Santa Barbara tends to be pricy for the room quality, but we found Brisas Del Mar to be a decent choice for the money. Rooms are nondescript but reasonably comfortable; ours had the advantage of being on a corner so had windows/light on two sides. Service was very accommodating and friendly. We appreciated the many extras, from the sparkling wine in the room to the DVDs available on loan to the nightly cookies (wine and cheese could use an upgrade, but then what do you expect for free). Would have appreciated the loaner bicycles if the weather hadn't been so rainy! Expanded continental breakfast was not exciting but nicely set up, with a pretty good range of choice from yogurt to fruit to boiled eggs to pastries. Pleasant tables outside or you can stay indoors by the fireplace.

Location was better than I expected from some of the other reviews. Very easy access to Hwy. 101 and a short walk to the beach (the "Inn at the Beach" label is a bit of a stretch as it is several blocks away). The immediate neighborhood is not super-deluxe but is well kept. Mostly residential (small houses and apartment buildings), with a number of other small to mid-sized motels and inns.

I have no idea why the reviews here are SO high. I fell in love with the website photos and was SHOCKED when we showed up. Yes, the lobby building and the landscaping in the front area are gorgeous. Yes, the staff are friendly and professional That's about it. We stayed in a king suite here in early November and I was outraged to discover that my $280/night fee was spent at a glorified motel with significant noise problems. Moreover, the only view we had was of the tacky courtyard showing all the cars underneath the units. We couldn't see any nice view out the bedroom window (it's not actually AT the beach so no beach views) so all we got was a tall fence.

Instead of an intimate elegant retreat (as the website photos show!), it is basically a minimally remodeled old apartment building (with a gorgeous front lobby building but nothing much remodeled out back) whose units are sitting directly atop the carport spaces. All the doors open directly into the courtyard like motels, and the old-school glass shutter windows seem to magnify every single noise (folks walking by, folks slamming car doors, doors slammed shut, etc.). The king bed and the sofa bed my 2 young daughters slept on were both lumpy and uncomfortable. The kitchen looked original to the 1950s with some cheap upgrades (Magic Chef oven, cheap apartment rental-grade refrigerator).

I'd be upset even if I paid $150/night for this level of accommodation and the terrible noise issue. I was SUPER upset that I paid $280 after seeing the website and thinking it was an upscale retreat.

My husband I recently stayed at Brisas del Mar for three nights. The hotel is two blocks from the waterfront and ten minutes from the main shopping and entertainment area of Santa Barbara so perfectly positioned. We were greeted by William on reception who was very friendly and helpful with great tips for restaurants in the area and any other questions my husband threw at him. Brisas del Mar is motel style which is great for parking right outside the room. The only down-side is that this makes the bedrooms a bit dark, however we had a suite and the sun did come into the lounge area. The suite was really spacious with TVs in the bedroom and lounge and a kitchen kitted out with cooker, fridge, freezer and microwave. We also received a bottle of champagne which was in our fridge on arrival. As with some of our other hotels in California, wine and cheese was served in the lobby in the early evenings and coffee and cookies were always available. Continental breakfast was served in the lobby or outside on the patio and there was the bizarre situation of some people (us) eating in the sunshine next to the gorgeous flowers and fountain, and others sitting in the lobby next to a roaring wood-fire.
There is a terminal for internet access in the lobby which was useful.
This hotel is a great choice and good value.
As to restaurants, we ate at Brophy Brothers on the marina (fantastic fish and you can watch it being unloaded from the boat outside the window), The Fish House (great cocktails as well as food and a good atmosphere) and the Palace Grill (great Creole cookery).





Carla

We stopped in here one night only while traveling up the CA coastline.. wish we could have stayed longer!! Rooms were beautiful with great view of Santa Barbara.. Free bike rental (coaster style bikes) which we used to ride up to the Santa Barbara Mission (well worth the effort but drive if you are not in somewhat decent shape!) The Santa Barbara beach area was gorgeous.. rooms immaculate.. free wine/ appetizers in the afternoons and good breakfast and coffee in the AM! Free movie rentals.... beautiful warm robes!! Great find!! Thanks staff who were very friendly and helpful! We also loved seeing Santa Barbara!