Definitely put of the was from downtown SB; but it was a lovely property. Something was up with the thermostat in our room though ... I had it set to 68 when I turned in, but woke to a room that was about 78 even though it was still set to 68. Not sure I would whole heartedly recommend the on-site brunch as you can almost certainly find a better value elsewhere; even though it was a very nice brunch. Service staff were excellent - especially Robert the valet.
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We stayed at Bacarra when it was great and stayed in recent past when there was a transition to Ritz. It was awful during that time. Gave it another shot this time and we had a great experience except no upgrade for premier Marriott members. Food (breakfast/brunch) was good, service was nice and staff was friendly. It is beautiful 45k sqft property and you should give it a shot despite some recent bad reviews.
This place is amazing!!! I love visiting here and I can't wait for my next trip. The penthouse suite is amazing and I love the service and the amazing property. Bacara is always my #1 choice when visiting the area. They always keep my car out front and ready to go at any moments notice. The Angel Oak restaurant is amazing, be sure to visit!!!
So disappointing! On our drive up to the hotel we tried calling to confirm our room upgrade - promised when my husband made his reservation because he has Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium status. We tired calling multiple times! Over 10 times - no answer!!!! We arrived at the hotel and the upgraded room promised was not available, but they said they would move us first thing in the morning. Ok, we can deal with that, but not happy. Next morning around 10:30 we went to the front desk to coordinate the move. We were told our luggage would be moved and our room would be available soon , so we went out for the morning. Around noon I started calling the hotel - I had to call 7 times before I could get someone to answer the phone. I was told room would be available around 3pm and they would call me. At 4:15pm I went to the front desk, as no one had called me. Finally my new room was ready. Ok, so now hoping things will get better. Went to dinner at the hotel restaurant, it was fine. When we asked to get a golf cart ride back to our room the hostess had to call 3 times before anyone would answer the phone! We ended up waving down a cart on our own. Back in the room, the toilet was clogged. Now it s just laughable! I called the hotel manage on duty, she kindly listened to our complaints. Next morning, I walked out on to my patio to find the previous guest had left their blue doggie bag behind - seriously???!!! This is not a 5 star resort by any means! In addition to all of this, we spoke with various hotel staff members who expressed their own disappointment with their employer to us! The GM needs to take note - attention to detail is what sets you apart, and staff morale is critical to guests enjoying their stay.
Bacara is exactly what it seems to be at first glance, a high end luxury resort spa, with great rooms and beautiful atmosphere. After an hour though you start to feel like it's a business like all the other "Luxury resort" places with fees, high prices and hidden costs that drove my 450$ one night stay to a 733$ one night stay (8/21/17). To be fair I didn't get what I didn't ask for. I just think I'll brace myself for the cost if I ever decide to go back. to be clear I'm not unhappy exactly with the experience ( the staff were amazingly polite and helpful) just a little put off by the price.
The 4-5 Star is largely based on the previously managed hotel and another one in Southern Cali. Also some of the reviews are done by staff members commenting on features that guests receives. The currently and fairly new management by Marriott, though the name is Ritz, has quite a ways to go in obtaining the old Bacara standard. Here's our experience in short. Wanting to stay local to celebrate our anniversary, we planned a full day of Spa and dinning at the hotel. Spa was wonderful from start to finish. When we got to our room, we discovered it was a completely different room than we reserved. We reserved a King with Full Ocean view. We got King with Tiled Rooftop view and a livingroom patio with very small Partial Ocean that you can only enjoy from the patio. We were ADAMANTLY told this was an upgrade (which we never asked for) and we had no option to get the original reservation we booked. So, you just GAVE our room away?? After talking to 3 different clerks, we asked for the Manager and got the Supervisor. She insisted that, in her words, "Same View Type" room, implying that it should be fine. Fine for whom??The whole ordeal was aggravating, and spoiled the remaining evening to the following day we had planned at that hotel. We were not going to pay for a room we didn't want, didn't reserve and also put up with staff attitude as if they were doing us a favor by having a room they kept referring to as an upgrade. Never mind that we didn't asked for it. Never mind that they didn't have the room we booked. There were other issues as well. Definitely not worth the booking price of almost $700 plus parking/resort fee/etc per night. So, we left. In it all, we were very decent about it. The Manager finally contacted us. We agreed on date/time to speak. She ended up being an hour and half late. No emergency. Just that she was in a meeting and was talking to a guest. How unprofessional can you be?? It was another head shaking moment with this management team. In the end, we got an apology and a dinner certificate at their hotel, that is, should we request for one. So, now we're suppose to ask or say that we want the certificate?? How ill mannered. We declined to make the request, of course. We just don't see any more reason to make our way there again. Sad to see Bacara down grading.
