At first I was a bit hesitant to stay at this hotel due to the mixed reviews and price point. You'd want some reassurance for the $$$$ you're about to shell out for your stay. But since it was spring break and we didn't plan far enough ahead, there were limited options so we bit the bullet here. Glad we did, because we had a lot of pleasant surprises here. Sorry in advanced for the super long review, but felt I needed to share my experiences more in depth and hopefully be helpful here. The location was awesome, walkable to several locations: the beach, bunch of restaurants, shopping, funk zone, wine tasting and near other kid friendly attractions. The pool was heated and was rooftop along with the spa. Someone there to provide and takeaway towels and take your order. The room itself was spacious, very quiet (didn't hear or really see any neighbors) and tastefully decorated (more on the modern eclectic side). The bed passed my comfort test (I'm princess & the pea picky). Nice branded natural botanical toiletries. There was free spring water and coffee in the room, which is always helpful. 2 turn down services. All staff were super friendly. My baby woke up in the middle of the night so my husband took her out to try to get her to fall asleep. The front staff was so nice to let him borrow a rocker chair until she fell back asleep. A lot of folks mention it being so expensive and not offering much. I'm wondering what they were wanting to be offered?! Like someone to rub your feet and carry you in a carriage to your room and feed you grapes?! Umm well yeah you're definitely not going to get that here hahah. There are breakfast and spa packages that they offer at certain times. But we did find very pleasant that they would charge our EV everytime we drove back (we didn't even know about that perk), such a time saver! We loved the breakfast restaurant that's part of the hotel - goat tree. Ended up going every morning. We stayed in 2 different rooms by choice. The ocean view was very nice and the other room had a city river view. So, why I didn't give it 5 stars and 4 stars instead. The drive up to the hotel was awkward. If you're coming from the opposite direction you have to drive past the hotel and make a u-turn. There isn't a driveway area with an awning like hotels usually do and it was just a curbside to leave your car and get your bags picked up. Also, the hotel is separated into 3 different buildings. I stayed in the main building and so you have to leave to another building to use the pool. Your car is in another building behind so it takes a little time to get something if you left it in the car. Other than that, we loved our stay here and would come again! read more

The hotel itself was nice and luxurious. The service from the staff was exceptional and extremely professional, from the cleaning crews to the lobby staff. Other than that, I don't think I got my money's worth. I paid nearly 2k a night. For the amount, I would expect better amenities and free parking. Parking is $60 a night, and it seems like there is no unlimited in-and-outs unless you get the valet. The hotel could do better with the price they charge per night. read more

Hotel Californian - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I was blown away by the stunning rooms at Hotel California, no detail was missed and I stay at a lot of higher, end hotels, and they knocked it out of the park. The decor was trendy, but elegant. The room and bathrooms were extremely roomy. Hotel California has their high end restaurant called The Black Bird GREAT dining experience the wine bar had wine flights like you've never had before and yes the sports bar was top notch on Sunday. The pictures do not do this hotel justice the location is premium. they made my birthday weekend extremely special. This is the perfect place to celebrate. Thank you, Gabriel for going above and beyond. HOLLY read more

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I had an incredible massage in the spa from an older woman, I don't remember her name maybe it was Thia or something similar. But it was one of the best massages I've ever had, very intuitive and was exactly what I needed. read more

Added some more photos that didn't get uploaded in yelp. Here you go. We enjoyed this beautiful place. read more

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This was our third stay at Hotel Californian. The property is beautiful, and location is excellent on State street, right by the beach and pier. Above all, the service, especially during our recent stay was memorable. Special thanks to reservations manager, Amy Maguire. We had a family emergency that threatened our arrival date and Amy was so helpful in working with us, providing flexibility so that we were able to make our visit. Amy also assisted us with an issue with Expedia as we had accidently made the reservation through them and then cancelled it due to the emergency (a word of caution: Expedia can come off as the hotel directly). Amy is not only professional, she is caring and totally customer focused. Hotel Californian is SO lucky to have her! Thank you, Amy. We look forward to seeing you and the whole service team at Hotel Californian soon! read more

This hotel is nicely situated within walking distance from the beach and we had an amazing stay. Staff was friendly and welcoming and the room was comfortable with tasteful decor. We were sad that the weather wasn't nice enough to enjoy the rooftop pool but we had a great breakfast at Goat Tree which is owned by the hotel owner. Highly recommend The Society winebar which is also one of their properties. We learned so much about wine and the history of the hotel from Justin. Cannot wait to return here for a fun summer getaway! read more

