My sister and I are from Santa Barbara and stayed at the Hotel Mar Monte when home for a visit. We had a wonderful time. I think the other reviewers on here should be staying down the street at one of the more expensive hotels. Our room was much larger than expected and the staff was very accommodating. We used the spa and it was also wonderful. We were a little worried about the bad reviews but our experience was nothing like theirs. The pool is large and heated. The beach is directly across the street and this hotel has a wonderful location without being as expensive as others. I would recommend this hotel to friends.

A wonderful retreat.. overlooking the ocean and in the heart of santa barbara..Front lobby is warm and welcoming and the staff is very accomodating. We enjoyed the comfortable and spacious room and our dog felt right at home.. By the way , the Spa is amazing too..

Sorry for the lengthy review, but this story conveys just how shoddy the Hotel Mar Monte's service and attention to detail can be.

My wife and I checked in on December 31, 2007 to spend New Year’s Eve here. When I called to make the reservation more than 3 months prior, I requested Rm 375 because that was the room in which I proposed to my wife back in April 2006. The operator told me my request would be noted, that there shouldn’t be a problem, and that I should call back closer to the date to make sure.

A month before New Year’s Eve I called again and I was told exactly the same thing. So on Dec. 29th, I called and spoke to a gentleman who told me he could definitely get me into Rm 375.

I and my wife, expecting to celebrate the New Year in a room with special sentimental value, arrived and were told that the room I had requested on three occasions over three months was not available. The gentleman at the counter remembered my call and acknowledged he had promised me the room, but that someone else had been booked into my room, and I’d have to take another one. He and the manager on duty both simply shrugged and said, “Sorry.” The manager told me I would still be getting a similar room, which completely missed the point of my repeated requests for Rm 375. (In fact, the room was not similar – it was probably 1/3 the size of Rm 375).

Also, both the robes in our room were soiled when we arrived; my wife asked at the front desk that they be replaced, which they were, but the clerk there actually rolled her eyes at the request. The next morning we ordered room service for breakfast, but no condiments were included; I had to call and request them.

I had sought a particular room for months with the intention of spending a nostalgic night there, and it was confirmed two days before. Angry about the inexplicable oversight and the staff’s casual dismissal of it, I wrote a letter to them and was contacted by someone from the hotel wanting to make amends. But I was unable to talk at the moment, so she promised to call later that afternoon. She never did - further proof of their complete inattention to detail and indifference toward their guests. We will be staying many more nights in Santa Barbara in the future, but not at the Hotel Mar Monte.

We decided at the last minute to take an overnight trip to Santa Barbara. We wanted to stay at a moderately-priced hotel right on the ocean near Stearns Wharf and State Street. After looking at other reviews of the Hotel Mar Monte, we decided it would be a good place to try.
We booked our room directly on the hotel's website and got a King Ocean View room at the very reasonable rate of $199 for one night.
We arrived and were greeted by the valet attendants and were checked in by a friendly woman who gave us our keys and directed us to our room. Upon entering our room, we discovered it was a room with 2 queen beds, not the king bed we had reserved.
I returned back to the front desk and talked to the same woman and let her know that there was a mistake with our room... that we had a King room reserved but she gave us a room with 2 queens. She said that all the King rooms were sold out and that's all they had left. Even after telling her that we were guaranteed a King room, she wasn't able to help us. She said she would check on our "room rate" and see what she could do.
Upon check out in the morning, I found out that our room rate on our bill was NOT the $199 that we booked online but was raised to $249. When I notified the person at the desk, he said that he needed a paper printout showing the rate I reserved online. Since all I had was the saved e-mail on my computer, he said I'd have to go to the business office and print out the reservation. After demanding to see the manager to complain not only about the rate increase but the fact that they were unable to give us the room we booked, he reduced the rate to the $199 that we reserved originally.
Now the room itself was nice. We were on the third floor (of the three story building) looking out to the Pacific Ocean. We had a small balcony with two chairs and small table. The room was clean and well maintained. The room had a microwave and refrigerator.
Overall, I would recommend this hotel due to its reasonable rates for a great location however be warned to print out your reservation and check your bill carefully!