Seriously over rated. Service was lackluster, got devoured by bugs in my room, air conditioning was noisy... Management didn't seem to care to discuss this with me.
Amazing for a work retreat. The beach was pretty beat because if all the tar, but the restaurant/bar/pool/ grounds make it a perfect place to have a bunch of partiers from the same company hold a work event. 10/10 would come back
definitely not 5 star service. The room and hotel grounds were good but we stayed for 2 nights and both nights had issues with service. 1st night we asked for extra blankets was told will be there by 1:00 AM, called at 1:10 to find out and some one said they will check and let us know...did not let us know and the blankets never arrived we were up till 2: AM. The second night we ordered dinner in the room. They did not have flower tortilla for tacos so gave me some bread which i returned as that's not a taco. My kids wanted brownies and I had orders 2 kids meals. they said they were out of brownies and gave me chocolate cake instead. But since it was more expensive only one order of cake arrived....my kids fought.
Wow, apparently $500/night gets you a room with a private balcony that has panoramic views of a large dirt mound. Think you're going to get even a sliver of an ocean view from this "oceanfront" resort? Nope.
Such a beautiful place. I came here for a conference, and would you believe it? The catered food was delicious! I may come here on my own in the near future. It's impossible not to be relaxed with the views.
The Ritz Carlton Bacara is beautiful. The village setting is architecture typical of the area. They are constantly cleaning and improving the grounds. Everything is spotless. The Landscaping is flawless. The staff will stop at nothing to ensure you have a wonderful stay. Breathtaking views of the pacific. The on-site restaurant, Angel Oak, is beyond delicious. The club lounge is one of my favorites. I highly recommend for a long weekend getaway!
very poor staff, not friendly at all, not suitable in this high-class hotel, the hotel didn't train well, she was complaining I didn't prepare my account number, and asked me which hotel to book. I was calling to Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara. She also asked too many private questions from me but I didn't intend to book, just asked her a simple question. Hope this will help her improve herself and made the hotel to train staff well. At least this is a high-class htel.
Beautiful property, great views, excellent service. Pricey as expected being a Ritz-Carlton. Only downside is the naturally occurring tar/oil on the beach, and sometimes you can smell oil in the air.
Hotel is a hidden gem in the northern end of SB. Very luxurious with Spanish architecture. Buildings are a little dated but they have a lot of new upgrades inside. Room came with balcony and felt refreshed after staying. Private beach area. Only complaint would be the wrong pricing on the in room tablet for ordering room service. Charged me more $$ than advertised.
This is one of the nicest Ritz Carlton properties I have experienced thus far in the US. It's right by the coast in Santa Barbara and has beach access. The setup is very 'Santa Barbara' with Spanish and Mediterranean feel. The resort has a nice golf course and the lodging is set up in villas spread across with ample open spaces. The suites and rooms are nice and well kept with access to a balcony or outdoor patio some of them with fireplaces on the outside as well. The bathroom are modern, the decor is very suite/lodge style and elegant. The grounds are kept up and the vegetation reflecting the local fauna and region. I was impressed by the place and the service is that of a Ritz. Everyone is welcoming and friendly. The bar area is sizable in the main lobby building and there are enough spots to congregate outside and enjoy either the sunset or sunrise. A definite must visit if looking for a golfing escape or a vacation to visit the regional vineyards.
This resort was perfection. I've stayed at other Ritz properties, but this one takes the cake with the fabulous dining options, beautiful coastal location and that pool area!! I literally can't wait to come back.
I love Ritz Carlton's globally. One of my favorite hotels in the world is Ritz Carlton - Half Moon Bay. Unfortunately this Ritz does not live up to the expectations the brand sets for itself in service, food, integrity or quality.
Starting with the good stuff, this is one of the most beautiful physical locations I have ever visited - the natural beauty is simply stunning, and waking up early to experience a sunrise is well worth your troubles. That is where the good news ends.
Starting with service, we attempted to get some basic items delivered to our rooms and had an extremely difficult time. #1, a water kettle. We called four times over a span of six hours and finally received a water kettle. Extra Water bottles, we had to again call multiple times in order to receive them. This is understandable at most hotels, but not for a 5 star hotel with prices to match.
