, Accessible

  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 6
  • 2 Queen Beds and 1 Double Sofa Bed

Standard Room, 1 King Bed

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(49 reviews)
  • 10 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Junior Room

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful
(19 reviews)
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 6
  • 2 Queen Beds and 1 Double Sofa Bed

Similar properties

About the area

Aptos

With a stay at Rio Sands Vacation Rentals in Aptos (Rio del Mar), you'll be within a 15-minute drive of Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. .This motel is 4.3 mi (7 km) from Capitola Beach and 0.3 mi (0.4 km) from Rio Del Mar Beach.

What's nearby

  • Rio Del Mar Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Seacliff State Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park - 13 min walk - 1.1 km
  • Cabrillo College - 2 min drive - 2.5 km
  • Seascape Golf Club - 3 min drive - 2.2 km

Getting around

  • San Martin Caltrain Station - 45 min drive
  • Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Intl. Airport (SJC) - 53 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Whale City Bakery Bar And Grill Aptos - ‬15 min walk
  • ‪Poki Bowl - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬17 min walk
  • ‪Marianne's Ice Cream - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪Sushi Garden - Aptos - ‬17 min walk

About this property

Rio Sands Vacation Rentals

Rio Sands Vacation Rentals offers 40 accommodations with coffee/tea makers and hair dryers. Refrigerators and microwaves are provided. Bathrooms include shower/tub combinations and complimentary toiletries.

This Aptos motel provides complimentary wired and wireless Internet access. Flat-screen televisions come with premium cable channels. Housekeeping is offered on request and irons/ironing boards can be requested.

Recreational amenities at the motel include an outdoor pool.
Make yourself at home in one of the 40 guestrooms featuring refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wired and wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming provides entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include microwaves and coffee/tea makers, and housekeeping is provided on request.
Enjoy recreation amenities such as an outdoor pool or take in the view from a garden. This motel also features complimentary wireless internet access, a picnic area, and barbecue grills.
Featured amenities include complimentary wired internet access, luggage storage, and laundry facilities. Free self parking is available onsite.

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi and wired internet
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi and wired internet

Parking and transport

  • Free self parking on site
  • Limited on-site self parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking and van parking available

Things to do

  • Outdoor pool

Family friendly

  • In-room microwave
  • In-room refrigerator
  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool

Conveniences

  • Laundry facilities
  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage
  • Vending machine

Guest services

  • Housekeeping on request

Outdoors

  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden
  • Picnic area
  • Pool loungers

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • No lift
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible van parking

More

  • 2 buildings
  • 2 floors
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Blackout drapes

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower/bathtub combination
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Flat-screen TV with premium cable channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Microwave
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator

More

  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board on request

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 4 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Early check-in subject to availability
Early check-in fee: USD 33.66
Contactless check-in available

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available
Late check-out subject to availability
Late check-out fee: USD 32

Special check-in instructions

An adult age 18 or older must assume all liability for the booking
The front desk is open daily from 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 10.0 per night

Payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Deposit: USD 100.00 per stay

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

  • Early check-in fee: USD 33.66 (subject to availability)
  • Late check-out fee: USD 32 (subject to availability)
  • Kitchen/kitchenette fee: USD 57 per stay
  • Rollaway bed fee: USD 10.0 per night

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, and a smoke detector
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
Guests should contact this hotel in advance to request a dishware/utensils kit (surcharge applies).

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
This property's policy is to refuse certain bookings for the purpose of group events or parties, including pre-wedding stag/bachelor and hen/bachelorette parties
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly)

Property is also known as

Rio Sands
Rio Sands Aptos
Rio Sands Hotel
Rio Sands Hotel Aptos
Rio Sands Hotel Motel
Rio Sands Hotel Aptos
Rio Sands Hotel Motel Aptos

Rio Sands Vacation Rentals Reviews

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 564 out of 1000 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 252 out of 1000 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 109 out of 1000 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 43 out of 1000 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 32 out of 1000 reviews

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Tiffany

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Was just what I was looking for. Walk to beach. Older building but well kept. Not super well sound insulated, we could hear neighbors.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025

10/10 Excellent

Collette, Copperopolis

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

2/10 Terrible

Raymundo

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The check in was a hassle took much longer than expected
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025

6/10 Okay

Sean

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2025

8/10 Good

David

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025

4/10 Poor

Whitney

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
The staff was great and the place is very clean. However, the bed was like a 50 year old spring mattress that 30 people slept in the middle of for 10 years. AWFUL! Every time i moved the sound woke me up. I spent my last night on the floor cuz my back was a wreck. No hot water in my shower. Until i moved it to COLD. Not even a small area to smoke. In the dark i had to stand on the street corner
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2025

6/10 Okay

John

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
I had a second-floor room in the main building of the property. It was decent but could have been cleaner, especially the bathtub, microwave, and small refrigerator. A few months ago I stayed in a room in the Sands Building of the property, and it was outstanding. I expected a lot based on that prior visit.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2025

10/10 Excellent

Gabriel

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2025

10/10 Excellent

Dario

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025

4/10 Poor

Jakoub

Thin walls
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

8/10 Good

MARIA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025

10/10 Excellent

Calvin

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A great location near the old cement ship. A great place to unwind with a pool and hot tub!
The pool and hot tub
Bike ride on the beach
Cool beach houses nearby
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jenell, Fresno

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Patricia

Check-in was smooth. The king room with a balcony is great. Clean and comfortable.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

8/10 Good

ERIC

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kimberly

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Martin, Garden Grove

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Pool nice. Didn’t have view from room but walk to beach was minutes away
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025

8/10 Good

Keo

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was ok. Nice place but no breakfast
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Michelle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
They no longer provide breakfast, but everything else was very nice
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jamie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sharon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location and easy walk to the beach.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

8/10 Good

Lori

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

8/10 Good

Julianne

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
this was a nice hotel but there were no drinking glasses in the room.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Brenda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The entire property was serene and enjoyable! And sooo close to the beach!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lauralee

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Loved that I could just walk around the corner to the beach
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025