Santa Barbara Inn

Santa Barbara itself was enjoyable, but we won't come back to this hotel. The outside is beautiful, though the inside smelled strongly of mustiness under a heavy air freshener. Our room was a long way from the lobby and so mildewy that we left the balcony door open for hours. The view looked onto a garbage structure, though at least there was no bad smell from it. It felt overpriced even at under $300. The reception, valet, and restaurant staff were pleasant, but one person setting tables was rude and embarrassed me in front of other customers.

I've stayed and eaten at the Santa Barbara Inn several times since 2022, but this experience and a noticeable drop in overall quality mean I won't return. At Convivo Restaurant, my assigned server was gone for a long stretch, so another server took my order and looked after me professionally. When the first server came back, she kept trying to clear my plate while I was still eating, even after the other server said he had the table covered. Once she finally took it, she brought the check without asking if I wanted anything else. I had planned to order coffee, which nobody offered. When I calmly explained my concerns, she visibly crumpled the check and threw it across the restaurant. It became an uncomfortable public scene. Management eventually stepped in and comped part of the meal, which I acknowledged. I gave the full tip to the male server who handled things courteously and professionally. I'm intentionally leaving the server's name out.

A large, kink room, luxury robes and slippers, and a bathroom with two big sinks made for a great stay. The pool and restaurant have beautiful ocean views, right across from the water. Parking costs $28, but we found free street parking beside the hotel. It's about a 30-minute walk to the pier and downtown. There was supposed to be complimentary coffee until 8:30 am, but when we came down at 7:30, the container was empty and nobody was in the lobby.

I was disgusted, sick, and exhausted by the time I had to haul my bags and sick self to the ER, hoping I could still fly out of SB that evening. I woke up with hives after a night on a bed that sagged and felt hard at the same time, and I couldn't sleep until after 6 AM. I asked for a late checkout so I could go to the ER, but a different desk clerk was incredibly rude. Earlier, I'd booked through Amex hotels and fine resorts thinking it came with their benefits, and I'm following up with Amex about it. The desk clerk rudely told me that wasn't the case, which was surprising and disappointing. The staff were terrible at their jobs and showed no compassion. I hope they have a good Christmas, though they've probably ruined it for many others.