Overall, this inn is fine for what it is: a basic, no-frills accommodation somewhat centrally located 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. read more

Stayed here during the holidays. The location and reviews were the main reason to book this hotel. I wasn't disappointed. They have a covered parking area restricted to hotel guests which includes charging stations. There is additional open parking. The staff was very friendly and the hotel looks beautiful with its Spanish style architecture. They have some limited items for breakfast, like bagels, muffins, protein bars, juice, yogurt etc. Will definitely plan on staying here again. read more

La Playa Inn - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I have considered this property before, but I'm now finally staying here for the week. I so wish I had stayed here earlier! It is truly wonderful. Over the past year, I have been at other properties each month (including name brand properties that I will not name) and this will now be my go-to stay! A few months ago I spoke with the manager and was very impressed, and today I met with the front desk staff and they are wonderful as well! Cameron was very inviting and helpful. The rooms are modern, clean, updated and well appointed. This is an unbeatable location! I will be here every month and hope to get to know the staff better, but I am so impressed already. read more

I could have given it a 5-star but: 1. We checked in at 6pm and there was somebody cleaning the room. 2. The first time we used the card keys and none of them worked. 3. I thought I won't be able to use the shower because no water was coming out of the shower head no matter how hard i tried to pull up the pin on the faucet. I had to go underneath the faucet and pushed the pin all the way up for the water to come out of the shower head. Ugh. 4. The temperature in the room was super cold no matter how hard I tried to set the thermostat. I had to call front desk and they centrally changed the room temp to my desired temperature. Otherwise, everything is super clean. They gave lots of towels for us to use. I'd still recommend this hotel. read more

Not beach front but walking distance to everything. Very nice and clean hotel. Little patio was relaxing. No pool/jacuzzi. Would stay here again. read more

A wonderful stay, so peaceful and clean. From the moment I checked in, Rodolfo was a great in assisting me with the local spots to check out. The most comfortable bed I have yet to stay in, and very relaxing. Around the corner from all the action so it's a nice break from the noise. Local coffee and croissants very delicious. Thanks for a great time in Santa Barbara! read more

La Playa Inn - Sunset from second floor - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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La Playa Inn has to be one of the best hotels in Santa Barbara. I may be biased because I've only stayed at La Playa Inn but only because our very first visit in 2021 was amazing. We booked La Playa Inn for the first time during the dates of my wedding and even got a room blockage for my family and friends. We've been back both recently 2025 and 2022 for my wedding anniversary and each time the hotel staff have been amazing. The property is clean both outside and inside. The complimentary continental breakfast is a plus, especially now that I have two kids. My wife and i love coming back to Santa Barbara since it was where we got married and spend our anniversary's every couple of years. Staying here is basically tradition at this point. I would highly recommend this property to anyone looking into stay at Santa Barbara. read more

This place was nice, it took less than 4 minutes i would say to get to the beach. Our room was quiet and nice size, the front sesk rep Dan was super friendly and knowledgeable. I would recommend this place if you want an affordable place, that is close to the beach and clean! read more

La Playa Inn - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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La Playa Inn is such a hidden gem! We found it hotel last minute, but they did the best accomodation for our family. When you first walk-in you would smell a clean and sanitized lobby area. Then, when you check-in the staff was super friendly and welcoming. Shout out to Rodolfo, he was super kind and warm. He made sure he checked on us during the duration of our stay. As you walk in the room, it's renovated, modern and spotless! They also offer light continental breakfast and muffins, pastries were delightful. Also, they have EV chargers in their parking area which is a plus. There is no pool but the cleanliness and the convenience of walking 4 minutes to the beach makes up for it! The price is reasonable compared to other hotels/inn's near by which they will charge more. All in all we had a beatiful and relaxing stay at La Playa Inn. We will definitely back! Thank you to all the staff :) read more

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Absolutely loved my stay at La Playa Inn. From the first moment of meeting the wonderful Rodolfo at the desk, I knew this hotel would be everything I hoped it would be for my birthday trip. After a quick walk to Brophy Bros for lunch overlooking the harbor, Rodolfo called and said we could check in early. Yay! The room was clean, modern, had a safe, and even had a thoughtful birthday card - so sweet. Close to everything, nice safe area, walkable to everything, free parking, no resort fee, lovely outdoor breakfast area, and free breakfast with locally made, delicious fresh pastries. Highly recommend this wonderful hotel and would definitely stay here again. Thank you La Playa Inn! read more

