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    Hotel Californian

    3.6 (247 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

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    Evaporative cooler left in our first room because the A/C didn't work
    Danville B.

    Hotel Californian is billed as a 5 star hotel but this has to be the lowest 5 star hotel we have ever stayed at. We've stayed at Fairmonts, Ritz-Carltons, Corinthia, Rosewood, and other luxury hotels throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. This hotel did not compare. We booked two consecutive one-night reservations. Before arrival, the hotel texted my husband asking if we had any requests. He asked if we could stay in the same room both nights, and they assured us we were "locked in" to the same room. At check-in, another couple told the front desk they had to leave their room because the A/C wasn't working and were being moved. A strange coincidence...or so we thought. The front desk also told us we had two $100 resort credits, one for each reservation, which was a pleasant surprise. Our room was in the building across the street. The moment we opened the door, we found a large industrial evaporative cooler sitting in the middle of the room. When my husband called the front desk, the same employee who had checked us in admitted the A/C had been broken but said maintenance had forgotten to remove the cooler after fixing it. Except...the A/C still wasn't fixed. The room was hot, humid, and nowhere near the 65° on the thermostat. Maintenance eventually confirmed it couldn't be repaired. I asked if this was a hotel-wide issue and he replied, "Just this room." It quickly became obvious we had been assigned the exact room the previous guests had just rejected because of the broken A/C. Rather than taking it out of service, the hotel simply checked us into it next. That was incredibly disappointing. We were moved to a larger room in the main building after dinner. The A/C worked perfectly, but the "upgraded" ocean-view room wasn't much of an upgrade. The view was mostly the rooftop of a neighboring commercial building with a small glimpse of the ocean in the distance. After seeing it, I understand why the hotel doesn't show photos of these views on its website. The next morning we were told we would have to move yet again because someone had booked this room, despite being told the night before they would do their best to keep us there. After another conversation with the front desk, management eventually allowed us to stay put, but it was another unnecessary interruption during a short two-night stay. Housekeeping was inconsistent. Our room was booked for four guests but initially had only one washcloth and two bath towels. My husband had to track down housekeeping himself for additional towels, and the second room again only came with two towels for four people. At checkout we learned the second $100 resort credit didn't exist after all. We had specifically confirmed at check-in that we would receive one for each reservation. The front desk acknowledged the employee had made a mistake but initially refused to honor it. After discussing it further, they agreed to cover approximately $50 in drinks my husband had ordered because we were told we had a resort credit. Pros: Beautiful rooms, exceptionally comfortable beds and pillows, and every employee we interacted with was friendly. Cons: We were knowingly assigned a room with broken A/C that another guest had already rejected. Too much of our vacation was spent dealing with the front desk. The advertised ocean-view upgrade was underwhelming. Housekeeping repeatedly failed to stock enough towels for the number of guests. Bathroom fixtures showed noticeable rust and wear, which felt out of place in a luxury hotel. The hotel also charges a $312 incidental hold *per night* and mistakenly authorized one of the nightly holds on both of my credit cards for Sat, plus one for Fri, resulting in three holds for a two night stay, tying up nearly $1,000 on my credit cards. For comparison, Rosewood only held $100 per night. Had we simply received the room we originally booked, I think this could have been a different review. Instead, we spent over $2,500 for two nights and had what was, unfortunately, the worst "5-star" hotel experience we've ever had.

    Kiyo R.

    Such a cute spot and within walking distance to the train station. We took a quick, last minute family trip from Los Angeles. This hotel is central to everything DTSB, where we had no issues finding something to do for our kiddos, food, and even a few locations to enjoy some wine. The hotel was aesthetically pleasing, clean, and everything we needed for a quick weekend trip. We'll be back!

    Humberto E.

    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.

    Holly C.

    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

    Fenny C.

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

    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!

    Bathroom
    Clayton B.

    - 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.

    Shower
    Annie K.

    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.

    Pool area

    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.

