Further to my husbands review that is already included below (the one year wedding anniversary trip), when we told the front desk the extreme discomfort we experienced in this hotel, he proceeded to charge us the full rate with no attempt to try and fix the situation. We then spent the morning of our anniversary trying to find another hotel to stay at rather than enjoying the city of Santa Barbara. It was a terrible experience and extremely disappointing.

My wife and I were celebrating our one year anniversary and we loved the online pictures of this inn. Unfortunately, these basically amount to false advertising. Who cares if the lobby is pleasant if your room is extremely unkempt and outdated? We walked into a sink with hairs left from (hopefully) the previous visitor, a shower that trickles water onto a floor layered with mildew and an uncomfortable and dirty bed. Please keep reading if this hasn't deterred you enough...there is a serious issue with noise as the doors aren't aligned correctly so everyone has to slam them shut and the cars are parked directly under the rooms with the middle of the lot open to the sky so you'll be sure to hear whenever a new visitor arrives. After a horrid night's sleep, we were greeted by a "breakfast" of mini-boxes of cereal and a few danishes. All this for a price tag of over $200/night. The two positive aspects of this hotel stay were 1) checking out and moving to a hotel that doesn't suck and 2) Brisas set the bar so low that we will forever appreciate even the most modicum of comfort in a hotel room.

We come to Santa Barbara twice a year, once in the summer for family time and once for the half-marathon. This was our first time venturing off Cabrillo Street (the main stretch of beachfront hotels). We wanted a nice place close to the finish line so we didn't have to walk far. What we got was a beautiful Spanish style treasure beyond our hopes. We've stayed in nine different hotels over the years and this was by far the best experience (including Oceana and the Biltmore). Mind you, the other places are also wonderful, but the staff at Brisas Del Mar is second to none.

The room was spacious, the staff (every last person, from desk clerk to maids) were friendly and warm, and the site was just plain beautiful. They are constantly cooking for you in the lobby. When we arrived to check in, the desk clerk had just made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. The next morning there was a substantial continental breakfast. When we staggered into the lobby a few hours after our run, they genuinely wanted to know if there was anything they could do to help. They gave a great tip for local food, suggested a couple of movies, and sent us on our way with some bananas. And while this may sound like regular service to be expected, it was the sincerity and niceness they exhibited that mattered.

They truly make you feel like a guest. We will be spending all of our first weekends in November with them.

We stayed at this small hotel for 2 nights during July.
The location is excellent for the major highway and access to the waterfront. With a short walk many good restuarants were accessible. The ample undercover parking was a real bonus in a residential area. The accommodation was roomy albeit a little dated in style and upkeep but the added extras of free bottled water and nice toiletries were appreciated.
The service at reception was attentive and very efficient - the hotel's restaurant recommendations book and in-room information booklet very well presented.
The extra touches extended to a lovely continental style breakfast each day which we enjoyed outside watching the birdlife. The cheese and wine and the freshly baked cookies and milk were a welcome start to the evening.
The swimming pool is somewhat small but as we used it fairly late in the evening we had it to ourselves. The gardens are well tended and attract hummingbirds and acorn woodpeckers.
Noise was never an issue during our stay and the view from our top floor room very pretty.
If we were ever lucky enough to re-visit Santa Barbara we would go back to this hotel.