Must've been a nice place to stay 100 years ago... I really, really wanted to like this place; I love older hotels and having the Charlie Chaplin history behind it, I thought would make it special place to stay for Father's Day. Sooo, I splurged for the $269/night (for a modest queen room) figuring this place would be a better deal than staying at any outrageously-priced places in Santa Barbara...just a few blocks away from Butterfly beach in Montecito made it a convenient location. But I'm sorry to say that it's unfortunate proximity to the 101 (it's literally right outside) is never going to make the Montecito Inn a place worth more than 2-3 stars. It's clean, the staff was very nice, parking is free and the rooms are just fine but the consistent hum of the 101 will never ever make it a 5-star hotel. Unless the rooms are adjusted to the $150-range, I doubt I'd ever come back here. As a side note, (and I did NOT factor this into my rating,) but the day we spent there, the coffee machine wasn't working so there was no coffee all morning to go with our modest Continental breakfast AND since they pulled the pool-cleaning guy inside to work on fixing the coffee maker, the pool was closed all morning as well...we ended up spending $8 for coffee at the Starbucks down the street and no swimming for us during our brief stay! ;-( read more

Super cute, great neighborhood, very clean!!! It was a bit noisy though and I had a hard time sleeping. The AC was difficult to figure out too and added to the noise. Would definitely stay here again though and maybe just bring earplugs. Very nice place. read more

Small, quaint boutique style hotel. Excellent and friendly service. Loved the complementary fresh organic coffees, lemon cake and muffins. The bathrooms are a bit small but our room was clean clean clean and the bedding was soft and luxurious. Loved it! read more

This is an affordable hotel in Santa Barbara. Overall very solid with a few up and downsides. On the positive side there is certainly the location to call out. Close to the pier, beach and highway. Also nearby in walking distance there are shops and restaurants. The location is therefore really top notch. The rooms are rather small and so is the bed of you stay with two people in a queen room. Room and bathroom are very clean. Stuff is not that new but also not outdated, it's solid. Everything was very clean. The walls are certainly thin though. You can easily hear your neighbors- if you want or not. But for us that didn't matter too much as we were tired and just wanted to sleep. The stuff was friendly and helpful. There is free water and juice and fruits in the lobby. Breakfast is included but the area is small and the options as very limited. If you need a quick bite it's fine though. After all it's really a solid, clean hotel in good location - and probably the only affordable one in or near Santa Barbara. Would stay again here. read more

This is the hotel that Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle built in 1928, at the height of their careers and before their respective brushes with the law. It sits at the upper end of the gorgeous Montecito village, a Santa Barbara suburb and one of the higher-rent communities of California. Oprah Winfrey and Issur Danielovich Demsky (that's Kirk Douglas to you) live down the road. This is a small hotel with relatively small but comfortable and well appointed rooms. We normally ask for one of the corners (302 comes to mind), becuse of the cross breezes and the view of the town. You can go as high as $1,200/night for the apartment, but we haven't got that far. One of the gems of the hotel, for us, is its unsupervised swimming pool and jacuzzi. Both sit hidden behind the house in a ring of quietly whispering trees. We hear that they close at night, but thus far no one has ever asked us to leave. Another gem is the restaurant, the independently owned Montecito Cafe. Glinda swears that this is the best filet mgnon we have ever been served. The steaks come with an excellent wine list and our favorite appetizer anywhere, a concoction of caviar, gravlax, and sour cream on goat cheese pancakes. To die for. Arbuckle was ruined by a rape-manslaughter case that he actually beat, and Chaplin was hounded out of California in the 1950s by anti-Communist crusaders. Since then, the inn has changed hands several times, with each successive owner jacking the rates until the pips squeaked. But lately, hotels have sat empty in the area, and the Montecito, like everyone else, has been forced to get reasonable. A very romantic little hideaway, and yet another place we would live, if we could afford it. read more

One of my favorite hotels. Cool bar, nice staff and free Charlie Chaplin movies on DVD. Sure the rooms are small but the price is usually right and there's somehting cool about staying somewhere Charie Chaplin owned. A great place to get drunk at a hotel bar, watch "Limelight" in your room, throw a good Rodgering on your lady friend, and pass out like a fat, bloated slob. That's what I call a weekend getaway. read more

