Bacara Resort & Spa Reviews

We have been here for about a day and it feels like an extremely overpriced Marriott, at best. We have a suite which is nice, but a little rough and banged up. Was excited about the spa as we heard it was 5-star but, unfortunately, the locker room and amenities were dirty and not to par with other high end spas. Positive note, I had an 80 minute treatment today as well as a 30 minute foot treatment and had a very talented therapist.

We rented a cabana so we could relax and also have a little bit of isolation, unfortunately, it is more of a kid pool and the resort doesn't have a adult only pool. The music selection is nothing tranquil but more Top 20 promoting a pool party. Under different circumstances maybe I would like this but for a 5-Star "Spa" hotel you would think they would have some place to relax. Mind you, the cabanas are $250 which do not include anything.

Food.... I am praying that tonights dinner will exceed my expectations but so far we haven't received any food or drinks which were exceptional. We have tried each location, room service and still have not received a decent item.

Coming from the hospitality industry I understand bad days, but so far we have struck out at every turn. Service has been decent but the quality of the hotel, the vibe and the upkeep I would give 2-Stars at best.

If we were at a mid grade hotel I would not rant but at $1200 per night, $350 spa treatments and $120 bar snacks I except way more!! I wish I could have checked out and gone to the 4-Seasons. Get it together Bacara!

Very good service; beautiful room but no carpet; covered patio but lots of cart traffic; fantastic room service dinner but breakfast was just ok, even though the fruit plate was huge.

Location is superb with beautiful views and weather. Staff is professional and helpful.

Elegant resort nestled on the ocean near Santa Barbara. Angel Oak is an incredible new dining addition.

Staff are very attentive and polite. The Angel Oak is a gem of a restaurant and is a true Fine Dining experience.

Beautiful location; spacious, well appointed rooms; friendly staff.

I literally spent the whole day at the restaurant and lounge, and it was superb. Great view, good food and great service!!!

Beautifully situated along the Santa Barbera coast, spectacular views, and all the expected amenities of a 5 star resort and the Ritz Carlton. You are treated like roalty on your arrival. Bring your check book but if you can afford it, do it. You wont be disappointed.

This isn't your typical Ritz Carlton property. It's a bit older, and is a garden style resort with individual villas. Each villa is unique and has a different number of rooms. The property is huge, and there are lots of green areas and beautiful views. If you're looking for a place for a family or romantic vacation, this is a solid spot. If you're expecting traditional Ritz Carlton style of a posh contemporary hotel then this won't match your expectations. If you're looking for a nice green resort with some character and unique attributes, this could work for you.

Very nice hotel, great service. Beautiful views and lovely restaurants. Food is only okay though. Cod was tasteless, tofu entree was tasteless. Filet mignon was good but not great. Lobster risotto was okay. Salad was ok. Drinks were good though

We attended Boocara at the Bacara. Beautiful setting, decorations, and wonderful staff. It was a parent and child event from 4-6 and the only thing served were desserts. Beautiful/delicious desserts, but everything was a sugar treat. It would have been great to have a few savory choices. A fun event, we have been twice now, and it has been downscaled. I would love to see people pay for their own alcohol and that money spent be put towards activities for the kids.

This place is Beautiful, the food was a bit pricey for the actual atmosphere, the head chef was absolutely amazing, thanks to the server Rosemary, and the Manager. The hostes was not to friendly she kinda forgot that it was my birthday dinner, AND she forgot to mention all of the allergies my fiancee had to the kitchen staff.......the Cheff he tried his best to take care of my finacee's allergie issues, and it helped. She actually had a meal :D. Thank god for the awesome manager and our server Rosemary.

When I hear Ritz Carlton I think incredible service. From my understanding this Resort had just recently been purchased by the Ritz but when we went to the Bistro they took our drink order, served us our drinks and never gave a second thought to us. We hadn't eaten so my associate and I were starving. When it came time to get the check we had to hunt someone down and they didn't even have a record of our drink order. The manager ended up paying our bill.

Very welcoming environment! Excellent customer service!!

