Ritz-Carlton Bacara

Santa Barbara, California

Virgin rating

The hotel

Luxury on the California coast, the Ritz-Carlton Bacara is elegant, sophisticated and traditional, all rolled into one. You can choose from six dining options, each with something slightly different from the rest. And if you like a pool, then you're going to be spoilt for choice here, as there're three zero-edge pools, two of them complete with picturesque views of the ocean. Take your pick from a choice of two natural beaches, and there's a huge spa, perfect for a bit of me-time pampering. The hotel has numerous awards under its belt, and it's really easy to see why - so come and see for yourself.

Amenities

  • Tennis
  • Bar
  • Restaurant
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pool

Where is it

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Transfer time from Santa Barbara: 27 minutes.

Hotel information

358 newly-renovated rooms and suites. All with air-conditioning, private patio or balcony, LCD TV, spacious bathroom with marble shower, mini-bar* and safe. King Bed Garden View Room, sleeping maximum 3 adults. 

One Bedroom Suite Partial Ocean View. Separate living area with sleeper sofa, wet bar and fireplace. Two full bathrooms with marble-encased showers. Extra-large patio or balcony, sleeping maximum 5 adults.

ANGEL OAK (steakhouse), THE 'O' BAR + KITCHEN (Latin cuisine and premium beverages), THE BISTRO (local produce and sustainable seafood), CAFFÈ (traditional breakfast and lunch dishes), POOL BAR (cocktails, frozen drinks, sandwiches and salads).

Two-mile natural beach. 3 zero-edged saline, heated pools with private cabana rentals*. Water sports* including surfing, kayaking and paddle boarding. Tennis*.

WiFi*. Spa and wellness centre*. Parking $53 per day plus tax (payable locally, subject to change).

This hotel has a resort fee of $50 plus tax per room, per day (payable locally, subject to change)

Resort fee includes: Pool access - Spa access - Fitness centre access -  Business centre/computer access - Newspaper - Faxes - In-room coffee. Resort fee, tax and inclusions are subject to change - please see hotel check-in for current inclusions available to you upon arrival.  

*Denotes local charge

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (1803)
  • Very good (572)
  • Average (413)
  • Poor (284)
  • Terrible (255)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Great staff can't overcome organizational fails

Jul 14, 2024 Geoffrey R Moraga, California

We stayed two nights. The staff was wonderful and the general design of the buildings/pools was pretty. I'm willing to forgive some tired upholstery and a bed that was acceptably, but not spectacularly, comfortable However, at this price point I should not have been having to wonder why there was exactly one towel rack (for hand towels) and one… Read more
We stayed two nights. The staff was wonderful and the general design of the buildings/pools was pretty. I'm willing to forgive some tired upholstery and a bed that was acceptably, but not spectacularly, comfortable However, at this price point I should not have been having to wonder why there was exactly one towel rack (for hand towels) and one hook in the bathroom (especially when there was more than enough room for more) -- yes, you could hang (one) towel on the shower door, but still). I should not have had to look for napkins (there were none) when my coffee spilled. I should not have had to deal with housekeeping only getting to the room at 3 pm (and then have someone come to the door a couple of hours later offering additional towels and chocolates?) This isn't the staff, it's an organizational issue: a lack of thought and failure to anticipate the needs of the guests both physical and service-wise. And then there was the flickering light, a patio door that was "stuck," etc. Nothing that was truly horrible, but at the prices charged ... just, no -- especially when fixing things like more towel racks and clothing hooks and appropriate timing for housekeeping (and noticing and replacing flickering lights) should not be a major cost. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Falling apart

Jul 12, 2024 joserteruel New York City, New York

Safety issue: The solid wood hanging door in the bathroom fell down during our stay while closing it cracking a tile. Luckily I was able to move my feet right away. Door was heavy and took me a while to drag it away from the inside to exit. Be careful the hotel is old and very poorly maintained. No longer a 5 star hotel as it used to be sadly.
Image of the Tripadvisor rating A shame this resort is tainted by an oil and gas processing plant next door.

Jul 2, 2024 Explorer61325

Do not stay at Bacara unless you wish to inhale fumes from the oil/gas processing facility less than a quarter mile away. While the Ritz property is well maintained and the staff are lovely, one has to wonder if breathing these fumes is healthy while outdoors on the Bacara resort.
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Unless u wanna smelllike burgers and cooking oil, AVOID VILLA 18. ESP RM 204.

Jun 15, 2024 HawaiiBanana2017

Stayed 2 nights in early June for our 15th anniversary. Our room (villa 18, room 204) was great…UNTIL we opened the balcony door and it smelled like we stepped into McDonalds.actually it was much worse. The balcony is RIGHT above the kitchen vents for The Bistro. Although they close after lunch, the kitchen was open til 9p, so even at… Read more
Stayed 2 nights in early June for our 15th anniversary. Our room (villa 18, room 204) was great…UNTIL we opened the balcony door and it smelled like we stepped into McDonalds.actually it was much worse. The balcony is RIGHT above the kitchen vents for The Bistro. Although they close after lunch, the kitchen was open til 9p, so even at midnight the smell of fried foods was present. I called the front desk about 20min after getting to the room after realizing we wouldn’t b able to use the balcony bc of the smell. They told us “no other room was available” except for one floor directly below in the same villa (no sense moving as that just put us closer to the vent). Let me tell u…it was the middle of the week and temps were in the 50s. The resort was NOT full. We barely saw anyone there. I know there were lots of open rooms. So, we paid extra for a room with a balcony and didn’t use it bc of the grease smell. The room manager could easily have moved us and didn’t. How disappointing. Secondly, I am 100% sure we are not the first to have this issue in that room bc the smell was soooo strong. So, WHY dont u try to divert the vents? Why act as if it’s a new issue? Move me to a different room…. Sigh…. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Huge!! And amazing staff!

Jun 7, 2024 Benjamin B

This was the best hotel ever!!!!!! The service was very kind and helpful!!!!! The rooms were spacious. The view was good but was blocked by the other buildings. The property was beautiful and huge with even a private (only for the people in the Ritz) hiking area. The experience was amazing. I strongly recommend!!