Hotel Californian

The Hotel is very nice as well as the rooms. The hotel is perfectly located if you like the fun of being downtown. My stay started out badly with a very rude valet and some other slight issues but overall it was a very nice place. My biggest recomendations would to actually train the valets and front desk staff and to get them more up to par with a five star hotel. The lack of profesionalism shows from the valet to the front desk. I know this isnt the Rosewood but that should not keep the staff from acting like it is.

The reason for my low score is that there was an issue with the date of my reservation that the hotel would not fix. Be careful. Unlike the major hotel brands (Marriott, Hilton), they don't communicate with you and if your reservation is off by a day, you won't know until you show up and, if they have a chance to stick you with an additional fee, they will do it. The Plusses: Great location and my room had a view of the ocean, but the room was dated. Bed was comfortable, but overall not as nice as the Bacara (which is much less expensive). The Minuses: Staff were not friendly or helpful if you have a problem. Bottom Line: I will be choosing a different hotel for future stays in Santa Barbara

The room smelled a bit, and sheets smelled like cleansors. The headboard had a big patch in it, which gave a cheap motel vibe. It was not the 5-star accommodation I would expect for $1000/night. The hot tub was the biggest dissappointment, it had too many chemicals and turned jewelry grey upon entry. It left a chemical residue that wouldn't come off even after showering. Not worth the money and I would not come back.

Hotel Californian is so pretty, as soon as you enter the hotel, you get this modern look of black & white decor, very well decorated. We arrived a bit early from Pismo beach. Check in was at 4pm. It would have been great if we could have gotten drink vouchers on arrival, we got this at Fairmont, San Francisco, MacArthurs Place Hotel and Spa in Sonoma. The receptionist told us our room would only be ready at 4pm as it had to checked after the cleaners cleaned it. It was a beautiful room, generous size, bathroom was lovely with his and hers basin, big bath which I really enjoyed and lovely shower. Unfortunately the air conditioning did not work the 1st night, probably that needs to be checked when doing the final check. We were moved to another room which was just as lovely as the first. The swimming pool on the rooftop is very nice, my only wish was that I used it more than once. We ordered room service the one night, that was delicious as well. Big portion for Salmon, coming from New Zealand, 2 pieces of Salmon on 1 plate is very generous. They offer a shuttle service which is very convenient if you don't want to take your car into the main town. Within walking distance to the beach, restaurants, funk zone, wine bars. It was a lovely stay, thank you to the team :)

For a special occasion we stayed at Hotel Californian. Location was perfect, but hotel experience was lacking. If you're a late-night reader and partner a sleeper, there was a problem. No separate reading light. So side lights controlled by same wiring, were either on or off, on both sides of bed. The walk in shower flooded the bathroom floor. With a rain shower, you would expect to have shower caps, but no, you had to ask. Simple toiletries were not automatically supplied. Had to ask for fresh soap and lotion. If guests have to ask, it's not a 5-star lodging. Premier ocean view room was over a warehouse building with unsightly skylights. Not worth the price. Management was indifferent.