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February 2024 by Dawn G
The hotel is billed as a 5 star resort so I was excited to experience it. The setting is beautiful, although very remote. We stayed four nights which was too long to be in just one place. I would have liked to be closer to Santa Barbara proper to go to museums, shopping and restaurants. The room was quaint but needs refurbishing, not a 5 star room. Staff was friendly but again didn’t give 5 star service, especially housekeeping who did not go out of their way at all. It would be fun for a special one or two night stay if you paid extra for a fancy room. Otherwise, stay in town for a more fun vacation.
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February 2024 by Diana A
We love this hotel as far as the location, but the service and food are terrible. We went to have dinner at the steakhouse. I believe it’s called , Angel oak couldn’t sleep all night so much salt in the food. The food was terrible. Then we went for breakfast at the same place. It felt like we are Danni’s the service and the food was horrible..
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February 2024 by Anthony David
The property itself is pretty nice, more of a Spanish villa vibe on the outside, and inside just a splash of modernness. Valet was the only option for parking, and as you get out they definitely do take the time to greet you. The check in process I won’t rate since there was a large quantity of guests checking in due to several events but it was a bit on the slower side.I would say that the staff in general, actually make a difference in the vibe of making it feel luxury. The greetings, and smiles are genuine, and the attentiveness was better than most higher end hotels we’ve experience. The food in general from room service to the restaurants were a bit underwhelming when you contrast the amazing service you receive.Room service had burgers - was a little dry and under seasoned. The Restauraunt at the top of the hill undercooked my steak twice. The saving grace here was that they actually recognized the mistake and I didn’t have to say anything, and made it right for us. Everything else though was great, they left little notes in our room, went the extra mile and made it feel like unique experience. If the food was a little more up to par this would be an amazing experience.They have a golf course on site, spa (smaller), walking/hiking activities, beach access and tennis.
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February 2024 by Cecilia Saikeo
The Bacara Ritz Carlton is a great escape from the city. We love that it is doodle-friendly and has beautiful grounds and comfortable spacious hotel rooms. There is so much to explore and activities on property and locally. It takes days to see it all.We love to visit wine country during our stay. Plus, the hotel offers complimentary wine tastings via the concierge.Angel Oak is a wonderful fine dining restaurant. We are grateful they are dog-friendly. The manager is exceptional and ensured our experience was fantastic. The Brunch during holidays is Amazing!!!The spa looks amazing! We are returning in March and I plan to enjoy a service in The Spa.Rooms: The rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated. The bed is comfortable. We love the bath tub and dual sinks. There is a small fridge, desk, and every room has a patio or balcony…some have fire pits.For dogs, there is plenty of grass and special dog areas and poop bags.Nearby activities: Hiking, Beach, Wineries, Ostrich Farm, etcWalkability: This is a great place to get some cardio in. The property is built on a hill up from the ocean. There is always a cart available to take guests to restaurants, valet, or their room, etc.Food & drinks: The food and drinks throughout the hotel are delicious and each have their own atmosphere. The staff is friendly and professional. Every place ia dog-friendly!Angel Oak is our favorite restaurant for dinner with a stunning ocean view.The Cigar Lounge is a great place to relax and enjoy a whiskey by the fire pit.We also enjoyed Espresso Martinis in the Lobby Bar next to a beautiful fireplace.
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February 2024 by Blake Sorensen
So this a year + late review but my girl Chelsea and her team is the absolute best. I called like a week before my engagement and got a suite. Chelsea catered to my engagement and had her team surprise me and my fiancée on the lawn for sunset pictures as i proposed to her. They also gave us framed photos and other gifts from the the engagement and I couldn’t have asked for or planned a better time if i spent a million years on it. Thanks again Chelsea and her team 1000/10 would get engaged there again.
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February 2024 by Bomby K.
