The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara

The whole experience we had here was truly amazing. From Marcos at the Front Desk, Dorothy at concierge helping us get set up with Nick at Tennis, to Kai at Lulio with truly outstanding service. Everyone on the team here truly cares about our experience and I cant thank them enough for helping me make this experience perfect for my girlfriend.

Beautiful resort with excellent service.The breakfast was great with a lot of choice and quality.
They have two pools which one of them was for adults only. Highly recommend this resort.

The Ritz Bacara is a beautiful resort perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. The Spanish Colonial architecture and expansive, well kept grounds create a very relaxing atmosphere. The property is spread out and feels like a true resort. The staff throughout our stay was consistently friendly, attentive, and eager to help, as you would expect from the Ritz.

The rooms are very spacious and comfortable. Ours were very quiet, with large balconies. The large bathroom had plenty of space. The only issue we encountered was that our TV never worked during our stay, despite our reporting it several times.

One of the highlights is the natural beach directly in front of the resort. It is ideal for long walks, stretching for more than a mile in either direction. Be aware that this part of the California coast has natural tar deposits, so don't be surprised if you end up with tar on the soles of your feet. It's not a swimming beach, though. The resort also has a nice family pool and a beautiful spa. The spa is excellent, although the facilities are comparable to other luxury resorts and priced accordingly.

There are several restaurants on site. We particularly enjoyed the Mediterranean restaurant, Lucca, which offered very good food and service. The Italian restaurant, Marsella, was less impressive. While the setting and ocean views are beautiful, the service felt rushed; our entrées arrived before we had finished our appetizers, and the food was more stylish than memorable.

The main consideration is the location. The resort itself is the destination, and that's how it should be approached. There is relatively little to do immediately outside the property. We borrowed the complimentary electric bikes and rode toward the coast near UCSB, but much of the ride passes through fairly unremarkable neighborhoods on busy streets before reaching the beach. If your goal is to spend time exploring shops, restaurants, and attractions, you'll probably be happier staying in Santa Barbara or Montecito. If, instead, you're looking to relax, enjoy beach walks and the pool, and spend most of your time on a beautiful resort property, the Ritz Bacara is an excellent choice.

Dinner served by the amazing Lina was impeccable! The best meal and service I have had in a while! We can't wait to return!

I like everything about the property. The only thing missing is some daybeds or chairs by the beach.

I can't recommend my massage therapist, Nancy Jane, enough!!! She was so kind and went out of her way to make me feel special for my birthday. Not to mention her pressure was the best pressure and she just has a magic touch. I booked a 50 min, but will definitely be booking an 80 min massage with her next time, because of how amazing and relaxing it was. The spa was beautiful, as well. I especially loved the different tea options and the very top of the spa in the outdoor corridor was so peaceful and stunning with a beautiful view of the ocean, Spanish style rooftops and palm trees. So grateful for my experience here at the Bacara spa and would highly recommend it to anyone, especially my massage therapist, Nancy Jane!

We stayed here for two nights as part of a California road trip. I had a conference in Goleta, which made it convenient.
We booked a “Club Lounge” room which was near the spa and the club lounge. The room was comfortable and quiet. Special shoutout to the amazing staff at the Club Lounge, who made us feel like old friends: Alex, Ave, Jaden, Tram, Nora, and Harry—all warm, welcoming, and professional—super impressive, each one. Also to Dante in Reception—same comments apply.
We look forward to our next stay here!

Never going back due to lack of maintenance on their facilities and disgusting condition on their beach! I called the front desk asking for a manager to advise them the beach bathrooms were locked and my family witnessed several people squatting or standing in the bushes nearby, front desk would not connect me and blew me off! There is trash and burned wood all Over the beach and a stagnant stream right next to property....gross. Don't waste your money!

I had an absolutely wonderful stay. From the moment I arrived, the staff was warm, welcoming, and genuinely focused on making sure every detail was taken care of. The property is beautiful, impeccably clean, and has a relaxing atmosphere that makes it easy to unwind.