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- So for all the men out there here is a weekend getaway Idea for y'all - Take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from where ever you live Irvine, LA, Oxnard, MoorePark, San Diego, Etc get two business class seats for you and your honey bring a book and some entertainment on the way there - Way better then driving there on the 101 & the 405 This hotel is a 3 min walk from the Train Station and it is amazing how close everything is to this hotel and once we got in we had a great dinner at Santo Mezcal also a 2 min walk from the hotel. The hotel itself is incredible with the amazing tile work in the Lobby and even In The bathrooms. The theme of the hotel is very Modern Moroccan with accents of gold and luxury. It really sets the mood for a romantic getaway and the character of the hotel is amazing with its position within down town Santa Barbara. The rooftop pool and spa are also incredible because the views are spectacular, and when we went we felt like we had the place to our selves. All in all super cool experience lots of wine tasting and restaurants in the hotel and around the hotel and the pier is a 3 min walk. You really don't need a car to get around just get on the train get here then relax. Service was really great the front desk was awesome and made it easy to check in. Also you can grab the bikes and bike anywhere you want in the city which is super nice. Make sure to use the amenities when your there you pay for them ! lol Also Greta bike rides up the warf and next to the beach it's amazing. Everyone made everything super easy to stay there and have a great relaxing time with the wife. Plus you can get a little pre train ride wine for the ride home on the Amtrak. read more

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My Prada went missing after staying here, and staff acted like they didn't know what happened. They will steal from your room and car, don't trust them at all!!! read more

Loved our one night stay the day before July 4th. Expensive up price for the busy weekend but booking with amex we were able to check in a little past noon and also got a complimentary room upgrade. The room and building feels lux and they have a nice bar, wine tasting room, brunch, and dinner restaurant as well as food and drinks available at the pool. I thought the bed was comfortable and liked the shampoo and conditioner and body lotion brand provided. They also r stocked with alcohol! Overall enjoyed our stay and hope to be back again next year. read more

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I've stayed here twice. Make sure you book a room in the same building where the pool is. The hotel's location is very convenient. We had great time walking around the town, shopping, trying local restaurants. I believe blackbird was closed during our staycation but luckily we discovered so many other places to eat. read more

Hotel Californian - Pool area - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This hotel is amazing, we had a great suite that had an amazing view. The service was welcome and attentive. The rooms were clean and tidy. We had a lovely fireplace and table in our room which allowed us to sit and enjoy the morning view over mimosas. I recommend this hotel to ALL! Truly an amazing boutique hotel that feels like you're enjoying some of the best of CA! read more

Amazing getaway, the staff treated us great from the time we arrived to when we left. We only stayed a few days but they were super accommodating. The hotel is a quick walk to great food options and was very clean and relaxing. The gentleman at the front desk I forget his name but he has dreadlocks, he was great and made us feel at home. We'll definitely be back! read more

Hotel Californian - Hotel room, best room. - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This hotel is great for its location. You're paying top dollar so you can walk to restaurants, shops, pier, etc. Otherwise, it was just ok. The room we stayed in was right below the bar, and it was super loud during the weekend, although it did quiet down relatively early. We spent two nights, and we never even got a proper cleaning since we came back at 4pm and it wasn't done, so we just said forget it. Rooms are modest in size and the decor is modern. I wouldn't stay again, but if you do stay there, take advantage of the location and walk everywhere. Pet friendly. read more

My friend and I recently stayed at Hotel Californian for a girls night/staycation and it was amazing! Every little detail is so glamorous and unique. The room was very spacious with a king bed, large L-shaped couch and desk space. The in-room bar has a lot of options and is reasonably priced. We took advantage of the robes and slippers that are provided for full relaxation mode. I loved that the entire shower was marble. We didn't get a chance to use the rooftop pool or bar but hope to come back again to use enjoy those as well. Centrally located in the Funk Zone, it's walking distance to many great restaurants, tasting rooms, bars and the beach! read more