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Just spent a couple of days here while out of town on business. Boy did it meet our expectations and then some! Beautiful place, friendly staff, and 2 blocks from the beach. Continental breakfast. Quiet and clean. Love the barn doors! Will definately be back when I have to be in the area! Does not disappoint!! read more

I would like to give a 3.5 star rating to La Playa and that's mainly for its aesthetically pretty structure and the basics, the maker of the place has taken care of- La Playa is a beautifully constructed property. While constructing this Inn they took care of some very basic things such as noise proof sturdy wooden room doors, a nice wooden bathroom door, an effective and continuously running exhaust in there, the highlight is a night light that glows in the bathroom. What I loved about the place is the daily housekeeping full service, which is now unseen even in best of the places. Above average all packed breakfast is served in the lobby and there is coffee/tea supply available all round the day. Hospitality attitude of the staff is very tepid, it needs to buck up and get some energy. Another thing that could be done is putting up a heater on the first floor common area. It was chilly in the evenings (when we stayed). They put up a really beautifully decorated X'mas tree but it was not possible to sit there in the evenings and enjoy its beauty for it was quite cold outside. I had requested the reception if they could put up a heater but it din happen nor did I get an update on my request. read more

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So we came to Santa Barbara for my husband's birthday and we stayed two days at the Hyatt place. We just wanted to try it out. It was nice but far from everything. We decided to stay an extra day and we called La Playa inn and were able to get a room. We were so excited because this was a busy weekend and Memorial Day and we had decided to stay till Tuesday. Plus, this is our favorite little boutique hotel that is conveniently located near everything. We literally park our car and we walk to State Street which is only a few minutes. The hotel itself is new and on our first visit it was around 6 months old. It's still as beautiful as ever and super clean.. read more

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COVID-friendly place to stay in Santa Barbara - walking distance to the beach, marina, Stearns wharf, and all the establishments on State Street. The inn is quite new (probably a couple of years old) so all the fixings are modern and functional. The room we stayed in was small for what we paid (over $1000 for two nights), but it was on the second floor and we could use their gorgeous outdoor seating area, which they keep clean and hygienic. They have both stairs and an elevator. Breakfast was limited (bakery items, fruit, granola bars, yogurt, juice and coffee) but enough to get us going! Parking is included and they have both covered and outdoor parking. We will likely stay somewhere else next time we are in the area as this place was quite pricey. read more

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Really enjoyed our stay here, the front desk people were friendly, super helpful about local places to eat and just generally very accommodating!! They were happy to welcome you and allowed one of our party who arrived early, to check in before normal time into their room. We had booked multiple rooms due to a wedding, one of which had to accommodate a handicapped person. Granted these were mid week reservations in March but we met multiple people from different countries and out of town at the continental breakfast, which is very light in its offerings but enough to get you going. Plus there are multitude of breakfast places in the general area. The rooms are clean, and loved that there are no carpets on the floors!! Heaters worked great as it was rainy and chilly when we were there. Highly recommend and we hope to return just to have fun in Sta Barbara again. read more

Discovered this place after striking out at a few other hotels (mostly due to my last minute planning, which I don't normally do). That said, this was an INCREDIBLY PLEASANT SURPRISE, exceeding ALL expectations. The location was terrific, not far off Shoreline Drive, and the room was GREAT. Very spacious, ultra clean and comfy. Ultra soft pillows and a wonderfully comfy king-size mattress. We were on the 2nd floor, and there was a very tranquil and inviting courtyard right there on the 2nd floor and stairs leading up to the 3rd floor. So very cool, but the real find was such a great room, and in my senior, retired status, I got a 15% AARP discount, so I really felt lucky !! Woo-hoo !! Also, the front desk employees were very courteous and helpful. We had to unexpectedly change our already reserved dinner plans, and the front desk clerk was calling around to places he recommended. Unfortunately, they were ALL booked, yes, even on a Tuesday night. It's summer, and Santa Barbara is a hot-spot destination. The point is, though, I really appreciated his attempts at finding us another restaurant. We only live an hour from S.B., so I don't know how many times I'd stay overnight, but if we do, we'll be coming back here for sure, and I wouldn't mind getting the same room (#217) !! This little gem of an inn is a GREAT place to stay. read more

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I really enjoyed my stay here. It has a very cute outdoor sitting area {see picture for reference}. This place is in a great location, close to the water, fine dinning and shopping! P.S. If you're in the area definitely go try Mission Street Ice Cream shop, they have horchata froyo and other unique flavors like cinnamon churro ice cream ETC! read more

