Montecito Inn

Great location. Very small rooms, even smaller bathrooms. The shelves in the bathroom were not level and you could not place toiletries safely anywhere without fear they would fall into the toilet. Toilet paper and flusher were located bizarrely low on the wall so you had to reach down and around. Pillows were uncomfortably overstuffed synthetic. Pool is next to the freeway and loud. Almost every lounge chair was unleveled and rocked when you moved. The hotel requires that you ASK for your room to be made up. It is not part of their standard of service. Incredibly poor value for cost.

5 stars because it met my needs. The building itself is charming, loaded with cute 1920s details. Everything is clean and tidy. And the walls between rooms are solid – I didn't hear one peep out of the other guests. I would happily return. That said, given Montecito's posh reputation, you might expect to be pampered here. In reality, the guest experience is about the same as at a Hilton Garden Inn: basic amenities and service, nothing extravagant. Rooms are small. If you wish to upgrade, I say splurge on the "luxury" level with fireplaces. The "mountain view" and "junior studio" rooms don't seem worth the price (I peeked in during housekeeping). Pool and hot tub are warm and inviting. Coffee, tea, and water are available 24/7 in the lobby; no coffeemaker in the room. Yummy free pastries each morning. Staff is cordial if not especially friendly. Valet parking seems unnecessary. The connected bar "Lion's Tale" has excellent craft cocktails and food in a glam setting.

Property was centrally located in Montecito, however, the property rooms are small and dated and the building elevator was broke for five days during our stay. I wouldn’t recommend staying here again as there are other properties in this area that seem more updated and accommodating for our needs.

Love our stay here ! Valet and front desk awesome! Here for a girls weekend and stayed in the double queen room.. perfect for three ladies.. convenient to shopping and restaurants. Will definitely stay here again !

Location

Bathroom had no counter space room was small and closet dark and small

Great experience start to finish. Location, location, location. Lion’s Tale is a fantastic hotel bar with great ambiance. Near many fabulous restaurants and shops on Coast Village Drive. 5 min away from San Ysidro Ranch. Jeannine’s is a couple blocks away, amazing Huevos Racheros and of course, adjacent to Lucky’s. Can’t be beat!

We asked for a quiet room and got the loudest room on the front of the hotel. All night traffic, then at 6am the little kids above started jumping and shouting. A really bad night of sleep. I notified the front desk immediately and they said that there was nothing they could do. They should tell people about the street traffic noise in those front facing rooms on Coast Village Road.

We enjoyed our stay at this older but remodeled hotel for two nights. Our room was clean, comfortable, and the amenities were nice. However, we were disappointed to find a charge for a $70 robe we never touched or used on our final bill. We called the hotel to clarify the charge, but unfortunately, the issue was never resolved despite follow-up by email. This left a sour note on an otherwise pleasant experience.

From the friendliest, most helpful staff to the comfy beds, you would be missing out if you didn’t stay here. Perfectly located to highways, just up the street from the beach and seconds from shopping. When I say the staff was outstanding, I truly mean it! Check out the Lion’s Tale for some amazing craft cocktails!

This property is dated, and actually we loved its history and charm because of it. The service is excellent!