Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
A charming seaside escape in Santa Barbara California, with classic Mediterranean flare, lush gardens and a variety of relaxing features.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Quaint
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
433 West Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Inn by the Harbor
4.5 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This place is fantastic! We turned up very early and we were checked in and given our room early by the most helpful gentleman, who took time to explain where everything was in Santa Barbara. Our room was great, clean and had everything we needed. I could have cooked a 3 course meal in the kitchen! The welcome bottle of bubbly was a lovely touch. We enjoyed the happy hour in the early evening and the breakfast the following morning would put some big hotels to shame. The local restaurant list was helpful too. We would definitely stay again.
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Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Liz Rodriguez, Other at Inn by the Harbor
Responded Dec 17, 2022
Good day Amanda. Thank you for staying with us at the Inn by the Harbor. It's great to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us, it's feedback like yours that give a true look into what our hotel has to offer for future guests. I couldn't be happier that our agents were able to take care of you so quickly. We always love we our guests get to take advantage of the many free amenities that we have to offer, we hope to be seeing you again in the near future!
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There are many motels and Inns around the harbor and beach but you won’t find a gem like this place! Staff are so friendly, Eli was amazing such good customer service, recommended us a good steak place Houldrens, it was so so good amazing steak! There is free parking which was great, bikes if needed, we stayed for one night on our big american trip we did New York vegas and LA and this by far was the best place we stayed and wished we had longer, the room was fantastic on ground floor big and with a kitchen, they do wine tasting in the evenings with snacks for free and the pool and hot tub were great we used them as well! We would definitely come and stay again if we are lucky enough to come back from the UK. The beach is about a 5 min walk and they have boat trips and kayaks and you can walk on the pier with some lovely views! State street is the Main Street and has lots of quirky restaurants and bars and even an axe throwing place. Absolutely would 100% this inn though it’s lovely! Can I take Eli home as a souvenir please? :):)
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Liz Rodriguez, Other at Inn by the Harbor
Responded Jul 4, 2023
Hi Gemma, Thank you for choosing the Inn by the Harbor for your trip to Santa Barbara. We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your stay and that Eli was so helpful. We appreciate you taking the time to leave this review and hope to see you again soon.
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We stayed for a night on the way to LA, here in Santa Barbara, and the Inn by the Harbor was a nice place. There's not a lot close by, but you can easily walk to the beachfront and pier from the Hotel. Downtown is not that far either.
We had two rooms, one was above the other, and they are a little dated, but were comfortable. The rooms came with a well appointed Kitchen and Dining area, outside there is a small pool, and parking is free, though limited for space.
Check in and check out were quick and easy, and the simple breakfast was just fine for us the morning we left.
Staff are very helpful, friendly and welcoming. It's a small place that has a cosy feel, we found for us as a place to stay for our night as we headed on the next day, it was a good stop for us.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Liz Rodriguez, Other at Inn by the Harbor
Responded Sep 6, 2023
Hi PaulB958, Thank you for choosing the Inn by the Harbor for your trip to Santa Barbara. We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your stay as well as our convenient location to the downtown and harbor areas. We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review and hope to see you again soon.
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These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
The positive points : - access facility - large bedroom with shared balcony, equipped kitchen. - the rooms are through (part towards the parking lot and part interior garden. - calm - proximity to a beach and the center. - free parking. - excellent bedding. - 1 bottle of local sparkling wine offered on arrival. - tasting of local wines at the end of the afternoon. -pool and spa.
The “less positive” points: - the rooms are rustic and old-fashioned, a little vintage. - the included breakfast is of very low quality. Dry industrial pastries, the hot one turns out to be defrosted, very little choice. - breakfast is to be taken outside along a noisy and busy road.
In the end, a small, unpretentious motel, a little outdated but well located with a swimming pool and a large, well-equipped room! On the other hand, why this breakfast? :-)
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Let me preference by saying that I am not a paid reviewer but my own REAL experience.
The place itself is quaint, very clean well maintained however the location was not exactly where you wanted to vacation. It shares a driveway with the back of an apartment building and a school field. When we arrived, there were two individuals fixing their cars out of their car port. Not something you want to see when you want a romantic weekend away right outside of your bedroom door. The outside of the building can also use some sprucing up. Perhaps some new doors and windows.
When we first walked into our "queen size" room you can tell they did a partial renovation but they didn't go 100%. When we walked in we noticed that the front room was something from the 60s, old carpets, ceilings bubbled, old shelving and flat closet doors. The bedroom was pretty but soooo small and the bed went right up against the sliding doors.
As for the size of the bed, it was classified as a queen size but it was actually a full size. That's right, we were two grown people expected to share a full size bed that is meant for one person. Don't get me wrong, there was no way they were going to fit a queen sized bed into that room so that's all the space would allow but they should have been up front.
The people at the desk were very nice and very knowledgeable of where to go and dine, a big plus. Unfortunately, not big enough for a return.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Liz Rodriguez, Other at Inn by the Harbor
Responded Sep 10, 2023
Good day Terieb2016. Thank you for staying with us at the Inn by the Harbor. I'm sorry that your stay with us wasn't as to be expected like most guests that have been here in the past. We value all guest feedback and we thank you for providing some information about your stay. You will be happy to know that we are right in the middle of a remodel and comments like yours are being addressed as we speak. We do use normal queen size beds which measure around 80 inches long by around 60 inches wide. We are glad that your experience with our amazing team was great, we truly believe we have the best guest relations in the city which continues to shine time and time again. We hope your were able to enjoy some of the free amenities we have to offer like our breakfast and wine happy hour. We hope the next time your back in Santa Barbara, you will be willing to give us another chance once our remodel has been complete.
