The Ritz-Carlton Bacara Santa Barbara

Wonderful
Traveller Type: young couple
  : room was lovely. view was famuous
  : no bathrobesthe restaurant was very good but not great. we had requested a tasting menu but ended up getting 5 full-size courses!

Poor
Traveller Type: family with young children
  : the scenery
  : the room was very cold . rolling bed very uncomfortable and sofa bed squeaky

Poor
Traveller Type: review category business travellers
  : Outdated residences and homeless person taking bath on beach

Disappointing
Traveller Type: young couple
  : This is a resort not a hotel and come with pros and cons. The reception area is very impressive and the rooms are good if a little small. If you are lucky enough to obtain your rooms near reception then the experience will be far better than if your are in one of the further out buildings. The pool area is very pleasant but very busy, the breakfast is great and the restaurant near the pool very good and the sommelier very knowledgeable and friendly. In summary, its not a bad resort, but not a hotel and if you want to be able to just get the lift down to the restaurant or the pool thats in the same building this is not for you. It's seemed a family resort popular with weddings (garden was great) and there were a lot of children around, not ideal for a couples.
  : It's a resort therefore nothing is close by and requires a golf buggy or a long walk to get a drink or food. We booked a sea view and upon arrival the reception guy made out he was doing us a huge favor in upgrading us. He booked in a building nine with a fire pit. The only bit he got right about the room was it was a pit. Building nine is the farthest from the main building requiring you to walk through several other buildings. As we walked through the maze of stairs and corridors the standard of up keep just kept falling. The buildings are built around a central court yard with fountain. Building nine's fountain was empty and disused, the decor old and crumbing. Upon entering what from the outside of the room, looked like a low end rental from the wrong side of the tracks, the room was good, but the sea view was appalling. We were greeted with a view of a bank which required you to climb to see the sea, the fire pit area was a building site with broken paving and cut down palms. It looked like a lumber jack had gone wild with a chain saw. After making my opinion of the building and room clear to reception, they moved us and provide a $100 credit. Whilst the room was a better it was on the first floor with a view of the sea over the next building roof - not really what I had expected. Oh, the beach has a tar problem that required you to us the tar cleaning wipes whilst you look out of your room towards the oil rig and the support ship moored just of the beach. Finally no room service and the mini bar is empty despite them taking a charge on my card.

Poor
Traveller Type: young couple
  : Location
  : Room had stained carpet, broken tile. Not worth the 1,500 a night

Disappointing
Traveller Type: young couple
  : Layout of property was nice. Exterior of buildings great and landscape superb. Breakfast was excellent. Valet service was prompt.
  : Room key didn’t walk. Had to repeat the 10 min walk to get another. Room was outdated. Floors were horrid tiled made us feel we were sleeping on a patio. Noise was a problem as we heard all persons walking by and the staff golf carts were also heard. Water fountain in the foyer of the building very noisy and heard at all times. It was r even a white noise type of thing. Very annoying. Bed was the least comfortable Ritz bed I’ve ever slept in.

Wonderful
Traveller Type: young couple
  : been coming here for years. not sure I like the Ritz taking over but it’s close enough to what it was.
  : time to valet upon arrival and had to wait an hour to get a bellman to come grab our bags upon departure

Good
Traveller Type: group

Poor
Traveller Type: with friends
  : on the ocean
  : The spa charges outrageous prices without telling you in advance. They charged $500 for a facial and never revealed the price and also insisted on adding a 20 percent gratuity. That’s not right and they did little to try and rectify my complaint.

Wonderful
Traveller Type: family with young children
  : Staff was wonderful!
  : Rooms slightly dated