The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara

Honestly after four or five stays at this hotel over the last decade it’s time to finally leave a review because it’s always the same with no improvement. Aesthetically the property deserves a 9.5/10. However, the service, customer satisfaction management, and operations are severely lacking. To start, don’t belong to the Marriott program if you don’t want to honor the program. Don’t benefit from the marketing, brand, and guest inflow if you have no intention of recognizing hard earned hotel status. As an example, booking through your Amex platinum would yield way more perks including breakfast, a resort credit, an upgrade, and guaranteed 4pm checkout - all of which at check-in I overheard this other guest receive. Being an ambassador or titanium member through Marriott means nada - not a single perk…here’s a few welcome points. Not even if it’s your 6th anniversary and you actually stayed in the hotel 6 years ago after your wedding - they are happy to offer you paid items from their celebrations list of course. The rates are the same between Amex and Marriott...so there’s really no point to the program. As for service, everything feels chaotic. Turndown is hit or miss each night. Good luck getting a drink at the pool. Lost dinner reservations. Not enough staff across the hotel. To top it off even if the guest services manager says they will email you to further discuss concerns they don’t even bother following up. The best people there are the club car drivers and valet - super timely, friendly, and professional. Otherwise, the whole thing is disappointing. This hotel just misses the next level items that qualify a “luxury” experience. Following up on our anniversary for example after I purchased item from their “celebrations” menu. You have a repeat guest - don’t you want to wow? Maybe not. These rates are the same as the belmond or rosewood. Why bother with this place? Those options are WAY better. I’ve stayed at some of the best luxury hotels in the world - Claridge’s, Forestis, Lily of the Valley, Il Sereno, Rastrello…the list goes on and on. This place could genuinely be up there, but they don’t seem interested in improving or hearing constructive feedback from guests. Hugely disappointing experience.

One of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed at. Shoutout to the staff and especially Marco, I had heard ritz Carlton had done exceptional acts of service or kindness before but when we arrived to our room and found chocolates, bubby, fruit, and a note with a custom cutting board of my wife’s hometown with our sons name on the board (this was a babymoon trip my wife is pregnant) I was literally shocked. I’ve stayed in hundreds of hotels and never was anything like this done for us. So shoutout Marcos and ritz Carlton Santa Barbara bacara. Also I ate at all the restaurants while there and I believe Marisella had probably the best food from our 9 day trip to California. The rooms were big and cleaned daily. The pool and hiking trail were great. Overall amazing.

We really loved our stay at The Ritz-Carlton Santa Barbara and would absolutely come back! The property and location are beautiful, the rooms were very nice and exceptionally clean, and the staff was always friendly, polite, and helpful. The only areas that could use a little improvement were noise and the consistency of service speed. Our room could be a bit noisy at times. We could hear doors slamming in the hallway as well as guests in the room above us. Service was also occasionally a little slow, particularly at the restaurants. There were times when it took a while to be greeted or even get water, whether the restaurant was nearly empty or very busy. That said, once a staff member came over, the service was always wonderful and attentive. The pools are beautiful but can get quite busy, so finding a good spot during peak times can be challenging. Overall, we had a wonderful stay. The gorgeous location, beautiful property, clean and comfortable rooms, and kind staff definitely outweighed the few minor issues. We would happily stay here again!

I was fortunate to spend 5 nights here (January 2026) while on business. I found the service to be exceptional starting with the front desk staff, to the cleaning staff, the team that did the turn down service, really every employee I encountered was polite and trying to go above and beyond. If you're a corporation looking to hold a mix of business meetings while keeping your employees comfortable and pampered this is a great venue. Robert (head of security) and his staff went above and beyond to make sure our group had what we needed throughout the stay. I know prices are high everywhere on things, but food and beverage prices around the property were a bit of a sticker shock. I actually think the Italian restaurant offered the best prices for the quality of the food and service (not owned/operated by Ritz-Carlton). There was a mix of guests including several families with young kids. The pools were heated and open despite the cool morning and night temperatures. I found my room amenities to be first class, the room was clean when I got there and every day was very well refreshed by the cleaning staff. The property does stretch down a significant hill towards the ocean so be prepared to get your steps in, or call for a golf cart to pick you up and get you up the hill as needed. There was a nice gym, tennis courts, and a first rate spa. This resort is a good 20 min drive outside of the city of Santa Barbara. It's an easy commute, but don't expect to be right in the middle of town. Goleta is nearby and offers plenty of shopping, restaurants, etc if you need things nearby. Overall, if it's in your budget, I think this is a fantastic property and lives up to the name brand.

My husband and I had a quick getaway to this property over the 4th of July weekend. The resort was full. That said, there's enough space on the property to find a quiet place to relax. The pools and restaurants were packed. There were a lot of kids and dogs around. The dogs were having a grand time and owners were attentive to make sure they were well- behaved and appropriate. Staff was attentive and tried to give custom recommendations on check in. Room was generous, well appointed and had a large deck. I think the price gives people high expectations for the property. As well, some people won't like how far north and away from SB the resort is. A few tidbits that could be better: to get down on the beach below the pools, you have to traverse piles of sandbags. That could be better planned and constructed. The plumbing seemed a bit off. Toilets needed several flushes to clear at multiple locations on the property. I think we'll return in the future. It is a lovely location and the service and space was generous.