    Hotel room, best room.

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    The rooms are not clear if they are 5 star hotel clean. I am disappointed and not happy due to spending that much money on the rooms.

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    Ask the Community - Hotel Californian

    I see the hotel is temporarily closed but may open up in February? Was looking to reserve a stay for mid February, would that still be possible to reserve

    Hello Frances C., We would be happy to welcome you to Hotel Californian in February. At this… 

    I see the hotel is temporarily closed. Is there someone I could still contact now to discuss a future event I'd like to plan at the venue?

    Hello Alli, We would be happy to discuss a future event with you. Please contact us at… 

    Is the 4 $$$$ rating worth the accommodations?

    Hello Nina, Thank you for your interest in Hotel Californian. We pride ourselves in delivering… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Hotel Californian

    We first headed to Goat Tree for a bite to eat and we were surprised at the quality of pastries that were showcased.

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    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 :)

    The room we were given was literally right behind the front desk, and the layout was absolutely…read moreunacceptable for a hotel room. To get to our room, we had to walk through an extremely narrow hallway between two staff rooms with their doors constantly open. Every time we opened our door to leave the room, we were faced with open staff-room doors on both sides, with barely enough space to pass through. There was absolutely no sense of privacy. We could clearly hear the front desk conversations from inside our room, which made the room feel more like an extension of the reception area than an actual guest room. When we complained about the situation, the manager was extremely rude and unprofessional, which made the experience even more disappointing. If you are coming here for a holiday to relax and unwind, this is definitely not the place. The room setup and constant noise make it impossible to properly relax, and instead of leaving feeling refreshed, you leave the hotel with a headache and in a bad mood. Unfortunately, this experience was enough for us to know that we will never come back.

    La Playa Inn - Loved their continental breakfast, they had delicious options.

    La Playa Inn

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    I have considered this property before, but I'm now finally staying here for the week…read more 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.

    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.

    Kimpton Canary Hotel - Room Suite

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    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!

    Lavender Inn by the Sea - Love the Dried Lavender bag on the bed.

    Lavender Inn by the Sea

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    Beautiful outside property, poor customer service for our anniversary…read more Pros- There were a few positives during our stay. The bed was very comfortable, the evening wine and cheese service was a nice touch, and the continental breakfast had a decent selection of pastries. There is a pretty courtyard in the front with comfortable outdoor furniture. Also, the room we had included a little kitchen with a stove and full fridge. CONS- Unfortunately, the negatives outweighed the positives. The room had a damp, musty smell and the towels were rough and uncomfortable. The biggest issue was that the hotel was renovating the room directly next to ours. We endured CONSTANT construction noise and workers yelling throughout the day, and it continued well into the evening. My husband and I brought the issue to the attention of the front desk three separate times, both to daytime and evening attendants. Each time we were told, "I'll let the manager know." Unfortunately, we never heard from the manager, no one followed up with us, and nothing was done to address the situation. The noise continued for all the days we were here. We were not offered another room, an apology, or any form of compensation. Even a simple gesture, such as a complimentary bottle of wine, would have shown that the hotel cared about our experience, but nothing at all was offered. In fact we were told by the female evening attendant to "Contact your booking agency to complain". To make matters worse, one of the reasons we booked this hotel was the advertised back patio, but it was not accessible during our stay. If an advertised amenity is unavailable, guests should be informed before booking. If a hotel is undergoing renovations, guests should either be notified in advance or not placed directly next to active construction. Between the constant noise, the musty room, the unavailable amenity, and the complete lack of customer service and follow-through, this stay fell far below expectations. Truthfully, we would have stayed here again if the manager or staff showed any kind of care for the situation. I cannot recommend staying here.

    This place is great. One of the best continental breakfasts I have used. They have a cocktail hour…read morewhich I missed. But seems fun. Across the street at their sister hotel you can use their hot tub.

