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Santa Barbara, CA

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Riviera Beach House

3.2 (85 reviews)
Open • Open 24 hours

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Disgusting not clean room
Marsha V.

Ok.....so we were told our room was ready. Out of fairness husband didn't show me until a day later because he knew I would leave....and this stay was non refundable. This is our ready room..... where we offered a different room, a discount for the lack of doing a cleaning job? NO. Just a.....I'm sorry we will clean it. This was a special getaway for us. Not ok by any means. And after they cleaned the wall and cabinet....do you think they would make up the bed? Clean towels? Nope! Nice establishment

Lobby (entrance)

I was worried booking this hotel as I read the negative reviews after booking it however, I can say this is the cutest hotel ever! The staff are beyond friendly, I felt safe having my dogs there, and the location is perfect!! Walking distance to the beach and to the funk zone. The rooms are very small but we got the patio garden which gave us some extra space. The connected restaurant is also sooo good. I would definitely come back here.

The cutest hotel ever!! Natalie behind the front desk was beyond sweet! The manager helped my boyfriend put together a birthday surprise.. we came home from dinner to balloons, treats, and wine! We will be back!

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2 months ago

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Ask the Community - Riviera Beach House

Review Highlights - Riviera Beach House

“Incredible location that is essentially attached to the train station but close to the beach and so many cute shops.”

Mentioned in 3 reviews

Read more highlights

Santa Barbara Museum of Art - Entrance 2/6/26

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

(152 reviews)

Really lovely museum. Currently under construction, but had some great exhibits open. I got a…read moredocent tour which I was very happy about. The pieces of art were beautiful, and the docent was able to go into shocking detail about each one. On top of all that, the price was really reasonable for what you get here. If I lived in the area I'd absolutely become a member, huge fan!

Summer in Santa Barbara is beautiful...and absolutely overrun with tourists. I mean, they had every…read morerestaurant PACKED, every parking space TAKEN, every dessert shop FULL, and every sidewalk OVERFLOWING. Ironically, as tourists ourselves (LOL, sort of), we needed a break from THE TOURISTS! My best friend Catherine suggested we duck into the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and I'm glad she did. It's not a massive museum. Just two floors. But hear me when I say it punches above its weight. On the day we went, there was a thoughtful and curated mix of Southeast Asian and Indian artifacts, contemporary works, digital installations and enough classic pieces to keep serious art lovers happy. There were also funny art pieces that reminded everyone that art is allowed to have a sense of humor, too. I appreciated the balance. One of my favorite exhibits there let us enter our birth information and it generated our birth charts. Whether you believe in astrology or not, it was fun to interact with the art instead of just looking at it. I learned some cool stuff about myself looking at my birth chart. Hey...If you need a break from the crowds, this is the place. It's peaceful, cool inside, has clean restrooms and it's just the right size to explore without feeling overwhelmed. You won't lose your whole day here. You'll simply enjoy the bit of time you dedicate to visiting. Sometimes the best attraction in a tourist town is the one that gives you a break from other people. Consider.

Hermitage Santa Barbara

Hermitage Santa Barbara

(5 reviews)