Loved our stay at the Montecito Inn. Stayed in their king suite which had a tv in the bathroom, a bathtub n steam in shower. The room was upstairs w the living room downstairs with nice chandelier n a flatscreen. Service- courteous staff. Valet parking with in n out privileges for $10. Location- close to some shops n restaurant. Butterfly beach is a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Breakfast- was included which had delicious croissant, fresh squeezed orange juice, yogurt, bagel, Kona Hawaiian coffee, hard boiled eggs. Our room was only $300 for a weeknight stay. Loved the jacuzzi which was open until 11pm and heated pool. read more

I stayed here with my roomie over the weekend. It was our first trip to Santa Barbara together so I'm sure I have a slight bias in my opinion of the hotel as based off my whole experience, but we had a blast and the hotel surely was a part of that. It looks and feels more like a 1920's estate than it does a hotel, which I love. It reminds me of the mansions where I grew up in Newport, Rhode Island. The staff at the front desk are extremely friendly and helpful, the valet guys are great, and the evening restaurant staff are all very nice, too. The rooms are nicely appointed. Yes, the bathrooms are tiny and the showers need some updating, but it's a minor thing. According to the booklet in our room the tiles are all hand-painted. They looked a little too perfect to me. So I'm skeptical. The beds were SO COMFORTABLE! Pretty incredibly comfortable. I slept like a baby. We also popped a bottle of Veuve from the mini bar because it was only $5.00 more than my local grocery store at home. No complaints there. One caution: Just skip the continental breakfast. The whole thing made me feel like a refugee just trying to get a bite to eat. It looked more like an afterthought with the amount of food they put out and they don't open up the whole restaurant so you have to pretty much fight for a table. I also wasn't allowed to use the toaster for my croissant, which I was sort of rudely told by the person monitoring the whole breakfast situation. However, that was the only bad experience of the whole trip. read more

I LOVE THIS HOTEL. I've stayed here twice and it is FANTASTIC. Great rooms. The hotel feels old school and is Super charming. The service is awesome and I love the pool and jacuzzi. There's one restaurant from Phillip Lee on the property, but I Hear there are plans for a few more. Highly recommend! read more

We spent our anniversary here and had the best time!! We told the concierge it was our anniversary and they brought up a complimentary bottle of champagne to our hotel room. We love the Montecito Inn and will definitely be back!! read more

Montecito Inn - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Pictures and overall hotel decoration is really nice, they've done a really good job at preserving this building. Although, there are few things we didn't like during our short stay: - shower head damned too low. It is now because it is old you have to build shower for hobbits. I'm 6' tall and had to shower on my knees. I don't mind the bathroom was small, but the ceiling is high enough to move up the shower head! - complementary breakfast: quite limited in food choice (non dairy can try to ask for alternative milk), seating is 5-7 tables, and guest have to eat in the lobby or take a tray to their room, without any instructions from the staff - quite insistant on cleaning room. They should lower the pressure on cleaning employees and let the guests enjoy their stay! - bedding could be better: we ended up sweeting a lot with this comforter Few things we liked: - Wifi was blazing fast, uploading photos was a breathe - parking lot is convenient and ok price-wise Bottom line: I put 3 stars but in reality it is 2.5. If you happen to not care about the budget, this is an ok place, if you want the best experience for the money you may look harder alternatives. read more

Over 20 years ago, we spent the first two nights of our honeymoon here. We have been back several times since, watching as it became somewhat worn. Since the last time we were there, they have totally refreshed the place. The rooms, while somewhat small, are incredibly comfortable. The bathroom, however, was a "one butt space." Don't try sharing it with someone while getting ready - it's definitely one at a time. Service from the hotel staff was friendly, competent, and quick. These people are fantastic. Having moved away from the Central Coast five years ago, we don't get much chance to visit the Inn, but rest assured we will be back the next time we're in the area. It used to be one of our favorite places to stay in the area, and is again. read more

