Harbor View Inn

Great location — right across from the beach. The room is large and cozy, nicely upgraded huge bathroom and the hot tub is great.

Attention Electric Car Drivers: Harbor View Inn is listed on PlugShare and hotel guests may plug in and they charge $ 10 per night to park. The Restaurant, Eladios allows you to also park in their lot and plug in but you MUST tell the people at the front desk you are parking there and going to eat at Eladios. I parked and plugged in, alerted both valets, and when I returned from the restaurant my car had been unplugged and they left a letter on my windshield. I told BOTH valets which car was mine and that I was plugged in. There were 5 employees and no hotel guests so I guess they were looking for something to do. Was disappointed that I did not get to charge my car whilst dining at Eladios. I actually was frightened walking up to my car, as I thought someone stole my charger! Two wrongs don’t make a right! We are locals and eat here regularly, AND when we remodled our home we stayed in this hotel for a week. We will keep being customers but the hotel staff needs to get their act together.

The Hotel has one of the best locations for exploring downtown Santa Barbara. Room patios look out onto the beach & pier. Walking distance to funk zone, trolley stop, brunch spots; I really wanted to have a 5 star experience here.
But…
1) customer service! We were there the weekend of Aldo & McGregor fight. Went to front desk to ask for help with finding a bar that might be playing the fight. The front desk person said they didn’t know. Called 1 bar & said sorry, I don’t know where they may be playing it. My husband & I sat in the lobby right in front of front desk person with our iPhones dialing & making calls ourselves trying to figure it out. No one offered to help.
2) they charge $ 15 for parking. And oatmeal is $ 15 at the restaurant after tax & tip. Come on! For oatmeal?
3) felt like snacks. Went to gift shop. No snacks there. Was pointed to vending machine by the pool. After struggling with the vending machine for 15 minutes came back inside & was told, oh yeah — that machine doesn’t do well with dollars. Go inside & ask for change. Went to bed with no snacks!
4) wanted to relax with a nice bath. The drain stop was broken. No bath for me.
5) glass door in shower has opening that causes a bunch of water to spill all over the floor so bathroom smells damp all the time
6) construction next door is an eyesore
I stayed there 2 nights & paid close to $ 800. For that amount of money, I expect free parking & help with finding a bar downtown.

This place sucks went to the restaurant for dinner and ordered the fish and chips the fish was raw and the batter was soggy and full of grease I told my friend about it and he told me not to make a fuss over it so I asked him to taste the fish and when he tasted it he said that it was horrible and not cooked, I told the waiter and he told the hostess at the bar, she came over to the table and said in a very rude tone that I should have said something sooner if I didn’t like the fish and chips, I told her that I will never ever ever give them my business again the manager couldn’t and wouldn’t even come to resolve the issue. I guess if you are a tourist that don’t know any better this place is for you.

I spent a long weekend at the Harbor View and found the location to be ideal for exploring
–the Santa Barbara waterfront (Sterns Wharf and beach access are across the street),
–the Funk Zone (just a few blocks away, with it’s multiple wine tasting rooms)
–and just short walk to downtown area for shopping and more. Easy access to shuttle service if you prefer not to walk.
There are also several nice restaurants within walking distance as well. I highly recommend Santa Barbara Fishouse
for dinner and Eladios (located within the property) for a yummy breakfast (and/​or great happy hour 4 – 6).
The rooms are very clean and well appointed: Extremely comfortable bed, nicely decorated, Keurig, mini bar, huge bathroom with sunken tub and spacious separate shower stall as well as lovely scented soaps and plush bathrobes.
Worth mentioning: Completely smoke free property. Pool towels are located at pool area. Wifi could be spotty at times.

This was the «second wedding hotel» for our friends and family. They were really easy to work with, held a room block without any down payment, and just seemed reasonable. While it’s not the Canary or the Biltmore, it IS close to the water, right near the Funk Zone, and a good place for guests who don’t want to pay the high uptick on those other hotels.