At the spa, we ordered two 50 minute massages, which were great. Although when the masseuse asked if we wanted oil, we thought there was a probably a charge, but did not expect $35 per person extra for a palm worth of oil, when the entire bottle of oil likely costs $25. Additionally, we never signed off on the cost at the beginning or end of the massage, but there was an additional charge of 25% gratuity that was not mentioned when we booked the massage or when it was finished, it was just added. These could be chalked up to what could be expected at a upscale resort, but I have experienced many and am generally fine with them - the vibe here was one of hiding these costs. It felt deceptive and misleading.
Finally the food - horrendous. We got the $39 California Buffet one day, and the blandness and low quality of the food and ingredients can be summed up with the fact that they had an aerosol can of Cargill non-stick cooking oil sitting next to the open omelet station. Cargill brand is what is used in low end elementary school cafeterias (probably not allowed in California schools), although the chef was soaking not just the pan, but once he broke the eggs to cook we was actually spraying it, for multiple seconds, on TOP of the eggs. So the finished omelet was soaked through in industrial chemical non-stick cooking spray - who's only nutritional fact on the bottle it has "No Trans Fat". Scary to think what is used back in the kitchen on other dishes if Cargill products are openly used at the omelet station in front of guests. Needless to say, I expected much more from a five star hotel in a place like Santa Barabara that has a health conscious culture. The coffee at Blend, their "on campus" coffee shop gave me a headache, and the breakfast burrito had multiple ingredients that I could not identify beyond tasting like rubber, but that did not stop them from charging $12.50 for it.
Now, this a new-ish hotel since Ritz Carlton bought it, and I dont know the ownership structure - so perhaps it just the Ritz name and someone else is managing it. But I would not stay there again unless they 5x their game up to levels expected of a five star hotel.
I recently made a reservation here for my birthday and was unable to go because I was in an accident. I had trouble cancelling within their 7 day policy via the confirmation email, ended up calling on day 6 to confirm, and still have yet to find out if I am being charged the full amount for having to reschedule. I was so excited to experience this resort and after being exposed to how they treat their guests am really disappointed in the customer experience. We usually celebrate at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, and were looking to change it up this year. It's unfortunate how dated their processes are for getting back and communicating to customers. I did speak with Esther who has been very helpful in trying to resolve this, but the resort cancellation process and policies seem to be out of her control.
Bacara has great service and great food, but the rooms are unacceptably noisy for a modern 4-5 star facility. The plumbing sound from the neighbors filling their tub and then later taking a shower was quite loud and woke me up. The train passing by at 5:something was also noisy. The upstairs neighbors having fun at 6 am also woke me up. Other than the noise, the rooms are quite nice.
I am also annoyed by $35/day parking. Things here are quite pricey. If they want to charge 5-star prices, they need to make their rooms 5-star quiet.
Horrible service for a Ritz property (or any four or five star resort). Room service took 1.5 hours and was cold. Our room was never cleaned one day, and we called five times just for more towels and never got them. Many other and better hotels in the area to stay at, especially for the price.
My friends got married here and it was just perfect. The grounds are beautiful and it s on the ocean with the most incredible views. Get around via golf buggy and hang out at the pool.
What can i say ? The Ritz-Carlton Bacara it is a five star hotel right ? Wrong ! It is a 10 star hotel ! We arrived Friday evening tired exhausted burned out from the everyday Los Angeles grind .As soon as we pulled in the beautiful courtyard and stopped our doors opened and all the stressful feelings melted away. The staff is amazingly nice ! They genuinely care about you and it shows. We are not important people or famous but they make you feel like, your the President ! The rooms are beautiful with views of the ocean in many of them . Something about the sounds of the waves crashing on the beach that rejuvenates the human spirit and lifts it high as the clouds! Did i sleep late nope i was up at 7:30 had a healthy breakfast and went on a nature hike along the goleita coast in search of monarch butterflys with the resident Naturalists from the hotel .Now these two naturalists were the best part of the whole weekend they shared their knowledge and even more importantly their passion for The world .It was one of our best weekends ever leaving us both rested balanced and inspired . I would recommend the Ritz Carlton to anyone who needs to truly get away . And its only two hours away !
Nice setting. Beautiful views for select rooms. A rather pretentious and expensive, overrated property. Very average attentiveness and service. I have to think that those who give this place 5 stars haven't been around much or have money to burn .
Went for a halfday corporate event. Everything went as expected. Good food and polite staff. Gave 4/5 stars because nothings wowed me, but it was a good event.
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