Hotel Milo Santa Barbara

Some of these reviews are really ridiculous. Was totally hesitant to book this hotel based on reviews– so let me preface this by saying I’m from NYC, it’s nice not to be rushed & I know quality, I also know good hotels vs bad hotels: I was front desk manager of a 5 star in Key West in my former life.
Stayed in the area to look at UCSB & SBCC Thursday, Feb 18^th, 2016. And was on a road trip from San Fran to Huntington beach– best hotel on the trip thus far, one hotel per night over 7 days.
1) Nick checked us in– super nice guy and very informative about the hotel and area, yes, he took his time to give us attention. I noticed that each of the staff, including valet, did that with each customer they interacted with. I call that excellent customer service. FYI– Valet boys also serve as bell boys– not a big deal… Hence why they take you to your room. Let me also say I felt very safe letting my 2 17 yo girls walk around freely. Sometimes staff are creepy or give off funny vibes– not here. Nice young, energetic crew.
2) $$- yes, they get you on Valet, they get you on resort fee, they get you if you drink the red bull or booze or eat the snacks in the room. This is typical of any decent hotel– I don’t know where some of these reviewers have ever been… IF they’ve ever been anywhere else, but um, yeah– that’s all normal stuff.
3) Room 124– king with pullout in separate room. Nick DID mention the room was recently reno’d, I have to say it was lovely. Hotel is old, part of its charm, very clean, very comfortable. Fabulous charging stations on each bedside table– excellent touch. Some chippy tiles in bathroom, yes, some tiny rust around the shower drain, yes… But what are we talking about here? Really? The rooms have not been gutted, just nicely & tastefully redecorated/​the bathroom was lovely and spacious. L’Occitane shampoo & soaps– nice touch! Great products for purchase in the room as well, Harry’s shaving kit, etc. nice.
4) Great views, excellent & healthy breakfast choices, (although my kids wished there was a waffle machine), nice pool/​hot tub, fabulous location, plenty of bikes, although didn’t do that. Did notice a nice selection of goodies including wines for purchase at the lobby, saw a large family enjoying the fire pits and a few bottles of wine for a few hours, really nice atmosphere.
No complaints at all– excellent stay. I’d say if you have any issues just let them know, very nice and helpful staff. I’ll definitely be back.

I haven’t been to Santa Barbara in forever, so I decided to bring my mom on a mother-​daughter getaway, and we stayed at the Hotel Milo.
The room itself wasn’t as nice as we expected, and guests at the pool were loud, but it was nice enough and we enjoyed our stay.
The hot and cold breakfast were great, and we even met some nice people at the communal tables.
I wanted to check out one of the bikes, but my mom doesn’t know how to ride. That would have been so convenient and fun otherwise.
Parking was right up against our building (it’s actually a very large complex), and both the pier and shopping areas are within walking distance. The front desk staff take more time than necessary, however, in checking people in and out.
We had a pleasant stay and would consider coming back again.

So we had a great time. We had the best room with the best view. Checking in was a hassle (supposed to be at 4 but they didn’t check us in til 430). But manager Nick was able to compensate us with some discounts. Very expensive but worth every penny once we finally got in the room and saw our balcony view right above the pool. Sunrise right from our bed. Just amazing all the way around. Room was clean. Some rust, yes, but what do you expect from a property by the beach.

We stayed here on Vday weekend. Overall it was a good experience but could have definitely been better. The employees at the front desk were friendly and helpful. It was weird that at checkout, we/​they realized they charged us for stuff from the minibar that we never touched but they quickly refunded our money.
The beds are not as comfortable as they should be for the price you pay here. I struggled to get comfortable and usually I look forward to hotel bed sleep but not here. Also, the biggest thing, if they give you a room beside the storage closet, ask to be Moved. Our room was beside the storage closet and at 8am I was awaken by an extremely loud noise that wouldn’t stop. Honestly, they shouldn’t make that room available bc it’s a nuisance. I couldn’t go back to sleep until 2 hours later once housekeeping left the closet and actually went to clean rooms. Very frustrating.
They offer free continental breakfast each morning. They have a fitness center and two pools and one hot tub. The pool in the back is less visited and made for a good time. Housekeeping was efficient. The location of the hotel is also great because you’re close to the beach and just a 15 – 20 minute walk to downtown.