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Very expensive? Yes. Worth it? Probably. We stayed here for 3 days and really enjoyed our stay. The rooms are very clean, modern and the location is amazing, steps from the beach and funk zone with great restaurants and wine tasting options. They also offer complimentary EV car charging which is nice if you have an EV. The hotel is spread across three non adjacent buildings within a couple of blocks. We stayed in room 415 (Sevilla guest room) which was in the building with the spa and pool. The room was very quiet which was great as we were looking to relax on this trip. The gigantic TV also had streaming options so we were able to stream our favorite Netflix shows which was great. Hotel staff were friendly and helpful and we took advantage of the complimentary bikes for a nice cruise on the beach strand. Shower water pressure was A+ as well and everything about the room exuded luxury and class. Only negative was that we had forgotten to pack advil and asked for a few packs at the front desk and were charged $5 for them which I was surprised as I assumed they would be complimentary since you are paying $800 a night to stay here. We also tried the hotel bar which had a nice selection of cocktails and a friendly bartender who gave us great recommendations for restaurants and bars in the area. If this place is in your budget it's worth it. read more

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We had a wonderful two night stay at this hotel. The entire staff was kind, respectful and courteous. Valet promptly assisted with my vehicle as well as getting it charged at night. The rooms are spacious and clean. I would definitely come back. If you have the Amex Platinum card and you book through Amex you will be greeted at the lobby with all the info/perks such as: late check out, hotel credits, dining credits etc. I'm not sure if they do this for all guests but the note & macarons were a sweet touch. read more

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This is a lovely luxury resort on state street within walking distance to the beach and pier and also to the other side of state street (college area). The open air lobby and lounge areas are lovely and beautifully decorated. And there are many areas to explore. The only reason for four stars is that the spaces are a bit disjointed. I had to walk across the street to enjoy the rooftop pool and brew pub restaurant. The fitness class was fun but also on another block from the main building. Also, when I picked up the car from valet it seemed someone adjusted both passenger and driver side seats which was very odd. Restaurants were also nice so check out the separate reviews. I would stay here again for location and ambience. read more

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Was there for the 100th Fiesta Celebration. The 3 young ladies and 1 gentleman who were constantly there were extremely helpful when I had needs or questions. The room had a wonderful patio for morning coffee and evening wine and sunset before dinner. The staff at The Society, a wine bar attached to the hotel, was delightful and knowledgeable in their selections. Justin was terrific in his descriptions of the selections. The Goat Tree was a wonderful place for breakfast or lunch. Food was delicious. My only major problem the week stay was the spider bites I got on my second night. The ladies at the front desk were fantastic at getting ice packs for me anytime I requested. The last day of our stay they did suggest that it should be reported to security. So, at their suggestion I went ahead and asked them to send security to my room. Security came. Took photos and wrote down a report. My right arm,I am right handed, had been dealing with pain, heat and swelling since the bite, had been reported to 3 people at the front desk. After security took the report he said his supervisor would be reaching out to me the next day. That was 14 days ago. read more

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I spent what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend away in Santa Barbara at Hotel Californian. I cannot believe they call this a 5 star hotel. For the location I guess, maybe. The room was a good size, the bed was comfortable, otherwise this review would have been one star. There was light coming in under the door to the room there was such a large gap between the door and the floor, as well as so much NOISE. This room was so loud, so noisy, I had to take pillows and put them down at the base of the door to block the light and the noise coming in. I was not near any bar or restaurant, this was just hotel noise echoing through the halls and coming in under the door. The hairdryer was broken and had to be held in an open position the entire time in order to be able to use it. The shower had to take a minute to sort of "warm up" before it really started working and still wasn't brilliant. The staff were very hit or miss as far as being friendly or helpful. I had my "Do Not Disturb" sign on my door on Saturday morning and housekeeping still banged on the door until I opened it just to say, "Sorry Miss we didn't know you were here." Does that mean they were going to come in anyway if I had not opened the door??? WTH!?! Parking was $55/night. I pre-paid for everything apart from parking for 2 nights and I drank one $9 beer. I now have a $212 charge on my credit card and no one will answer the phone so I can request the receipt which I requested they email me when I check out. Of course, the receipt never arrived after I left. Nothing about any of this is 5 star and none of it even comes close to matching the amount of $$$$ I paid for the place. I had a much better stay in SB when I went with some friends and stayed at a hotel that was 1/3 of the cost. friendlier, quieter. read more

