My husband and I stayed at El Encanto for a quick weekend getaway. When we arrived, our room wasn't…read morequite ready, so Angel helped us with a few drinks while we waited while we explored the grounds. After an hour or so, Angel contacted us to let us know that they'd like to upgrade us, but we'd have to wait a bit longer for the room to be ready. We had no issue with that as we enjoyed additional cocktails while waiting. It was definitely worth the wait! Our room was spacious, nicely decorated with an outdoor patio. Breakfast was included in our stay and we enjoyed sitting on the outside patio of the restaurant overlooking the water in the distance. Service was great, but we have to do a shout out to David who made my husband excellent mochas. David was new to El Encanto, but you couldn't tell. His service was top notch and he made sure to perfect the mocha! We also used the steam room in the spa facilities and the pool during our stay. We didn't use them for long, but it was nice to be able to sit by the pool. El Encanto also offers shuttle service into town, but we were only able to use it 1 out of the 3 times we wanted to. You can let them know you want to use the shuttle 20 min or so beforehand, but they don't schedule it for you that far in advance. So, even if you ask 30 min ahead of time, you still may not be able to get the shuttle. When we were able to get a ride, Eric our driver was excellent. We did partake in drinks at the bar, and Angelica and Katie were spectacular. We participated in a drink making session and were pleasantly surprised with the options that they made for us. I love gin and the Eastside was a really nice, refreshing drink. I don't drink much bourbon, but the Paper Plane was really good to me as well and I'd consider ordering another one! Overall, our stay at El Encanto was relaxing and well worth it for us. We had exceptional service from Angel at the front desk through our entire stay. He made sure we were well taken care of and seemed truly appreciative that we chose El Encanto. Angelica was the best bartender; made great cocktails, but also very down to earth and great to chat with. Ryan who helped us with our luggage and car also was quick and friendly. David also made memorable mochas! El Encanto is far enough to feel a bit secluded, but close enough to quickly get into town for dinner. We can't wait to go back!

THEY LOST OUR GUESTS CAR KEYS AND HAD TO DRIVE THEM HOME!!!!!!!!!!!…read more Definitely not 5 star. Tuesday August 11th around 6pm - a dead night. Invited important investors of ours to dinner at el encanto, a place we have been going to as locals for the past 15 years with no issues. On arrival the valet made us wait forever while they moved -one car- to put a Milpas motor Porsche into its place. Then we waited again, they had 6 cars just sitting blocking the entrance so we walked up the driveway to meet our guests. Meh not that big of deal... -UNTIL we needed to leave- Same cars sitting since we arrived, blocking entrance. We stood forever waiting for the (likely ucsb children valet drivers) just standing there chatting in a corner while we were waiting forever to bring our car, looking at us like we were crazy. LONG after our guests gave their ticket to the valet, they made our guests wait longer while being rude to us for becoming impatient. And best part?!?!? THEY LOST OUR GUESTS CAR KEYS AND HAD TO DRIVE THEM HOME!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly, worse experience at a so called 5 star hotel. Definitely NOT 5 star. Edit: DEFINITELY NOT 5 STAR FOR NOT FINDING THE KEYS!!!! Our guests have been calling and calling the valet manager this morning for their only car keys to go to work (we had hoped they'd find the keys through the night) or at least called to apologize, but nope - our guests are having to chase up the manager who isn't calling back. What a joke of a hotel. There is absolutely no excuse to not call a customer you wronged

We love kimpton hotels and we are members of IHG group. This Kimpton canary hotel is at the most…read morepopular location in downtown Santa Barbara. Walking distances to EV superchargers, shops, restaurants and bars. Also not far away from train station and the beach. Hotel provides free bike rentals. Kimpton hotels are all cozy little boutique hotels with nice amenities. Little bodega in the lobby, gym and rooftop pool for hotel guests, on site restaurant and bar opens daily. Complimentary coffee and tea in the mornings. Also early evening wine hours. Our junior suite with a small balcony was cozy and relaxing, bathroom was spacious, bed & pillows were so comfy. Evening turndown service with cookies and S. Pellegrino waters was a nice touch of luxury. We absolutely loved our weekend stay at this Kimpton! Highly recommend this hotel for convenience and hospitality!

