Bacara Resort & Spa Review

good service, rooms and amenities below par and we were generally disappointed

Wonderful service, breathtaking views and accommodations that feel like home. You'll love it here <3

Beautiful spot, nice to just drop by for a quick look see too.

We are locals and have often gone to the Bistro for lunch. Made a reservation and was asked if it were a special occasion. I replied, Anniversary and Birthday. Asked for a shaded area near the grass. Upon arrival - couldn't find the reservation. Ten minute wait, even though there were empty tables. When seated, long wait for menus, longer wait for water/iced tea. Rarely saw server. Had to ask three times for additional iced tea. Server did not return, after meal was served, until it was bill time. Felt that server was honoring us with his presence! Not the special occasion we had anticipated. Will we return? Probably - see if things have changed.

Very nice grounds, nice rooms, some with great ocean views, great folks work there, but...not the 5 star location expected for the price. Nice venue for the World of Pinot Noir. Issues and concerns included room service not at level it should have been, spa facility not as clean as it should have been, shower door swinging open and not closing as it should (had to stuff a wash cloth in the corner to hold it closed)...and billing problems (other room and guest e-mail for checkout when we had not even checked out yet). They apologised when we called the front desk. Certainly not a top shelf experience. Sunday brunch charge at $75 each...don't think so!!

Breathtaking. It was a fabulous vacation and the view is gorgeous right by the water.

Excellent location with great amenities and service

Awesome hotel with friendly staff. Room was nicely furnished. Location and views are great as well.

Amazing experience. Great staff and excellent service. Very close to the ocean and the staff are very attentive

Wonderful resort with fantastic amenities. Couldn't ask for anything more (except maybe a functional ironing board).

The Foley Food & Wine Society tasting room is our go to venue for the Foley Wine Group's portfolio of wineries. These encompass wines from California, Oregon, Washington, New Zealand and Australia. All in one spot

Amazing amenities and customer service... Beautiful adult only spa pool

I will go back there. Great scenic views and great food.

Had to stay here for three nights during the evacuations from The Thomas Fire. They gave an evacuee discount. Great experience. Nice sized room, excellent linens and and pillows. Every single staff member was incredibly kind and helpful. Brought me whatever I needed. Food on property was excellent as well. Most definitely will recommend and return !

High class but short on amenities... Beach erosion is bad here.

Amazing resort! This place has incredible views and amazing rooms. The pools are wonderful and it is also in walking distance to the ocean. The spa is enjoyable and a really good place to relax and enjoy yourself. Service at the Ocean House restaurant can be a little slow at times. Overall a really nice place to stay.

Even before we arrived we were impressed by the service of the staff. The concierge reached out to find out if we were celebrating any special occasion (which we were) and if we had anything in particular we wanted to do while we were visiting the area. Her responses helped guide our planning and helped to make the most of the time we had. We were warmly welcomed upon arrival by all staff. The lobby was beautifully decorated in a serene, modern vibe. We had a room in villa 1, not ocean front (that required an upgrade but since we were not planning to spend much time inside, we opted out of that). Nevertheless the room was spacious and welcoming, with separate sink/ dressing areas and a closed off WC. Also, the staff surprised us with chocolates and wine to help us celebrate our special occasion. My favorite part of this resort though was the outdoors - the views of the Pacific Ocean, the nature trail, the pool were all so beautiful. Flowers of all kinds blend beautifully with the mission style architecture of the buildings. Highly recommend the brunch of the high end restaurant on site, Angel Oak. In the good to know category, the property is dog friendly, so you'll have lots of pooches around. Also the parking is all valet, but they are able to retrieve your car very quickly. Every evening at 6pm they offer a sangria toast to three sunset. Location wise, the hotel is about a 10 minute drive from downtown Santa Barbara and about 45 minutes from the wine region, but it is a lovely drive up the 101. We would definitely return if we had the opportunity.

Great spa services but the overall customer service was poor. One key manager is trying to address my concerns now, that's positive.

Terrible service....wish there was a negative star to give...it be -5!

When we decided a 90th Birthday should be special for my Mom, we had expectations that were surpassed at every step when we chose the Ritz Bacara near her house in Goleta. Top notch place, people, food, service, amenities, views, and attention to detail. It was as comfortable as being at a friends house. My sincere and highest thanks go out to everyone there for making it a super special celebration for our small party. We will be back again!! No doubt about it!!

Great facility, close to Pacific ocean with fantastic sunset and sunrise opportunities. Staff is outstanding! Highly recommend.

A splendid large resort with a traditional Spanish quaintness. Best views over the sprawling open hills and CA wilderness behind and breathtaking ocean views. Great staff!

This place is bad and boujee, Blondies with bags made by Louis. The dinners are Savage, ruthless. They got steaks for a hundred bucks too.

Location was awesome. The weather is amazing. The rooms were very nice. Had kind of a Tuscan feel. Customer service was always on point. Always friendly, always smiling. I ordered a grapefruit juice at the pool and they ran all the way to the lobby to get it because they didn't serve it at the pool bar. Exceptional. I would definitely go back.

