Although a short walk away from the main pier, shops etc of Santa Barbara, the Blue Sands Motel is a great find. It's right across the road from the beach, there's a small swimming pool at the front and the rooms have everything you could need for light self-catering (coffee machine, microwave, fridge) plus a big plasma TV and a... more

A good value hotel compared to others in Santa Barbara. Basic but clean and near the beach. However it is a little bit too far from the heart of SB itself and the restaurants, bars, pier etc Also SB has a big homeless problem and they have adopted the park opposite the hotel as their own. If the distance from... more

After reading reviews, we decided to book a room for two nights at the Blue Sands Motel. I was skeptical about a "motel" but while travelling with two dogs our options were limited. The location is super close to the beach. There is a large park across the street that I did see a few homeless people sleeping in. They... more

Well-furnished room and very helpful staff. Extremely good value. No breakfast provided but the beach cafe recommended was very good. more

After reading many positive reviews on here I'm always a little skeptical until I actually get to the place. But, we were pleasantly surprised when we opened the door to our room at the Blue Sands. Since the outside is definitely dated and there are only 11 units you wouldn't expect much but our room was great! We had a... more

It does what the title says really. It's a motel, but the rooms are decently furnished and have a fridge and microwave, which is useful. It's not the most bargainous place I've ever stayed, but Santa Barbara is expensive. The only slight downside is that the main street is not near - you'll need to drive or take cabs. On... more

Booked this hotel for a weekend get away based on the strength of its Tripadvisor ratings. The website is a bit lackluster, but in person the Blue Sands is great! This is a cute small property with easy parking, easy access to the beach and everything in SB. The couple running the place - and other guests we bumped into... more

My husband & I just returned from our overnight stay here. I was a little concerned about booking this motel because of the price-didn't expect much and was so pleased when we got there. Our corner room was large, with a very comfortable bed, 2 large windows-making the room very bright and inviting, cozy gas fireplace-came in handy on a... more

Stayed for a few days and was satisfied on all counts. Checkin was a little rough, with the handyman behind the desk telling me it was his first day and the computer had crashed. Had to phone the boss to get me in a room. He also didn't know much about the property, i.e., was the pool heated. Went into... more