Absolutely love Kimpton properties. My friend and I stayed 4 nights, 5 days. Check-in was easy,…read morevery friendly staff (Kimberly was GREAT). The valet was fast and efficient. We were upgraded to a suite which was wonderful. The room location was very quite, no noise issues. Plenty of room in the living room, bathroom and bedroom, a lot of charm. The rooms seem very clean and well equipped with a mini refrigerator Nespresso machine and robes. The only item missing oddly in the rooms are hotel luggage racks. We went up to the roof to see the pool, looked nice, it was empty due to the cooler weather temps in Santa Barbara during our stay. We did enjoy the "Wine Happy Hour" and the complementary Coffee station in the morning. There are ice machines on every floor and on the ice machine you can also get filter water for your water bottles. To note: it is a dog loving paradise at the hotel, dogs everywhere, big dogs little dogs, I love dogs so I had fun watching all of them. OK, so our only 2 criticisms are is the fee for parking per day $55... crazy! The second criticism is why can't the hotel spare space for a small gym? The hotel is affiliated with a Free 24 hour gym, "Key 2 Gym" which worked out great, BUT it's a 16 minute walk... a 1.07miles. Might not seem much, but I work out daily at 5:00AM to get it out of the way. Walking on State Street at 4:45 AM in the dark, when the only people on the street are the aggressive homeless does not make me feel safe at all. Other than those 2 items, we loved our stay!

Very clean rooms, comfortable beds, nice staff. Definitely…read morecoming back here. Recommend

My wife and I are so happy to have found this spot. The staff were welcoming, the amenities that we…read morewere able to enjoy was amazing. We loved getting into the hot tub daily. My wife loved the pool, although I wished it was heated. The daily unlimited and cheese hour was very pleasing. The deluxe continental breakfast was a very great addition for us. The grounds and rooms are well kept. We really appreciate this inn doing all that they have done to ensure guests are accommodated to. Also, thank you Esteban (Sorry if I misspelled your name) just for being you. Thank you to the tall male concierge with the long ponytail who checked us in and gave great sightseeing suggestions on our last full night in Santa Barbara. He was so friendly and knowledgeable (Sorry that I forgot your name, but everyone at the inn should know exactly who you are from my description). We would stay here again.

Simply the best. Lucy at the pool was so helpful and pleasant. Cottage was spotless and…read moreextremely comfortable. Food was excellent. Will definitely return!

Afternoon tea at San Ysidro Ranch felt like stepping into a fairytale…read more Getting there was a little confusing because it wasn't immediately clear where we were supposed to go. We were eventually directed to pull up to the complementary valet circle, as there weren't any other parking options. Fortunately, the property is so beautiful in every direction that I didn't even mind getting lost. We visited over Labor Day weekend and had a 3:00 p.m. reservation, with the last available seating at 3:30. Surprisingly, only three other tables were occupied. We originally chose to sit outside but moved indoors once it started drizzling, making us the only guests dining inside. Our window-side table gave us an enchanting view of hummingbirds and dragonflies appearing among the nearby branches. Afternoon tea is $120 per person for outside visitors. All dining is included for guests staying overnight at the ranch, which may explain why the tea service was so quiet. The Earl Grey and white jasmine teas were both good, but not exceptional. However, the majority of pastries were exceptional, which lent to justify the price. Unfortunately, with the door to the Stonehouse remaining open, two flies circled our table for nearly the entire service, which became a persistent irritation and noticeably diminished an otherwise peaceful experience. This prompted a less than 5 star rating. We almost finished everything, but each left with a full stomach and to-go box containing three or four pastries. My favorite part was walking around the grounds after tea. The landscaping is absolutely breathtaking, especially the rose garden. Everything had a secluded, romantic, magical quality. It wasn't crowded and was a perfect setting for photos, which ultimately helped make the price feel worthwhile. Would I pay $120 to repeat the experience? Probably not, especially with the annoying flies. But as a one-time experience with delicious pastries, a private dining experience with excellent service, and opportunity to explore one of the most gorgeous properties I've visited, I would recommend the visit.

Stayed here at The Eagle Inn for a quick weekend trip to Santa Barbara. I loved our stay and didn't…read morewant to leave! Cleanliness - 5/5. As soon as we entered the room we could tell it had been throughly cleaned. The floors we had were tile or wood and my partner and I appreciated the care that went into prepping the room for us! Staff - 5/5. The staff was super helpful and kind and helped us with recommendations of the nice beaches nearby. Vibe - 100/10. I thought the room was super cute and cozy! It had everything we needed including shower caps and makeup wipes which I thought was a nice touch. There was also complimentary coffee and delicious homemade cookies! There was also complimentary breakfast that was delivered to our room. The only downside that I found was our room was underneath the staircase and could get noisy when trying to sleep in. However I just turned on the TV and was able to sleep through it. Overall I would 1000% come again to The Eagle Inn and stay here whenever I am in Santa Barbara :)

We had an excellent experience at the Eagle Inn. Great location, very clean room and friendly…read morestaff. We will definitely be back!

The Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort is a solid choice for accommodations on any Santa…read moreBarbara trip. I stayed in a single king room while attending a conference, and it was clean, comfortable, and had everything I needed. My room was on the first floor and had a pretty nice ocean view. Everything was up to the usual Hilton standard. The bed was warm and comfortable, the air conditioning kept things cool, and the shower was decent. Nothing particularly fancy, but everything worked as it should and the room was a comfortable place to come back to at the end of the day. This hotel has a good location and is not too far from the pier and of course is right across the street from the beach. There's also a nice looking pool and spa area, along with a gym, although I didn't have much opportunity to use them during the conference. Parking wasn't super expensive by hotel standards, and they also have free EV chargers available, which is a nice convenience if you're driving electric. Overall, a comfortable hotel with a great location that delivered exactly what I expected. I would stay here again. Four solid stars.

A beautiful property from the lobby, to the main restaurant/bar views to the fire pits with comfy…read moreloungers. Beautiful windows, architecture in the building. Waited awhile for check in but the service was excellent-- my gf is a diamond preferred member and we had 5 rooms booked between 14 of us. We were given free kids zoo tickets to enjoy! There is Starbucks coffee and breakfast options at the cafe next to lobby. I was able to get a venti vanilla latte, caramel macchiato for under $10 each which isn't far off from a regular Starbucks. The breakfast burrito was tasty here. Swimming pool was large, hot tub large with interesting jet streams spitting out water obnoxiously but felt nice. If you're trying not to get your hair wet, good luck. Pool towels in a machine you have to use your room key to access (never seen this before). Pool area had many loungers in shady areas. At 5pm, I believe, there was complimentary individual s'mores kits and sangria they would set up at the fire pits for hotel guests. Plenty of grass for kids to run around and enjoy themselves. Kids also enjoyed the pool. Cons: waited a really long time for staff to rent a bike. Waited at least 20 min at 9am. First 2 hours free. Once the guy came and gave me a waiver to complete, and disappeared again. At that point we completed it and went off our merry way. Rode the bikes down the main beach with a bike/walkway. It was beautiful!

We first stayed at Simpson House Inn almost 16 years ago, and over all those years we never forgot…read morethis beautiful, peaceful place. When we planned another trip to Santa Barbara this year, there was no question where we wanted to stay--we booked three nights at Simpson House Inn again. I can honestly say our experience was even better than the first time. From the moment we arrived, Olivia gave us such a warm welcome, and Frank immediately took care of our luggage and escorted us to our lovely Garden Room. One of the highlights of our stay was enjoying breakfast each morning in our private garden, surrounded by the relaxing sounds of the fountain and singing birds. It was the perfect way to start the day. Everyone we encountered--from the front office staff to housekeeping--was genuinely kind, professional, and welcoming. The attention to detail and the peaceful atmosphere make this place truly special. We highly recommend Simpson House Inn and can't wait to return again!

Just a note to upcoming travelers that many of the perks noted in reviews below are no longer…read moreoffered. There is no nightly happy hour with wine tasting and there are no bikes available to borrow from the inn. Seems that there have been changes potentially in management that have decreased the offerings which make the stay seem less luxurious and in my opinion not consistent with a 5 star stay. When we inquired about borrowing bikes we were told to go rent bikes from a shop downtown. Although breakfast provided was tasty, Simpson House consistently did not pay attention to our dietary requests that we had made note of in our reservation, called in advance to notify the staff, and put daily on our breakfast requests. We were served food and drink that we could not eat daily even after we had brought it up with management. Although the grounds are beautiful, the attentiveness and offerings do not seem to be what they once were, and for the price nightly price of $600, I would look at other hotels in the area.

Great beach hotel with excellent service. The rooms are beautiful and have lots of great amenities…read more We had a beachfront room that while not very large it made up in service and appointments. They have valet parking which is super quick and the restaurant onsite is pretty spectacular. My one gripe at this place is that the ocean has a lot of tar along this beach otherwise it's a beautiful stay that you don't need to leave for anything. It's also very dog friendly

Beautiful resort right on the Pacific…read more Restaurants, shops, beach access. Beautiful private resort with a lot to do and see.