Love everything about staff, location, an overall wonderful experience!

What an experience. From the moment we pulled up the service was amazing.

Wow what can I say. Room was amazing, pool was awesome with amazing staff. Valet were also super understanding

A Must ..There is nothing to compare it too..Romantic ,Exclusive, Breathtaking
500.00 and up per room

Incredible service, attentive staff, amazing grounds and views.

We had a fantastic time at the Bacara! We decided to reserve a room that included the Club Lounge and it turned out to be an amazing benefit! The weather didn t cooperate, so it was nice to have a place we could go to easily grab a drink, a snack or whatever! I highly recommend!!

Location, location, location!!!
Vistas are breathtaking. Room interior is a bit outdated but natural beauty you surrounded with is spectacular!!!

Very luxurious location on the ocean. Perfection service on the terrace. Happy hour snacks were excellent. I can imagine that some people find it somewhat old-fashioned, but this exudes class.

The overall experience was great. Good food, great service from the staff. Room wasn't that great though - especially the furniture and the roof woodwork was showing its age and rust.

Very nice hotel above the Pacific with private access to the beach. The beach is but rocky and has little sand not suitable for swimming.
Very nice rooms with minor deficiencies, which probably only disturb Europeans: light switches go only at the 5th press, are crooked on the wall. In the toilet you can hardly reach the paper holder. Shower takes long to warm water comes and the pressure or the amount of water leave something to be desired.

A very nice resort but I find it isolated and prefer being in downtown Santa Barbara. But if you like resorts...

Nice place beautiful golf course but very very expensive it's for his own

It's a beautiful place! Enjoying the place for 3 days for a company event and I was happy to be able to see the place. I would like to go back for a mini vacation since we live near the area or even for a dining at the restaurant.

We only stay at Ritz Carlton. This one had exceptional grounds. The restaurant was good. Pool was a bit of a disaster. 10 billion people all crammed in. Really you are the Ritz! We need to build a few more family pools. The spa was nice. The staff was amazing!

Beautiful resort with large comfortable rooms. Service was a little slow, took 3 hours for them to deliver bags to the room.

Beautiful hotel. Beautiful grounds - you will enjoy your stay here.

Amazing resort facilities and great location right on the beach. The service was prompt and friendly. It all comes at a high price tag but it makes for a great experience. The only problem was that the car navigation system actually took us one mile short of the hotel and it required calling the reception to figure out the directions.

Excelent place with a definitely great view all over the place. Weather and building architecture make this resort a must-see place to be in

Now that it s owned by Marriott (with a Ritz Carlton label), that s what the experience feels like. The original Bacara Resort was amazing and a luxurious experience. The grounds are beautiful but that s it. The quality is now that of your standard Marriott type. Not worth the money.

Now this is an unbelievable hotel that earns every last star and there are 5 stars. My car was at my disposal, it s was parked right up front (NICE; tons of compliments on my baby-girl BMW X4 M40i), complimentary wine, amazing room, More

Nobody answers phones, check in was over an hour process at 10:30 at night and we had to wait around for some time before someone came to the front. You have to pay to self park your car which I understand due to covid , but nobody even tells you where to park and had to wait another 10 min.

They keep sending our items to another room.

Hotel is at about 70% capacity with about 40% of staff working.

The guy who helped us carry things to our room worked as an engineer on the property.

Only the bistro is open. No glass in the rooms, no mini bar.

No house keeping unless requested
On Our room was filthy with dirt so plus side is nobody has been there for a while.

Your paying Ritz Carlton prices for a motel experience.

Rooms are VERY outdated.

DO NOT come here. This property is struggling.

Absolutely gorgeous setting. The hotel is set up in a Spanish designed villa feel with top quality amenities. Fresh flowers decorate the lobby and the valet staff are incredible. The rooms are superb with a cozy feel to them. Located right off the beach, you get to experience the best of views while enjoying drinks by the pool. The staff are nothing short of friendly and courteous. The design and lay out are architectural masterpieces and around every corner is a fire with seating to accommodate four or more. They are pet friendly. My experience has left me with a desire to return again. I would encourage anyone to visit and I am sure you ll enjoy every minute spent here.

A Must See!! This was such an Amazing Experience! Beautiful Views, Landscaping and Interiors. Great Food & Excellent service!

Easily one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in. Super attentive and helpful staff. Rooms are in beautiful villas and each room is spacious and had their own balconies. Pools were clean and provided abundant lounge chairs. They only had valet parking. Rooms are spread out so the hotel offers drives to room via golf carts. The private beach access was rocky.

The most beautiful Resort in California. Wonderful staff. Amazing food. The beach is tranquil. I will be back.

The property is very nice, as well as the rooms and architecture. The vibe is more like Las Vegas than Santa Barbara. In the first 24 hrs we ate at Angel Oak; the food was decent not great but we had to leave our table early because of a large rowdy group of very drunk individuals. The next morning we went to the pool, but soon after the pool cleared out because someone pooped in the pool. We returned to our rooms and my daughter was locked out and it took 45 minutes for security to get her into her room. Not what I was expecting for the Ritz-Carlton. I guess it's more of a Marriott.