Finally I can review this magnificent place!…read more Located in the hills of Montecito, this is the private residence of Theodore Roosevelt Gardner II. I visited The Hermitage in July, and I've been dying to share my experience. But there was no Yelp page until just recently. There was no Yelp page because it's not a business or an attraction in the conventional sense, it's a private residence. The docents explain that they are not equipped to handle the kind of crowds exposure on social media can generate. They allow you to take photographs for your own use, but not for publication. The Hermitage is only open to visitors two days a week, and only by appointment. Even with no social media presence, this is a very popular tour. Consequently, there's a waiting list. It can take months to get an appointment, so don't sleep on this, if you are interested send in your request pronto. Once your name ascends to the top of the waiting list they will notify you which upcoming dates are available. To make a request for a visit you need to visit their website: https://hermitagesb.org/ Even if you aren't planning on visiting in person, I highly recommend checking out the website! You can take a virtual tour and view photos of this wonderful place. Now Hear This: you gotta check out the website! Do it! Do it now. This dopey review will still be here after you check it out. Ok, I see you are back. Moving on.... The Hermitage is equal parts a botanical garden and an art museum. But I'll wager it's unlike any botanical garden or art museum you've ever been to. It's certainly the most unique art experience I've ever had, and I'm definitely no stranger to botanical gardens or art museums. Much of the art on display is by Mr. Gardner himself. Most, of his pieces reveal a wicked, wicked sense of humor. On display are numerous sculptures he has done of famous artists and personalities from history. It's remarkable how well he captures the essence of his subjects. Mr Gardner is an avid art collector, too, and there are works by many other significant artists that he has collected or commissioned. Absolutely enchanting works of art. The main rooms of the house are so full of life sized sculptures that even if you were the only live person in the room, it would feel like you were in the middle of a swinging cocktail party. When the tour starts you are free to walk around and check everything out up close and personal. The docents that lead the tours are just fantastic! You are given the back story on all the most significant pieces on display in the house before the group is led outside to the botanical gardens. It's important to know that there is a hell of a lot of walking in this tour. A couple hours of walking, at least. They say as you walk through the gardens you climb the equivalent of seven floors. And you have to traverse some fairly difficult spots where it's easy to fall. I saw two visitors go down during our visit. You need a fair bit of stamina, a good pair of shoes and a good sense of balance for this tour. The botanical garden is beyond, far beyond, any I have ever visited. I have never seen such perfect specimens of such a wide variety of plants. When I say perfect, i mean perfect. As if each plant had it's own personal attendant grooming it to perfection.And the plants are well-identified, so you always know exactly what you are looking at. A great deal of Mr Gardner's art collection is outdoors. Here, too, the artist's sense of humor is on display. For example, there is a collection of sculpted heads of all the US Presidents, all displayed on stakes. Again, the artist captures the essence of each president perfectly. In addition to being an artist, Mr Gardner is an acclaimed author. As such, he is particularly fond of punctuation marks. As you walk through the property you will notice sculpted commas, question marks and others. Whimsy is ever-present at The Hermitage. There are several pieces scattered around the property that imply a Giant is lurking somewhere near. There are many pieces that will flat out crack you up, like seeing Alfred E Neuman's face on a replica of Mt Rushmore. Several years ago a fire swept through Montecito and many pieces were destroyed. A real tragedy. But Mr Gardner salvaged some of the damaged pieces and turned them into new works of art. A testament to his indomitable spirit and relentless optimism. Like you probably already surmised, I give The Hermitage my highest recommendation. If you love art, you simply must visit! This is one activity I will certainly never forget! Props to Richie for creating this page. I've been wanting to write about this experience for months! Thank you! My most sincere thanks to The Hermitage! Mikey C says: Thank you for allowing me to visit your home, Mr Gardner!

I had the pleasure of visiting both the Hermitage Museum and the botanical sculpture gardens…read more It's unbelievable that all of this is on one man's property in the hills of Santa Barbara. The museum is filled with fun pieces of art, some of it interactive. The giant sculptures on the property are remarkable, with the sheer quantity of them amazing. I loved the themed areas like the zoo. The vegetation is also a wonder, especially seeing rare specimens, some of them hundreds of years old. I can't wait to go back and spend more time appreciating all the detail that went into the place!

San Luis Obispo Museum of Art - SLOMA's 2024-2025 mural project by MOMO, "Meter & Time"

San Luis Obispo Museum of Art

(42 reviews)

I like that the museum is small. It means you can pop in for 15 or 20 minutes, enjoy the art…read moreinstallation and then move on with your day. It's free and parking is located on the street. A parking lot would be ideal. - The docent at the front of the Museum is very knowledgeable about local art expression opportunities. Chatting with her was such a pleasure. - I like that the Museum offered swag for purchase but I feel like the quality of the items could it be improved such as 100% organic cotton and a slightly more edgy branding/color palette for the clothing items. I would love to purchase something to support y'all.

"Small but mighty!" said the nice lady at the front desk…read more It is small, and currently there were two neat exhibits in the building that is also surrounded by a all the way mural - Meter & Time (by MOMO). Alicia Adamerovich's Conundrums is what you might call surreal, but the artist preferred abstract. The exhibit is a blend of traditional paintings on canvas to a variety of sculptures that have no explanation but the title and your imagination that asks you to think your own meaning up while you sit with it. The more traditional, but impressionist exhibit is Peter Krashes' Passage Through. Krashes combines new and old works to urban images that are often overlooked. The works also show the actions that help shape a neighborhood. My favorite was either Public Seedbomb or Cup on a Fence. Free. I thought it was nice, but don't expect to be blown away. The exhibits were interesting and the support staff were very kind. They answered questions, and were very proud of their little museum. If you have time, why wouldn't you stop to see what's in there. Check it out.

