We stayed at this Hampton in January of 2008 and it was a wonderful experience. The hotel seems almost brand new and decor is new and modern. Our room came with a flat panel television and nice work station. Staff was very friendly and helpful. We had a package deal with champagne and roses and received the most beautiful flower arrangement with the room. Although slightly pricey (we paid $189/night) this Hampton is the nicest that I have ever stayed in.

I picked this hotel because it was a Hampton (usually solid) and because of the price, $179, which is very resonable for this area where rates can run much higher. I was blown away about the quality of the rooms, the service and the breakfast. It turned out to be the best Hampton Inn I have stayed in, and I have stayed in several. Felt more like a high end botique hotel.

We stayed at a 2-queen room here for 2 weekend nights in late December 2007, during our trip to Santa Barbara. I chose to stay here instead of Santa Barbara since when I did research, I found most of the Santa Barbara hotels are very close to railroad and train noise was always complained. On the other hand, this hotel was brand new, with good review, so I decided to stay here.

We got a room on the top floor, tucked away from the street. Outside our window is a big parking lot. I do notice some other rooms facing and very close to the street. I'm not sure whether it would be noisier over there.

Inside our room, the decor is very new, with LCD TV, a refrigerator hidden in the armoire, and a microwave. The AC/heater is a detached unit, with separate climate control on the wall. We didn't turn on the heater, since the winter weather there was mild. I didn't hear any sound from my neighbors. However, since there were not many guests in the hotel (UCSB was closed), I guess the adjacent rooms may be empty. The refrigerator noise was ok, as the armoire helped reduce it. I could barely hear train whistle and airplane noise (it's 1-2 miles away from the airport and the railroad) by 9pm or 10pm, but that was not a problem. In general, it was quiet.

There were 2 kinds of 2-queen rooms here - a smaller one, and a bigger one with sofa bed and wet bar. I opted for the smaller one for cheaper rate and feeling more cozy/warmer in the winter. My room was not very spacious, but ok for us three.

The free breakfast was average. The 1st day we had hot eggs and hams. The next day we had sausage and no eggs.

The room doesn't have a mug, so we ended up buying a mug in a supermarket nearby for microwave purpose.

The staff was quite nice and cordial.

There was pretty much nothing to see/buy/eat within walking distance, but many restaurants are within several minute driving. It is also a short drive to Santa Barbara.

In conclusion, I think it is worthwhile. I would rather stay at this nice and new hotel, rather than the expensive and old hotels around Santa Barbara. Not to mention the train noise in Santa Barbara.

When we arrived at 330 pm, we seemed to be the only people in the hotel except for the workers. Everyone was friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. We stayed in the one room suite which is a larger room with two queens and a pull out sofa bed. It was clean and roomy. Without a request, the front desk sent up extra towels and extra shampoo.

We drove a short distance for dinner and the breakfast was sufficient, although, the hot breakfast this day was eggs which is my least favorite food in a warming tray. However, there were bagels, pastries, and cereal, so we didn't starve. The gentleman that kept the breakfast stocked introduced himself and removed dirty dishes so you didn't need to get up. Great service again!

The hotel is convenient to UCSB. Based on other reviews and the investigation I did, it seemed that this hotel was a bit pricey, however, in exchange we were in a larger, clean room with excellent service.