Inn by the Harbor — Hotel in Santa Barbara

5 Stars with Exceptions

We just stayed in this hotel recently. I would like to give a detailed description of our experience and why I list this as a 5 Stars with Exceptions.

Checking-In: We arrived in Santa Barbara two hours before the 3 PM check-in. When we did get to the hotel, the staff member was incredibly helpful, laid out all the amenities available to us, and offered help if we needed ideas on what to do in Santa Barbara. The process was fast and easy.

Our Room: We were able to get a king-sized single bedroom. The room itself was cute and very clean. Its furniture was a little on the older side, but honestly, it fits the vibe of Santa Barbara. The room came with a free bottle of champagne, two bathrobes, bathroom amenities, and coffee products. We didn't end up getting the extra item we asked for in our room, but it wasn't that big of an issue. The room overall was great. The only two issues that we found were that our fridge did not seem to cool and the TV service provided kept lagging. This again was not a large issue for us as we were able to connect up a laptop with an HDMI cord and watch it that way.

Hotel Breakfast: The hotel breakfast was provided to us free with our stay. It was quite small but provided adequate choices for us. I want to point out that I appreciate the effort the hotel team goes to to provide a positive experience for their guests. We were overall feeling quite full after eating.

Happy Hour: In the evening, they provided snacks with water, hot cider, coffee, and hot chocolate. While we are not big alcohol drinkers, being able to be provided with snacks and drinks in the evening is a nice touch. It gave us the opportunity to snack before dinner.

The Hottub: While we did not go in the main pool, we did get a chance to go in the hot tub. Another great addition is the hotel. You can tell they go quite a distance to make sure their facilities are clean. My only recommendation is to go a little less on the chemicals added. It did irritate our eyes just a little bit. We did enjoy it though.

Overall Experience: We overall really enjoyed this hotel. While we didn't use them, the hotel also provided bikes through their partner hotel and provided free parking. These may be small items but overall help with the overall satisfaction of our stay. The hotel staff were incredibly helpful and kind throughout the entirety of our stay.

Would I recommend this hotel? Definitely. Don't judge a hotel by its size. Because if one thing remains true, they try to go...

We booked this room for our 5 year wedding anniversary and it also coincided with UCSB graduation. We booked a city/resort view room and we were thrilled. We are from Napa Valley and travel all over the world to high end hotels typically. The room was fantastic. Updated but tastefully done, view was fine, location was spectacular and the staff…AMAZING! Jason, who I believe is the front desk manager, is nothing short of spectacular. He is kind, funny, charismatic and everyone we have met at the hotel has made us feel welcome. When we checked in, Jason was being BERATED by an unhappy New Yorker who had just flown in. Nothing he or the staff did to make things better for her were enough. My husband and I watched her go after the staff for at least 10 minutes and he was calm, cool, and collected. Honestly, that’s why I am writing the review. This is one of the better hotels in the area and the location can’t be beat. The staff clearly care about their guests and if you’re nice to them, they will be nice to you and go out of their way to make your stay wonderful. They are working hard, and the entire front staff handled our check-in, this woman who was the nastiest I’ve seen (and believe me, I’ve seen a lot), as well at the check-in of other guests, flawlessly. We will be back without hesitation because of the staff, the clean room, and the fantastic location. If you’re hesitant to book, don’t be. Book this hotel, take in the beautiful surroundings, and treat the staff as you would want to be treated and you’ll have an absolutely...

My girlfriend and I stayed at The Harbor Inn in Santa Barbara for two nights. The hotel was beautiful. Our room had two entry ways. One of which was a sliding glass door to a balcony leading us to the pool and hotel lobby.

The railings were covered with tropical flowers in bloom and the palm trees in the distance when the sun would set made it feel like paradise.

The bathtub shower had a nice showerhead and the water would get warm fast. The room also had plenty of television channels to choose from, free wifi, and a mini fridge. I had hooked up my apple tv but with plenty to do in Santa Barbara like visiting the zoo and State Street so close by and all the ementities I didn't end up using it and I forgot it while I was packing.

The hotel staff didn't immediately find it the day of but by the next day it had turned up. Gustavo and Frank graciously helped me recover my lost item. Even though the hotel is not responsible. Frank also gave me a complinetery bottle of Santa Barbara wine for the trouble.

Frank and Gustavo are locals themselves and were very knoweldgable on what Santa Barabara, and the adjacent communtiies and towns have to offer.

The hotel had food and drink available throughout the day, starting with a breakfast, wine and cheese in the evening, and cookies at night. This was a great way to meet the hotel staff and other hotel guests making me feel welcome during my stay.

I would defintely reccomend the hotel and...