Super 8 By Wyndham Santa Barbara/Goleta

At this price, don't expect much. I knew it was a two-star motel and only wanted somewhere clean and comfortable for a quick night, but cleanliness and maintenance fell short. There wasn't a chair in my room, and the bathroom was dim and dingy. The carpets were old and stained.

The breakfast bag was just a packet of oatmeal, hot chocolate powder, and a bottle of water, which was a joke. The shower temperature swung without warning from scalding hot to freezing cold. There were no towels or hand soap in the bathroom, and when we asked at the desk, they could only give us shampoo, not soap. The furniture was dated and stained, and the room smelled strongly of sewage. The carpet was filthy, with stains everywhere, and looked as if it had never been cleaned. We didn't feel comfortable walking around without shoes. I paid $191 for a tiny room for one night. It wasn't wheelchair accessible or up to fire safety codes. I've stayed in budget motels, including Super 8s, in much better condition. I don't think I have high standards, but this place was in objectively poor shape and wildly overpriced. To the owner: reviews going back over a year mention dirty, stained carpets. That seems like a sign the carpets should be cleaned or replaced. You reply that you value feedback and “hope to earn your business on future travels so that you can see our continuous improvement,” but clearly nothing is improving. I sincerely hope you stop making empty promises in review responses and actually do something about the abhorrent condition of this place.

The clean and inviting pool and the very friendly, helpful staff were the good parts. The carpet was filthy, two lamps above the bed didn't work, and there were cigarette burns on both the bedspread and in the bathroom. One window wouldn't open. I didn't mention the broken items until check-out, and the front desk seemed surprised and concerned. The staff were great, which is the only reason I'm giving two stars.

Kayla at the desk was apologetic and accommodating when we asked to move out of our disastrous first-night room. The next room was much better, and both rooms we saw were at least clean. I watched Kayla interact with a lot of guests, and she gets four stars from me. We stayed nearly a week, and the hotel was crowded day and night. The area isn't one of the better parts of SB, but there were plenty of good options about a mile away on Calle Real. Other hotels cost at least $50-$100 more per night, so don't expect the Ritz. The breakfast bag wasn't great, though the coffee was good, better than at many cruise ships we've been on.