I just checked in. Did not see the room yet. I do not write many reviews. When I made reservation I specifically asked if they have a fridge. Or coolers. I was told it was a fridge not cooler. Ok, so when I check in they tell me its a cooler or for $ 10 more I can have a mini fridge. I even showed where i wrote down my notes and who I spoke with. Check in guy checked with manager and he said I would have to pay for fridge. Did not have courtesy to tell me himself. Not a good feeling. Happy birthday.

After a long stretch, stuck in traffic on the 101, I was exhausted and in need of a room. I called around and I may have gotten the last available room in Santa Barbara. Frank was courteous and extremely helpful. He provided directions to a great spot for dinner within walking distance, offered me a glass of wine and even checked the traffic, remember my destination, the next day. The room was clean, bed was cozy and it was a great nights rest. Next time I will book ahead and leave some time for exploring. Great service, good breakfast and nice place to lay your head.

From misquoting the hotel prices to absolutely horrible service. This was a complete let down. I do not recommend this hotel at at all!
Save your money!

Good service, clean rooms and great views. We stayed at the 3^rd floor and the balcony was spacious and you can get a view of all harbor and sterns wharf. The only thing that was bothering is a Constraction that was just few feet away and it’s pretty loud, so we couldn’t stay in with balcony doors open ((but other than that– great experience!

Great place right on the corner of State St. and Cabrillo, so close to warf, restaurants and trams up state street and down the coast. Rooms were clean, some minor wear, but the staff was great (eg: ordered room service two nights in a row and the second night he asked if we wanted extra lemon with our tea like the night before!, bell man met us in the driveway and had a sheet with our info so he welcomed us and got us parked by our room). Sure we paid a bit, but really had a nice relaxing time.

We stayed at Harbor View Inn this July Wednesday-​Monday for our wedding in Santa Barbara. The staff were so friendly and helpful. Since our venue did not have a place for the wedding party to get ready, we had to get ready at the hotel before we left. The 4 bridesmaids got ready in our room with enough space for everyone including hair, make up, photographer, 2 videographers, my mom and I. Meanwhile, the groomsmen were able to use the spa area downstairs to get ready — this was a huge convenience and a great blessing!
We had an ocean view on the 3^rd floor — the second floor has a larger patio with chairs to lay on (rather than sitting only). The beds are comfortable and the bathroom was beautiful. Wifi is included in the room, however, parking is $ 10 per day. The groomsmen accidentally left an additional car overnight though and it was no problem. We ended up doing our first look on the posterior side of the hotel near the parking lot, which was a private spot and allowed for nice photographs.
Harbor View Inn is pricey but if you are staying in Santa Barbara and want a nicer hotel on Cabrillo, I’d choose Harbor View any day over the DoubleTree.

Great location! Very nice rooms, spacious with a small balcony, beautiful bathroom, large overall. Service was great, we didn’t need much but they were friendly and the rooms were very nice. A great choice to explore Santa Barbara. My only concern is the late check in.

From the street you really can’t tell how HUGE this hotel is, the front desk staff was very helpful in taking our reservation to make sure we had everything we needed. They suggested a room upgrade which was really only $ 50 more, so we took it. The room was AMAZING! It was in building 3 and had its own private patio that overlooked the pier. They have a restaurant and a coffee shop connected, we will for sure be back.

Santa Barbara, like much of coastal California, is expensive, so there is no use complaining about the rates at Harbor View Inn, which are high but not outrageous. There is a «con» here but first the good points.
The Harbor View Inn is clean and very comfortable — no complaints regarding the physical plant. Service is efficient and friendly. And the location is near perfect, being a few blocks from the wharf and beaches, and less than a half mile from the commercial center on State Street.
The major lack here is that the Harbor View Inn lacks amenities. There is no breakfast, which is very common today at better hotels. The spa is miniscule, there is only a small exercise room, etc. There is a pool. The other con is that the main parking lot fills easily and if you have to use the overflow lot, you have a couple of blocks walk — no big deal for most of us I think.
Stay here if you value location (and prefer to walk around town) and mainly want a place to sleep. But Harbor View Inn is not a «destination» resort. At these prices it would have to be for me to give it five stars.

