Hotel Californian

Incredible experience all around! Went around our wedding and they took such great care of us. The room was incredible. The rooftop pool was so nice with a hot tub and plenty chairs to lay out on. And all of the staff were super warm and accommodating. Special thanks for Steven. 10/10 would recommend.

Our room had an excellent view, we slept well, it was quiet, the grounds/facilities were well kept, all the valet/bellmen guys were personable, kind, and helpful, our room was cleaned nicely, the turndown service was appreciated, the pool/spa view was gorgeous, the DJ played great music, and the front desk/concierge team was kind and welcoming. The hotel was perfectly positioned between the beach and downtown- walkable to all best cafes/restaurants. We were celebrating our anniversary and the hotel went above a beyond to make the whole weekend special with many check in texts and special accommodations. Highly recommend and worth the splurge! Best Santa Barbara hotel!

This was our first time to Santa Barbara. The Hotel Californian was the perfect location in town. It was close to everything. Beautiful hotel that exceeded our expectations.

My boyfriend reserved Hotel Californian for my birthday, and I was genuinely excited to stay here after hearing how highly the hotel prioritizes service. Unfortunately, while there have been some very positive interactions, the overall experience has fallen well short of what I would expect from a five-star hotel. I want to first acknowledge that our experience with the front desk at check-in and the valet team was excellent. They were welcoming, professional, and made a very good first impression. However, we are staying in the building where the spa is located, and there is a concierge desk directly inside the entrance. Despite walking in and out numerous times during our stay, the person seated there has never once made eye contact, greeted us, or acknowledged us in any way. For a luxury hotel, that lack of basic hospitality is difficult to understand. The most disappointing experience was room service this morning. We called for approximately 20 minutes with the phone continuously ringing before the call eventually transferred to the front desk. We were told room service did not open until 7:00 a.m. and were advised that we could walk across the street to Starbucks for coffee. We were also told that even if we placed an order, coffee would likely not arrive until around 7:45. I called again at 7:00 a.m. and, once again, the room-service line rang for nearly 20 minutes before reaching the front desk. We finally placed the order, and our coffee arrived at approximately 8:05 a.m. Unfortunately, the food itself did not improve the experience. Our scrambled eggs were cold. The creamer was served in a clear glass container that poured so poorly it spilled everywhere when we tried to use it. The orange juice did not taste fresh, and the apple juice was simply left in the original small glass bottle rather than being presented in a manner I would expect from five-star room service. There was another experience at the pool that was equally surprising. At approximately 6:00 p.m. last night, we went to use the hot tub and found numerous empty plastic cups scattered around the jacuzzi area, including cups actually floating in the jacuzzi water. It was unusual enough that it immediately caught our attention. A young woman who appeared to be serving the pool area walked by without acknowledging the cups, picking them up, or arranging for someone else to clean the area. We ultimately had to message the front desk ourselves to let them know. We also requested additional towels this morning. They did not arrive until approximately 3:30 p.m., and only after we sent a message expressing our disappointment. I understand that hotels can experience staffing shortages or communication challenges, but at this level of property and price point, guests should not have to repeatedly contact the front desk to have basic service and upkeep addressed. What is especially disappointing is the inconsistency: some members of the team have been wonderful, while other parts of the experience have felt inattentive, poorly coordinated, and far below five-star standards. I also hate to say that, after experiencing this ourselves, it has been disappointing to hear and see similar complaints from other guests regarding the level of service. That makes it feel less like an isolated incident and more like an area that deserves serious attention from management. I had genuinely high hopes for this stay, particularly because it was booked as a special birthday experience. Unfortunately, I am leaving very disappointed. Whether this is an issue of staffing, communication, training, or management oversight, I sincerely hope the hotel takes a closer look. It is a beautiful property with tremendous potential, but at a five-star hotel, the service, attention to detail, and overall guest experience should match the setting.

Great location, super clean feels very nice amazing staff would definitely stay here again worth the price. Honestly all the amenities did feel very luxurious