Best Western Plus Pepper Tree Inn — Attraction in Santa Barbara

I have fond memories of Best Westerns and have enjoyed my stay at several of them over the years (other cities). This one did NOT live up to Best Western's standards.

The hotel is rated as a 3-star hotel, but I'm guessing that's due to the amenities that it had previously. This is the only Best Western I have ever been to that does not offer a complimentary breakfast due to "recent" renovations (when I called prior to my stay, I was told that the last room was renovated 5 years ago!). Their website lists that they do not have breakfast, or a fitness center, so I was aware before we arrived that these were lacking. However the in-room hotel flyer STILL referenced a fitness center, two pools and hot tubs, and free breakfast. Even the map they handed to me at check-in referenced a gym, the pools, and a massage(?) room. Only one pool and one hot tub were operational. They were extremely crowded each night, as a result, we only used them once (the pool towels were not even restocked so we walked to our room dripping wet). And my room was dirty -- sticky cabinets and drawers. I washed my hands or used sanitizer after I touch something.

I am jealous that the other reviewers had great service at the front desk. We did not. When we checked in, no one informed us of the complimentary coffee, water, and juice that would be available daily in the lobby (I only noticed these when I went there to check out). The woman was not welcoming at all. And I read from another reviewer, just now, that we could have accessed nearby Gold's Gym (for free) if we just showed our ID and keycard! Again, no one told us this at check-in. When I checked out, I received barely any eye contact, just "you're all set". No "thank you for staying with us", etc.

We almost got into a couple of head-on collisions in the parking lot, as we could only get to our room via a one-way driveway, though some other guests ignored the one-way signs. This hotel needs more signs to make it clear which direction cars should go. Perhaps the front desk should inform guests that it's one-way, before there's an actual accident in the parking lot. A few times, I returned to the hotel to see a vehicle parked in front of the lobby, in the middle of the parking lot entrance. WHY wouldn't the front desk staff tell them to move their vehicle so the weren't blocking traffic to guests' rooms?

The only good thing about this hotel was its location: close to a mall, close to plenty of dining options, and central(ish) in Santa Barbara. But with the loss of their amenities, they should probably be a 2-star hotel (and they should definitely update...

We got the renovated room. It was supposed to be better and we paid extra to get it. We shouldn't have. The room still smelled of pai t, which was nauseating. The restroom light would turn off automatically every 20 seconds. No fun when you have to use the restroom at night and the lights turn off, or when you are taking a shower. I almost slipped, trying to get it to turn back on. It was a ridiculous ordeal. The restroom was also not refilled with essentials like body wash and conditioner. There was enough for 2 of my 4 guests to shower. Thank goodness one of my guests brought her own. At night, it was warm, but the room lacked central air. Their was a small AC unit by the floor right next to the second bed. Turning it on caused excessive air to blow on one side of the bed and for two of my guests to freeze, so we had to keep it off.

On another note, I realize their is renovations, but Best Western is known for providing breakfast and service. The breakfast room was closed and no options were provided besides for us to go find or own breakfast elsewhere. Very inconvenient. We had an autistic child who loves Best Western breakfast. Trying to tell an autistic person who is used to routine and has expectations that the option isn't available was a chaotic moment that did not need to happen if This placed would have notified us of the lack of services.

We choose to stay at Best Western because it eliminates the need to go out and get our own breakfast. We pay more for this. The fact that they didn't even provide a continental breakfast in the front was not ok. No discount was offered.

The pool on our side was closed, and we had to walk a cross the parking lots to use the other pool.

Again, no offers were made for this inconvenience.

I am truly disappointed with This Best Western. It is NOT a PLUS . The plus needs to be removed.

Worse, we were charged a tourist tax, a bed tax, and a CA tourist tax.

I think I would stay at Motel 6 before I stay here again. At least I know what to expect and won't be disappointed.

Disappointed disappointed...

I booked two rooms at the Best Western in Santa Barbara in preparation for my wedding day--one for myself and my partner, and one for my soon-to-be mother-in-law, who is disabled. We specifically requested an ADA-accessible room with a roll-in shower.||Upon arrival, we found that while the room had a roll-in shower, there was no shower chair provided, which is a requirement under ADA Title III. Hotels are legally obligated to provide either a built-in or portable shower seat in accessible rooms. When I asked the front desk, I was told there were no shower chairs available and was advised to try using a metal pool chair with mesh. This chair was unstable and unsafe for use in the shower, putting my mother-in-law at risk. This lack of compliance and proper accommodation was deeply concerning.||On the morning of our wedding, around 6:30 AM while getting ready with our makeup artist and hairstylist, the power went out. The front desk informed us this happens often and that there was no backup generator on-site. They had no estimate for when it would be restored, as their maintenance technician wasn't responding. No solution or support was offered.||We were forced to relocate to another hotel on short notice, which caused a two-hour delay to our wedding. We incurred additional costs for the extended time of our makeup artist, hairstylist, and other vendors. Guests were left waiting, and what should have been a joyful, well-organized morning turned into a stressful scramble.||I'm sharing this in hopes that the hotel takes these concerns seriously. At minimum, I would like acknowledgment and a conversation about how this situation can be addressed appropriately . I'm open to communication and resolution, but these issues--especially related to ADA compliance and emergency planning--must be corrected...