An absolutely beautiful and comfortable resort right across the street from Stearns Wharf, the pier, and beach – this is the Harbor View Inn.
The rooms – which are spread out over a small area, and some of which are in a separate building from the main lobby of the hotel – are decorated wonderfully, and are cleaned well by the staff each day. The staff also visits around late afternoon to do a turn-​down service, leaving sweet chocolates on the pillow.
The quality of the rooms, the amenities offered, and the perfect location of the Harbor View Inn earn it a high rating. It is a very comfortable and relaxing place to stay. It puts a special touch on visiting Santa Barbara. A bottle of local wine and fresh snacks waited for my family and I when we arrived in our room, which was located in the building housing the spa. Also waiting for us when we entered: breath-​taking views of Stearns Wharf and the pier. Palm trees swaying in a light breeze, laughter from beach-​goers filling the air… All possible, while sitting in air-​conditioning, because of the Harbor View Inn. We were also fortunate to have a VERY large sun deck –with patio chairs and table on which to dine al fresco any time of day.
Additionally, the breakfasts served by the Harbor View Inn are simply fantastic. Fresh squeezed orange juice, fluffy eggs, perfectly heated toast, wonderfully done waffles – the breakfast of breakfasts awaits you. The resort offers a number of choices for breakfast, and each is delicious. My family and I started each day during our stay with something from the Inn’s kitchen, and we were not disappointed; we started each day in a great way with these breakfasts. Our breakfasts arrived within a half hour of ordering, even at the peak breakfast time, between 8:30am and 9am. We were ready to go each day, often traveling to State Street – located a short car ride away from the Inn – to shop and dine, after filling our bellies with a good meal. (The Inn also has dinner, housing a restaurant in another building. We didn’t visit this eatery, but it appeared to be relatively popular and had a number of Italian entrees in addition to appetizers and desserts to choose from.)
The only issue I had with the Harbor View Inn occurred during check-​in. My family and I had flown cross-​country to LAX then had driven up the coast to Santa Barbara, and we reached the Inn in the early afternoon, around 2pm. Despite our request of an early check-​in time (as we had planned out traveling time), the staff made us wait two and a half hours for a room. We had no idea what was taking so long, especially since we notified them of our early arrival. The staff working at the front desk were neither very friendly nor kind about the matter, seemingly brushing us off when we voiced our concerns. We were exhausted from traveling and could hardly take another step, but the staff didn’t seem to very much care. We were told we could stay in the spa, and left with no choice since we didn’t have a car, we sat in the relaxation area of the spa for our wait. Apart from the front desk, the staff was generally very nice and efficient.
The Harbor View Inn is a wonderful resort to stay in during your visit to Santa Barbara. With beautiful sights and comfortable rooms, as well as delicious breakfasts, this is a good place to rest during your excursions in and around Santa Barbara. Simply be aware of the check-​in time for the day you arrive and the Inn’s stipulations; check them out before you check-​in.

Wife and I stayed here this past weekend, 6÷6÷14−6÷8÷14, for a baby moon getaway. We had a great time!
Pros: We had a full ocean view room with king bed, the room was clean with a comfortable bed and lots of pillows (which my pregnant wife appreciated). The customer service was nice, professional, I had no complaints. The pool an spa area were nice and we appreciated that they had a strict noise ordinance after 10 pm. The room service was good and they accommodated a last minute order change.
Cons: Very little in the way of complaints. One annoyance was that the coffee cups provided in the room were too small for the Keurig, which had only one setting, so the coffee would fill all the way to the top. Also, the room service was quite pricey. Petty complaints really but just trying to be objective.

Great central location that served as a great starting point for all of our SB adventures. Also a great place to start off my morning run as well.
Nice, but not CRAZY expensive. Thinks weren’t «perfect» but I only minor things. Very friendly staff. Our son loved the pool, and the wading pool as well. We’ll probably have to stay here for all of our future SB trips.