I stayed at the hotel in January of 2015, because it was well advertised.
I’ve arrived late, and only two employees were working at 12 am– the desk and valet attendants.
Perhaps other people feel comfortable when valet employees can enter any rooms, with the access to a master key that unlocking all doors. I was not.
Since the hotel is old and is situated on the beach, it doesn’t have central air or heat. I found it to be impractical during the winter time, as the heater was blowing air onto the bed. The rooms are small, by the way.
On the 3^rd days of staying, a pair of my pants disappeared from my room after someone cleaned it. Regardless of my clear and consistent communication with available to me employees and managers, the problem was never resolved. Moreover, no one even bothered to apologize. The comment was made in front of me, by an employee named Carlos, to another man: «she says that someone stole her pants.» Upon checking out, the matter was not introduced to follow up, and the staff member has attempted to overcharge me for parking.
When I queried about my pants, the last comment was made: «We will call you if we find them.» Apparently they have not, and at this point I am considering the disappearance of my pants as internal theft.
I have yet to see such negligence in both service and security matters in the hospitality field.
I have considered to file a report with the law and relevant business agencies, and I hope I will find time to do so.
Afterthought: I wonder how well travelers’ private information is protected at this hotel.

Awesome staff, this was our first visit and they went the extra mile to make us feel wanted. Didn’t get done with run till 1030, breakfast over at 10 but they helped us make peanut butter toast. We will be back. Free bikes but we brought our own.

I normally don’t write Unilocal reviews or complain about hotel rooms etc but my boyfriend and I stayed at this hotel December 28^th. We bought a Travelzoo for one night plus bike rentals. The bikes and location were great. We were originally put in a small room shoved in the corner next to a maintenance closet and when we complained they moved us to a better room no problem. However around 11pm a big Edison truck was outside doing work VERY loudly until 3am. The power was shut off during this time. There were also a lot of other issues with the hotel going on at this time. The front desk was not particularly helpful during any of this. We were never warned about these repairs and never given an apology when we asked what it was all about. That kind of noise pretty much ruined a decent nights sleep and therefor we didn’t enjoy the next day a whole lot and ended up heading home early. I emailed the manager who was very easy to get in touch with and after explaining what happened we were appropriately compensated. I really appreciated that gesture which is why I chose to leave the Unilocal review. This trip was a splurge for us and we felt cheated but the company took initiative to make it right and will hopefully now warn guests of any future issues!
If it weren’t for the noise the hotel would have been just fine and appropriate for the price, but just keep in mind that the majority of rooms don’t have a view.

Came here this weekend for a winery tour weekend with my girlfriends.
We got two double bed rooms. Total for the two rooms for friday night — sunday morning was $ 1100. My problem wasn’t so much the price of the rooms, it was that the two rooms were veryyyyy different in quality but we were charged the same.
The first room has a huge sleeping area. Had a built in stove and a huge bathroom. There was also a pool near by and an ice machine near by. Great room.
The second room was tiny. We couldn’t have two people walking around at the same time. There was no fireplace but a small heater that was wayyyyyy too loud. The room also reeked of chlorine. Even though there was no pool even remotely close by. And because there was no pool near by the ice machine was also on the other side of the hotel … what? The bathroom was also tiny.
After seeing the difference in the rooms I noticed on Unilocal that they offer a room upgrade with a Unilocal checkin. When I mentioned it to the front desk. They would not honor it.
Before they changed the rate we locked in the parking fee at $ 18 per car per night. They told us they would honor the $ 18 a night per car. But they charged us parking $ 30 per car for 2 nights even though we only parked for one night. I would suggest you park on the street overnight. There is a 90min parking limit from 9am — 5pm so you just have to move your car by 10:30 am..

Decent hotel, clean rooms. I would not rate this as a four star hotel. All rooms are outside access only. The bath rooms are old and small, the rooms are spread out across several buildings.
The grounds need landscaping cleanup and the pool and hot tub was dirty with leaves and debris. Old school wall heaters are used to heat the rooms which are very noisy if you are a light sleeper.
Ok for the price in the area, staff was pleasant. Easy access to activities in the area.

Nehhh…
Didn’t love it. Location is great — just on the beach but other than that we felt it’s overpriced for what we were getting — the partial ocean view room was heavy on the partial. The room was condensed with no chairs or tables — just a bed and an overly sized minibar and tray packed of stuff for purchase. Since we’re not buying anything we generally felt upset that what little room left beyond the bed they decided to waste on more ways to charge money
The ambience is ritzy for no real good reason. Just be nice and casual you’re not the Waldorf… Come on
Parking is an extra $ 20 a day FYI

We had a wonderful stay and enjoyed a room upgrade to a partial ocean view. The sunrises were exquisite and we enjoyed eating our tasty continental breakfast at the outdoor tables. Our room was very clean and the king bed ultra comfy!
I’ll definitely stay at Hotel Milo again!

