Most of the reviews here are accurate. My first complaints it that the walls are very thin. That would be ok if you enjoy listening to the neighbors’ problems and then listening to then passionately make up until 3:00 AM. Unfortunately that’s not my thing. Also the bed was very uncomfortable.

If you book here make sure to get a courtyard room because the street can bee noisy too.

I've read the other reviews and it seems almost all are true - it just depends on what your expectations are and what you are used to/willing to accept.

BTW, I stayed in room 5, which was at the end of the hall, downstairs next to the exit door. My room-specific comments apply to this room only.

Good points
Location: It's located within a few minutes walk of Stearns Wharf, the train station, and car rental agencies. It's also close to State St. but you'd have to walk for about 15 minutes to get to the hopping part of downtown. (Note: If you travel by train, I'd walk from the station to the hotel and rent a car when needed)
Cleanliness: The housekeepers came every day and restocked the toiletries.
Food/beverage: They had continental breakfast, wine/cheese, and port/cognac at different times of the day (Note: they did not have the port/cognac out, but I asked and the staff brought it promptly out). The lobby was cozy.
Staff: The staff were friendly (young women attending the local city college).

Here's what's not so impressive.
Decoration: Decor is dated. The furniture and bedding were in good condition and matched. They had shutters on the window - some were loose and did not work. The sink was in the bedroom. The bathroom had very old fixtures. There was a window in the shower - the window did not completely close (wooden windows), which led to the bathroom being cold. The window was covered by vinyl horizontal shades to maintain privacy. There were 2 swinging arm lamps (1 on each side of the bed). The lamp shade was loose as was the on/off switch.
Old structure: The door to the hallway was not air tight. It moved a little when the door across the hallway was opened or closed (this was the housekeeping storage room). The windows are not double-paned and so some noises were annoying. We didn't have too much of a problem except on Monday, our last day. The housekeepers were chatting outside the exit door, which was really close to our room. You can also hear the train whistle at night, but this is not very often and was not a problem for us.

Other notes: Room 5 has a view of the ocean and wharf. It was a good view but only visible when walking by 1 window or sitting on the toilet! Get to breakfast early. I went 1 hour before it was over and the housekeepers were eating the food - not that I don't want to eat with them, but they used all the waffle batter. I love waffles.

Found Villa Rosa in the Loney Planet guide and glad we did. The hotel has an old world charm, but has all the modern faciliites expected of a smallish boutique establishment. Service was friendly and helpful, and the breakfast and happy hour were adequate and a nice touch.

Best aspects are the location and ambiance - we went for a swim though the water was pretty cold! Bathroom was bit spartan but overall I would stay again.

The Villa Rosa Inn turned out to be a wonderful spot in the cute Santa Barbara area! My boyfriend and I checked in right during wine and cheese hours, and we were surprised to see how nice the set up was. There were flowers in the lobby area, candles were lit up, giving out a cozy feeling to the inn. There was plenty of stuff - a bowl full with fresh fruits, plates decorated with a big variety of cheeses. When we came back at night there were Port and Sherry out, cookies and iced water.
The room itself was very charming. It had a queen-size bed, a kitchenette, a sitting area, a balcony facing the garden and pool area, and a fireplace. The mattress was new and comfortable. The carpet was new as well.
The staff was very knowledgable and friendly. They made a reservation for Downey's restaurant which was absolutely wonderful. When we woke up in the morning, there was a continental breakfast in the lobby - quite extensive, fresh fruit, yogurt, fresh pastries, waffles, cereal, bagels, variety of breads.
We had a wonderful stay, and we would definitely recommend the Villa Rosa Inn to all of our friends.