California Nature Art Museum - California Nature Art Museum

California Nature Art Museum

(45 reviews)

Love the art gallery and poetry section they have books for sale…read more$7 for adult $5 senior

Art Attack Founded…read morein 1997 by local artist, Patti Jacquemain, to promote local art that features nature, and more specifically, art that celebrates California's diverse wildlife and ecosystems. Formerly known as The Wildling Museum of Art, it was rebranded in '24 to make its mission clearer to the public. The Good: * Located in the heart of Downtown Solvang, which is one of our favorite places. * It's a non-profit institution. * Private parking lot in the back, which is important because parking in Downtown Solvang can be a nightmare at times. * Friendly staff * Relatively inexpensive at $7/GA; $5 seniors and teens (13-17); and free for kids 12 and under. * Gift shop * To be honest, our main reason for visiting was to continue our quest to visit as many of Thomas Dambo's Troll sculptures, and this quaint little museum houses one of the giants right inside--Lulu! She's definitely worth the price of admission alone. :) * The rest of the art was great to look at, as well. They do sell some of the pieces that are being displayed, so keep an eye out for price tags if you happen to see one you really, really like. The Meh: * Not the biggest museum, as you can pretty much see the whole thing in less than thirty minutes. The Ugly: * If you can't score parking in the small lot, you'll have to fight for it on the street which can be a hit-or-miss scenario. There is a free lot about a quarter-mile away, if you don't mind walking. Conclusion: Come for the troll, but stay for the art.

Carnegie Art Museum - Beautiful non open vuilding

Carnegie Art Museum

(16 reviews)

I'm rounding up from 3 1/2 stars to 4 for several reasons. First, because this is another stop in…read morethe Passport 2 History book, and the hostess was delighted to see us bring in the Passport. Kudos! Second, the hostess / cashier was extremely welcoming, informative, and gracious. She was happy to see us, which is always a nice feeling. She let us know that there was a group meeting down in the basement about to get started in 7 minutes, but that we could go down there to see a collection of weavings on display. We popped down to check them out. While not mind-blowing, it was a fairly extensive grouping of closely woven pieces of varying size and design. Back up on the main floor they had their current traveling exhibit of artwork from the collection of the Mullin Automotive Museum. The varied works of photography and paintings in various media are as striking as the autos that inspired them. Well worth experiencing for those who love the sleek lines and elegant components of classic cars. Having been to the Mullin, I don't remember the artwork as much as the cars, which suggests that highlighting the art is a worthwhile endeavor. Because these works were not the property of the Carnegie, but rather on loan, photography was not allowed. Up on the second floor, selfies only were recommended, but photos of the museum's permanent collection were okay. The current selections are of the plein air style, with emphasis on California subjects. Cornelis Botke (husband of Jessie Arms Botke, noted Ventura County painter) is represented with one of his landscapes. I thought I recognized the Botke name. Jessie Arms Botke's works are currently featured at the Santa Paula Art Museum. There is a fair amount of unused space, especially on the second floor. Portable display walls could be utilized to expand the number of works available to see. I suppose lighting could be a challenge, but they could surely figure it out. The building itself, in neoclassical style, was the former Oxnard City Library. It presents a grand facade in downtown Oxnard, adjacent to Plaza Park. Free parking in their own lot and adjacent streets. We saw a fashion photo shoot happening out front when we arrived, and it does make a statement as an architecture background. I understand that it's a popular place for photography. As we were leaving, the hostess mentioned that around the corner is their "Artist in Residence" venue, and suggested that we check it out. The current group of pieces there are mostly focused on photographs, and are vibrant, youth-focused, and often raw in emotion and subject matter. Worth checking out, especially for anyone who thinks that art museums are "stuffy".

It says this place was open until 5 today but when I walked up no evidence of other people or being…read moreopen... no closed sign just empty. It is a beautiful old building and I hope it's going to stay that way and do something... Just know if you come here it may say open online and not be.

The Getty Villa - the Roman Garden corridor

The Getty Villa

(1.7k reviews)

Pacific Palisades

One of the most beautiful museums in the Los Angeles area. It makes a great outing as it's on the…read moreway to Malibu up the coast and just off the PCH. It is outstanding what JP Getty was able to collect, the care with which the museum is curated, and the perfection of the museum's reconstruction of a villa from ancient Pompeii. It's absolutely gorgeous. Wonderful place to take friends visiting town for the afternoon. Don't forget to wander the exquisite gardens and patios. Having visited several times, here are some of the best tips that I've learned over the years: Don't confuse this museum with the Getty Center perched high on the hill in Brentwood. Visiting both museums on the same day can be rushed but has its perks. The parking at one Getty museum location is valid for same day free parking at the other if you want to visit both in one day. Admission is free, but advance timed entry tickets are required. When driving to the Getty Villa, slow down a bit and watch the signs carefully from the north on the PCH as missing the special turn lane for the museum can be a headache; missing it requires more driving on the highway before you can exit and turn around. Try going in the late afternoon around 3:00 PM. The crowds are smaller and you can catch a beautiful sunset over the gardens. If you can arrive before 1pm, try "The Garden Tea at the Getty Villa" (also known as 'Tea by the Sea'). Make a reservation in advance as it's popular. The tea service is only offered twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays at 1:00 PM. It's held on the second floor of the Villa's cafe in a private dining space overlooking the museum grounds. If you manage to secure a tea reservation, you do not need a separate timed-entry museum ticket because your tea booking automatically includes free entry to the Getty Villa starting at 10:00 AM.

