California - San Jose / Santa Cruz

We are going to a wedding in Santa Cruz on a Sunday afternoon and have been advised to stay either at the Santa Cruz Hilton in Scotts Valley or at the The Dream Inn in Santa Cruz. Any thoughts.

We are flying home on AA Monday morning at 8:20 am from the San Jose (SJC) airport and are concerned about the time it will take to get there on a Monday morning from Santa Cruz and return a rental car. We are thinking about spending Sunday night near the airport.

Any advise as to where we should stay?

I'd like to be able to return the car Sunday night and take a shuttle or taxi to the airport thus saving the time needed to return the car, However, as we may arrive San Jose after the car returns are closed, we may need to return it in the morning. From what I can tell, all rental car locations require use of a shuttle.

The airport has Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz , National and Thrifty available. Question is what would be the fastest to return? I am Hertz #1 Club Gold if that will help. If a rental agency is based at a nearby motel, perhaps I could just leave it there and taxi to the airport. Are any so located?

Thoughts?

We are flying home on AA Monday morning at 8:20 am from the San Jose (SJC) airport and are concerned about the time it will take to get there on a Monday morning from Santa Cruz and return a rental car. We are thinking about spending Sunday night near the airport.

Any advise as to where we should stay?

I'd like to be able to return the car Sunday night and take a shuttle or taxi to the airport thus saving the time needed to return the car, However, as we may arrive San Jose after the car returns are closed, we may need to return it in the morning. From what I can tell, all rental car locations require use of a shuttle.

Thoughts?

Try to get back on Sunday night. Highway 17 is pretty bad on the weekday mornings.

The Scotts Valley Hilton is quite reasonable, though nothing particular great, and is located just off the freeway (highway 17). The Dream Inn is right on the beach next to the wharf and the Boardwalk. It's ok, but I think the Hilton is a bit nicer. Traffic on the weekend in the summer around the Dream Inn can be very heavy. I personally like Chaminade better than either of the two places you mentioned.

There are quite a few hotels near the SJC airport. The closest one is the Doubletree and is quite nice. There is also a Courtyard right near the Doubletree and then a whole bunch of places on 1st St, a little further away. The Hyatt is very mediocre and not what you would normally expect from a Hyatt - so my choice is usually the Doubletree.

All of the car rental agencies are in a lot with a common shuttle back to the terminal. The rental car shuttle bus stops at 12:30 am. I don't think the hotel shuttles are allowed into the rental car lot. If you arrive after 12:30, you would have to return the car in the morning, but that probably won't add more than about 10-15 minutes to your trip to the terminal.

How is the Comfort Suites at the airport? It has a 24 hour shuttle and the suites will allow us and our adult daughter to share a room yet have some privacy.

The former Hyatt hasn't been a Hyatt for at least a year, I believe it's been rebranded and demoted to a Four Points by Sheraton.