The Montecito Inn is a landmark in the community. We all need a place when we're old and almost feable that we can show up at, be greeted (by first name), and asked if "you'd like your usual?". When you sit down your meal is there with a nice cognac and you discuss politics and unruly children. This is that place. If you are looking for consistent classical dishes this is the place. The crowd tends to be a bit on the older side but the atmosphere remains casual and friendly. Watiers/Waitresses are extremely informed of all the wines and dishes. I would agree with other reviewers that it is quaint, cozy, and charming place. I've had just about everything on the menu but I really like the steak sandwhich and its less than $15. They also have daily specials which always piques my interest. Everytime the bill comes I always feel as if I robbed them. All in all... It's great classy comfort food at a extremely reasonable price. You would really be missing out if you continued on the 101 fwy without stopping by this place. read more

Pretty, pretty, pretty! I loved it! I loved every moment spent at this enchanting place. Service was outstanding. The elevator was eccentric in a good way. The bike ride to the beach was fun. The pool and jacuzzi were nice and warm. The sauna relaxing. The room with the mountain view (?) was beautiful. I especially liked the plush, high bed that could leave me sleeping for days and days. read more

Montecito Inn - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This place is very interesting, clean, unique, good service and nice looking. Only stay in the Tower Suite if you really like freeway noise. I thought the cars were going to come through the windows. In fact the room was so noisy, I and my husband had to wear ear plugs....REALLY! Try this place only if you find a really good deal Because Full Price is waaaaaay to high. read more

We stayed here for two nights on our way home from LA and I thought it was overpriced for being such an old hotel. The rooms are somewhat small and the bathroom is tiny tiny tiny. We ate the complimentary continental breakfast which was okay, nonthing special but it sufficed. Best thing about this hotel is their beds, you'll get a good night sleep. Price is way too high and staff is not very friendly. For the price we will stay at four seasons next time. read more

I would say the hotel is OK. I have certainly experienced it better. My husband and i decided to stay here for the 4th July weekend thinking that this would be a great hotel experience. However, we found the following things which was so not worth $300/ night. CONS 1) Rooms are very small/tiny. 2) Bathroom has no fan 3) Flush doesn't work properly and is very slow. 4) We could hear our neighbors having *** 5) No room service on Sunday. Their menu says that they provide room service on Sunday too however when i called the reception they said they haven't changed their menus yet but the restaurant is close on Sunday so NO ROOM SERVICE. 6) Near by restaurants are too expensive $$$$ (Not wallet friendly at all) PROS 1) Friendly Staff 2) Clean room 3) Old pretty hotel The hotel was built in 1928 so if you ready to spend $300/night for a hotel with above pros and cons. Go for it and experience it yourself :) Good luck. read more

Very cozy and cute. Charlie Chapman first built the place in the 30's so it has a pretty rich history. The staff were very helpful and friendly. You instantly get the rich history when you check in especially with a really old elevator in the lobby. The rooms were extremely tiny, but that is not unusual from hotels build during those eras. But the bathroom were even smaller, the size of most hotel closets. Even though the rooms were refurbished, they should have added more installation. You can hear everything from your neighbor to anyone tippy-toeing in the hall way. read more

I was delightfully surprised by this charming little Inn. The decor was elegant, the space was clean and it's located just a few miles from downtown Santa Barabara. Despite the tiny room and tiny bathroom, we had a very comfortable stay during our Memorial Day weekend. I was especially amazed by their attention to detail. The front desk manager greeted me by my last name as I returned from the days adventure. Does he really remember everyone's name? It's impressive! There is a free self service station for freshly brewed coffee and tea 24 hours a day and they also offer you fresh apples and refreshing orange infused water. And the best amentity of all is their free bike rental. We took the bikes out Saturday morning and rode the 4 miles to the warf. The view was amazing, the ride through Montecito and it's enormous mansions was a delight. read more

I think Breezy M's review is very accurate so I suggest you read that one before you book anything. I would like to mention how much I enjoyed the complimentary scaldings each morning in the shower (once my face got scalded) only after being woken up way too early by the sound of guest conversations, TVs, and workers pounding away with tools. After a long weekend, I left the hotel more tired than when I arrived. It has lots of charm and history, nice staff, free valet, it's very clean, and it's located on great little street. But the price does not match up with the paper-thin walls and overall experience. P.S. I looked at one of the big suites, which was spacious, rather luxurious, and nicely done but I still heard the constant howl of the 101 while I was in there. read more

