The main drag of downtown Santa Barbara, lined with shops and restautants, is State St, which runs inland from the coast and pier. The El Prado Inn is about 20 minutes walk from the beach, on a corner of State St., and there is a trolley-bus that runs most of the way and costs only 25 cents. Being slightly beyond... more

Chose this hotel on the basis of a recommendation by a local company--this was a business trip for me, I'm probably not the usual type of guest this hotel sees. The hotel location was very convenient for me, close to the company I was visiting and close enough to the State St. restaurants. The pool was very nice after a... more

We go to Santa Barbara every year for the July 4th holiday. Usually stay closer to Stearns Wharf, but wanted to try something more reasonably priced. It's true this "hotel" is older and could use a major update, but we felt relaxed among all the families that were there. The pool is large and is secluded from the street (many... more

We had a group of 5 rooms staying here for a weekend and everyone was pretty happy. The rooms had been relatively recently redone and they were all a pretty good size. We had 2 of the 1 bdrm suites which accomodated 4 people. The exterior of the property isn't the most modern, but not a big deal. El Prado... more

The El Prado Inn was spacious, and we had an annex room behind the main building. The rooms were large, and the lighting brighter than most motels. Continental breakfast was very basic with prepackaged muffins and coffee, so we elected to go to State Street to eat. There was a refrigerator, coffeemaker, and hairdryer in the room. A mirrored closet... more

We had two rooms the week between Xmas and New Years and were overall very pleased with the size of the rooms and the amenities of this motel like hotel and most of all the price! Santa Barbara hotels are very expensive especially centrally located to the main drag, State Street. Also during Xmas week most of the places were... more

Recently spent two nights here with spouse and two kids as part of a family gathering. Hotel is centrally located off State Street (right across the street from a little grocery/deli with beer/wine). The rooms were quite large. Ours had 2 king beds. Half-size refrigerator comes in handy. Nice pool around back and a decent amount of free covered parking.... more

The one thing I can say about the El Prado is that it is what it is. The El Prado does not hold itself out to be a top-quality hotel, nor should anyone consider it as such. Having said that, I have to say, I had no major complaints. I stayed at the El Prado for a wedding recently. The... more

We stayed here for two nights in early October - it was the second time I stayed at this motel. It is a decent location for walking to the shops and restaurants on State Street...it is a little bit of a walk but not a problem in the great California weather. There is also a small food store across the... more