Prime real estate location, walking distance to the wharf, beach, great restaurants, shops and bars, but not worth the $700+ on weekends! The hotel is pretty, and I do like the Moroccan/Turkish-inspired decor with a modern touch. The large slabs of marble, high ceiling and cleanliness gave our Granada King room a luxurious feel, not to mention the incredibly comfortable and plush, white bed! They boast about their views from the rooms, but our room overlooked the narrow courtyard, part of State St and directly across other rooms. The Granada King room has a bigger balcony than the Sevilla, but the view didn't really entice us to enjoy it. I wanted to treat fiancé for doing so much work fixing up the house lately, so I felt it was worth checking out though. They offer discounts for AAA and Visa holders as well. It seems like they are pretty good about following health guidelines to prevent spread of Covid-19. Masks are required and hand sanitizer everywhere. They have rooms in three different buildings. The roof top pool is across State street above Finney's and their restaurant, Goat Tree, is across the street from the main hotel. The pool itself is quite small, but they have a jacuzzi and plenty of lounge chairs to enjoy the view of the beach. The bar serves food as well. The Hotel Californian might be a nice place to have a retreat or business meeting as they have conference rooms too. I think I'll suggest it to my boss for our next retreat! :) read more

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$900 a night !!!!!! What ? Just called to see what was included. That would be nothing !!!!! Resort fees not included in the $900 valet parking not included in the $900 !!! Nothing is included!!! That is sooooo overpriced!! Price gouging completely!!!!! I'm going to pass this around to all friends and family !!!! I would never spend $900 a night . And the reviews on not great !!!! This needs to be told to anyone and everyone. What a ripoff!!!! You can go to Rome and it's $300 a night in a gorgeous hotel with a beautiful breakfast included. I'm not sure how this hotel can get away with price gouging like this . Never !!!! read more

Dear Management, I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to share some feedback regarding my recent stay at Hotel California in Santa Barbara. Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted by the staff at the front desk who efficiently checked us in. Our room was lovely and inviting, providing a comfortable atmosphere for our stay. However, during our visit, we encountered some disappointing experiences that I believe are worth bringing to your attention. Firstly, when we returned from an event and attempted to dine at Blackbird, we experienced a significant delay in service despite the restaurant being relatively quiet. After waiting for an extended period without any attention, we opted to dine elsewhere, which unfortunately was not a satisfying alternative. Subsequently, we brought this matter to the attention of the front desk, where the staff member expressed genuine apologies and offered us a drink at the lobby bar, which we appreciated. Additionally, when we ordered room service, we were disappointed by the quality of the fruit bowl, which appeared to be spoiled upon arrival. This was not in line with our expectations for a hotel of this caliber. Despite these setbacks, we thoroughly enjoyed our massages at the spa, which were truly fantastic. I must commend Zoie from the front desk for her exceptional service and the valet attendant who went above and beyond to assist us with our belongings. In summary, while there were some highlights to our stay, including the exceptional spa services and the kindness of certain staff members, overall, our experience fell short of our expectations for a hotel of your standard. I believe there is room for improvement in certain areas to ensure that guests receive the level of service they expect and deserve. Thank you for taking the time to consider our feedback. We hope that our comments will contribute to the ongoing enhancement of your establishment's services. read more

Hotel Californian - Bad Fruit Bowl Room Service - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Very disappointed at our staythis weekend! Be careful about rhis hotel's Welbsite as it is a true scam. They clearly advertise their rates as "All fees included" but then when you book and you receive an email confirmation, they add another $300-400 for fees!!! Cant be any shadier! Once we get there the valet informs us it is $55/night, so we told them we will use the Public parking on site but they didnt even bother to tell us it was the same price as the valet and we found ojt when checking out!! Why would you not tell your guests regardless the cost is $55/day and have them drive away w their liggage and walk back when there is no svaings involved?! I can startto tell u how noisy the rooms are and forget about having a relaxing stay away as their housekeeping is walking w their trollys from early morning on a wood ceramic floor. Also prepare to use the same body soap, shampoo through your stay, no refills!! So much for a 5 star hotel. Jaccuzzi was broken! Over all save ur money and DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL!! Terrible experience read more