Me and my group friends stayed here from August 20-22, 2026. We made our reservations over the…read morephone and received a better deal. Although checkin was not until 3:00pm, two rooms out of three were available at 1:30pm to checkin. The room was clean as well as the bathroom. The white towels in the room looked very dingy though. Honestly those dingy towels including face towels need to be tossed and replaced with new ones. Although this hotel is walking distance to the beach I really prefer staying at a hotel with a pool. Note this hotel has NO pool. This hotel does have FREE parking. Which was a plus as one of our friends drove to Santa Barbara. The customer service we received during our stay was excellent. The breakfast snacks laid out in the morning was a nice touch. Especially if you want something light before you start your day. You'll find that the hotels in Santa Barbara are pricey including La Playa Inn. I don't regret staying here though because of the excellent customer service we received from staff.

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.

Our room had an excellent view, we slept well, it was quiet, the grounds/facilities were well kept,…read moreall the valet/bellmen guys were personable, kind, and helpful, our room was cleaned nicely, the turndown service was appreciated, the pool/spa view was gorgeous, the DJ played great music, and the front desk/concierge team was kind and welcoming. The hotel was perfectly positioned between the beach and downtown- walkable to all best cafes/restaurants. We were celebrating our anniversary and the hotel went above a beyond to make the whole weekend special with many check in texts and special accommodations. Highly recommend and worth the splurge! Best Santa Barbara hotel!

BEWARE OF BROKEN AIR CONDITIONING! There are multiple reviews where people have complained that the…read moreAC did not work, which is unacceptable considering the price. If you're planning on staying at the Hotel Californian, please check to make sure that your AC is working in your room. If it isn't, call the front desk and if they don't fix it/move you to a different room in a timely manner, GO DOWN TO THE FRONT DESK so that they provide the experience that reflects the price you're paying. We chose the Hotel Californian because we took the train to Santa Barbara and it was the closest hotel to the station. It was pricey, but if you sign up for the Preferred Hotels rewards program, you can access discounted rates and early check-in/late check-in and room upgrades. Having arrived at noon, well in advance of the 4pm check-in, we were told that we would be put on a list and notified once our room was available. Santa Barbara was in the throes of a heat wave and temps were in the 80's. Since we didn't get a text by 3pm, we tried cooling off in Finney's across the street. At 3;50pm, we went to the front desk to see if our room was ready. Turns out, it was and they failed to send a text. THE GOOD: The rooms are nicely decorated and they have Malin + Goetz toiletries. Beds are comfortable. Free hotel-branded bottled water. There's a Nespresso machine in the room and a Starbucks located on the property. THE BAD: There was only one robe in the room. The lights on the sides of the bed are controlled by one switch, so it's impossible for only one side of the bed to have lights on - it's either both sides or not at all. THE UGLY: Our room, #212 in the building with the spa across the street, was warm. The AC did not seem to be working as the thermostat said 80 degrees, even though the temp was set for much lower. We went for a walk, hoping that the room would cool down in the meantime, but came back and found the room was still hot. The front desk said they would send someone to look at it. Frankie spent an hour trying to fix it but declared that it was not something that would not be fixed in a timely manner. He alerted the front desk and told us that we would be moved to another room and that we should wait for them to call. Fifteen minutes passed and no phone call. We called and were told that they were assisting another customer with check-in and would call us back. After another 15 minutes, we grabbed our stuff and went down to the lobby, expecting to see it filled with guests. It was empty. The guy at the front desk who had been handling our calls said, "We just tried calling you," to which I wanted to say, "REALLY?" We were finally moved to another room, which was larger and had working AC. It should not have taken 1.5 hours for us to be switched to another room. There are several reviews complaining about broken AC, so this is not a unique problem. It's a shame because if our first room had working AC or if they had immediately offered us a new room, this would have been a positive review. If they had honored the room upgrade benefit of being a I Prefer Hotel Rewards member initially and placed us in the second room, this mess could have been avoided. The front desk seems pleasant enough but they fail to provide outstanding service. When we checked out, I was not asked, "How was your stay?" Perhaps they already knew how my stay had gone and were afraid to ask. Update: I checked my credit card statement and found a mysterious charge on my card a few days later. I followed up with the hotel and was told that it was a mini bar charge for a bottle of Tito's vodka which we most certainly did not open/take. I've been told that the charge will be reversed, but if it doesn't happen, I will revise my rating even lower.