La Playa Inn - Very cute outdoor sitting area! - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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A very cute little inn. The rooms were clean and simple, not noisy, and the ambiance was perfect for a weekend getaway. The staff are all incredibly friendly and helpful, and the amenities are simple but just what you need. We enjoyed our stay and I would definitely recommend to stay here if you're looking for an affordable and quality stay. read more

This is one of the nicest places to stay in Santa Barbara. The hospitality is top notch, except for the night guy. He was very unfriendly. But, since there is very little reason to be up before 6am, it's fine. The rest of the staff is grgreat, including the efficient and very nice housekeepers. read more

Stayed here in April 2022 and what a treat it was! Located close to the wharf and walking distance to the funk zone (if you call 15-20 minutes close), it is surprisingly quiet. Recently renovated, the rooms are decently sized with a fridge and coffee maker. Parking is covered and there is outdoor parking as well. What I really appreciated were the pastries, coffee and other breakfast goodies in the morning in the lobby area. My only gripe is that there is a small gap when the barn doors don't close precisely to the bathroom. It's fine if you are a couple I suppose, but if not, just make sure that you "mind the gap." read more

Our room was clean and available early. It was a nice surprise to have a Happy Anniversary label on our water. Breakfast was just enough, and the coffee was great. Very nice and helpful staff. read more

We went for our 31st wedding anniversary and when we arrived they had upgraded us to a room with a private patio and wine and glasses awaiting us when we walked into the room. There is ample parking covered and open and the place is very clean. They offer a continental breakfast and we slept like babies on the comfy bed. Not crazy noisy or anything. The staff was very friendly and within walking distance to the harbor beach area, restaurants, the wharf and State street. We will be coming back for sure! read more

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Fantastic hotel. It is close to the funk zone and a ton of great restaurants by the pier. I highly recommend this hotel for anyone looking for a great place to stay. The staff is amazing as well. read more

Very cute hotel. Appreciated the architecture details even though it's a newer build. The breakfast was fine, coffee was good and workers friendly. Only con was that we couldn't change the ac lower than 67, and it felt warmer than that. Fan was in room so that helped a bit. Free parking was appreciated and felt safe enough to walk around. Would stay here again (maybe in cooler months ) read more

A great experience here for 2 nights. Located within walking distance to Stearns Wharf. It's close enough to restaurants and eateries while still being a bit away from getting busy and noisy. We were celebrating a special occasion. They definitely served up great hospitality by giving us the corner room on the 3rd floor. It was nice and quiet while still had a warm feeling of the room with all the natural sunlight from being in a corner room. They even had a bottle of champagne and nice little desserts for us waiting as we got to the room. Thank you! This definitely added a great big plus to our stay. The rooms looking nice and new gave off clean vibes. Normally hotel shower tubs are pretty narrow. Our room had a nice wide tub. Even small details of lighting such as a light above the shower or the inserts for the bathtub perfectly fitting the size of the hotel shampoos and conditioner shows great attention to detail. Their architecture matches the Santa Barbara style of red clay tiles and arches. They offer complimentary tea and coffee downstairs in the lobby all day. In the morning they have pastries and, snack bars, and croissants available. Overall great experience. read more

A great gem. Super clean. Great location. Comparable rate to nearby similar places. Would visit again.

Meh. The good: decent location within walking distance to State Street and Brophy's. A Bit far to an actual beach, though. Nicely renovated (albeit cheaply interior-wise). "Free" parking. "Free" breakfast. Beds are very, very comfortable! Ice machine. They do offer some to-go snack foods and some fresh fruit, yogurts, croissants and non-muffin pastries that they order in from a bakery, but the rest of your breakfast is Smart&Final. The not good: maybe my expectations are unreasonable for $230-350 per night but moldy muffins, from-concentrate gallon OJ and very mediocre coffee, while far better than nothing, were not positives. 2/3 of the front desk staff over the 3 days we were there certainly didn't go out of their way to be friendly. 2 older gentlemen always did. Our sink gurgled 24 hours per day. Our A/C definitely wasn't cooling to a thermostat-stated 67 and I found the room warm. The A/C was quite loud and making noise. This should have been spotted and reported by housekeeping, who, by the way, didn't say Good Morning once while content to make plenty of noise in the hallways yelling back and forth. Enjoy massive throw pillows you'll struggle to find a place to store while you don't use them? Good luck in the small rooms. Fix the door to the garage that slams constantly. I'm not confident that the in-room refrigerators cool to a safe 37 degrees. I didn't temp it but I pulled out a yogurt that looked worse for wear. It was turned all the way down - I checked. The stay was...fine. I'm glad I didn't pay Rack Rate. read more