Hello Again, My name is Lily and I have placed a review below about my experience regarding the ROACHES in my room on MY WEDDING NIGHT on 9.24.2023. This is an update on my experience and their response. HOTEL CALIFORNIAN IS SAYING I AM HARASSING THEM WITH FALSE CLAIMS AND THEY ARE LYING. They destroyed what was supposed to be the most special day of my life. They have reported to the BBB that I was the one who brought in the roaches. This company does not care about anything but money. They do not care about your stay and they will discriminate you based on your race and appearance. There is another bug claim under Amanda. Sounds like she had the same experience as I did so clearly this hotel has an INFESTATION PROBLEM. My room was messy because we were doing hair and makeup on my wedding day and moving things from one room to another. They made me sleep in a infested room until the morning when the room across the hall was smaller was available the entire time. The larger room was per my request because they had downgraded me on MY WEDDING DAY. They ruined my entire wedding schedule so YES... I asked for an additional day instead of SUING THEM and CALLING THE POLICE like I should have. Below are photographs of their claims. The food was a bag of chips and the covered chocolate strawberries they provided during my arrival. My luggage was in the corner or the room sealed because I did not want roaches crawling in my luggage. My bed was not made because we were too busy with wedding vendors. I am pretty sure housekeeping should have taken care of this. I asked to keep both rooms because we could not fit my makeup artist and three bridesmaids and a flower girl in room smaller than 320 sq ft. The additional night is something I had to BEG FOR because they had the audacity to ask me to pay half rate for the another night or check out at 8pm. I also want to add that when we got the larger room I had to call in maintenance because the key card reader didn't work. ALL ON MY WEDDING WEEKEND!! So yes!! Asking now for a full refund is perfectly acceptable. WHICH AS OF NOW NO ONE HAS CALLED TO APOLOGIZE OR COMPENSATE FOR MY TROUBLES. read more

Hotel Californian - Their false claims and not admitting they have an INFESTATION PROBLEM. - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Beautiful grounds designed by Martyn Bullard. Let me tell you, I don't like writing bad reviews, only reason they did not get a 5 star is the service provider at check in. Front desk does not provide any information about facility amenities, what is available to guests during their stay or even where their room is located. They have a rooftop, pool, spa, across in a another building. A coffee shop across the street, a restaurant, wine tasting, bikes, lots of little wonderful things that don't matter if you don't tell your guests about. Tip- hotels are not just clean beautiful rooms they are also about the service and amenities. read more

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Amazing Rooms are green,service is on point, great location. Lots of restaurants around,delicious food! Very Instagrammable spot Definitely recommend read more

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I found the hotel to be a great experience. It was clean, accommodating, great location and the staff were welcoming and friendly. I especially found Amy in reservations extremely helpful to make our room reservations exactly as I was hoping. Also David who was working valet parking was a very friendly and kind person to meet. I have family who live in Santa Barbara and have stayed in many places in that area when visiting and I found it to be a favorite place to be. read more

Criminals were sent to Hotel California; who chooses to go to Hotel Californian? I did and here's a recount from the "captive". The room was stately. Loved the decor. Life behind bars was great with a bar inside but I stayed clear ( It's a trap for a more expensive sentence). In the evening, the jail warden's minion would leave a yellow note to wish us goodnight. Special! The funk zone was lively with restaurants and pedestrians. Leave the car behind, walk or bike. The hotel provided free bikes with unlimited time for daily exercises and excursion to downtown and the beach. Stay poor and fit! The valet cost the same as daily pass at the nearby garage. Don't try to win the system. I tried. Expensive? Yes! Stockholm syndrome? Yes. Free meals and conjugal visits? No. Welcome to Hotel Californian. read more

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AMAZING experience all around !! Great location close to restaurants, wine tasting , and beach . The service, accommodations and overall vibe was impeccable! HIGHLY recommend for your next visit to Santa Barbara! read more

For paying $1000/night, this was the most sub par experience I've had for a "luxury hotel" The location is prime, but the hotel itself was nothing special. There was a lot of bugs in our room. I killed two in the bathroom, and thought nothing of it. "Sure they must have just snuck in" When we finally rested our heads on our pillows and looked up, two big bugs crawling above us. They eventually went into the vent, but for paying $1000 for one night! Pretty unacceptable. I couldn't really sleep knowing those creepy crawlers were around. No coffee or espresso machines in the rooms. For the price, definitely better off staying at a cheaper hotel in the same area read more

Everyone had to get up at 4:30 a.m. because the hotel alarm went off......hotel said someone tried to smoke and they were sorry that it happened....... read more

Absolutely gorgeous hotel! Location is wonderful, you are right on State Street as well as a few steps from the beach and pier. Their complementary bike rental is ideal to explore the town, the rooftop pool it's a wonderful way to spend the day. They have a few on-site restaurants, which are all delicious. Our rooms were spacious and the entire hotel it's absolutely perfect. Our entire family had a wonderful stay, Highly recommend it! read more

