We stayed at the Santa Barbara Inn to celebrate a special occasion, and unfortunately did not have a good experience. I don’t usually speak up when I get bad service, but our time at the SB Inn was particularly disappointing. Here are the issues we experienced: 1. The Valet attendant when we arrived on Friday very loudly and rudely yelled at my spouse in her car for not pulling up enough. It shocked us both, and was completely unwarranted. It really upset her and made a bad first impression. 2. At check-in the gentleman working the desk was unorganized and didn’t even wish us congratulations, even though we were celebrating a special occasion which was on our reservation. 3. When we came back down to get service at the front desk because only one key worked, the front desk was unattended for a long period of time even though we could hear people talking behind the desk, and we had to yell for someone to come help us. 4. There is no coffee or tea complimentary in the room which was very inconvenient because of its limited availability. This seems very unreasonable when you consider we paid $550 a night, and even a cheaper or lesser quality hotel has coffee complimentary in the room. 5. The only coffee they have available in the lobby is bad quality, and is not even available all day. 6. When we expressed our concern about not having access to coffee all day, and that it was not available in the room, the front desk staff chose to use the opportunity to say how we should have come earlier, and very rudely minimized our concern. Instead of owning the situation, they chose to lecture us on how it was the restaurant’s fault, instead of trying to sympathize and apologize. They generally acted as if they didn’t care, and didn’t care about us. 7. The internet never worked for us during our stay. We tried multiple different ways to troubleshoot, such as disconnecting/reconnecting, restarting our devices, and turning off cellular data, but it still didn’t work. Because of this, we were not able to respond to pressing work-related emails, and had to go off property to get internet access. 8. The room furnishings, particularly in the bathroom, are cheap and worn. The floors are very thin and you hear everything above or below you. The quality of the room and its appearance should at least be relative to the price paid. In this instance, the price paid is not on par with the quality of room provided. 9. Lastly, was just generally had bad customer service at this property. The front of the house staff don’t seem to care about the guests or don’t seem interested in delivering good quality service. They care more about being right and lecturing you, then resolving issues with your stay. 10. There were also many low quality attributes which seemed out of place. Such as the restaurant staff doing silverware roll ups on the pool deck, food service staff having meetings on the pool deck / guest areas, staff not being at their posts when we need service, and repairs to the room below us taking place early in the morning without warning. When we were there to celebrate a special occasion, and paying $2,000 for 3 nights we expected a better quality of service.

I recently had the opportunity to stay at the Santa Barbara Inn, a hotel that purports to offer classic elegance and a coastal luxury experience. Regrettably, my experience didn't align with their claims. Considering its rates, I anticipated top-tier amenities and a contemporary ambiance, yet unfortunately, the hotel fell short on both fronts. While the rooms are spacious, they struck me as quite average. The omission of conveniences like soap, shampoo, and conditioner dispensers in the shower was a surprise. I also noted that the water pressure in the shower was disappointingly low. The location, set right in front of the beach, is the hotel's primary asset. Yet, even this feature cannot fully compensate for the shortfalls in amenities and value. Additionally, it's worth noting that unless you pay extra for an ocean view, your room may likely face a parking lot, which can be a disappointment. While I understand the hotel has a Spanish Mediterranean-style, the overall ambiance seemed outdated. Modern, high-quality amenities and fixtures would make the stay more comfortable and worth the investment.

I’m glad we stayed here rather than the funk zone/near Stearn’s Wharf. That area is very crowded with tourists and busy streets. It was so nice to have peace and quiet only a mile down the road. The beach and boardwalk here is also much nicer than by Stearn’s Wharf. It only took us five minutes to go anywhere in town. We opted for street parking rather than valet and felt comfortable leaving our rental on the street. We hardly had much trouble finding street parking and it’s all free and overnight. This hotel had a quiet pool area that let you look directly at the ocean. We loved the heated floors and using our breakfast credit. The beds were super comfy and we enjoyed our robes! All the staff was friendly and attentive. I recommend this place for your SB getaway!

First the great. Staff are wonderful. Convivo restaurant is amazing. Breakfasts fantastic, both food and coffee. Renee and Carlos were special servers. Really efficient and friendly. Now the not so great! Room was clean but with rather dated looking furniture and horrendous view of telephone wires, delivery trucks and garbage area. We didn't book an ocean view but the ad said ALL rooms had ocean OR mountain view. We were part of a wedding party and booked six months ago. For $475 a night, we were shocked. Also, the toiletries were not a luxurious brand as supplied by other hotels with lower prices. My husband and I are world travelers and have experienced many top notch hotels. Sadly, apart from the staff and restaurant, Santa Barbara Inn isn't one of them.

