Know before you go. It is a small 31 room hotel, and the rooms are small. That being said everything else about the Waterman was wonderful. We were traveling as a family of 3. Our son ,16, slept on the Murphy/bunk bed. It is a cool setup for a small sleeps 3 room. The bathroom too had a unique setup. We would stay here again. Very cool hotel. The employees were all very friendly and helpful. The location is unbelievable, close to the beach, shopping, restaurants. It is next to the freeway but never heard it.

We loved our stay at the Waterman! Yes, the rooms are not big, but they are beautiful, clean & the bed is super comfortable! The common kitchen & big table are perfect for a snack, a coffee/tea (free!) or even cooking yourself something! And the free poker chips to get glasses of rose/beer are a nice touch! On top of that, the hotel is perfectly situated, 5 minutes walking from the pedestrian street downtown Santa Barbara, 5 minutes walking from the beach. In the heart of the Funk Zone. Oh, and the employees are super nice and warm! Great stay.

This place was great. I needed a place that took dogs. The staff so attentive, location unbeatable (in the funk zone) could walk everywhere. My only low rating was the rooms. Very small!!! But they were clean and up to date.

We got here exactly after the check in time and everything was smooth. I've been to several Marriott properties and the check in process takes almost 10 minutes, but here, it was quick. Crazy, This place has a full kitchen, it's like being at home. There's a library & hangout space. The pool is perfect. Who cares about the freeway! You're right here in the middle of everything, beach, shopping, good food & drinks. Strongly recommend. Will be back!!

On one side the hotel is well located. A walking distance to the beaches and trendy Funk Zone neighborhood BUT on the other side it's right by the highway. Which make it impossible to relax by the pool. IMPOSSIBLE. It's so noisy you will feel your lounging chair is on the highway shoulder. We were hoping to chill by the pool in the afternoon after a long bike ride but the highway traffic noise was simply unbearable. They charged us near $500 per night trying to make you believe you are in a chic hotel because the decor is cute BUT you are not. The experience is somehow very similar to a Holiday Inn by the highway. With just a bit more soul. Other things to note: the window in our room was broken so no access to fresh air, the TV was not working either and couldn't be fixed (we called maintenance), we couldn't just read in a cozy environment because the bedside lights were also out of order. The only light working in our room was the bright ceiling light (think emergency room light). So what you get is a comfortable bed. That's it. From what I saw on the website, I was expecting more. Oh, and I forgot, we had two bottles of conditioner in the shower. No shampoo. No big deal but at one point all the malfunctions add up and ruin the experience. If you pay more than $200-$300 / night you will be highly disappointed. They will also charge you $6 for a stupid muffin in the morning!!

Everything about this hotel is excellent. A classic boutique hotel. Near restaurants and activities. Bikes available. Rooms are tiny - they would make me claustrophobic.

I was originally concerned about the low rating on the Marriott’s app but it turned out to be quite ok. Location is perfect and better than downtown. Reception is super friendly and helpful. Interior design looks new and trendy. Room is small but functional. If you choose the room away from the highway, it’s actually very quiet.

Old hotel and poor design of bathroom. Cannot understand why they charge $35 for parking. Total ripoff pricing. Bathroom design (see picture) cannot be explained! Breakfast is included but you have to DRIVE 2.4 miles (or take their Uber) to the Courtyard hotel.

Bugs!!!!!!!! This is the worst experience I’ve had at a Marriott hotel by far. When I arrived there was a ton of construction and even though there were about 4 cars in the parking lot they said they couldn’t check me in before the 4 PM check in time. When I checked in the girl said I had been upgraded for being a gold member and would be in one of their queen rooms. I booked the queen room so I’m not sure why she’d try and tell me this was an upgrade. When I got to my room I think I actually laughed out loud, it was the smallest hotel room I’d ever seen. There is barely enough room around the bed to roll your suitcase to a place where you can open it. The bathroom was worse, the toilet is so insanely close to the shower & the shower didn’t have actual doors or much structure so the water goes everywhere. When I checked in she asked if I wanted daily housekeeping and I said that I did. Both days the room was not cleaned. When I came back to my room on my 2nd day I noticed bugs in the shower and on the bathroom floor, I went to grab my suitcase and saw more of them!! I went to the front desk and was able to get a new room for my final night. I’ve noticed that Marriott hotels don’t clean daily even when you request it(this is the 3rd hotel where I’ve had this issue). In this case, If the room had been cleaned properly we may not have had a bug issue at all or it would’ve been caught earlier. I will never stay here and and would never recommend it to anyone.

Location is outstanding. Rooms were on the smaller side but not a deal breaker. Just didn't like that one side of the bed is up against the wall. We were on the first floor and it was noisy but not from the street. Not sure what the front desk was doing in the early AM but it was loud enough to wake us up, two nights in a row. Parking on the weekend was a nightmare. We arrived back at the hotel mid afternoon and there was no parking. Was told to park in a 90 minute lot and try again. Apparently non-guests park in hotel parking. There was no signage to let people know not to do this until we asked the front desk where we should park. Then they went out and put signs up to let people know. This was a bit frustrating both days of our stay. We were given a handicap room but didn't know that tell we got to the room. Shower head was extremely low for my 6 foot plus husband. So overall, there was just a general lack of communication from the front desk. I'm glad we tried this hotel but there are so many better options in SB then here that it is doubtful we'll be back.

Rooms are small with an interesting configuration. Very noisy from guest walking up and down the stairs or walking by the rooms on 1st floor.

Good location but the room itself was overpriced for the size and the quality. Also it took us way too long to check in due to card reader issues for other guests and I.