Let me start off by saying I'm loyal to Marriott brands and have stated in multiple Ritz Carlton's all over the world. A friend highly recommended this location and I was super excited to finally get the chance to stay here, however I was SUPER disappointed. The grounds are pretty but food was a little disappointing. I actual got sick from the Japanese restaurant. Then I also found dried blood on my sheets. The staff was nice and apologized, even offered to credit us 50k points back and a case was open regarding food borne illness but nothing ever happened after we left the property.no follow up/follow through with what they said or anything..... absolutely nothing.. just an overall disappointing experience and complete waste of money and points. Never going back or recommending them to any of my friends.
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February 2024 by Colleen Barbieri
My husband and I stayed here for our anniversary around the holidays and the staff went above and beyond. It was a treat to have Prosecco and decorations in our room when we returned from dinner. They also had a hot chocolate bar in the lobby and a free sunset cocktail we could enjoy with the view of the ocean. They provide e-bikes to rent so you can explore Santa Barbara. I wish we could’ve spent more time enjoying the hot tubs, shops, and restaurants! I highly recommend this ritz property!Noteworthy details: The property has a variety of restaurants, coffee shop, and bar so you don’t have to venture far to enjoy your stay.
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February 2024 by Monica K.
I stayed at the Ritz Carlton Santa Barbara this weekend . A surprise birthday gift! My experience included an amazing 50 minute deep tissue massage with KATHRYN. It was luxurious and healing. Priceless.
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February 2024 by Jordan G.
This hotel ruined my engagement proposal. Terrible service. I reached out almost two months in advance to plan a proposal on their lawn, just asking them to hold the space for 10 mins for pictures. I booked a room and followed up multiple times. They eventually said to check back two weeks before proposal to see if it was available. When I checked back, they took an additional 5 days to get the sales team to reach out. 9 days before proposal they said they had great news, since nobody booked it for more money, they offered me their lawn to propose to my girlfriend for $1,700 to reserve the space for the event plus any additional fees for setup and decoration. I explained over and over I just wanted the lawn free of guests for 10 mins, this wasn't an event. This was way too expensive for what I was looking for, so I had to cancel my room at the hotel, this trip, and the trip for my family and her family to Santa Barbara. Had to replan everything last minute. There was no reason they couldn't give me this absurd price more than 8 days before I was planning to propose. Or find a better way to make it right.
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January 2024 by Claudi E.
It was not a good experience for me . there was a mice inside my room running around at 2 am. we found rat shit in between my Bed mattress for the rollaway bed . the pillows do not get washed and smell like rats and mold. the sheets and comforters are smelly and stained. everything in there needs to be replace. it's not very elegant for that price I would think about going else where. it looks beautiful and amazing but looks Can be Deceiving. even the housekeeper was sick coughing everywhere while cleaning my room . if I could give a negative star I would.
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January 2024 by Zan L.
I have stayed at Bacara multiple times over the years, even before Ritz Carlton took ownership. It was then, and still is one of the best hotels in Santa Barbara. The Rosewood and Biltmore being its main competition. It's located in Goleta, west of the 101 Highway, just above Santa Barbara right above Haskell's Beach, which you can easily walk down to in less than 10 minutes. There is a large lobby with a huge Spanish style rotunda where you enter with your car and then all the rooms are in their own bungalows, many of which have ocean views. They have a great restaurant on site called Angel Oak that is a solid dinner option and was a great dinner for us on our second night. I will admit the pool is a bit small, and so are the Jacuzzis, and the rooms could use an update in my opinion but still, it's a great stay and experience. The beds are extremely comfortable and one of the better hotel beds that I've slept in in a long time. In the past I have used their spa facilities for massages and each of those was absolutely fantastic. It is a bit expensive, but it really is a special treat place and every time I have stayed it felt like a special and memorable experience. The staff was very kind on our visit, and did a great job. I brought my three small dogs with us, and they had a great stay as well. A five star pet friendly hotel is a something I always search for an added to the experience. We rented bikes and rode around Goleta, went to the Jacuzzi, ordered room service and sat on our balcony and soaked in the ocean view, walked down to the beach, and then a few miles on the beach, and still we didn't get to do everything. I always have been a fan of Ritz Carlton hotels, and still am. I have been to Bacara before and after they took ownership and enjoyed it before and after. I would certainly recommend to anyone looking to stay somewhere that you will think about long after you've left.