    Santa Barbara Inn - Hotel Room

    Santa Barbara Inn

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    Perfect anniversary stay -- peaceful, friendly, and right on the beach…read more We stayed at Santa Barbara Inn for our 25th anniversary and paid for the beachside view. It was absolutely worth it. The staff was genuinely friendly and helpful, and what really stood out was their text-based concierge system. They text you before arrival, and you can ask for anything during your stay -- they respond quickly and clearly. Honestly, that alone made the stay feel effortless. They even had the car ready before we got downstairs. It felt like having a pocket concierge. The view was fantastic, noise levels were low, and the beach is literally across the street, right at a crosswalk. We spent a lot of time on the balcony -- the room was large, the patio was generously sized, and we loved reading out there with the sounds of birds and seals in the background. Beds were very comfortable, the bathroom had great water pressure, and the jetted tub was basically a sauna -- a huge plus after walking all day. Free water bottles in the room were also appreciated. We ate at Convivo onsite -- it was fine, solid food, but a bit pedestrian flavor-wise. That said, there are so many excellent places to eat in Santa Barbara, and we walked to several without any trouble. Very walkable area for both beach time and dining. For car lovers: there's constant classic car and hot rod cruising along the beach, which was fun to watch from the balcony. It's not cheap, but it's reasonable for the location, room size, and level of service. If you're looking for a peaceful, clean, friendly place that's perfect for couples or a special occasion, this is absolutely the place.

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    Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort

    Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort

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    I usually book at Airbnb when traveling to Santa Barbara for Fiesta. Well, this was one of the…read morerare times that booking a room at this Hilton, especially for a big event like this, was actually more economical. I booked a king room with sofa bed, partial ocean view. I checked-in through the app, but I was still required to check-in with the front desk so they can check IDs. There was a line of people waiting to check-in as there was only 1 staff member. But luckily 2 more came so the line went faster. I will say that patience can get thin after a day of traveling whenever check-in into a hotel, so I try to be aware of that when all I want to do is rest. The woman who assisted us nice. She did have to step away as my room type apparently required her manager's approval? But she disclosed that, so I appreciated that. And she explained all the amenities that were included with the resort fees. The app states water bottles, which are part of the fees, were available at the front desk. That's incorrect - they're available in your room and are replenished each day of your stay. My room was in the Camellia building and it was pretty quiet. Even the sounds of children screaming in the pool nearby weren't bothersome. The room was spacious and clean for the most part. Though, when we pulled out the sofa bed to check the mattress, it was really worn down. Barely an upright spring.. luckily the couch itself was comfortable to sleep on. I found the bed to be comfortable as well. And the bathroom was a decent size. I used some of the bathroom amenities and they were of good quality. And the shower pressure was good. I appreciate that there are two sinks, one inside the bathroom and one outside so there's privacy if the bathroom is in use. The closet space was standard. And there are a lot of drawers, as well as a decently cold fridge and a working microwave. The patio furniture was comfy as well. The tvs are a little outdated - they don't have internet access so you can't watch YouTube etc there. Speaking of internet access, it was troublesome connecting to the internet. My regular phone internet was frustratingly slow. I usually don't use public wifi, but I decided to connect to the hotel's wifi because I wanted to scroll through instagram. Well, I couldn't as the instructions on the paper key card holder didn't match to what info was needed on the login screen to connect. With that said, I don't recommend using the digital key on the app since there's barely a signal there. The other amenities we used were the free 2hr bike rentals (which the vouchers were a one time use) and the 2hr beach chair rentals. Only 2 beach chairs can be used per room, but it was still useful to have when watching the parade on the grass. We also took advantage of their wine tasting hour for HH members as well as their Sangria and S'mores Saturdays. Check with staff about the correct times as the posting didn't match the actual time they were holding that event. The only place where I bought food on the property was the cafe in the pool area. The staff members there work really hard in the heat to get the food out. I got their southwestern salad and it was delicious! The romaine lettuce was fresh and the dressing was flavorful. I also ordered a side of tortilla chips. The salsa verde was excellent, but the chips were meh. Better off going to Trader Joe's nearby to get tortilla chips. Though the rooms have been upgraded, the age of the property shows. Some of the sidewalk lights were rusted and/or knocked down. The security bar for the sliding glass door was wonky, which my dad fixed (cue in the Home Depot theme). But sitting out on the front lawn of the property in one of their swivel chairs overlooking the ocean melts every negative thought away. The property isn't far from the Funk Zone, about a 20min walk. Getting to the middle of State Street, however, can feel far if you're not used to walking. But I think booking this hotel as opposed to another hotel on State Street was worth it because of the proximity to East Beach. Btw, if you're not familiar with Santa Barbara, there are a lot of oil rigs in the channel. Some days there's a higher amount of oil in the water and that can put a sour note on your beach experience. Staff members at the hotel might not be aware of any natural seepage as there's not a specific advisory body (or at least I can't find one) about it. You can still ask them, but you should Google it, too.

