Bacara Resort & Spa

Hotel Class: 5 out of 5 stars 5 Stars - 4 Reviews and 520 Opinions

8301 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara, California, 93117, United States

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73%

of people enjoy staying here

4.0 our of 5 stars 524 Opinions

Excellent: 249
Very Good: 89
Average: 57
Poor: 67
Terrible: 62

More about Bacara Resort & Spa

Thought Bacara was terrific

by A TripAdvisor Member

I went to Bacara and the service was terrific. There were no waits for anything. I did book messages and spa treatments in advanced in order to get the times I wanted. I also booked the spa restaurant in advance so I could get in at the time I wanted every day. Every morning I was greeted by name and they remembered everything I liked. The room was terrific and it overlooked the ocean. Spent most of my time at the big pool or the spa pool (no kids were allowed there) I can't wait to go back there. It is an easy trip from Los Angeles. I enjoyed it way better than the Ojai Valley Inn where I also go.

Bacara's service is untouchable when it comes to service...

by A TripAdvisor Member

As a Valentines Weekend surprise my husband took me to Bacara. When we arrived at check-in I knew then that this would be a totally different level of service then I have ever experienced. At check-in they asked us what time would we like our room to be cleaned. Even at hotels like the St. Regis and the Hotel Bel-Air they never asked we just accepted that the housekeepers may come at the most inoportune time. The rest of the weekend was one display after another at how fabulous this resort was. The room was well appointed with a very comfortable bed and down bedding. The thing that stood out the most was that the hotel staff was always smiling and friendly. The service was the best I have ever experienced and I have traveled the world and stayed in some of the finest resorts, none have service like this. I highly recommend this resort. It is well worth the price.

Snobs, No service and sulfer smell

by TripAdvisor Member lotis78

This place must really struggle to earn its 4 star rating. The Miro restaurant is really top notch but thats about all this hotel has going for it. Room service took 2 hours and then was cold and horrible. Maid service didn't happen until nearly 5 pm. People loiter for tips and do little to deserve them. Its obvious that this hotel is run by college kids with little professional training. The beach is covered with tar and rocks. The pool and spa are great but it smells like sulfer outside on any given day for some reason. I have a friend who was planning a super fancy and pricey wedding there and she was very troubled by the lack of customer service. The wedding director of the hotel just up and quit or was fired only one week before her wedding! It was a disaster and no one even bothered to tell her. She just called and called with no retruned messages until finally someone told her what was going on only days before her wedding. For more than $100,000 you expect more than that. Dont have your wedding at Bacara! At my own bridal shower the staff Promised me there would be golf carts to transport my guests and elderly grandmother to the bistro for the shower. Everyone waited for 1 hour to be transported and my 85 year old grandma had to walk all the way to the bistro herself. I was furious! I paid nearly $3500 for this lunch and it was a disaster. To top it off they spelled my name wrong on the menu. Nothing was right. Avoid Bacara!

Woman in the courtyard even embarassing me!!

by TripAdvisor Member tripinsba1

I was recently at Bacara searching for a venue to hold our next company event. I did not call the sales department to plan a visit or a tour. I was just driving by an noticed the property from the freeway. My wife said "hey lets go look at those condos." To my surprise it was a resort hidden away for us to explore. As we arrived we were waved up to a smiling Doorman which quickly opened the door for my wife and handed me a valet ticket. He directed us to the bell stand to set up a tour. I asked the young lady at the desk which seemed very busy but took the moment to acknowledge our needs. We asked if we could be shown around and she indicated it would be about 10 minutes for the tour. She pointed us in the right direction to find a nice glass of iced tea on the house. As I was enjoying the tea I noticed a woman yelling at a valet about her car. I told my wife whats up with her? I excused myself and went in to the courtyard to see what was going on. Unfortunatly her keys were locked in the car while it was running. I laughed to myself saying wow can you imagine what would happen if she locked herself out of the house. She was not being calm about the situation at all. She was not only making herself look bad but also her guests. The poor valet had a look on his face like he was ready to be terminated. He asked the woman would you like me to call AAA? She yelled at him and said yes, you and the hotel will pay for this. Isnt that why we get AAA for little accidents like this? Well as 15 minutes went by the truck showed up and she was on her way. As all this was going on I noticed a group of seminar attendees (about 40 ) were departing as check ins were rolling in. The bell staff were rushing all about but still had time to smile. It was interesting to me after 25 minutes a young gentleman by the name of Shea gave us a tour. I asked him all the questions I could think of without sounding like I was shopping the Resort. He brought us back to the front desk where he shook our hands and wished us a safe trip. I was so impressed with the gracious service we started to leave and I thought to myself wow he did not stare me down for a tip like you would get at a four seasons. I ran back in to the lobby and presented Shea with a ten dollar tip and he acted like it was christmas. He was one of the most appreciated employees I have ever ran across. As we were walking back out to the courtyard we noticed our fellow unhappy guest with her flower child yelling at a niced dressed asian woman whom I assume is the manager. I looked at the woman and shook my head in dismay. I said to my wife it is people that are not in to respect by going somewhere quite to discuss thier grief. I felt so bad for the manager but I know that is her job to make up the world to this woman.
As we handed our valet ticket over and older gentleman that looked like Billy Bob Thorton asked how our visit was. I told him we had a blast and Shea was the greatest. The gentleman shook my hand and introduced himslef as the Bell Captain (Manny) and said its comments like that which make him feel proud to be a Bell Captain. Manny ran for our car due to the valets taking care of the upset guest and cars rolling in for check ins. As he pulled around the car he jumped out and ran around and opened the door for my wife. After he closed the door he walked around and wished me a safe drive. He also let me know my gas light was on and where the nearest gas station was. I passed him a tip and I saw something that made me feel fortunate that Bacara has employees like Manny and Shea. As I was pulling away I noticed Manny passing the 20 dollar bill I gave him to the valet. One of the first Bell Captains I have ever seen do that in my career of shopping hotels. Well we are coming back and bringing 100 employees with us. If Manny and Shea are running the show I know we will receive five star service. Suggestions to keep in mind: Do not lock your keys in the car while its running.
Ask for Manny or Shea on your visit and you will be guaranteed 5 star service.

Thank you, A General Motors Employee

Wedding Hassles

by A TripAdvisor Member

While the wedding ended up being fabulous, the catering and conference management had to be led by the hand to get anything done right. It took tons of emails, phone calls and visits to get everything done properly. Even the final contract had over 20 errors, which eventually got corrected. The pastry chef couldn't even make the cake that we wanted, so we had to go to an outside vendor.

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What is most lovely about the Bacara are the grounds. It is so peaceful. I recommend having breakfast delivered to your room and eating it outside on the patio. Ours was private and serene ... we felt like it was our own backyard. Definitely take a walk around the grounds. It is romantic and peaceful.

296 members live in Santa Barbara

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Bacara Resort & Spa

We've found that other people looking for this hotel also know it by these names:

Bacara Hotel
Bacara Resort Spa
Santa Barbara Bacara Resort
Bacara Spa Resort Santa Barbara
Bacara Resort Santa Barbara Ca
Bacara Santa Barbara

Address: 8301 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara, California, 93117, United States

Bacara Resort & Spa

Our Members Say

THE ONLY place to stay when visiting SB!

Gorgeous Escape!

Bacara - Paradise in CA

elegant

More about Bacara Resort & Spa

Thought Bacara was terrific

Bacara's service is untouchable when it comes to service...

Snobs, No service and sulfer smell

Woman in the courtyard even embarassing me!!

Wedding Hassles

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Bacara Resort & Spa