Overall, this inn is fine for what it is: a basic, no-frills accommodation somewhat centrally…read morelocated in Santa Barbara. It is not, however, somewhere I would personally recommend unless you are mainly looking for a place to crash.
We booked a room over the phone the same day we arrived and were happy to receive a discount, which brought the total to just over $300 after fees. Having been away from Santa Barbara for many years, we were excited to have a restful and celebratory evening and trusted the internet's recommendation of this place. The service was nice enough when we arrived, but the lack of amenities and the quality of the bed and pillows were a real letdown. I wish I had called the other hotels nearby to ask about their rates before committing, but we were on a road trip and didn't have the patience.
Our room was modern and clean, but it faced and was right above aneighboring parking lot, and that combined with the street noise, was not especially conducive to rest. The AC unit also made a remarkable amount of noise. It did not bother me too much, but for light sleepers it could be a challenge.
The best parts were the exterior, which feels very Santa Barbara, the free parking, and the complimentary pastries at breakfast. That said, there are several inns and hotels around the same rate, or sometimes only $50-$80 more after fees and parking, that offer on-property bars, restaurants, pools, and amenities I had assumed were fairly standard at a $300-a-night inn or hotel, including things as simple as Q-tips and comfortable pillows, and bathroom doors which actually insulate your private moments from the rest of the room.
We should have done more research beforehand and noticed that this place did not have a pool or any facilities beyond a vending machine. However, it appeared in online results alongside full-service hotels rather than motels, so I expected a little more. My primary complaint is the bed and pillows. The pillows were barely more than bags filled with an extremely lightweight, shapeless foam material, and the mattress sank so deeply that the bed felt more like a nice pull-out couch than a proper hotel bed. The pillows reminded me of what I bought at Target for $11 before moving into my college dorm room. Fine in a motel for $150/ night, disappointing for twice that.
The free parking seems to be a major draw, and it is certainly convenient, but I would still encourage people to explore other options if they have an extra $50-$80 to spend and care about the quality of the room where they spend the night. With one exception, the nearest restaurants and bars are about a 10-15-minute walk away. State Street is at least a 12-minute, 0.6-mile walk, while many other inns and hotels in the area have bars and food on the property or immediately nearby. The beach is technically one block away, although this property is toward the far end of it rather than near the main activity. We ended up ubering from state street back to the hotel.
I think that if you are traveling with children, do not need many hotel amenities, or are really just looking for somewhere clean and convenient to sleep, this is a perfectly fine spot. I also should have done more research beforehand, and I cannot blame the property for amenities it never claimed to offer. Still, I do think its surprisingly glowing online reputation creates expectations that the actual experience does not truly meet. In my opinion i would describe this place as a nice, well-kept two-star inn /motel, and if that is what you are looking for, it could be a lovely choice. Many other guests were happy and that is certainly worth something.