The Harbor View Inn is probably one of the nicest hotels I’ve stayed at. It has the perfect location right across the street from the beach and pier on the corner of State street and Cabrillo Blvd.
I booked a Luxury Ocean View King Suite for a bachelorette weekend. Let me start by mentioning the suite was HUGE (approximately 1000 sq ft)! Seven of us stayed in the room and we still felt that we had plenty of space. The room was beautiful and very well kept. Everything was clean and fresh. The bathroom had a spacious shower with fantastic water pressure, double sinks, make-​up vanity, and a soaking tub large enough to fit four bridesmaids with room to spare. The bedroom alone was about the size of an entire standard hotel room, the living room had a standard size couch, large arm chair and dining table that could seat four and there was still enough room for us to fit two queen size air mattresses without having to move any furniture around.
We had a large balcony with the perfect unobstructed view of State Street, the ocean and the mountains.
After taxes and fees the suite was about $ 600 a night. At this rate I just wish there was a fridge and microwave in the room. Also, I wasn’t impressed by the mattress and wasn’t interested in sleeping on it (I was completely comfortable sleeping on the couch though).
Check-​in was extremely smooth. The staff was very welcoming and helpful. We were even given the keys to our room before 1:00pm when technically check-​in isn’t until 4:00pm. We were even allowed to add a second parking space for the night. Checking out was equally efficient.
I would absolutely recommend staying at the Harbor View Inn and would definitely stay there again should I plan another trip to Santa Barbara.

I’m kind of conflicted about the Harbor View Inn. Its a very nicely kept up property, and it has wonderful views of the city, pier and ocean. The staff are for the most part very friendly and welcoming, and Its also supposedly a AAA four diamond property… but I’m a bit apathetic about my recent stay.
Perhaps I did not stay long enough to take full advantage of everything the hotel had to offer, or missed some of its hidden treasures, but I don’t think I did. The Harbor View Inn just seemed… a bit «basic». Don’t get me wrong, the hotel is well kept, the lobby inviting and clean. They even have free WIFI (which was very spotty, and our room was very close to the access point… oh well!), but they just seemed to miss some details that for the price would elevate it to something that would really deserve four diamonds (not that I know what the criteria are).
The hotel charges for self parking (fine I suppose, and its only $ 10) but couldn’t they just include it with the somewhat pricey room charge? Not only that, we got back from dinner one night and there were no parking spots. The cheery but somewhat unhelpful bellman told us the hotel had another parking lot down the street. When we drove to the supposed lot, it looked kind of sketchy so we didn’t park there. When we circled back to ask him again if that was the lot, he wasn’t there. Shouldn’t the hotel have enough parking for its guests, especially when paying close to $ 400/​night?
We got back from our day out at around 4pm, and we were surprised our room hadn’t been serviced by housekeeping. We were really tired and wanted to take a nap. We hadn’t left a «do not disturb» tag on our room or anything like that, and were further perplexed when we called the front desk and they told us housekeeping has a «funny» schedule. Ummm, yeah, they do.
TOWELS. Housekeeping seems to be stingy with the towels. We had to ask twice for an adequate amount of towels for two people. Barely anything to wash ones face with.
The rooms are extremely large and nicely furnished. BEDS were comfortable, and had nice crisp bedding. We got a wet bar, sitting area, bedroom, and bathroom (and two TV’s). The bathroom is HUGE (which is unexpected for most hotels), however strangely laid out. There is a lot of wasted space there, and the shower was TINY and DARK (It had no overhead light. WHAT IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A SHOWER AT NIGHT?).
Food at the hotel restaurant is solid. They serve BLD. If you stay at the hotel, you’re also entitled to a discount there too. The waitstaff were very friendly and attentive. They make good oatmeal.
In retrospect, its not a bad hotel, but don’t expect it to be a true four diamond. It is kind of like a glorified Best Western (without the free breakfast) IMO.