I chose to stay at this hotel for my first trip to Santa Barbara. The GOOD Check-in: I arrived in Santa Barbara around 3:30pm due to traffic. Someone arrived exactly when I did and there was only 1 front desk associate to help so I had to wait approximately 10 minutes or so for them to finish. No big deal, the guy at the desk was very helpful and had great professionalism. Parking: Parking lot is partially covered(shade) and uncovered(unshaded). I didn't have any issues finding parking because I walked everywhere. As long as you don't get back too late you will find a spot but I did notice after10pm most if not all the spots were taken. Location: This hotel was conveniently close to the beach which was the highlight of my stay and part of the reason I chose this hotel opposed to the Palihouse Hotel. I walked everywhere so this location was spot on. Room: My room was located on ground level with the front door facing parking lot and street which made me a little cautious but was ok. Overall, the room is "Clean". When getting settled in around 4pm after check in I noticed sand on the bed(picture below)which was irritating at first because I questioned the cleanliness of the bed and I don't take that lightly. I thought to myself "hey, you're near the beach there's going to be sand right?" So i let it go. The walls did have some dirt residue or gunk on them that I would notice throughout the room (pictures below). One mark on the wall looked like it could have been dried up blood but I'm not sure. As well, there seemed to be another substance located on the night stand. I planned on putting my close in the dresser draws but they were not cleaned so I kept my things in luggage. These things I would not be touching directly so it was not a big deal I just acknowledged it was there. Bathroom: Very cutely decorated. The bathroom sink was slow draining (picture) which you may think is broken but eventually drains. The NOT SO GOOD Nighttime: The biggest problem I had was that the AC was loud making clicking or flushing sounds approximately every hour while I was trying to sleep(10pm) which I did not notice during the day. Eventually I fell asleep with my pillow over my head. Around 11:00pm I was woken up by what I assumed was walking from the room directly above me. It sounded like someone in high heels or cowboy boots but then sounded like jumping/banging. Which initially wasn't a problem. But this continued as though they were walking a marathon back and forth until 12:00 midnight until I called front desk and explained that the people above are too loud and I could not sleep. A woman's voice said she would call and asked them to quiet down. Around 1:30 am they "quieted down" or I was just too exhausted to notice. The second night was even worse and the noise was louder and started earlier. I was woken up by literally banging around 10:30 pm. I called the front desk and explained that I had already been kept up the prior night by these people and was extremely unhappy that I am now being woken up a second time by them. A man's voice said "ok I'll check it out". 11pm and they sound as though they are doing an Obstacle and are going to fall through the ceiling. 11:30pm I had to walk to the front desk. Say hello 5 times for someone to help me after 5 minutes of no one in sight. And explain my frustration. The same young man who answered my initial call said he called them and asked them to quiet down, I said they didn't get the memo that's why I am here. He said "what are they doing up there rearranging furniture?" I explained to him again, that this is the second night this had occurred and I need it to stop, when you stay at a hotel your paying for somewhere to sleep not be kept up. I asked do I have to tell them to quiet down myself? Is this what I am paying $1200. For 2 nights for?! He seemed unbothered by my distress and tired red eyes and pajamas. He said he'd go try and knock on the door. Around 12:45am I could still hear them walking around doing who knows what and by 2:00am with some quiet I finally fell asleep after the frustration settled enough for me to fall asleep from pure exhaustion. Needless to say, I will not stay here again because of the hotels lack of urgency to take care of a paying customer who cause no problems. And No accountability or apology. read more

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What went well? Everything! For starters, I called to see if they would match an online price advertised by Expedia... and they would! So, I booked over the phone instead. I have to say, the pics online don't do this hotel justice. It's got great boutique hotel vibes, at budget prices. I loved the Spanish inspired architecture and design, especially the colorful tiles on the stairs. The complementary breakfast saved us a few duckets, and they didn't nickel and dime by charging for parking. Literally walking distance to the beach. But best of all, the room was CLEAN!!! This will be our new go to place to stay whenever we visit Santa Barbara. read more