Amazing resort in santa Barbara,
Hotel is excellent with nice big rooms and lovely atmosphere with lot of vibe

Hardly a RC property. This is a Fairfield with nicer linens. Horrifying customer service. The only friendly staff we encountered was housekeeping. We had started an annual tradition at Bacara but after ruining our celebration we ll use our Titanium Elite/Lifetime Silver and Hilton Diamond at properties that appreciate our business.

Beautiful property and such relaxing scenery. With the sounds of the waves, you can't get more serene than this beautiful place. Anwar in in room dining was so kind and exhibited the type of hospitality you expect from a Ritz Carlton.

Beautiful grounds. Complimentary coffee in the lobby in the early morning. Access to the beach. Breakfast at the cafe is pretty horrible.

Some of the friendliest and most professional service I've experienced

everythings perfect, especially all staff are awesome. plus you can find rabbit often that was pleasant surprise for kids.

Astonishing views, especially at sunset. Beautiful grounds as well

My experience at the Ritz in Santa Barbara was just OK- The resort is beautiful however due to COVID-19 many of the resort amenities were not available such as the swimming pool, gym, and other treatments.
The reason I am upset about my stay there was the fact that there were no bellmen on staff yet there were tons of landscapers and other employees so we had to carry our heavy bags all the way down and up a very long hill at the resort. I was with someone who has a disability and it made it very difficult to carry all of our belongings. We stay at higher end hotels at an added expense so that we can have someone else do our heavy lifting . There was no Valet parking so we had to park very far away from our room even though I mentioned to the person at check in that we needed a close area to park due to a disability. The handicap spots were taken and we had to park far away and nobody could park the car for us yet they still tacked on an additional $25 for parking.
No room service so we had to order a pizza which took almost 90 minutes to get from a local delivery place.
I called the front desk to ask for the resort fees to be removed since they shouldn't be charging resort fee's when you can not use the popular resort amenities, they removed the resort fee, but then tacked on a flat even $75 PLUS service fee (almost $100) for the breakfast (Yogurt parfait, cold ham and cheese sandwich with fruit, water, and coffee)- This seemed very high and I would have mentioned it at the time, but I thought these things were complementary. Additionally, they did not tell us a price or give us a bill to sign (maybe due to covid 19) so how I got roped into an near 100 room charge for a $9 breakfast is beyond me-
The grounds were beautiful though and the staff very polite for the most part given the current state of affairs. I was just pretty disappointed in the lacking level of service and then the surprise on by bill.
Usually they offer Bonvoy points of free breakfast at check in so I assumed that the breakfast snacks were free. My mistake. I would like to visit again when there are none of these restrictions an dlimitations. JZ

Nice but when you arrive you have to wait for 4 hours for your room. If you want to use the swimming pool or i.o.d you have to unpack your suitcases on the street. And this for a 5 star hotel? Laughable

Good. Amenities are a bit lacking. Definitely not a TRUE ritz-carlton

Beds were uncomfortable...left needing a chiropractor...

The best beach, just love it, dog friendly. The grounds have a wonderful view and the resturant is very nice. I have not stayed here but people seem to be very happy with the rooms.

The view and service is world class. Rooms and location are incredible!

Friendly staff, nice courtyard with fancy cars parked

This was our second visit to Bacara. We loved every minute!

We selected Bacara for our honeymoon. Best choice we made! Excellent customer service. Rooms are clean and food is the best. Views are breathe taking and beautiful gardens. The beach is a walk away. We have made Bacara our home away from home.

Stayed in a one room Villa and enjoyed the experience. Staff always was friendly and courteous.

The service we received at The Bistro was absolutely fantastic. The entire staff was very attentive, even for how busy it was, and was engaged/friendly the entire time. They made wonderful suggestions that made us really enjoy our meals.

The resort and grounds are beautiful. The staff and service was superb. Our room was adjacent to the gym/spa so we took full advantage of the amenities. The steam room filled with the scent of eucalyptus was my personal favorite. The only thing I didn't love was our bathroom in our room. There were shutters that separated the bathroom from the bedroom so there was a definite lack of privacy. It looked nice but wasn't very functional when staying with another person.

