J.A.
Santa Cruz tends to have mostly smaller motels. There are a couple of larger ones, but not really of the chain type....you can search on-line, but I never felt like I found the perfect hotel in Santa Cruz.
You might want to look into a house rental....I think there is a website Vacation Rentals by owners. We always try and get some sort of 2 room suite when we travel with our 3 kids...and it isn't always easy to find unless you want to pay a lot. Not sure how many days you will be in CA, but a house might fit your needs better. We've been checking them out for a week at the beach next summer. We are finding the cost about as much as a hotel would each night, but have more space and we can cook.