They got the initiation right for the Ritz - well greeted as I tossed my keys to the handler and said bags in back. Had some champagne on way to room. After that, the problems began- first with no answer to the operator or concierge. Left a message returned 2 hours later-this just doesn't happen at the Ritz and I realize they are going thru the change over to the Ritz way, but they have a long way to go in my opinion - totally forgot to pick up and left my wife stranded at the golf club right next door, Valet took an hour, Room Wine Service - another hour plus. Can you imagine a Ritz that doesn't answer the phone? There is no answer the phone here. It goes from spectacular to someone majorly dropped the ball.

My husband and I stayed here on our way out of town. Check in was fine. We got
to our room, and the floors were filthy. My feet were instantly dirty just by walking across the floor. I kindly let the front desk know, and he was extremely rude! I even offered to clean it myself, I just needed a mop. We went to bed that night, and there was a flat sheet on the bed instead of a fitted sheet. We slid around all night, and did not sleep great. Definitely not the experience you expect when staying at a 5 star hotel. Super unfortunate.

The Bacara is the nicest resort in the area. The grounds were beautiful and there was even some Hollywood stars we saw there as well. Very professional and courteous staff.

Excellent Service. Club level is superb. Emily at the club level is a pleasure. Pham in the front desk will make you feel like you re visiting family:)

Beautiful scenery, but for the price I believe there is more to be had for your money.

Great location on the beach. Perfect Santa Barbara vibe! Excellent place to unwind.

Room was amazing, food was good but not equal to the price I paid, people were very accommodating and the pool was awesome.

Attended a work conference here and had a splendid time. It's clean spacious and we'll maintained.

It was a gorgeous location and the took was very comfortable. The amenities at this location are different than the Half Moon Bay location. Over there if you don't like horseback riding or golf it's boring. Here there are lots of pools, and if course Santa Barbara and beaches are nearby.

Very nice with exceptional customer service. Enjoyed our time here. The main restaurant was very expensive but worth it. Some of the best food I've ever had.

We loved the Bacara Resort!!!
I had an amazing relaxing time these past few days!
Thank you!!!!!

Still a beautiful resort after all these years. Highly recommended.

Beautiful resort, friendly and helpful staff. The rooms are beautiful and very clean. Lovely location definitely coming back.

very nice but too expensive.....hotel resort only caters to the top 1%. good luck affording a one night stay here if your a working middle class citizen. if you can afford it I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay. staff is very friendly. they are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.

Best days are behind the property. Service is OK. Try The Belmond instead!

DO NOT STAY IN THIS HOTEL! Hotel engineers stole over $2,000 from our safe. Night staff assured us that moving forward ritz Carlton will keep us posted, contact sheriff, and assure us that that we won t be left in the dark about this incident. Next morning, security could care less and just told us that us will contact sheriff and moving forward ritz Carlton will not be contacting us , and only communication will be with police. Besides the fact our air conditioning didn t work here, took forever for any personal to come here, the staff simply does not care and communication does not exist here . BEWARE your belongings could get stolen and staff will not care. Shame on the morning security! Shame on the morning supervisor! Will absolutely never return here!

Excellent location and grounds, welcoming environment

Great location with amazing California coast views. Rooms are a little outdated but still beautiful with all the amenities one would need. 5 star service all the way from the top to the bottom

Place is really clean and seems like an oasis. Food was pricey but staff was wonderful.

It's the Ritz! As good as they say it is. The service is great, the food is great, and the rooms are outstanding!

This is an amazing resort. In summer they host star gazing nights with local star community every Thursday and have about 4-5 telescopes on property. In addition the location of resort is amazing. There are 2 different pools and 2 additional hot spa on property. The property has an Italian structure which might inspire some people for their new interior. The room had amazing location with a pool in front on the room and then followed by the beach. There is a trail that leads from the property and walks you down from cliff to the beach. Peace and scenic location.

I stayed here during my US roadtrip and it was very nice.

Great hard product with unremarkable service. Great installations but the service is not what you would expect of Ritz-Carlton. I doubt I'll be back despite being Platinum Elite with the chain.

What an amazing property, beautiful! Staff and service were exceptional. Definitely going back!

It's the old Bacara and the staff are amazing. However no kids club, no concierge / club level and the valet dinged my car. So all in all, 2 stars. The wine bar and restaurant we're excellent.

Great wine tasting. Beautiful property. Everyone was so nice there too

Very nice stay but not up to the quality I would expect from an Ritz. Rooms were a bit rundown. Room service took an eternity. Service atbthe Cabanas was abysmal. We had a good time and it was still better than a lot of hotels, but a better trained staff would elevate it.

Not impressed at all, Lunch on the 2nd floor bar Coastal Burger . Pickle was dull , asked for it cooked medium rare Came out completely rare, overripe avacado. No in house squeezed juice . Really embarrassing for a So called luxury hotel.