This being my first time to Santa Barbara, we wanted to stay at a hotel IN Santa Barbara. The Canary was the perfect choice. The hotel is minutes away from shopping, sightseeing, and restaurants. As at other Kimpton properties, it is a great hotel featuring a fabulous restaurant and bar. Equal attention is given to both. The spanish style architecturel hotel features large rooms with great bathrooms, fluffy Frette robes, extremely comfortable beds, a free wine and cider happy hour in the evening, coffee in the morning and appetizers and cookies late in the afternoon.
While all the above is important, I've not yet mentioned the Canary's greatest asset..... The Staff!!
Without exception, every staff member was helpful, friendly, said good morning or evening, and went out of their way to attend to our needs. Some staff "superstars" are Eddie at the reception desk.... we had to call back and change the dates of our reservations AND HE REMEMBERED US by name! Friendly and professional barely begins to describe him. Stephanie and Brett in the restaurant and bar went above and beyond in their hospitality.
Santa Barbara has many great hotels but many are destination resorts, miles from town. If you want to stay Santa Barbara, the Canary is a great choice.

Stayed here in October. Loved this hotel! The rooms are extremely clean and quiet. Bedding is quite comfortable. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Loved the dog at the front desk.

It is in a great downtown location, walking distance to shopping and restaurants.

I researched many hotels in the area and finally decided on the Canary. We are haply we did. The location can't be beat - great walking to sightseeing, beach, shopping and dining. The hotel itself is beautiful - it maintains the area's Spanish architecture with a modern touch. We love the Kimpton hotels because they are each unique to the area they are in. This hotel is very well maintained, staff is super friendly and helpful and the restaurant is great! Cannot wait to return!

Truth be told, my last stay at the Canary wasn't a stay; it was a visit to their breakfast room on Thanksgiving day before going up the hill to visit with local (Santa Barbara) family and friends. However, I had such a great breakfast (egg white omelette with amazingly fresh vegetables -- it was the kind of dish a hotel restaurant could've just phoned in but this was note-worthy) that I felt compelled finally to write a review of my various previous stays. Long story short, this place gets it right. The people are pleasant; the design is, to my eye, smart and beautiful; everything, from the rooms themselves to the public restrooms downstairs, is spotless; the beds/linens are such that you do NOT want to get up in the morning; the amenities (free pass to the lovely next-door Spectrum gym, anyone?) are thoughtful... The Canary has just proven over the years (my husband and I have been here several times now) to be a reliable place to relax in true comfort. We actually try to stay here at least a night every Thanksgiving and were sad to have to cancel for work reasons this year (hence, the consolation prize of breakfast), but we will absolutely be back. And one day we middle-class folks will splurge and book the considerably more expensive Memorial Day! Anyway, like the review title says, "Go, Team Canary!"