The Ballard Inn & Restaurant

Stayed at the Ballard July 13, 2025 and was so disappointed that we checked out a day early even thought we lost a non refundable nights lodging. Sadly the original ambience has completely disappeared. What was once a luxury Inn and restaurant is gone, I do want to say the front desk personnel was professional and helpful but not enough to make up for the lack of basic amenities. We stayed in the Cynthia Room which was above the front desk and dining area plus faced the business across the street. The bed was very comfortable. I had asked for a quiet room but this probably was the noisiest one at the location. I did ask for a change of rooms but was told the inn was full. We could hear conversations below our room and at 6:30 am a large delivery truck backed into the business across the street with its warning horns beeping while parking the vehicle. The room had a musty smell from the wood burning fireplace so strong that I thought someone had been smoking in the room. One of the chairs was stained from who knows what and one of the bedside lamps had a flickering light bulb that I had to unscrew it. No TV, clock and poor WIFI reception. The final issue was the lack of water pressure in the shower and the almost more than 5 minutes wait for semi hot water. I started to take a shower in tepid water as I didn't think it was ever gong to get any warmer, This is an area with a water shortage so running the water for any length of time is unacceptable.

The Ballard Inn is a perfect location when visiting Solvang and Los Olivos. Rooms are comfortable and Spacious (Mountain Room). Just a heads up , the walls are thin, we could hear or neighbors conversation next door. I hope they have plans to open their restaurant in the near future. We will return soon .

I rarely write negative reviews, but I felt compelled to share this experience given the current state of the Ballard Inn, especially at $800+ per night. I work in hospitality and travel often, partnering with some of the best hotel brands in the world. I understand the pressures and complexities of running a property, and I approach every stay with empathy and realistic expectations. That said, what we experienced here was not a matter of things going wrong. It was a pattern of neglect and disregard. Here’s what guests should be aware of: • Lost Booking We booked through Booking.com two months in advance, with prepayment and confirmation. Upon arrival, the front desk had no record and immediately blamed the third-party platform with no apology, no ownership. They eventually found a room, but it was a downgrade from what we reserved. No refund or gesture was offered. • Non-Existent Staff Staffing appeared to be minimal at best. It was nearly impossible to find someone when anything was needed. • Unprofessional, Dismissive Service The front desk experience was jarringly poor. Requests were met with eye-rolls, blame-shifting, or flat-out inaction. Even a basic ask, like a set of cutlery, was treated as an inconvenience. • Poor Housekeeping in Public Spaces While the shared spaces have potential, they’re consistently neglected. Breakfast plates sat out well into the evening. Glassware from the previous night’s happy hour was still on tables at breakfast. It gave the entire property a sense of being unmonitored. • Room Condition & Cleanliness The rooms are in need of a serious update: stained rugs, broken furniture, dusty drapes, and a pervasive musty odor. We found ants in the room and rust on the bathroom fixtures. A requested air purifier was unusable due to an overstuffed, filthy filter. In most cases, poor conditions can be softened by attentive, empathetic service. Unfortunately, that was entirely missing here. What could have been addressed with grace was instead met with indifference or even hostility. After speaking with friends in the local industry, I learned the property has changed ownership twice in recent years and is now operated by the Kirkwood Collection, based in Beverly Hills. Sadly, that disconnect is evident. What once had a reputation for warm hospitality now feels completely misaligned with the spirit of the valley. I truly hope the Ballard Inn can return to its former standard one day. But until meaningful changes are made - both operationally and culturally - I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

Last weekend we visited The Ballard inn which cost almost $600 per night. We have stayed in numerous hotels that charge a similar room rate and have always found them to be a luxury experience that surpassed our expectations. This couldn't have been further from the truth in this establishment. On arrival the front desk staff member couldn't find our booking and had a terrible attitude while staring at her computer and not communicating what she was actually searching for. This continued for over 5 minutes when miraculously she found our booking. However, as the decor on the ground floor was tasteful and appeared well maintained we felt hopeful that the stay would still be a memorable one. It was, but not for the right reasons. Upon entering our room we were shocked see furniture and furnishings were worn and in some cases broken. In fact, one lamp on the nightstand had a shade that was literally hanging on its base and could not be reattached. The bed was shabbily made (extremely creased sheets, not tucked in correctly) and the brown carpet was stained in various places. The bathroom was even worse. There were ANTS on the sink area and towels, the sink unit had a drawer that could barely be opened unless you wrestled it, the shower barely worked (the tap constantly ran on the shower setting) and the ceiling paint was cracked and flaking in various places. There was no TV, no safe, no fridge, no minibar, no phone and a tiny table top ironing board which was almost unusable. The balcony was a welcome addition but the paintwork was peeling and some of the wood in this area had been heavily damaged by termites. Basically the room was lacking in every aspect. As far as the (lack of) service was concerned, it appeared there was only ever 1 member of staff on duty and they were not present for the whole day. At these times it was impossible to reach anyone if you had an issue, question or concern. The so-called "breakfast" consisted of a little chopped fruit, an unsightly looking bowl of whipped yoghurt and muffins and on one occasion there were no plates available so guests couldn't even eat most of it. I wouldn't even advertise this as an actual "breakfast" as there was so little choice. On our second day during "wine hour" (free wine served between 3-4pm) we sat down outside and realized the table next to us still had dirty dishes from breakfast on it. By this point we realized that the hotel and service was not going to improve and had to laugh at the fact we had paid such a high dollar amount for this disastrous experience. My photos document a lot of the above. And I know it's a cliche, but I wouldn't usually bother writing a review....but this was so bad that I felt compelled to.

Beautifully decorated historic inn with a great 4:00 cocktail hour and lovely country setting. The breakfast was very good if different Turkish eggs) and fresh berries and scones. One drawback was the squeaky bed whenever you simply shifted over. The town, Los Olivos, had quite a few great stores to browse in.