Such a beautiful place. It's just sometimes hard to get a timed reservation so you have to book in…read moreadvance, and it can get crowded. But it's one of the gems in LA. Perfect for a date, for families, pretty much anyone. What I love about the villa is you don't even need to be an art enthusiast to appreciate it and enjoy it, its really for everyone.

Solvang Viking Museum

Solvang Viking Museum

(12 reviews)

I was really excited to check this out since I love museums and I'm not too familiar with Viking…read morehistory. Unfortunately there's a heavy reliance on AI generated graphics for historical/prominent folklore figures. Generative AI has a track record of getting information inaccurate (look up AI hallucinations). It cares more about statistical pattern matching and predictions than fact checking. so when museums use gen AI images, it makes me assume all the writing is AI too. I don't know if I can trust it. When you call yourself a museum, people trust you as an educational institution and frankly it's quite dangerous to use a tool that can lead to misinformation. Why not use artwork from the past that represents those figures, or more of the clay recreations, which were very cool? I thought the animatronics and movie props were cool too. :(

We visited Solvang for the first time, and being of Viking descent, our family was super excited to…read moreexplore the town. I was especially excited when I found the Viking Museum. It was pretty small to be called a museum, but what it lacked in size, it made up for with some very cool and powerful displays. The boats were especially impressive and definitely my favorite part. Admission was only $10 per person, so it was very affordable. I was also happy to support it because the money goes to the town's historical society and helps preserve Solvang's history. Definitely worth stopping by while you're in town.

Moxi - Build and race cars

Moxi

(237 reviews)

The family and I spent a terrific day exploring and experiencing all the fun, interactive, STEM at…read moreMOXI. We had a 4 year old and a 7 year old in our group, but I think their dad had the most fun of all! The activities were designed to be developmentally appropriate to include all the members of our group in their range of engagement. Parents interacted with their children and staff was on hand to make suggestions, monitor, and prompt us to better delve into the "science" we were playing with. They seemed well-trained on how to lead us to deeper learning without slowing our explorations. Thanks to the staff and designers who allowed us to spend such a beautiful family day!

Fun, hands-on museum in Santa Barbara, but I think it's better suited for school-aged kids than…read moretoddlers and preschoolers. We visited MOXI with our 4-year-old and under-2-year-old. The kids had fun exploring, but I personally found it a little underwhelming for their ages, especially considering the price. There are definitely some great interactive and creative spaces, but I think older kids would get much more out of the experience. One thing that was pretty disappointing was finding out after we arrived that the entire third floor was closed for a private event. We had driven about 70 miles to get there, so it would've been nice to know ahead of time, especially since admission wasn't exactly cheap. Parking was also a little confusing, although there is some street parking and public parking around downtown Santa Barbara and the transit area. There were definitely some highlights. They have a craft/building area where staff were helping kids with projects and doing little workshops. The current theme was marble runs, but kids could also draw, color, build, and make whatever they wanted. Staff were really hands-on and supervised things like glue guns and scissors, which I appreciated. I can see this being a really fun and worthwhile area for older kids who are creative and enjoy building and STEM-type activities. For younger kids, there is a small crawl/play area on the second floor, plus a quiet "cave" or calm room where kids can take a break if they get overstimulated. I thought those were nice additions, especially for families with toddlers or sensory-sensitive kids. We went on a Monday and it wasn't very busy, which made for a pretty relaxed visit. I could see the experience being much better for our family in a few years, so I wouldn't completely rule out coming back when the kids are older. If your kids are school-aged and enjoy interactive, hands-on learning, building, and STEM activities, I'd definitely say it's worth checking out. For younger toddlers/preschoolers, though, I would temper expectations--the admission price felt a little high for what we were able to do. One thing that could make it a much better value is the ASTC Travel Passport Program. MOXI participates in the program, which can provide free general admission at participating science and technology museums around the world if you have a qualifying membership. There is a 90-mile restriction, though--the museum you're visiting generally needs to be more than 90 miles away, measured "as the crow flies," from both your residence and the museum where you have your active membership. Overall, a nice museum with some genuinely fun interactive spaces. I'd recommend it at least once, but for our family, I think we'll wait until the kids are a little older before making the trip again.

Riviera Beach House - hotels - Updated November 2026

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