We had a wonderful stay at the Santa Ynez Marriott. From the time we checked in till we left the staff went out of their way to help us. This began at the front desk with Mike checking us in and he upgraded us to a more spacious room which was greatly appreciated as we were weary traveller's at that point. The room was nicely appointed, quiet and very comfortable. a very nice destination to return to in the evening. Greta location near Santa Barbara wine country.

My boyfriend and I along with several friends recently spent 5 nights at this Marriott and could not have been more pleased. It is situated in a centrally located yet peaceful spot. The staff is extremely pleasant and accommodating. We had booked a suite in advance but Marriott upgraded our traveling companions to a suite right next to ours and it worked out perfectly. The suites are very spacious and provide every amenity. Breakfast was wonderful with great variety. In the evening they light a firepit that is surrounded by comfy and cozy couches on a terrace near the pool area. Could not have asked for more.

We stayed here for one weekend night only, a stayover on the way up the coast. We wanted someplace close to Solvang because we had theatre tickets at the Solvang Festival Theatre that night. (I will try to review that separately, but suffice to say that it is a fun atmosphere, an outdoor amphitheater in the heart of Solvang.) Based on tripadvisor and other research, it seemed as if the Marriott would be one of the nicer properties in the area, and we were able to use Marriott Reward points for a free room.

We did not get off to a good start. When we walked into the lobby to check in, we saw that there was one check in clerk speaking with a man. No one else was waiting, so we just stood a few feet away and waited. Although the clerk saw us she did not acknowledge us and continued with an animated conversation with the man. After a few minutes, it became clear to me that the conversation was entirely personal in nature, not about hotel business. Since no one was offering to help us, I thought it necessary to clear my throat to make absolutely sure that the clerk understood that we were waiting to be helped. She continued to ignore us! I finally had to speak out, "Can we please check in?" At that point, the clerk finally motioned us to approach and checked us in. But she never apologized for her unacceptably rude behavior. This kind of poor customer service by the second person one meets at any establishment (the valet was friendly and helpful) really colors one's views about a hotel.

The room we received seemed standard. it was a decent size and looked clean. But the furnishings looked a bit tired. The photos on the Marriott website make the hotel look nearly resort-like but we did not find it so. The location is also drab. Buellton is just a stop along the highway closest to Solvang. Convenient enough (less than 10 minutes away from Solvang on a nice drive) but nothing to look at otherwise.

The pool area was more functional than resort-like, but it did have lots of chairs/lounges, umbrellas, etc. I don't think most folks would want to spend much time at the hotel and if one's destination is really Solvang, it is better to stay in that town. If one wants a jumping off point for wineries, again, my guess is that there are more attractive options for a similar price.

There was nothing offensive or bad about the hotel (other than the poor check in experience). It was just...meh. If you can get a very good price or you just need a place to sleep along the highway, then you could do a lot worse.

We ALWAYS stay at this Marriott on our way up north, or just visiting the local wineries in Santa Barbara... They have the nicest staff, who go out of their way to accommodate you. On significant holidays, they go overboard when they decorate the lobby and the restaurant with the holiday theme... There's a Starbucks located right in the hotel lobby too!