The staff at this resort are amazing and will go above and beyond to make your stay pleasurable. The gym has everything you need to have a complete workout from cardio and strength straining machines that are in full gyms to dumbells up to 100lbs. Not to mention the stellar property. Definitely will visit again!

Beautiful resort, always the best service and food.

I have been here twice. And it is absolutely the best placed I had stayed in. Rooms are huge with plenty of room and view. Have stores near by like a 5 min drive to your every need stuff. Staff and service 5 stars. Valet 6 stars. Especially like the prompt service from valet. Everytime I needed my car to go out I just call them and they had it ready to go .

Everything is fine except lunch. Lunch is a let down AND overpriced.

The service, the room, the pool, the food, everything was great!
The fireplace in the room was nice and the climate of the low temperature Santa Barbara was easy to spend.
It is one of the hotels I would like to visit again.

Excellent!

The rooms are clean and nice and it's a stunning location about 15 minutes away from Downtown Santa Barbara with a mix of high-end corporate and couples

Amazing place. The staff is very friendly. Pools are greated, rooms are beautiful and excellently maintained.

Ritz-Carlton Bacara is a wonderful resort, exceptional staff and amenities...would be five star but beach quality is lacking

The grounds and ambiance add so much flavor. My wife and I enjoyed walking the nature trail and finding the loop, the beach access is fun for a walk, there are multiple selfie worthy spots, we observed multiple people snapping photos. The burger was not the quality I was expecting from the bistro but the salad and drinks were enjoyable. The service was enjoyed. Will certainly come back.

Best resort in Santa Barbara. Exceptional service and attention to details. Great place for families with kids

Oil platforms in front of the beach so permanent pollution. If there was not that it would be perfect.

Unfortunately for the price, Bacara does not meet up to the standard of similar hotels. I was surprised to the lack of quality in the food, service and rooms. We had terrible, loud noises coming from the AC unit that they never fixed or dealt with. Though staff was friendly they were poorly organized, which lead to long waits to do anything. We saw many hotel guests around us complaining too. The upside is that the pools are super fun for the kids and there is a friendly hawk and owl are employed by the hotel to keep the seagulls away! Ultimately, we had to stay there for a wedding but we do not plan to come back!

Has food delivered from grub hub. Took them 30 min to get meal from front desk to my room. No one was apologetic or empathetic. Bunch of college kids running the place. With exception of Joey, he gets the old ritz experience. Thank you Joey!

Great food, awesome views, amazing grounds, and even better paths along the beach!

The weather was cold and rainy but it did not stop us from enjoying this great resort on the Pacific Ocean. You get to experience amazing sunrises and sunsets, quite unique for being on the ocean. The restaurants are all very good and the rooms are spacious and comfortable.

Nice resort with access to the beach. About ten minute drive to Santa Barbara. Front desk and valet service needs improvement. Didn't seem to be enough staff at desk and I called valet multiple times with no answer.

We have a great time from the moment we arrived! We were with two other couples and were able to get rooms next to each other. The grounds were beautiful as well as the rooms. We enjoyed the walking trails and pool areas. The staff were extremely helpful in assisting us with our trip to the wineries. Would definitely come back again!

Very nice hotel with a slow pace and excellent service. Placed at the western side of Santa Barbara, it is nestled in on 72 gorgeous acres. This secluded oasis allows you to have the elegant experience all in one place. Three restaurants, spa, multiple pools, and beach access. Walking trails throughout the property, tennis courts, and a world class gym will allow you to stay active and fit. Otherwise relax on one of the chase lounges by the pool or fire pits. Rooms also have beautiful balconies that look toward the ocean and very comfortable beds.

It is very beautiful and offers some seriene views. Very good, courteous and kind staff. It has a great pool with a nice jacuzzi.

Awesome stay with great restaurants and bars. You never have to leave the property!