    This hotel is very disappointing and should not be considered a Hilton property. We had to wait 45…read moreminutes to check in and our room wasn't ready while they said they would text us when it was. It was after 4pm and we had to wait AGAIN in a 45 minute line to find out our room was ready. After that, the bar tender at The Set was incredibly rude. Avoid this hotel.

    Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara, Tapestry Collection by Hilton - Newly Renovated 1 King Room

    Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

    (71 reviews)

    $$

    4.5/5 stars! Stayed for a quick weekend getaway at the start of summer and had a great time…read more Stayed in room 314 Pros: - GREAT location. Literally around the corner was State Street which is full of restaurants and ships. A nice 15 min walk to the pier - Room 314 had beautiful huge windows that overlooked the street - Staff are all very friendly and professional - Cute outdoor balcony/patio area on the 2nd floor, right off the elevator. Nice comfy outdoor couches, chairs, tables. Shaded and cool. It was a great spot for a quick afternoon drink, or if you need to do some work. We were the only ones there both times we went during the weekend - Lobby was small but very cute - Free bikes for rent (see picture)? DTSB is very bike friendly so it was a great way to get around - Valet used a text service (scan the QR code on your ticket to text the valet to bring your car around), so minimal wait time - Room had a really nice sized drink fridge. I was able to put in an entire pizza box - 2 sinks - Keurig coffee machine in room - Smart TV, I was able to sign into my streaming services - Lobby has a small bar that served coffee and continental brekkie for a fee - Relatively quiet on the 3rd floor. My room was right off the elevator and you could definitely hear some people walking to and from, but honestly pretty quiet. The ice machine was across the hall and that could be noisy but I only heard 1 person getting ice my entire stay Cons: - I can only speak for the room I booked 314, but the shower was a stall with the dreaded flappy shower curtain. If you're uncoordinated (like me) or big and tall, you will definitely feel the slap of that wet curtain on your body while showering - So the showerhead was actually leaking, spraying water above the showerhead onto the ceiling. It not worth my complaining or changing rooms, so I never said anything, but the last morning, before I checked out, it miraculously stopped spraying water. - If you're sensitive to city noises I suggest opting for a room that overlooks the hotels parking lot, away from the street. Our room faced the street right above corner on State Street and Haley, and even being on the 3rd floor, we definitely heard some night life noises - Expensive! This was on the pricey side but, due to location. I thought it was definitely worth it - The hotel is definitely older, but they worked hard to renovate it. It's not just a motel with a facelift - No pool, but the beach is just a 15 min walk away Tips: - Definitely sign up for the Hilton honors app, it'll make it easy to check in and you can pick your own room, get room key access, and check out, etc Would I come again? Yes

    Great location and clean hotel. Expect no real common space, amenities, or food options but you…read moreare just walking distance from State Street so there are much better options than what the hotel can offer. Impressed by the hotel staff and valet staff - everyone was helpful and hospitable.

    Hotel Californian - hotels - Updated September 2026

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