HOTEL review: Mar Monte Hotel (Santa Barbara, USA)

Andrew
Nov 24, 2020
3 min read

Updated: Jan 19, 2021

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Santa Barbara is a dream destination for both local and international tourists. Even the British royals choose to live here because of expansive views and privacy. Where would royals stay in Santa Barbara? While there are lots of nice hotels here, there are only few iconic historic hotels which are worth splurging your money on. Today we are staying in Mar Monte hotel in Santa Barbara and will share our honest review from the guest's point of view.

You may watch the video review, read more about pros and cons, as well as find our Checker Rating below. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfs69CZU_9U

Date of stay: November, 2020

Room Type: 1 King Bed Balcony

Ocean View

PROS

Mar Monte Hotel was recently completely renovated boasting upgraded delux rooms and suites tucked in an old Spanish-style mansion steps away from the famous Santa Barbara beach. The prices vary by the season and would cost you anything between $199 for a standard room and up to $700 per night for a nicer suite with an ocean view.
Unbeatable location. You can literally feel the ocean breath from your room. The Hotel is located across the street from the beach and half the rooms have ocean view. It is a short 15 minute walk from the pier and all major attractions.
Nice hotel amenities. It has an on-site restaurant, spa, a nice pool with an ocean view and a pool-side bar, as well beautiful common grounds to relax.
Free bikes to cruise around come super handy!
On-site parking available ($36/night)
The balcony was huge and had some nice ocean views.
Bathrooms feature luxurious Lather bath amenities in large cans as the hotel strives to be eco-friendly.
In room dining (limited, knock-and-drop)
Wireless internet is complimentary for all guests

CONS

The hotel charges a daily Resort fee of $30 + tax per night
At the time of our stay, most amenities were closed. The main restaurant, fitness center and spa were not available.
Valet was not available, only self-parking at $36 per night. Also, we found it awkward as there was no loading zone. All guests have to park first and then return to the lobby for check-in.
Extremely limited food options. The pool-side bar did provide some food menu, but it was super limited to mainly sandwiches and it lacked any healthy options or breakfast staples.
Since the hotel has just underwent some major renovations, there were still remnants of construction materials around the property which didn’t look appealing but seems like the overall construction is over and we were not bothered by any noise or dust.
There were some design flaws. An open wardrobe inside the bathroom was the biggest issue as our clothes and leather jackets were steamed every time someone took a shower.
No mini bar (even though rooms were equipped with a small fridge)
Unfortunately, we were not lucky with the service. The hotel stuff we had encounters with might have been new to the hotel or/and needed a better training.

Overall experience: We absolutely love Santa Barbara, so simply being here makes any hotel look better ☺ Mar Monte Hotel is a beautiful hotel, which would be a stunning destination for a short getaway or vacation. We hope, that as all renovations are complete and all amenities are open, the hotel would provide on par service to all guests.

CHECKER RATING

Cleanliness – 8 /10

Service – 3 /10

Price-Quality – 7 /10

Design – 5 /10

Food – 6 /10

Location – 9 /10

Comfort – 6 /10

TOTAL: 6.2 /10 Good!

TIPS

Reserve free bikes in advance as they tend to be very popular with guests.
Ask for an ocean-view room at check-in. Mountain view rooms are actually overlooking parking lot.
Mar Monte Hotel is now part of Hyatt rewards program. You may redeem your points and free nights here, as well as nights count towards your elite status.