My sister and I stayed at the Montecito Inn during our Columbus weekend trip to Santa Barbara. I really liked the quaint and cozy feel of this inn (especially the cute, vintage elevator). I also liked the clam blue and white color scheme of our hotel room. As other reviewer have mentioned, the walls are super thin so we could hear our fellow hotel mates next door (especially through the vent in the bathroom). The hotel is conveniently located right off of the 101. There are several well-reviewed restaurants on the same street as the Montecito Inn-- Los Arroyos and Jeannine's American Bakery Restaurant. Also it is only a quick drive on the freeway to the famed State Street for some great shopping and dining options. I would definitely choose to stay here again. read more

Montecito Inn - Exterior and lobby area - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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My wife and I loved this hotel. The room is small but quaint. The staff is very attentive and prompt. The continental breakfast is limited but still nice. The turndown service was a pleasant surprise. We only had two complaints. One is the shower, it's hot and then cold then hot then perfect then too hot again. The only other issue were the walls. We could hear our neighbors even though they were not to loud. All in all it was a great stay and next time we are in the area we will be back. read more

The Charlie Chaplin built Montecito Inn is a treat. Nice little well-appointed clean rooms with pleasing design and everything functional. Good bathroom, nice showers. Nice little complimentary breakfast in the restaurant downstairs. What's more, as I discovered later they have all of the Chaplin movies on hand for you to watch on the in-room DVD! HBO and such provided on the box in the room as well as a great little digital radio which I thought was a nice touch. The building is very solidly built and just over 100 years old. We had great fun soaking in the outdoor hot-tub Jacuzzi and swim in the pool. My only complaint is that the front desk guys are not very helpful, they appear to be quite miserable and nasty. Hence the shave-off of stars. When we arrived, well ahead of time at 2:30 pm I asked for a quiet room, knowing that the building is literally next to the 101 FWY and a major intersection as well. These weren't around in the 20's when the Inn was built... So, it's a shame but there's the 21st century for you... Anyway... The hotel was clearly half -empty on a Sunday, with 4 cars in the parking lot so there was plenty of options to choose from as far as rooms. Sure enough the front-desk guy say "I have the QUIETEST room in the hotel" and proceeded to put us into a room right above the intersection. So, the night and morning was noisy. Why did he do that and why does he take me for an idiot? It remains a mystery... Hotel pic gallery can be seen at: http://www.montecitoinn.com/gallery read more

Love this hotel! We stay here a lot.. Great rooms we like to stay with the ones with fireplaces!! Service is always awesome and they give you bikes to ride down to the beach!! I would definitely recommend this hotel! read more

Montecito Inn - Hotels Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

After desperately needing some R&R, I packed up and headed off to Santa Barbara and the Montecito Inn. I stayed in a spa suite and it was incredible. The bed was incredibly soft and luxurious, there was a working fireplace in the bedroom (not quite cold enough to use it but still a nice touch) and an amazing jacuzzi tub. The staff was incredibly friendly and seemed to know every guest by name; which is quite an impressive feat. Parking is solely valet but only $15; for the price your paying for the room, that's not bad at all. My only complaint was the fact that my room was literally right next to the freeway but I really did't notice after a bit. I would definitely recommend this establishment and look forward to returning in the future. read more

This place is adorable. It is painfully small and cramped, but super charming. It oozes with nostalgia. You can imagine you have moved back in time, to a more peaceful and nieve place. It's expensive, but then again... look at the area. The staff here are friendly and helpful. This is a nice place to celebrate a special occasion. read more

Had a great stay here. I had a mountain view room - it had two windows with beautiful views. It was a corner room which was a bonus. It was clean, bright, etc. The hotel was spotless, the service very nice, but low key. Coffee service available early AM, and they had all the fixins I needed. read more