Thousands of reviews about the hotel, location, staff and amenities. But one person in particular made our stay extra ordinary in a wonderful way. Nox Ncube at the concierge desk with her awesome smile was so helpful about evrything, I felt like I had an insider at the huge hotel - my personal go to if I needed anything. I know thats her job, but it made my wife and I feel extra special and whatever questions or reservations we needed - they would be handled by our "super" concierge.

We also had the most enjoyable facials and full body massages. My wife and I agreed the best we have had ever.

I think we had the absolute best room also, ocean view, 3rd floor - sound of the ocean was such a treat as it lulled us to sleep each nite. Of course with the help of the botttle of champagne our "Super" concierge had sent to us did not hurt:)

It was our 20th anniversary

Thnk you for making it so enjoyable

Mark & Anne

As a handicapped person, I was disappointed to find that handicap parking spaces were blocked by tour vans. I was there with friends to celebrate finishing cancer treatment (which is the reason I'm handicapped) and we had to park further away than was comfortable and had to navigate a parking lot buzzing with employees driving golf carts and not looking where they were going. When I contacted the resort they apologized and said there was a tour loading that day. It's no excuse! Oh, the GM also made an appointment to call and apologize and he never did. Sad. I hope they get better. The bar employees were nice.

Even though we had a couple bumps along the way during our week long stay this month, I am still giving 5 stars! This is one of the most relaxing properties we stay at and we are already looking forward to our next stay. Powers van der Mandele was very quick to take care of a little hiccup and assure us of an even better experience next time.

The rooms are really beautiful and the activities are for almost everyone. They have Kids Club and a very big Pool.

Wonderful drinks at the lobby bar and then a fantastic meal at the new restaurant

The physical resort is fantastic. Setting is awesome! The staff is either good, not great or very mediocre depending on who you get. Food was average, until we figured out we could order off of the menu. That was a huge improvement. Needs a Ritz Carlton/Four Seasons service training program.

Great place to stay, not to far from all the great California sites to see. Easy beach access, great pool and staff.

Beautiful resort away from the public where you and your family can enjoy beach front views a relaxing spa or just lounge in the pool. Staff was wonderful and polite. Rooms are spacious and golf cart can pick you up and take you to and from different parts of the hotel because it is a very large property. Overall would recommend it to anyone. Would definitely come back.

They have been so gracious , welcoming us with a suite upgrade, Champagne and chocolates n strawberry! Its our honeymoon so it was so special! Thank you Bacara! Huge thanks to Marrisa and Hana, Remy showed us to our room!

Just outside Goleta and Santa Barbara. Beautiful views. Wonderful staff. Just what you expect from Ritz-Carlton!

Nice property but the steakhouse is not the best it can be.

The property itself is wonderful and worth a visit but the service had gone downhill since becoming a Ritz Carlton property. Not a bad place if you have children, otherwise it's a bit noisy.

I knew our stay for our 25th Wedding Anniversary was going to be amazing from the moment I spoke to Kelsey Huber, Concierge! I wanted to surprise my wife with a poem, photos and video, and a new ring...but needed help in putting that all together quickly. Kelsey went into action on only 24 hour notice...and provided photographer referrals and she set up a very intimate table, chairs, and champagne affair on top of the Bluff...with amazing views...so this would be the perfect place to ask my wife to marry me again! Even before this, having known that I was a repeat customer to Bacara, and that she wanted our 25th Anniversary to be that much special...she did the unthinkable...she upgraded my already nice room to one of the nicest villas on the property! We arrived and of course were treated by Jason, a 17 year valet manager...who remembered us from years ago. What a pro. Then, the night of the "2nd engagement", our photographer, Baron Spafford, was absolutely the perfect person to shoot our video, also snapping hundreds of photos while I proposed again. He was brilliant and the photos and videos were ready within 24 hours! Between the amazing January weather, the excellent service we received from top to bottom at all dining spots and spa facility...I have to say this stay was the best! I am a pretty honest critic...but all I can say about the Ritz Carlton Bacara Resort is that they certainly did not over-promise and under-deliver. They just did it right...and my wife and I will have these amazing memories to look back on. We look forward to our next stay at Ritz-Carlton Bacara!

Beautiful grounds, impeccable service, and wonderful gourmet food