Kimpton Canary Hotel

I definitely read reviews before I stay at hotel, so I try and make my reviews as detailed as possible. I chose Kimpton for a quick little 2 night getaway for my birthday through my AMEX fine hotels and resorts collection. The check in was very nice and the staff was super friendly and competent. They offered me a free upgrade to a "juliet balcony" but it was facing a gas station so I didn't find that to be necessary. They also had a plate of a couple of cookies waiting in the room, which was nice touch. I had a girlfriend join me last minute, and she forgot a lot of toiletries, and the staff provided them for her very quickly. We enjoyed the social hour with wine poured by friendly staff. We also made use of the pool for an hour or so, and found it to be very clean and well appointed (nice clean towels on every chair, sunscreen and after sun care provided, fresh ice cold water, etc) We also made use of the bikes they provided. Once, again the staff (valet) was super friendly and helpful, and even took pictures for us. The hotel has a partnership with a gym about a mile away, on State street. We found the walk enjoyable and may have gotten distracted by a shop or two on the way. I enjoyed the gym -- it had everything we needed and felt like a neighborhood gym. We found the hotel to be diligent and thoughtful in providing an overall lovely experience. Some places to improve/be aware of: We found the room to be nice, but a refresh is probably needed sometime in the near future. We also felt the restaurant was a little overpriced -- but it's hotel so it was not unexpected. We were going to order some snacks at the pool but the service closed at 2pm and didn't resume again for another hour or two (I can't remember exactly) which we thought was strange.

Kimpton Hotels can be maddeningly inconsistent. For example, I just stayed at one in Edinburgh that was resolutely lovely. Yet, this property in Santa Barbara is just plain long overdue for a remodel. The good: -One thing Kimpton knows how to do is to train employees. They are happy, professional, and customer oriented. -This location is terrific. -Comfortable bed. The not-so-good: -The combination of hard wood floors and very thin walls means that you can hear *everything* in this property. -Bathroom and furniture in my suite were not *remotely* befitting the $800/night rate. Not even close. The Edinburgh location is much cheaper, and wildly better kitted out. The... very bad: -The bathroom is consistent with a mid-level chain hotel. Seriously? -Very nearly nonexistent water pressure in the shower at multiple different times of day. -In an $800 suite, you have no free bottled water(!), and no in-room snacks of any kind? Yikes.

Absolutely incredible. The location, the staff, the rooms... service was impeccable. Lane, Jeremy, Timmy, Dylan & Lukas treat event like royalty. The front desk staff is the most friendly and professional! This hotel is a must stay every time we're in town!

I stayed at this IHG property in Santa Barbara for a b'ness event. Positives: Chloe at check in was super nice, and Hunter at the valet took great care of us; Big room w/ two double beds; The staff at the b'ness event on the 6th Floor rooftop were super nice. Negatives: Not sure what I received for my high level, Ambassador status. As far as I could tell I only received a $10 food & beverage credit (pretty weak vs Marriott, Hilton & Hyatt); Two night stay was over $1,000 including $49/night valet fee. This was supposedly a special rate for the conference; I did not receive a copy of my bill via email; The wifi was spotty; The toilet paper was so thin it was more Holiday Inn vs high end Kimpton; There is no gym onsite, so you can use the Golds Gym next door. The problem w/ Golds is that you have to provide a lot of personal info (i.e., DOB) to use the pass. You also have to agree to receive their marketing emails (Lame). This is my first year staying at high end IHG properties (Intercontinental & Kimpton). Thus far, I have not been impressed. I have high level status at all the majors. Marriott, Hilton & Hyatt treat me much better: I receive upgraded rooms, free bfast, and gifts.

The decor is nice, really sweet lobby as you enter. The valet parking was really efficient. Our room was nice, everything worked. We had a room described as - with outdoor living space, ie a balcony but what we didn’t know is that it looks out to a petrol station, busy crossroads and empty bit of waste land… so we didn’t use it. The walls are pretty thin so you can hear your hotel neighbours talking… Breakfast was alright, nothing beyond that and we felt really sorry on our 2nd morning as a server was on his own, trying to escort people to tables, take and bring orders… There were no robes or coffee in the room but if you ask they’ll bring them to you. They didn’t replenish the coffee the next day and also took the cups away…… I noticed glasses in the lobby in the late morning one day which someone had left and they were still there when we came back from dinner. It felt like they were trying to do efficiency savings whilst still charging a high price… The pool area is nice and I appreciated the complimentary glass of wine.. hardly complimentary with those resort fees, but any how…. It was nice being able to walk to down town restaurants and the room itself was comfortable. It could be a really nice hotel if it wasn’t penny pinching so much!