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Ants on pillow. Dirty floor. Gave us a $60 credit (unacceptable). We had 3 couples staying there. Concierge was nice but was insistent that a $60 credit was all he would allow. Would not stay here again. And the other two couples were made aware of our issue.
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Justin Sell, Guest Services / Front Office at Inn by the Harbor
Responded Nov 5, 2024
Good day Aza1203. Thank you for staying with us at the Inn by the Harbor. I'm sorry for the inconvenience you had during your stay. We make sure to listen and value all guest feedback, please note that your room, which was a brand-new remodeled room, was thoroughly inspected by management. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience you might have run into and we hope to be able to have another opportunity to provide amazing serve again in the near future.
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I've struggled with writing a fair review of this hotel/motel. The desk clerks are delightfully friendly and helpful, the pool area is carefully landscaped and the harbor is a short walk away. A sprightly fish statute spouting water graces the entranceway. However, similar to putting lipstick on a pig, none of these bubbles and babbles compensates for the fact that it is barely above a Motel 6, with a room rate that exceeds lovely hotels I've enjoyed in far more expensive areas. The rooms are very outdated and dark. We shared a bathroom with thousands of persistent little ants who played on our toothbrushes and other items left on the small bathroom sink and shelf. The bathroom itself is quite small and also outdated with historical dirt parked in several crevices. Overall, it is clear that the owners are making an effort, but it is marginal compared to the changes necessary to justify a $300 nightly rate. As for the lovely desk clerks? Any other hotel would be fortunate to have them as employees.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â There are many other places to stay in Santa Barbara
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Liz Rodriguez, Other at Inn by the Harbor
Responded Nov 1, 2022
Good day Udelfel66. Thank you for staying with us at the Inn by the Harbor. On behalf of the staff, please accept our dearest apologies for the things that came about during your stay. These are not normal things that usually happen, but now that we have been made aware of this we have quickly acted to fix this. We value all feedback that our guests leave us and we thank you for the information you have provided about our rooms. We have continued our remodel of our guests rooms and you will be happy to know that your concerns are taken seriously. We hope that you will be able to give us another chance in the future once our rooms have been completed.
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Very well located Inn less than a 10 min walk to the beachfront, promenade and Brophy Bros Restaurant (do go it’s fabulous). The pier and town only a 15 min max walk away. Our room was a little dark but spacious with very comfortable beds. The bathroom was a good size with a good pressured shower. Free Parking right outside your room which is always a bonus. Pool was quite large with a sitting out area again a real bonus when it’s hot and it was! Breakfasts were plentiful with good choices. The Inn was in a quieter area of Santa Barbara and despite it being on a main road there was no traffic noise.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Liz Rodriguez, Other at Inn by the Harbor
Responded Jan 23, 2024
Dear shasld, Thank you for the review! It is much appreciated. We are delighted your stay went well and very glad you enjoyed the amenities and the location. We hope to see youagain in the near future. Warm regards,
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We stayed at this hotel for 1 night on our trip down the WCH to Los Angeles and could not fault anything at all! The location was very close to the sea and downtown Santa Barbara but was also very quiet and peaceful. The room was very well equipped with a dedicated, fully equipped kitchen area including fridge, cooker, toaster, coffee machine, and it was all spotless. The Staff were excellent and nothing was too much trouble for them.Upon arrival, we asked to swap our 'booked' high level room to a ground level room and they were so happy to do this for us with no fuss at all. The breakfast was very nice with a varied choice. We were left totally alone but anything you needed, you just had to ask. We would recommend this hotel to anyone either passing through or staying in beautiful Santa Barbara. Thank you.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from GregBroussard, General Manager at Inn by the Harbor
Responded Feb 9, 2020
Greetings ianandkaren29, Thank you for your very kind comments. We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed you recent stay at the Inn by the Harbor and appreciate your personal recommendation. Our hotel team works hard to offer our guests warm and personalized service in a clean and comfortable environment. So it is heartwarming to hear we provided that to you. Kind regards, Greg Broussard General Manager
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Came here on our honeymoon for a night while travelling through California from the UK - wish we could have stayed longer as we enjoyed it so much.
Greeted by Arron who made us feel incredibly welcome and at home.
Real cosy American vibe, comfortable bed, spacious room and bathroom. Pool and jacuzzi were a great addition with great sun exposure over the pool in the afternoon and evening.
Really enjoyed the complimentary lemonade and wine in the evening. Nice afternoon snacks by the pool and a great breakfast just before leaving.
Can walk to downtown SB in about 10-15 mins and down to the beachfront in roughly the same time.
Overall a great stay and really felt at home with the staff here.
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Liz Rodriguez, Other at Inn by the Harbor
Responded May 6, 2024
Hi Y543TAalexr, Thank you for choosing Inn by the Harbor for your trip to Santa Barbara. We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your stay as well as our pool and wine and cheese happy hour. We appreciate you mentioning Arron and hope to see you again soon.
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Greetings,
TripAdvisor does not allow us to give email or website information on our answers. Perhaps I can help you hear. What can I help you with?
Kindly,
Greg Broussard
General Manager
Greetings Amanda,
Thank you for your interest in staying at the Inn by the Harbor. Yes, our guest rooms are equipped with in-rooms safes. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.
Kind regards,
Greg Broussard
General Manager
Greetings Helen,
Thank you for your interest in staying at the Inn by the Harbor. Each of our guest rooms are equipped with hair dryers. We also provide other essentials such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shavers, shaving cream, and other important items. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions you might have.
There are more places to choose from in the Santa Barbara area.
PRICE RANGE
C$283 - C$512 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
inn by the harbor hotel santa barbara
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaSanta Barbara
NUMBER OF ROOMS
43
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including any mandatory fees. Taxes not included. Please see our partners for more details.
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