Pros:
— friendly staff
— simple but tasty breakfast– eggs, bagels, fresh fruit, coffee
— room was clean
— our original room’s lock wouldn’t work so they upgraded us to a fun room with a patio
— nice l’occitaine bath products
— lots of street parking near the hotel– no need to pay for their parking. Check the side streets.
Cons:
— patio had not been cleaned in awhile. There was a lot of pigeon poop and two pigeons were there daily, who we named James and Charles. They were nice enough, but their poop wasn’t.
— mini bar was never refilled
— heater didn’t work.
— no AC (didn’t matter for us bc it was super cold out)

The hotel is Senior Citizen but very well kept and maintained.
The front desk staff are professions and friendly. Carlos went above and beyond to make our stay nice. My fiancés birthday was made even more special with the staffs efforts.
The housekeeping staff was overwhelmed with the Sunday exit and number of rooms to be turned over but the wait was made easy with the surrounding distractions. Paddle boarding and people watching.
Again Carlos needs to be complimented on his professionalism.

What a lovely little find right along the coastline of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Here’s the thing: if this were a craigslist ad for an apartment, there would be lots of phrases like «well-​loved,» «filled with charm,» and «shabby-​chic» to describe the fact that in no way is this hotel going to blind you with its modern science. So yes, the rooms (especially the bathrooms) showed signs that their glory days had come and gone. But what you lack in design-​forward swank, you make up for in thoughtful room touches, solid hospitality, beautiful grounds, free bike rentals (beach cruisers, of course), continental breakfast, and waking up with a view of the Santa Barbara pier out your window.
Could things be better? Of course. You could be sleeping in Oprah’s guest house with Gayle, fighting over who gets first dibs from her garden’s daily bounty. But trust me, things could be much, much worse. So I’ll reiterate: this is a great little find right along the coastline of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Please stay away from this hotel. We booked on Priceline blindly and ended up with this hotel. Upon arrival I was told that the only way to get 2 beds was to pay a $ 90 upgrade fee. I take responsibility for the risk of not getting the right amount of beds when booking on outside sights. However, every other hotel has been maybe a $ 20-​$ 30 fee to switch. I also don’t mind paying the high fee if the room is worth it. The room wasn’t even worth the Priceline rate of $ 256 that we paid. It was very small and did not have an air conditioner. It was also pretty worn and tired.
Upon checkout, I let the girls know that it was the single worst hotel stay I’ve ever had. The girl not helping me said that she understands my frustration. The girl helping me said nothing but confirming the extra charge for the room u

Just got back from a weekend stay at Hotel Milo and overall it was a good experience, but a little overpriced for the quality of hotel. Although we booked through Priceline Express Deals and got about $ 100 off the published nightly rate.
Pros:
— Located directly across from the beach and Stearn’s Wharf
— L’Occitane toiletries
— Comfty bed
— Decent minibar selection
— Free beach cruisers
Cons:
— Limited onsite parking regardless if you’ve paid $ 18/​night for parking
— No A/​C in rooms
— $ 12/​daily resort fee
— If you’re in a downstairs room, you will hear the people above you
— NOT pet friendly
— While the beach location is good, there aren’t many restaurants nearby and walking down some of the back streets around the hotel at night is a little sketchy

A group of 4 of us stayed in a 2 queen beds room here for 3 days/​2 nights Sun-​Tues back in May and we all enjoyed our stay. We booked our room through a third party site for less than $ 200/​night which, although pricey, was not outrageous given we are literally across from the beach. It’s normal to have to pay a premium on such a good location. Not only is it convenient to the beach it is a pleasant 10 – 15 minute walk to tons of eateries.
As many reviews have stated, there is no AC in the room. However, we never felt like we needed it (it might be a different story if you come later in the summer) and we just left the windows open for the cool breeze.
The beds were really comfortable and we all slept well. Given that we came at an off-​time, we did not experience any excessive noise. The bathroom is tinier than you might expect for how much you pay but it was adequate. This hotel carries L’occitane products including shampoo/​conditioner/​body wash/​body lotion. Oh my goodness, they all smelled so good. It’s a smart thing they bolt those bottles into the wall because I’m sure a lot of people would «accidentally» take those home.
The hotel lobby has complimentary water and ice tea. The hotel also provides complimentary breakfast every morning until 10:00am. This isn’t some stale cereal and cardboard toast kinda breakfast. Granted, they don’t have a hot food bar, but they provide fresh fruit, hardboiled eggs, yogurt, scones, croissants, deli meats, etc. I’m sure you can find something you like. A huge plus is that they provide to-​go boxes (so you can bring food for those members of your party that refuse to wake up on time).
The hotel also has free bike rentals which we didn’t take advantage of but that seems like a great perk.
If you have to pay over $ 300/​night to stay here, I would say it’s not worth it. However, if you happen to find a good deal for a more reasonable price, this place is excellent! I did not have one complaint during my stay here.