The pictures fooled me but I'm not mad. Yes I was a bit disappointed when we pulled up to the hotel because it didn't meet my expectations from the outside. It's evident that the hotel is rather old- heck they still have the original elevator with manual doors, fit for 5 people. The lobby looked renovated compared to the other floors, which reminded me of a movie where you had to rush to your room and look over your shoulder to make sure no ones behind you if you arrived past 1am. I had a room with a roof view- my window opened to the roof and you can just get out the window and walk in the roof past the neighbors windows. This wasn't very safe considering my window lock wasn't working well. I understand the hotel was built ages ago, but I didn't like the fact that I could hear my neighbor snore, or hear the maintenance vacuuming in the morning. On a brighter note, the staff was very welcoming, very sweet, and helpful. The hotel offers 24hr tea (with plenty of flavors to choose from), coffee, fruits, water in the lobby. In the morning, until 10:30 they serve pastries, juice, and the coffee and tea. Make sure you arrive soon because the guests were sure to wipe the pastries clean. read more

My family stayed here for my graduation. It is cute and in a fabulous area of Montecito; it's close to plenty of shops, restaurants, and of course the beach. Great customer service! My parents decided to shorten their stay and Montecito Inn didn't charge them for the days they canceled. The Inn itself is very quaint and cute. If you're looking for a grand and luxurious place to stay, this isn't it. But, this place is definitely very charming and clean. read more

My family has been coming here for years. Always such a great experience. Staff is amazing. Definitely prefer Montecito Inn over a larger chain hotel. Highly recommend. read more

Love Love Love Montecito Inn. What a perfect place to spend a weekend away. It's quaint and cute with so much personality. The staff is so friendly and accommodating. I loved the free teas on the main floor and the binder of nearby restaurants. They know how to make one's stay easy and comfortable. Not to mention the history! Charlie Chaplin's place and retreat of the celebrities. It just felt really cool staying there for a weekend getaway. Just one more thing to note: The location is perfect, right along the main street in town. We just stepped out and had a ton of things to do and look at. I want to go back!!! read more

My boyfriend and I drove to Santa Barbara on a whim and without having a place to stay. We saw this as we were driving around on the scenic route so decided to call and ask for the price. Out of all the hotels, motels and inn around SB and Montecito, this was the cheapest place. The service here was great. When we came in, the front desk guy remembered that I had called earlier. He recommended the steak house next door for us and gave us some movie information since we wanted to catch a movie. He also offered to look up the movie times for us too. The valet is free so you only need to tip. They also have complimentary coffee/tea service, which I love since I drink coffee every morning. They also had a free continental breakfast in the morning, but unfortunately I did not get to try that out. There is also FREE INTERNET, which I'm sure everyone would love to have by the end of the day. Overall, this is a very cute, clean and inexpensive inn to stay at. The service was great and I would love to come again. read more

We just stayed here and had a great time. Our family really rates this place as a 4.5 Apparently they just reopened a couple of weeks ago after some devastating mudslides. The place looks beautiful, the staff were wonderful, and we highly recommend it to anyone staying in the area. Positives: 1. The best part was the amazing staff. Everyone was super friendly and effortlessly helpful. We were greeted by name as we arrived. No, we aren't anyone special. I heard the staff do that numerous times. I might have even been a trifle annoying with all my questions and requests but they never wavered. 2. Parking is valet only but reasonable (15 dollars a day). Again , the attendants were very helpful and we were greeted by name. The service was quick. 3. The room was pretty close to spotless. Special kudos out to management and the housekeeping staff. The room looked great so, of course, I was compelled to go looking for grime. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. There was no goopy goop in the bathroom floor corners. There was no dust on the light fixtures. The grout and tiles were bright without any sign of dirt on the top. There was a fresh shower curtain. Our room smelled of fresh air. I made myself stop at this point but you get the idea - all good and very pleasant. 4. For a king sized standard room, the bathroom is small but this is an historical hotel (1928) and was expected. However, the towels were very fluffy, we had the use of two robes, and there was a no-fog magnified mirror. Not spectacular but comfortable. 5. The hotel retains its significant historic charm. It was financed by Charlie Chaplin as a retreat from Hollywood and the place just oozes old world charm. There is an incredible old Otis elevator replete with a metal gate and original buttons inside. I loved getting to step into history like this. 6. The bed was super comfy and felt luxurious. The room was small but had an art decor sort of charm. 7. No coffee maker in the room but there is coffee, tea and water downstairs just off the lobby 24 hours a day. The coffee was a yummy Kona blend, much better than what you get from individual pods so I was very satisfied. There was a nice variety of teas along with several varieties of sugar (regular, artificial, honey) along with a variety of creamers. In the mornings, they put out an array of wrapped pasties and a dispenser of orange juice. 8. Finally, my DH asked me to mention their work out facilities which he very much appreciated. Negatives: 1. As I mentioned above, the bathroom is small. This only became an issue when I went looking for a place to put my stuff. There are a couple of shelves, which I appreciated and used. However, I needed perhaps a hook on the door to hang my clothes. This seems like it could be a simple fix which would make the room more user friendly. 2. The website needs to be updated! It still claims that their restaurants will be opening up in 2017. I am not too frustrated by this because I know they have been recovering from the mudslides. However, now that they are open again, they should spend a little energy making sure that the website (their public face) is up-to-date. In Conclusion: We had a wonderfully relaxing stay here! I read more

