The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara

We’ve had the worst experience at a Ritz Carlton, ever. The grounds are beautiful, and most of the people working here are nice, but the suite we booked was full of mold; no hot water in the sink; lights that flicker; and a fireplace that didn’t light; make-up mirror that was broken; etc. We switched rooms, only to have similar things in the new rooms. Mold on walls, lights that flicker, tv that doesn’t work, and a front desk person that didn’t offer to do anything for us. I forgot to mention, the bugs in our second room. We didn’t even get a break on the $2,300 room, per night. I can’t wait to go home!

Absolutely lovely Oasis for a break from the grind. Beautifully maintained facility and gracious staff. I had some concerns from reading the reviews of this hotel -- but I had a great experience -- and I would stay here again if in the area. Staff across the board were gracious and accommodating from check-in to check-out. I'd recommend opting for a Club Level room. The 5 meal services offered by the Cloud area great -- even if touted as light and appetizers -- we found them more than sufficient. There were lots of extra on Christmas day - Prime Rib, Ham, Salmon -- I wouldn't expect those to be standard fare. The beach and water area scenic -- but there isn't much to do there and they aren't too accessible. Overall a truly great place -- which of course comes at a high price -- but worth it for a treat.

The Ritz Carlton Bacara is a great place to stay if you are going to be in the Santa Barbara area. The resort is just beautiful. The location is amazing. The rooms are nice. But what makes the resort so wonderful is the people. My wife and I wanted to have a quaint getaway. Somewhere private, quiet and relaxing. We have stayed at this resort in the past and had a very nice time. This time our experience was made even more special by the attentive staff team at the resort. While they were all very nice - from valet to housekeeping, the concierge and the restaurant staff, there was one person who was a standout for us. Mr. Benjamin Kessler. Mr. Kessler is the Room Operations Manager. He was fantastic. He was personable, friendly, courteous, professional and just a pleasure to chat with. I spoke with him a few times during our stay. He would always remember my name and consistently asked if there was anything he could do to make our stay even better. Each time I spoke with Mr. Kessler I walked away understanding that he genuinely cared about our experience at the resort. If you are in the area and looking for a wonderful getaway, this is the place. Leonard

The experience at this property was very welcoming which was nice. I've stayed at other Ritz-Carlton properties and it's not always like that. I appreciated Lina from front desk who assisted with my check-in. As a Titanium elite member she went directly to see if there was an available upgrade for me. At some properties most front desk staff don't bother unless I ask so I was very appreciative that Lina took the time to find a nice room for my husband and I. Unfortunately, I rated this property a 4 out of 5 due to the experience we faced with housekeeping. We were unsure what was happening but it seemed like dishes were being thrown around and the sound was going through the walls which didn't really give us the best rest we hoped for. At the same time, I had 4pm check-out and when we arrived back to our room before 4, housekeeping was already inside and cleaning even though our belongings were still in the room. It was a very unfortunate experience but I also appreciated Sebatian from the concierge who took the time to help with some of our request and who also thought of a way to help mend the inconvenience we faced with housekeeping. There's truly nothing wrong with this property, I would definitely come back and recommend this place to family and friends. It's just unfortunate we had a couple of incidents with housekeeping during this stay.

I have stayed in many Ritz Carlton locations worldwide, and I have never been so disappointed with the service as the one I received at this Ritz Carlton in Santa Barbara. First, I'm a titanium member with Marriott, and I usually receive at least an appreciation note from a hotel manager (or even some tiny treats) when I stay at the Ritz. This is the first Ritz Carlton that they didn't even care about. Secondly, they should hire better receptionists. We don't care about good-looking people who cannot speak good English. As much as I tried, I could barely understand the receptionist's English to the point that I even gave up listening to her and instead communicated through messaging. The receptionist on the following day is great, but I expect consistency from establishments like the Ritz. Thirdly, I called them a few days beforehand to request a rollaway bed (which was not free) in my room and even received an update/confirmation. Before coming to the hotel, I even messaged the team through the Marriott Bonvoy app to confirm that it would be ready for us since we had a long drive that day and only arrived very late in the evening. To my surprise, as much as they confirmed with me both through phone and messaging, we arrived in our room without the bed. When I called the receptionist desk, the person who picked up the phone blatantly told me that I didn't request it :)). I literally had to come down to the reception to demand they read the message and show them the confirmation email. This was the last thing that we would want to do after literally an 9-hour drive. Fourthly, while the bed was comfortable, the sink at the bathroom was faulty right when we used it for the first time to wash our hands (we couldn't turn the water off). It's either we were very unlucky, or the Ritz at Santa Barbara literally doesn't care. Overall, if I could choose again, I would rather choose Courtyard at Santa Barbara - they probably gave me the same treatment with a much better appreciation towards titanium members.