What an amazing place to stay right across the street from the ocean on Cabrillo. The management and staff are stellar. The rooms are meticulously clean and the bedding quite comfortable. Convivo is the on-site restaurant and has an amazing breakfast and Italian dinner menu. I recommend this fine Inn for your traveling needs when staying in Santa Barbara. A definite 10 in my book. Thank you.

COZY BOUTIQUE WITH LOTS OF NICE DETAILS: 1) The towels and bath robes are the softest and fluffiest amongst all the west coast hotels I've stayed in. 2) Heated bathroom floor! What?!? 3) Amazing view from balcony. Look! 4) Convivo restaurant delivers straight to your room as part of room service. 5) Water pressure on point! 6) Last but not least, the whole place is just so cute!

Really good and im telling you why. it's a location is where that I like. And it's better than the hillton one. I love the sevice they're really nice. And the room really good a big bedroom and a fansitc bathroom and the food good the pizza is really good I like it more than hilton right next to it so you should come here instead of hilton.

Fantastic! I booked for my daughter and her boyfriend, and they simply LOVED this hotel! I was able to reserve and pay ahead of time and have the room all ready for them when they got in late from driving from the Bay Area. When they awoke, they sent me photos of the fabulous ocean view and the beautiful room. They said the staff was super friendly, and the hotel itself was amazing. My daughter's boyfriend is British, and when the parking guy told him the price to valet park (around $30), he almost choked. But then the guy told him where to park close by, and he said it was not big deal at all. They also took advantage of the hot tub and pool at night. So happy I chose this hotel!

We recently stayed at the Santa Barbara Inn to celebrate our wedding anniversary. From the moment we first arrived, we were surprised at how unfriendly the staff were. The parking attendant greeted us first and said that there is a $25 nightly fee for valet parking. When asked if there were other options, he said I could park on the street, then shrugged his shoulder and took off. Then the following day, we ordered food to the room via room service. Apparently, there is a 20% tip that is automatically charged to your account in addition to the room service fee. But for some reason, the tip had not been included on the check when the food arrived and when I signed the bill. Fifteen minutes later, our lunch was interrupted by the same attendant who came back to the room stating that the 20% tip had erroneously not been included, and so he asked that I re-sign the bill with the tip included. Then, after checking out of the hotel, we realized that we had left an important item in the room. Unfortunately, we called after the housekeeping manager had left for the day. The front desk staff insisted that they could not assist us in checking the lost and found area, as only the housekeeping manager had a key to access it. We were RIGHT THERE at the hotel, and NO person could assist us with lost and found after hours, which I find to be completely ridiculous. The following day, I called the hotel to ask if they had retrieved the item. The front desk staff confirmed that they found it, but rudely stated they would ship it to us at our cost, not theirs. Now this all may seem petty to some, but for someone who cares about quality service, you may want to think twice about making a reservation at this hotel. As for our family, we will definitely choose another hotel the next time we visit Santa Barbara.

Nice clean room. Good food in restaurant. Heated pool. Small gym. Across the street from the beach. Quiet and peaceful.

One of my favorite hotels… anywhere! Literally the most divine boutique hotel in Santa Barbara. We stayed here over our wedding weekend and would literally give it a 12/10 if I could! The room, the service (!!!!), the restaurant, the location, absolutely divine.

Great stay! This hotel is perfectly located with the beach across the street and the zoo and wharf within walking distance. Our suite was very spacious with an ocean view. We were very comfortable just hanging out. Kudos to the service here as well. Highly recommend.

Although food menu is good, it hasn't been renewed for a couple of months. I understand there is a very good chef also part owner of the inn. The female bartenders last time I visited were very friendly and sociable, but I'm not too sure about the cocktails they offered. This time I met a new(to me) male hispanic bartender, and his concocted cocktails were very good indeed.

Very nice hotel. Staff was very professional. We had a problem with a TV remote not working. Tech was at our room in 15 minutes with a new one. Valet service was great. The room was clean and quiet. Housekeeper service was awesome too. Would stay here again.

Time after time we continue to stay at this hotel. I live in SB and there is no better spot for a staycation or any reason looking for a room. From the valet, to the front desk, to management and of course the most important the maids everyone does an outstanding job with so much pride. The location, the balcony’s, heated floors and bath tubs, drinks at the pool, sunset walks on the beach across the street, relaxing jacuzzi session at the end of the night. Just incredible. The restaurant compliments the hotel as well keeping up with the high quality and great service. Over all this small cute little inn competes with the best in town every time! Thank you SB Inn team you are the best !