The "make yourself at home" approach is pretty cool. Check the crockery before you plan to cook yourself a meal in the kitchen to make sure they have the stuff that you'll need to prepare it. The unshaded desk lamp in my room and tiny desk were uncomfortable, but I didn't get the impression that this hotel is very focused on attracting business clientele, which is OK.

This hotel is becoming a Moxy property so if you’ve never stayed in a Moxy before just know what your getting into before booking. Tailored to younger people and styled more like a hostel than a hotel. Rooms are extremely small (although with this location you wouldn’t want to spend any time in the room anyways, but still), and the walls were the thinnest walls I’ve ever experienced in a hotel. Could hear absolutely everything in the halls, including the howling dogs. No fridge or microwaves in the room, but only 1 large communal fridge in the check-in which is a little strange. The only breakfast that was available were small plates of pastries…that you could purchase for $6. Only saving grace for this hotel was the extremely comfortable bed, otherwise I would recommend looking elsewhere for your Santa Barbara stay.

Great hotel, small rooms but very comfortable. Great location as well, great coffee, wine and food nearby. You can walk to the beach and walk to the shops up State st. Eat at Bibiji's (modern Indian) - sooooo good and great natural wine selections. Our room was very quiet and the bathroom is great. Bed is so comfy. Very rare snow coverage on the surrounding mountains.

Tiniest poolside room EVER. Can barely open a suitcase. Miniature bathroom. If you like funky, boutiquey, European-type lodging, you’ll love this place. Nice staff, free glass of wine upon check-in. Not like any other Marriott. I would not stay here again unless I was a very small person.

My husband and I stayed here during his business trip. Perfect location in the Funk Zone and just a 10-15 minute walk to down town Santa Barbara. The staff were extremely friendly and aimed to assist me with whatever queries I had. There is a huge kitchen near reception where you can prepare and cook your own meals should you wish, and a large communal table for guests. We had a large room on the ground floor. The bathroom had an odd layout, where the shower door was right next to the toilet. Since this hotel is located near the highway, it does get noisy! Tips: - If the road noise from the highway is an issue, ask for some ear buds at reception! They were more than happy to hand me a couple packs. - There is a happy hour between 5-6pm.

Great boutique hotel. Rooms are small, but the beds are comfy. Staff when we arrived was helpful and courteous.

Lovely property. We had a group of 3. The rooms are small, but functional with the folding bed. Great location in Santa Barbara.

Recently completed a 1 night stay here. We booked a “COZY KING - 175 SQF” and that is what we received at check in - no titanium upgrade. The front desk staff was very friendly, explained the amenities, helped us do laundry (only $5!), and even helped us find tools to repair our roof rack on the car. The room was definitely cozy, but comfortable. Not quite as nice as a Moxy, but very similar. The stay actually showed up as a Moxy on my credit card. Its really hard to beat the convenience of this location so I’d happily stay here again.

We got a pool pass. It was such a good plan! The staff is so nice. They gave us a complimentary glass of wine and a beer. The pool is not big but my boyfriend and I were the only ones for an entire afternoon ☀️🥳🥳🥳🥳

From the staff to the location to the comfy beds, I was so impressed with the Waterman Hotel. I would 100% cone back to stay here because you cannot beat the location for the price, beautiful pool and other helpful amenities like the full shared kitchen. You can walk to all of the great spots around the Funk Zone for breakfast, drinks and dinner.

small bedroom but have a huuuge & professional kitchen in the hall way. Use the kitchen cooked a lobster and a soup. The staffs are super nice and friendly.

The rooms are directly facing the highway. It is so loud that one can barely sleep at night. The rooms are very tiny but clean and modern.

The hotel was okay. Good location. I left a pair of brand new pants with a tag on them in the room when we checked out and they never got back to me. They said they would call me back and never did, they ignored all my messages. Definitely not trustworthy.

Great location, friendly staff, but they are remodeling and did not give a warning. The hallways were a mess of ladders , paint and drywall that you had to step over. Workers wearing respirators but the drywall dust was everywhere for guests to breath. It is toxic. When brought up to the front desk, they said, "Oh well". Since this was built as a youth hostel, there is very little sound proofing for workmen banging around at 7am. I used enough marriott points at The Waterman to stay at the Ritz; this was incredibly disappointing.

This hotel is fancy but terrible. It is so close to highway that for every second I can hear 2-3 cars passing and the window is so weak that I feel like I slept right on highway. The noise is even louder than the sound I heard when I drove my car. The room is so tight, the bed it claims to be king on Marriott app, but it is barely a queen size. Also the restroom is really small and paint smell is still there. It is a motel, but it still charges $30 for parking. For $400-$500 per night, even in Santa Barbara I can find way better hotel.

Popped into The Waterman for a one day trip with the family to check out the MOXI museum. Location was awesome in the funk zone, super close to the beach, bars and restaurants and some awesome boutiques/antique shops. Staff was super friendly and helpful. Grabbed some extra blankets for us to help make the Murphy bed a little safer for our toddler and were generally chill and cool. Having stayed in lots of hostels around the world I think this definitely qualifies as a Santa Barbara hostel, not cheaper per se but has the vibe with the common area and kitchen. Would be super cool with a group to rent the bunk rooms and still get the vibe of a hostel and some of the stability of a hotel. The ONLY reason I’m not going full 5 stars was the pool is advertised as heated and while it was warm could’ve been quite a bit warmer for the winter months to make it really usable for family swimming with little kids. Everything else was great and would definitely stay again in the warmer months when the cooler pool would be a plus!

This was the perfect spot to stay in the Funk Zone. It was easy access to everything! The service was amazing. I accidentally dropped a bottle of wine in the lobby. I felt so horrible that I made a mess. The GM cleaned everything up and replaced my bottle of wine with one of theirs. It was top notch service. I would 100% stay here again!