Stayed at this inn for the Kelsea Ballerini concert. Arrived & Harry checked us in, with a very seamless check in process. Lobby was clean. There was Yoplait yogurt (free) in a mini fridge, and coffee available. Just outside of the lobby was another seating area. Staff very helpful & kind. They really make you feel welcomed. Got to the room, and there was an odd smell. But we opened the window to air it out, and it was all good after that. Beautiful courtyard to wind down, or have a small gathering, if you choose. Clean bathroom! What I loved most is soap & lotion came out of a dispenser, as opposed to the proverbial soap bar. The location is in walking distance to the marina & downtown. If you choose Lyft or Uber, you're only paying like $5 - $8 depending on the car you choose. I literally have ZERO complaints. read more

We stayed Monday to Wednesday and it was a great hotel, it has recently gotten remolded. It's walking distance to the beach and state street is close by. The rooms are nice and the hotel ambiance is welcoming and feels clean and safe. You are able to open the side door in your room to allow your room to air out. read more

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Cute and clean renovated motel. The bed is super comfortable and it's a pretty quiet area most of the night. It was a little further off State than I had expected, but still a quick walk and nice location. The free parking is a huge bonus and the continental breakfast was lovely. read more

Very nice hotel with nice friendly staff -convenient to the wharf and food in the area. Great shower too

This is a tough one to write; the reason for the low rating is EV charging. The hotel itself was very nice. Great location near the wharf and marina and we got some nice steps in hoofing it over and up State Street. The room was very nice and the bed comfortable (although the pillows were two big/hard such that my head was cocked upward rather than my neck aligned with my spine). The EV charging was simple enough; you have to download an app for the charging company. My gripe is that no-where on their website did I see anything about it being charged (we've stayed at placed that are either free or very reduced/low charging rates). Since the website didn't say anything (that I could find), I assumed it would be low or free for guests. Instead it was $0.55/kw, which is very high--about equivalent to what I would have paid in gas/diesel for the same range, and higher than even the expensive Supercharger rates at some locations on our trip. It probably cost them $5 in electricity yet I was charged over $35. And the charger app says the rates are set by the hotel. So they're making a big profit. They should state that it is charged on their website. Instead, all it says is "Charge up your electrical vehicle at our EV Charging Station." I was so excited to book this place and had high expectations, but this was offputting. If you don't have an EV, I'd give them 5 stars. If you have an EV and am looking for free/low cost guest charging, look elsewhere. read more

Nice clean hotel. Its has a small footprint but a moderate boutique hotel. 1 block away from the ocean and within walking distance to Stern Whatf read more

This hotel had horrible customer service. Our room was extremely cold and house keeping was very unprofessional. Contact the manager and stated the room temperature water fine. It was in the middle of winter i had to shower at a friends house. Room was extremely unsafe. Manager was not accommodating at all. Have stayed at other places in santa barbara wont be back! read more

Amazing vibe and great hosts. Beautifully designed, quiet getaway just steps away from the harbor. This place is a gem! read more

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Most outstanding value. At least $75-100 than other hotels. The room was clean spacious and moderately well appointed. The place was very quiet. read more

Wow saw on some websites that this was a Days Inn and I'm glad to report it is not. I assume it was a Days Inn in its prior life. Hotel is very clean, modern, and hotel check in staff was friendly. Close to the beach which is a plus. Due to Covid there is no breakfast available which is understandable. There's outside and covered parking available. Highly recommend if you're visiting SB. read more

Where do I begin...We stayed at this hotel last year and that's why we booked here again but this time this experience, we will not book again in the future. 1. The bed is super high and the mattress is uncomfortable. I was sinking in on one side of the bed. It makes me believe the mattress is very old. 2. The sheets are not cleaned well. One of my pillows had a strong smell of BO. I put the pillow on the floor and let it go because we were busy and didn't have time to complain. 3. The WiFi is terrible. It wasn't working most of the time and would kick you off constantly. 4. We had a bug infestation. There was a catapillar or centipede looking bug in the shower and a HUGE spider near the bed. 5. The worst. The hotel manager controls the AC/heat. It is false to advertise the units in the room when you have no control over it. We woke up in the middle of the nights in a sweat and in the morning freezing. I had to warm up my baby in the car a few times because it was so cold in the morning when we woke up. We tried to let the manager know the issues and receive a discount since the whole experience sucked. The manager is very unprofessional and seems to not care about guests well-being since we found insect infestation and no control over the ac/heater. You will also notice you have no control over the unit because the controller says "central heating" on the thermostat so it is proof we have no control over it and the manager does. It's sick to think we have no control over the temperature in our room and pay so much for it. I do not recommend this place and we will be staying elsewhere when we return to Santa Barbara. read more