Amazing hotel! Definitely more than 3 stars. It’s beautiful, clean and very well located. Restaurant in the hotel is amazing as well. Rooms very cleaned quickly in the morning Gym was relatively small but was pretty empty so had no issues. Rooms were spacious and pleasant. Very big and pleasant shower, comfortable pillows. Valet service for the car was always quick and friendly. Definitely enjoyed the hotel very much!

Had a very relaxing and enjoyable three night stay at the SBI a couple of weeks ago. The hotel is very quiet; my room was nicely decorated - a truly luxurious bed; staff were friendly and helpful. The valet guys were outstanding. Two minor 'complaints': one of the front desk guys was a bit officious, and the hotel's coffee is downright awful.

In town for a business meeting and spent three days at the Santa Barbara Inn. The location is great with easy access to the beach and the pier / downtown is a pleasant walk 1 mile down the ocean path. Staff was great, helpful and very friendly (especially at the bar) and room was nicely appointed, clean and a comfortable bed. Happy to stay here again when back in SB.

1. We were not informed in advance about the train horn or the construction outside our window, nor were we made aware of how early it would start and the extent of the noise. It's notable that we were intentionally placed in that specific room without prior notification. 2. The concierge lacked attentiveness throughout our stay, and basic items like shoe polish were unavailable. Both the concierge and front desk showed a lack of interest in assisting or procuring these items, contributing to a less-than-ideal experience. 3. The front desk could have been more accommodating with upgrades, considering their availability. Additionally, a more flexible approach to checkout could have been offered, ultimately avoiding a negative checkout experience. 4. The checkout experience felt overly aggressive, and we felt harassed with constant knocks and calls from maids and staff, despite having arranged an extension in advance. The persistence seemed unnecessary, creating the impression that they were eager for us to leave. It was like they were counting the seconds until we were gone. 5. No in room dining menu. 6. The restaurant prices were excessively high, and even as guests, there was no discount or incentive to choose the hotel restaurant for any meal. 7. When we requested additional water bottles from the hotel staff, they only provided us with one. 8. The entire floor had a persistent bacon smell for an entire day, which was particularly nauseating for us, considering one person has a severe pork allergy and the other is forbidden from consuming pork in any way. 9. Despite the high rating, we were surprised by the hotel's overall performance. The fantastic location was a highlight, and we appreciated the free parking across the street. However, the idea of paying nearly $60 to park at our own hotel seemed absurd, especially considering the lack of self-parking options and the mandatory overnight parking fee. 10. Surprisingly, the valet staff, despite not using their services, were the most welcoming during our stay. Comparing this to a recent experience at the Shangri-La, it's striking how hotels with similar pricing can vary significantly in both value and customer service. We were overall disappointed with our experience, and unfortunately, we won't be choosing to stay at the Santa Barbara Inn again.

Had a great stay here. Great location with the beach being right across the street. The rooms are spacious and clean. The front desk staff were polite and the cleaning crew does a great job! Food at the restaurant Convivo was delicious! Be sure to book an ocean view room, otherwise the view from the attached balcony can be underwhelming. Overall a great place to relax in Santa Barbara.

Beautiful hotel! We stayed 2 nights and would come back again. PROS: the location is close enough to downtown but not right where all the night life noise and congestion is; the room and bathroom was well maintained and well stocked; the bed was comfortable and the valet staff (Miles) was EXCELLENT!! Also appreciated texting with the attentive and friendly Concierge (Akia) anytime I had a question; the voucher for food was a wonderful surprise for booking directly with the hotel however it should extend to dinner and room service not just breakfast and lunch. CONS: front desk and restaurant staff did their job efficiently but not as welcoming, friendly and wanting to make guest feel valued as the valet staff; no in room coffee maker to enjoy coffee or tea anytime; no gift shop/center; the noise from the restaurant was loud coming in from our balcony, drowning out the ocean waves and it was so loud that even the street traffic/train was barely heard; street parking was risky for theft and damage to vehicles; the view was ok but not as good as expected for extra price over a standard room which probably would have been quieter. Again, we enjoyed our stay and would like to stay again.

Arrived by train from San Deigo Loved it, enjoyed the wine every night while watching the sunset, strolling the town, with is quite fabulous. Excellent stop for several nights on the way to San Francisco n wine country.....

Just spectacular.....no complaints and the beds were in the top 3 of hotels I have stayed in world wide. Only complaint was I booked on their site and was under the impression that my room was pre-paid....I then ended up with $1700 of pending authorizations on my card which took several days to drop off.