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A beautiful property with rooms in different buildings across the street from each other, this is a great hotel in a great location. We had an excellent room equipped with a fireplace and large balcony overlooking the main street below. The room was clean, neat and super warm and cozy. The hotel was also pet friendly. Several great restaurants (Santo Mezcal is a great Mexican restaurant within walking distance with an outdoor seating area that is dog friendly as well) nearby and a bike path across the street. Less than a block away was a bike rental business and we had a great experience with them as well. There was a bit of a mix up with the room rate and front desk staff but it was corrected and all was well in the end. We would definitely stay here again! read more

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Service at this hotel was horrible. We stayed in one of the more expensive suites and had Motel 8 service. The Tan Tan pool "restaurant" had no service. We sat in the pool area for more than 45 minutes and no one ever came to offer food or drinks. I reported this to the front desk and they seemed indifferent. We went to the cocktail bar Djinn an hour after the posted opening hours and no one was working. I had to ask the front desk for service and they sent someone who showed up 15 min later. All of the extras that high end hotels think of were absent. The location is great but the experience was awful. I expressed the short comings to the front desk on our first night and zero effort was made to remediate our concerns. 0/10. Don't recommend. read more

I'm shocked at how many poor reviews that they have recently received. We just stayed 2 nights and had a fabulous time. My husband and I both work in Forbes rated hotels, so we have very high standards. The staff was friendly and accommodating. Having turn down service again was so nice! Valets and porters were fun and welcoming. Ate at the Goat restaurant, service was great and food was good. We only had snacks. I think that we might have a different empathy to hospitality workers, so give them a chance. We can't wait to return. Thank you to all the staff members for making our stay relaxing! read more

Hotel Californian - Our room top left, great views. - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This is absolutely one beautiful hotel in Santa Barbara, I have stated in more hotels and B&B in this town than I have fingers and toes, and this one is top notch. This is in a great location It's mins. from the beach restaurants, plus the funk zone. This hotel also has hotel rooms on both sides across State street one has the restaurant Finney's also the Goat Tree which is a outdoors dinning and in room dinning. The hotel almost force you to do valet parking which is $39.00 per night or you can park your vehicle at a near parking lot around the corner from the hotel, the only different you won't have to tip anyone. The resort fee is $35.00 per. day which I have a problem with that when guests can not utilize all of the amenities that that offer with your stay, they should lower the price since till you can open at full capacity. Courtney from the front the desk was so accommodating with the room, she was so friendly helpful in suggestion Items, excellent customer service. The Sevilla room #369 was clean and spotless that overlook the courtyard, the decor of the modern marble vintage room is so beautiful, the towels are so soft and fluffy, but the bed was the main attraction the pillows comforter, sheets were all so Incredible soft and comfortable. I love this hotel and can't wait to stay here again. read more