We stayed 2 nights this past weekend and had a great time. The staff were friendly and helpful and the room was clean and comfortable. We used the pool and jacuzzi and were pleased with our stay. I've read some mixed reviews but did not experience anything to complain about. read more

Just a gorgeous little gem of a fusion of an inn and a hotel in a very convenient spot in Montecito. Sparkling marble, elegant decor, beautifully designed foyer...you don't need to look elsewhere for a better place to hide out for a few days. The bedroom was beautiful...we were given a surprise upgrade which was very nice. The gentleman on the front desk was wonderful and kind - in fact all of the staff were lovely and very friendly and always respectful. My only quibble, hence the 4 stars, was the lacklustre breakfast. While the piping hot coffee hit the spot, the rest was pretty uninviting. Fresh, good looking pastries and fresh rolls (and a variety or two) would take this up a notch for me. This point aside, I would highly recommend a stay here for anybody looking for a quiet, understated kind of luxury. (PS there are free bikes too for guests) read more

The location of the Montecito Inn is fabulous. Great restaurants and shops within walking distance and there's wonderful history associated with the hotel as well. Our room was dated and incredibly small, the bathrooms were tiny and horribly laid out. I couldn't go to the bathroom and not have the door hit my knees. We could hear our neighbors in their rooms and our room was excessively hot. When we contacted the staff to correct the issues (they where incredibly helpful), it's just the way it was because it's an old building. read more

This is such a cute little hotel in such a cute city! We stayed here for a night on our way north to get a head start on wine tasting the next day. It was in the perfect location for hopping on and off of the freeway, but located in downtown Montecito with lots of cute shops and quaint atmosphere. The rooms are unique and have a lot of personality. They were also very clean and the staff was very friendly. There's all kinds of Charlie Chaplin memorabilia (he built the hotel way back when). They have a free valet and free continental breakfast. Check their website online for good deals. read more

It's quaint, well staffed, and attractively priced given the location. Really, it's got a lot going for it. That said, it's still small and fairly high priced on an absolute scale. Think of a Manhattan hotel. Now relocate it to Monecito. That's what to expect. Similar quality plumbing, too. read more

This is a pretty standard hotel--small, cozy, boutique-y. Nothing too special about it. The service is good--everyone was super friendly. The rooms are small, but well-appointed. On a random note, they have those flush-with-your-foot toilets. Seemed somehow industrial and out of place. ANYWAY... Montecito in general is very sleepy and quiet. The hotel is right near the freeway for easy access to downtown SB (less than 10 minutes). We were here for a wedding at San Ysidro Ranch, and Montecito Inn is 5 mins or so from there. read more

Stayed here for business this week. Very cute and clean hotel. The surrounding is awesome with many shops and restaurants. The hotel itself has a restaurant and bar attached. Didn't try the restaurant but the bar was cute with a great grapefruit martini. The staff were always polite and attentive, especially Max! The continental breakfast was your average continental breakfast but a nice addition to the stay. Our room was gorgeous and spacious with an amazing tub! Would definitely stay here again! read more

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