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Spanish Garden Inn: Traveler Reviews

915 Garden Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
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Free breakfast with your stay
Spanish Garden Inn
Ranked #1 of 61 hotels in Santa Barbara
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540 reviews from our community

Traveler rating
    419
    93
    16
    8
    4
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Families
64
 
Couples
271
 
Solo
12
 
Business
17
 
Rating summary
  • Sleep Quality
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Location
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    5 of 5 stars
  • Service
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Value
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    5 of 5 stars
Date Rating
Newberg, Oregon
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
4 hotel reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
“Delightful boutique hotel!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 21, 2013

My husband and I took a short trip to Santa Barbara in January and wanted a comfortable spot to stay that wasn't too expensive. The Spanish Garden Inn exceeded our expectations! From the friendly staff to the little touches that made us feel pampered, we really enjoyed our stay. I didn't want to leave! Highlights: wine bar, breakfast quiche with fresh-squeezed juice, super-comfy bed, wonderful bath, and quiet atmosphere. The location was ideal for walkers like us, too. We could leave our car and walk to the mission, downtown or the waterfront. We highly recommend this hotel!

Room Tip: We liked our upstairs king room overlooking the courtyard!
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  • Stayed January 2013, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Brian C, General Manager at Spanish Garden Inn, responded to this review
January 22, 2013
Mrs. Allen,

You certainly didn't have to leave....we would have been happy to have you stay with us indefinitely. Thank you for the generous review. I will share your plaudits with the staff.

Please come back and visit Santa Barbara again soon.

Sincerely,

Brian Cogswell
General Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Southern California
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
5 hotel reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Great little motel”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 21, 2013

Stayed here one night during a recent visit for our daughter's mission project on the Santa Barbara Mission. Great rooms. A few blocks from state street. Similar rooms to a Four Seasons but in a motel setting. Not a luxury resort but very clean and nice. Great free breakfast: continental items with fresh baked quiche. Would definitely stay again if rates were a little lower.

Room Tip: Upper floor rooms better.
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  • Stayed December 2012, traveled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Sonoma, California
Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
10 hotel reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“Beautiful, quiet room in gorgeous setting”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 20, 2013

My husband and I spent several days in Santa Barbara this month. The Spanish Garden Inn is a perfect location downtown within walking distance of the sites, restaurants, and shopping. It is located a couple of blocks off State Street and is very quiet. The staff is friendly and helpful. Breakfast included quiche, fruit, cereal, sweet rolls, bagels, eggs, and a variety of specialty coffee drinks. The room was large with a fireplace. Although not on the beach, it is a long walk to the beach. It is easy to drive to a variety of beaches in the area. I would definitely return!

Room Tip: get an upstairs room
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  • Stayed January 2013, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Washington DC
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Dark rooms, dirty floor”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed January 18, 2013

Maybe we got a bad room but we were on pool level and our patio was blocked by a tall wooden fence (for privacy I guess). This caused the room to be really dark. Also, the space between the floor tiles was very dirty - grossed me out (particularly in the bathroom). Also not nearly as close to State Street as I had hoped. The place was fine but I certainly wouldn't rave about it. I expected more based on everyone's reviews (which is why I wanted to provide a review). Also the first sign you see at the hotel is one warning that if you stay there it might cause birth defects in your children...? really? Staff said it was something all hotels are required to hang because of cleaning products used and that we shouldn't worry. I hope this is true!

  • Stayed January 2013, traveled as a couple
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Brian C, General Manager at Spanish Garden Inn, responded to this review
January 21, 2013
Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us. I am so sorry to hear that we did not meet your expectations. An unclean room is unacceptable and I have shared your review with the team and am taking steps to make certain that this does not happen again.

Yes, it is odd, and rather off-putting, but every hotel in California has one of those signs posted. Countless other businesses do as well. You make a very good point, however. The law states that it has to be in a prominent location but it shouldn't be the first thing that you see when arriving for a vacation.

I would love the opportunity to welcome you back to the property to better demonstrate the exceptional service that we are known for. Should you be willing to give us a second chance, please contact me personally to handle your reservation.

Sincerely,

Brian Cogswell
General Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
San Juan Capistrano, California
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Reviews are accurate! We loved it. Would stay again.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 13, 2013

We were trying to find a nice hotel that was not directly on the main shopping area. I read a bunch of reviews and settled on the Spanish Garden Inn. We have always driven past Santa Barbara on the way up north but never stayed here, so we thought it was close enough to do a couple of day's for our 5th anniversary. We were too busy to go too far away.

This hotel was just what we needed. Cute, simple, and as an added bonus... the breakfast here each morning was some of the best food we actually had while we were in Santa Barbara. Which speaks volumes for the hotel, but guess that is not such a good thing for the places we chose to eat at.

We picked an upstairs room for some extra privacy and everything was great. There is a little noise transfer through the walls :) So just be aware that it's not 100% soundproof. :)

We also walked by two other hotels that we originally were going to try, and once we saw the location and the hotels, we were very happy with our choice.

  • Stayed December 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Brian C, General Manager at Spanish Garden Inn, responded to this review
January 16, 2013
Thank you for taking the time to write a review for us. Nice to hear that you enjoyed our complimentary breakfast.. The breakfast staff works very hard to make it the best possible experience, I will share your rave review with them.

Thank you again,

Brian Cogswell
General Manager
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
 
 
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Additional Information about Spanish Garden Inn

Also Known As:
Inn Of The Spanish Garden Hotel
Inn Of The Spanish Garden Hotel Santa Barbara
Hotel Of The Spanish Garden
Of The Spanish Garden Hotel
Address: 915 Garden Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone Number:
Region: United States > California > Santa Barbara
Amenities:
Business Center Fitness Center Free Breakfast Free High-Speed Internet Free Parking Room Service Suites Swimming Pool Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
#1 Family Hotels in Santa Barbara
#1 Best Value Hotels in Santa Barbara
#1 Onsen Hotels in Santa Barbara
#2 Romantic Hotels in Santa Barbara
#7 Business Hotels in Santa Barbara
Price Range: $
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
Experience the jewel of luxury boutique Santa Barbara hotels. Spanish Garden Inn offers a sophisticated Spanish-Mediterranean inspired design, quality amenities and close attention to personal service. The hotel epitomizes the vitality of the City and honors its tradition by recreating the history, romance and intrigue of Spanish Colonial Santa Barbara. ... more   less 
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