We had a great stay at the Santa Barbara Inn. Our room overlooked the ocean and it was a peaceful time. The staff were all great, from front desk to housekeeping, restaurant crew and valets. Very close drive (no real traffic to contend with) to State Street and/or the freeway. Our room was large, clean and luxurious. The restaurant had a wonderful breakfast and outdoor dining. A very nice, clean area around the hotel as well. If you go, I recommend walking across the street and taking a stroll along the beach. There are bike paths there as well if you are on wheels. Santa Barbara is one of our favorite spots and this was our first stay at the Santa Barbara Inn. It won't be our last.

Beautiful hotel near the beach with restaurant and pool, reasonable walk (30 minutes or less) or short Uber (~5 minutes) to downtown, Funk Zone, marina, etc. Our whole party stayed here for a small sailboat wedding (6 rooms). The booking staff was very helpful after two reschedules thanks to COVID and making sure we had everything else we needed when we finally had the event. We had a large suite with ocean view where everyone happily gathered after events. The space was perfect for us. Only complaint would be some outdated furnishings, such as switches on individual lamps instead of something centralized.

This is a great hotel right across the street from the beach and a brisk walk or quick Uber from the best restaurants. The restaurant is good, but the service was slow and confused. It seemed like the staffing was adequate, but we were seated with 2 other tables and no one came. I had to flag a manager walking by to get things rolling. Once that happened, everything was fine.

Went there for breakfast only but planning on spending the night next time. Food was nicely proportioned for one person and delicious. The staff was very courteous and of course the location with the ocean view was pleasant. We will be back soon!

Beautiful hotel and wonderful location right across from the beach. We enjoyed our stay, the rooms were clean and staff were friendly. The restaurant on site was great as well food was delicious. I did feel like it was expensive and overpriced but that’s consistent throughout the Santa Barbara area.

Pros: Very clean, spacious, quiet rooms, very kind staff and valets. Nice location right on the beach. Very comfortable bed, heated floors. Prompt service when requesting pillows/hangers. Cons: Location is a pro and con. Con is that it’s a 20 min walk from the main strip of restaurants and shops. Booked through Travelocity and the website noted I would be given a choice of ocean or Mountain View. This WAS NOT the case. Noted it was our honeymoon and would highly prefer an ocean view room but was told they were all sold out, so our view was really of the parking lot. No snack shop to buy snacks or water, restaurant does not offer pool dining service. Had to walk a block to to grocery shop to buy snacks. Room service stops at 9pm, which was very upsetting after a long travel day and wanted to order food at 9:10. Would have figured they would be open at least until 10pm. Would give 3.5 stars if I could. Would give it one more shot, if I could do an ocean view room.

We had booked with another hotel but they couldn't fit our vehicle. We ended up here only by chance and it was so much better! Joseph was excellent in getting us a last minute reservation. The room was spacious, bedding was super soft and the beach access was perfect. The breakfast was outstanding. This turned out for the best. Highly recommend.

The hotel is nice and the staff is great. Location is about a twenty minute walk from State Street and all of the restaurants, with a grocery store about a five minute walk away. We stayed on the first floor in room 102, you would think we had a herd of elephants above us. From morning to night it was stomping, both waking us up and keeping us up, very frustrating when trying to relax and enjoy your vacation. Another negative is that there is only one ice machine and it is on the second floor in the middle of the hallway. I wouldn’t give a lower score due to the ice and the excessive loudness from the upstairs neighbors, but the establishment should look at upgrading insulation and adding more ice machines. I would definitely stay again without hesitation.

My wife and I stayed here for two nights to celebrate our wedding. We got a personal note from the manager Ed, welcoming us! The staff were all very friendly and accommodating. The hotel is very well maintained. We had a room with a king bed on the second floor. The ocean view was great! We will definitely be back for another stay.

My husband and I stayed for 2 nights in December 2021 in an ocean view king room. The room is spacious, comfortable and clean. The furnishing is nice but a bit old fashioned. The balcony has a table and a couple chairs to enjoy the very nice view. They had a promotion at the time when we booked directly on their website. We got breakfast credit at their restaurant. We ordered breakfast from their restaurant and ate it on our balcony. We both ordered different breakfasts for our 2 mornings, all 4 breakfasts were excellent. The hotel is within walking distance or a short drive to lots of food choices and there is a grocery market a couple blocks away. Their parking lot is small so you either park on the street or pay for valet parking. The valet guys gave us good and efficient service.