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January 2024 by Christina Y.
STUNNING hotel. Amazing location. But my goodness. The staff! They are ruining the Ritz-Carlton brand. They are not well trained, and there are not enough people staffed. And there is a huge disconnect between the front desk and "texting" service they want you to use when you're on the property. For starters, they couldn't tell me whether the room would be ready before check in. It's fine if the room will be ready at 4pm and not earlier but tell me that. Stop reading off a script like a freaking robot. Secondly, our room reservation included the lounge amenity as we spoke to Jesus via email. Of course our room key didn't allow access. When I texted them, they said Jesus was not working today and they needed email proof sent right then and there (as we were freezing our butts outside the lounge entrance). We went to the front desk and waited 20 min because only one person was working and she issued the access cards. Wow. Just wow. We had groceries delivered. We texted them to have them deliver to our room, and they texted that they could not do so due to "safety issues". I called the front desk and they delivered it no problem. We asked for a golf cart to pick us up at 6am. 15 min go by. Nobody shows up. It's such a shame they can't keep a well trained staff here.
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January 2024 by Evgenia A.
The grounds are beautiful, the customer service is wonderful all over. However, the rooms are outdated, chipped and must be updated. Scratches everywhere, the carpet is probably not been replaced since 1927, smell in the bathroom, tile is from the last century as well. For the money you charge - this doesn't make any sense. There need to be an designated decent smoking area - for people who pay $$$$ and want to have their cigarette safely and privately without being yelled at. 10 for the customer service; 2 for the rooms. Look at my images, decide for yourself.
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January 2024 by Dikran I.
Worst customer service in the Hotel industry we experienced in a long time . Check in lines were very long with only one woman serving customers. Check in was late upon arrival; little to no help around with a bar and no bartender . The spa is nice and view is nice but you have to just walk there and find it yourself . The pool was cold , freezing cold when it's supposed to be heated for January . The attitude for the club was very rude. No seating unless you pay $400 per month, on top of the $1,000 a room per day charge . Little to no help at the swimming pool for over 45 minutes . They bring you the food off the menu from the restaurant at top. The food arrived cold, very sub standard. Honestly the burger at McDonalds is better, and that's the worst burger in the industry . Prepare to pay top dollar for Motel 6 level service. The staff doesn't speak English . Most of them are nice but look like they were hired from Home Depot. Lord have mercy . There is tar on the beach no one cleaned . The crew was asked to pick us up in the evening with the gold cart they forgot . They woke us up middle of the night to drop off chocolates and pillows . The crew woke us up again at 7 am for no reason , completely untrained and unprofessional . I can go on and on . The TV doesn't work .
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January 2024 by Melissa E.
If you're here trying to decipher which hotel to book in Santa Barbara, this review is for you. This Ritz may claim it is a 5-star property, but at best this hotel's the caliber is of a three star Hyatt Place or unkept corporate hotel. Staff is not trained well nor exemplifies those magic hospitality moments. They come across as inattentive robots reading from a script. Now the room itself, please see attached photos. These photos are from two different rooms. We found the random stain on the duvet and asked to move rooms, the additional 2 photos are from the second room we moved to. On top of all that, after dining at the O-Bar, our party threw up for 2 hours from the food. The hotel reimbursed most of our money from the one night we stayed there (we ended up booking another hotel) but should have refunded everything we paid for after that motel quality experience. Do yourself a favor and do not book this hotel for your SB getaway. There are so many better hotels in the area actually of 4 & 5 star quality and care.
