Hotel Californian

“Beautiful hotel in Santa Barbara”

My wife and I just ended a three night stay at the hotel California as part of a conference. So very nice. The hotel actually takes up three separate blocks of Santa Barbara off of State Street about a block from the beach. The hotel facilities are beautiful and spotless. The hotel has severa… more

My wife and I just ended a three night stay at the hotel California as part of a conference. So very nice. The hotel actually takes up three separate blocks of Santa Barbara off of State Street about a block from the beach. The hotel facilities are beautiful and spotless. The hotel has several restaurants and cafés as part of its property and there are many many other restaurants within walking distance. The room was fantastic. The valet service was wonderful! They have an amazing rooftop pool and many other amenities. I didn’t even get to see everything. Could not recommend more highlight. My wife andI loved it.

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“Great service and location!”

We spent three nights at Hotel Californian and really enjoyed it. We booked through Amex and appreciated the staff’s efforts to ensure we received all of our possible perks, including room upgrade, early check-in and late check-out. The room was spacious and cozy, the bed and linens were very com… more

We spent three nights at Hotel Californian and really enjoyed it. We booked through Amex and appreciated the staff’s efforts to ensure we received all of our possible perks, including room upgrade, early check-in and late check-out. The room was spacious and cozy, the bed and linens were very comfy, as were the in-room seating options. The generously-sized double vanity and good water pressure were also appreciated! The highlights included a wonderful staff, especially Audrey at check-in and Dave (and the crew) at valet — we felt welcomed and cared for at every turn. Our first night, we had some noisy neighbors, and we really appreciated the front desk’s care, clear communication about options, as well as good humor. (They remedied the issue quickly — wish I could remember the gentleman’s name who took our call at the front desk!) I got the best massage of my life by Quinn at Marjorelle spa (and, similarly, all staff I encountered at the spa were great). I really appreciated the care in ensuring I had the right robe size and everything else I needed. Highly recommend! While we didn’t dine at any of the restaurants on site, we took advantage of in-room dining for breakfast. Like most hotels, very expensive for what you get — but the food was good, and it arrived fast and hot! We would definitely recommend Hotel Californian and would absolutely stay again next time we’re in town!

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“Very hospitable but needs updating”

We regularly travel to Santa Barbara for staycations. It’s a beautiful drive from Pasadena especially with the coastline views. We have been staying at the El Encanto for decades but with the new owners there, waiting for things to settle in. Meanwhile, we decided to try out The Californian for … more

We regularly travel to Santa Barbara for staycations. It’s a beautiful drive from Pasadena especially with the coastline views. We have been staying at the El Encanto for decades but with the new owners there, waiting for things to settle in. Meanwhile, we decided to try out The Californian for late anniversary and early birthday celebrations. The hotel staff are wonderful but need to be more knowledgeable about the Amex Platinum benefits and room types booked. We booked a Sessina room with ocean view but discovered our room was in the old building across the street — a bit tired with a partial view only when standing on the balcony and overlooking another building rooftop. After we called reception, they offered two rooms, one a very nice large suite with a city view and the other the same room type we booked but with a much better ocean view. We chose the latter and were very pleased. The decor in the room itself is monochromatic and some of the furniture is worn and in need of repair and refinishing. A few bright colors might be more enticing. The brass fixtures were not polished and looked dirty with a green patina. Poor choice for a seaside hotel. Breakfast is not on-property but across the street with a limited menu. We will try that shortly. Blackbird, the dinner house was closed so we could not try it. Same for the interior bar. The best part of the stay so far has been the welcome reception at Society, the wine bar on the corner of the hotel. There, we signed up for the wine club while initially waiting for our room on arrival. Justin, the manager, was exceptionally knowledgeable, welcoming, and engaging. He’s a pro and we enjoyed the terrific wine flights. The hotel owner has assembled an impressive stable of wine brands over the years. Try the Two Sisters Reserve Pinot. Exceptional. This is our first time staying in the Funk Zone but we have tried many of the restaurants over the years. The hotel offers a shuttle cart for local transport. Unlike El Encanto though, it cannot take you to Montecito where many of the best restaurants and shopping are located. Unfortunately, “downtown” Santa Barbara is still struggling from Covid times when the city choose to shut down auto traffic and transformed a large section of State Street into a promenade. This has become rather seedy over the past five years, and most of the large shops like Nordstrom and Saks closed with Paseo losing other upscale retailers. There is talk about opening it back up to traffic in an attempt to revitalize the area. I hope they do this. All in will all, we are enjoying our stay. Will we come back? Not sure.

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