The room was spotless, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed with everything I needed. The location was perfect, making it easy to enjoy the surrounding area while still feeling like a peaceful escape.

What really stood out was the level of hospitality. Every interaction felt personal, and it’s clear the team takes pride in creating a memorable experience for their guests.

I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a comfortable, relaxing, and first-class experience. Five stars all the way.

Starting off with a shout out to Ayusm at the front desk. He went out of his way to try to rectify a situation and in the end he delighted me with a wonderful gift (candle) in my hotel room based upon my love of the lobby scent. Thank you Ayusm! The issue was we had a smoke detector with a faulty battery that had to be fixed twice additionally our room had a sulfur smell in the shower and even with running the shower daily it never truly went away so that smell unfortunately existed in our room for 5 days. We were there with a big group and at least one other couple had the same issue in their room. Overall, the property is beautiful, the staff is outstanding, the food is excellent, our room was nice and comfortable but I do understand some of the comments referencing a refresh needed. The only reason for me giving it four stars instead of five stars is the sulfur smell in the room. Obviously housekeeping and the hotel are aware that some of these rooms have that smell and they need to fix it versus reserving and renting out those rooms.

We have stayed at a lot of Ritz Carlton’s, in fact we stayed in one last night in San Francisco, but this one does not live up to its name. We arrived at 4pm after a long drive from San Francisco having promised our son and daughter a swim in the pool before dinner. We were told our rooms weren’t ready and we could have a drink in the bar. Our rooms were not ready until 5.30 and our bags didn’t arrive until 6.15 with our swimsuits in. We chased up our bags and they kept saying 15 minutes. We have since discovered they say 15 minutes to everything. There was an empty fridge and no minibar in our room which we have never experienced at a Ritz Carlton. We wouldn’t recommend staying here

Nice property. Here for a company reward trip. Did the job.

Beautiful location, perfect for a long weekend relaxing getaway. Our dinners outside by the pool were excellent,

The spa was excellent.

Better suited for families or couples; as a solo traveler I wouldn’t choose a place like this - not much to do in surrounding area- but fine if you are wanting an experience to chill.

All Staff with the best customer service I have ever encountered.

I rated this hotel one out of five because it is majorly overpriced $300 for a basic cosmetic kit and 400 for a standard massage. Also, this is not a kid friendly resort. Kids are not allowed to do anything. They can’t go into most of the facilities and are not allowed to rent bike or or sit at most locations if you have a kid under 18, they will just be able to go to the pool. There are so many better alternatives to this hotel.

This review is for Lulio. I am a bit mixed about my review. I must say our waiter Kai was incredibly attentive and a pleasure. And the spot is gorgeous. The food however just ok. We shared the halibut which was so salty I couldnt eat it and the lamb riblets which are a fun find on the menu were too fatty for my liking. The beat salad was also great although seemed like it had been sitting around in the kitchen for a while. Be prepared for a very expensive evening which perhaps is fair given the gorgeous location that close to the Ocean. And one other pet peeve.. The don't validate if you aren't staying there so be prepared for a 30 dollar valet charge!

The hotel has fantastic infrastructure and the grounds are beautiful. The rooms are comfortable as are the beds. Unfortunately management is polite but very ineffective. While there is decent staff presence none are very effective at any guest need especially front desk. The two exceptions are the parking staff and the bartenders in the main bar. I can’t emphasize enough the lack of detail initiative or presence across the 4 day stay. The fees are high along with resort fee, parking valet fee, spa fees etc etc - the value proposition is not there for the price. Too bad as there are few options in SB and again the hotel grounds are fantastic. This is very much a Ritz problem. Very inexperienced and ineffective staff.

Been coming here for the last three years with my family. The food is excellent. The grounds are impeccable the pool staff, bartenders, valet staff were all very polite and go out of their way to serve. The food options are superb: try Lulio for breakfast, Marisella for dinner and grab dinner at the bar/outside during sundown. The gym and spa is excellent as well