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977 reviews
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May 30, 2025Excellent option in Santa Barbara
Stayed midweek, 2 nights. Booked basic king room and was upgraded to corner king room. No balcony but great wraparound views of the ocean. Actually preferred this room over a balcony. Light and views much better. I’m a Hyatt globalist and have been eyeing this property for a while but was reluctant to stay due to some bad reviews. We went in with very low expectations and were very pleasantly surprised. Basic room pre tax was $300 night. With taxes and fees (and potential parking), that $300 can balloon. But it’s Santa Barbara, a unique hotel market. Your choices are either super high end or glorified motels (often for $300 night!) There are a handful of mid-high range properties in town but you’ll end up paying at least $500-600 night for a basic room and imo not worth it over Mar Monte. Mar Monte actually fills a good middle ground price point with middle ground features and some nice extras. Pros: location. It’s right across from East Beach and it’s quiet (minus car noise in front). The vibe is pretty mellow, views are insanely good if you’re facing the beach. Feels very safe. Character: the hotel is old and this can be a pro or con. There is charm to the corridors, almost in an old European way. The main building meanders a bit and is definitely not cookie cutter. The rooms have rough plaster walls and ceilings, old style windows. A renovation looks like it was done a few years ago and the designers worked with some of the quirks/character without making it feel generic. The pool area is decent. Comfortable chairs for lounging and sitting by a large firepit. A welcoming vibe filled with families and couples and multi generations. No posing going on here. A good bar area in the restaurant with great cocktails. No ‘scene’, it’s pretty mellow, but it’s relaxing. Attractive dining room with good breakfast (didn’t eat dinner) Staff: this is a big plus- almost everyone was super friendly. Valet’s were great and would hustle to get your car, young ladies at the front desk were warm and helpful, bartender, waiters in Costa were excellent. Pool staff were pretty good. The guy who checked us in on arrival was a little stiff and the only person we encountered who seemed a bit lacking. Cons: the character of the hotel is a bit of a double edged sword. There is a little funkiness around. Our wraparound windows were old, single pane, from the 40s or 50s by the look of the frames. I actually didn’t mind them once I got used to them. They provided a 4ft high horizontal strip of unbelievable wall to wall ocean view, that continued into the bathroom too, but the frames were old and funky and the blinds, while functional, are getting pretty worn. There is definitely a tired feel to the decor, but not horribly so. It did not detract from the overall function of the room. If we had a view facing away from the ocean it would have felt very different. We’d be staring at the parking lot or potentially a Mountain View- a very different experience. It might be fine if you’re planning on spending most of your time outside. There is a lot to do- pool, bikes, beach (beach chairs), a walking/jogging path towards the wharf. 5 minute drive into town. Housekeeping: not sure whose fault this is but housekeeping is putting sheets on the bed that don’t fit. Our king was outfitted with sheets that were far too short for the mattress- top and bottom. They fixed it after the first night but that should never happen. Some of the towels could use replacing too. Thankfully the front desk handled the sheet incident professionally so we felt taken care of. People might love the Mar Monte to upgrade everything to the next level and it might happen. But be careful what you wish for. This place is a gem with character (and a little funkiness) but that is what is keeping this place from charging even more to match its competitors. I’ll take the $300 a night rate any day.
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May 30, 2025Great place to stay at Santa Barbara!
The reception staff were great - from check-in to check-out! Lauren was very pleasant, quick to deliver and even followed up on a request after I returned to San Jose. Overall, the experience was great and I’d recommend this place to Busienss / Vacation travelers. Well done!
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May 29, 2025
Relaxing Time!
I travel often and the staff are some of the nicest people I've met. Mar Monte really makes an effort to make sure your stay is great. The food at Costa and Lido is also great. We watched the waves from the bar in the evening and stayed for breakfast and lunch. The spritzer drinks at Lido are a great mocktails. The burger is also really good.
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May 28, 2025
Excellent Stay
We loved the hotel. Everything from the coffee in the room to the incredible food at Costa (best cod ever) to bike rentals and friendly staff made our trip relaxing and memorable. Sky at the front desk was super helpful and kind. We also enjoyed the craft cocktails at every location. We will be back!
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May 26, 2025
Three Nights in Paradise
The quality of the room was absolutely unbelievable! Super spacious and comfortable. The beds were great! Love the large television. The staff were very friendly and helpful with all our questions. Pool and hot tub have an epic view of East Beach.