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UPDATE: In response to Joseph: You are not providing an apology I see your hotel will not take accountability for the inconvenience this has caused us and instead deflected it back upon me which is very insulting. I have traveled to other places in preparation of my wedding day and never had this experience. If in fact, we would have brought roaches in our room please explain how the other rooms that were provided that day did not contain ROACHES. I am very disappointed with your response. This has caused me irreconcilable hardship on a day that was supposed to be memorable and happy. (FIND REPONSE ON GOOGLE REVIEWS) IF YOU ARE THINKING TO STAY HERE FOR YOUR WEDDING WEEKEND, PLEASE BEWARE. _______________________________________ I have very mixed emotions about staying at this hotel. I first have to say this was MY WEDDING WEEKEND (9.22.23-9.26.23) when all of this happened, and I truly expected a lot more from this hotel. I gave them plenty of opportunity to try and go above and beyond over the situation and they just swept a lot of my issues under the rug. If I hadn't required anything from them, they would not have offered to help. WE FOUND ROACHES IN OUR BATHROOM. The first two nights we were so excited and didn't think to check the room thoroughly because we never thought something like this would happen at a "five-star hotel". We were greeted with chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of wine. We were so happy because had saved up for 2 years to have the best wedding weekend. By the third day (OUR WEDDING DAY 9.24.23) I woke up at 4am to use the restroom only to find baby roaches and a larger roach crawling over and underneath the bathroom mats. One had crawled into my makeup bag and a larger one we found by the wall of the tv. At that point I knew the whole room was infested with roaches! I cried my eyes out! The photos I posted are after I squashed them. I called the front desk, and they couldn't move me into any rooms because they were at full capacity, but he would try and put us in a larger room. As upset as I was, I calmly asked if they could please see what they could do because it was my wedding morning and we had hair, makeup, video and photography arriving back-to-back. They said they couldn't do anything until a room became available and that they would call me AFTER 12PM! I was terrified I was going to find them in more of my things! They opened up a smaller room across the hall and the person at the front desk was asking for me to give up my original room and for all of my bridesmaids and vendors to squeeze into a 10x14 bedroom. Please keep in mind that the larger room was not available yet. I said no. I was pissed at this point. When the larger room was available it was 12:30pm! I had to be ready at 1pm for photos!! The following day the key reader didn't work on our larger room either. It was all a mess. THEIR SOLUTION: The hotel comped a bottle of Champaigne for the trouble. A bottle. That's it. Which I had to request. I had to call early the morning after my wedding to ask if I could have an extra night for robbing me of my wedding morning. They wanted me to pay half the rate or do a late checkout of 8pm. I practically begged them and had to reexplain my situation and informing them that I wasn't comfortable on how they did not realize the gravity of the situation. They finally agreed and let us stay the extra night. They still charged us for our entire stay after having to move our belongings out of 2 different rooms. They charged us for parking as well. THE SOLUTION WE WERE HOPING FOR: To refund half of our money back, let us stay an additional night, comp the last night of parking and comp a dinner to avoid any bad reviews all without having the need to ask. I am hopeful HOTEL CALIFORNIAN will try and resolve this issue directly with me by calling me and resolving this because anyone else would have demanded a full refund and contacted the city of Santa Barbara as well as the health department. I didn't do that because I understand that some things are out of their control, but this should have been handled better. Now they keep sending me emails to rate them for 25% off my stay but the link doesn't work. This is all so unfortunate. I wanted to love this place so bad because I've seen other brides rave about their stay here, but this is the memory that I will have to take with me forever. Unfortunately, I know they will bypass all of this and ignore that maybe simply "writing about my experience" and "reviewing their property" isn't the solution but actually giving us what we requested as an honest couple and making us feel better about our stay along with a very sincere apology from their manager would have made us feel better. They did not do any of this. For now, they have our phone number and card information. If they are a company with any kind of a heart, they would do the right thing. For now, we will keep waiting for our requests and an apology. read more

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I like to think of myself as an experienced traveler and this place did not disappoint at all. Actually, it was probably one of my top hotel experiences period: from the hotel property, staff, and overall experience. I have to call out 5 amazing employees at the Hotel Californian: Alex, Kristos, Mercedes, and most importantly Adam. These individuals went above and beyond to make our experience wonderful. You almost felt like family, which is very rare in my opinion. Adam was great in providing us recommendations and he really knew the area. If you are in town on Thursdays, be sure to ask if there is a Winemakers dinner at Blackbird (one of my favorite dinner experiences). Because the hotel has strong relationships with vineyards in the area, they showcase a variety of wines that pairs perfectly the course you are having. Amazing food and company! Lastly, the hotel is a perfect location as they are in the newly renovated "Funk Zone". There are many new shops, restaurants, and bars in the area, so be sure to check them out! read more

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Beautiful resort! Not so great service and dirty sheets (-2 stars). Visited in June during the weekdays and was blown away by how beautiful the resort itself is. It's spread across three buildings, which made the resort itself feel smaller. The buildings and rooms were mostly clean, except for the stain on my bed sheet. The rooftop deck has an amazing view of the beach and ocean on one side and the mountains on the other. The hotel is conveniently located and walking distance to many restaurants, shops, and of course the beach! The not so great was the service -- extremely slowwww. From the start when we checked-in, it took almost 30 minutes for the front desk to confirm our room was good to go as the tv wasn't functioning earlier, which sounded suspicious to me. We called for a few things to be brought up to the room like silverware, creamer, and some extra cups. Three different people came to bring us these things and we still never got our silverware. For the price that you pay to stay here, you would expect the service to be exactly on point and exceeding your expectations. Sad to say, they didn't even meet expectations. Then, the sheet on my bed had a pretty big stain on it. Everything else in the room seemed clean, but it was definitely a little disturbing to see the stain. I think it's a beautiful place to visit, but for the price, I'd prefer to stay somewhere with more attentive service. read more

Hotel Californian - Beautiful patio/sitting area between two buildings! - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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