Blue Sands Inn, A Kirkwood Collection Hotel

Wow! Just checked in here and what an amazing start to our trip. First, the property/grounds/rooms are actually much nicer than they seemed when booking. Everything is well-kept with charming design and inviting decor throughout. It feels much more like a boutique beachfront hotel than a standard hotel, which is what we were expecting. The gentleman at the front desk, Brendan, was incredibly kind and welcoming, and made us feel right at home. He upgraded us to a nice ocean-view suite with a fireplace at no charge and also offered a bottle of wine on the house as a welcome gift. He also offered recommendations for best spots nearby, and even went out of his way to come outside and help us load our bags up the stairs! Nowadays, you really do not see this level of service at even many 5 diamond properties! Highly recommend this place if you want an affordable, yet beautiful and charming place to stay that's basically right across the street from the beach in Santa Barbara!

Had a lovely stay with a family here during the fourth of July weekend. Must admit, we usually opt for hotels over inns, but ended up staying here due to the last minute booking needs for an unexpected family trip. The location is superb, right by the beach, where we took morning and evening strolls during our stay. Our room also had a gas fireplace which came in handy during chilly evenings and thinner blankets provided. Their freshly baked cookies were delicious when available and staff super friendly - thank you, Veronica! The only limiting factor would be a limited and narrow parking spaces (only one car per room allotted), still free of charge compared to the next door Santa Barbara Inn’s $28 a night. Would recommend one more chair in a room but understand that the room itself is quite small to have two chairs instead of one.

This was an amazing find. Its a small property but very well decorated and furnished. Its also an unbeatable location next to the beach and so close to the main areas in SB. We also loved the small heated pool. Was very refreshing to jump in after a day of exploring. The staff were very helpful and went above and beyond when there was a confusion regarding our booking.

If all you want is a clean room to sleep in, this is the place for you. Was highly disappointed at the lack of service. We arrived late due to traffic and it was 8pm by the time we got to the lobby to find a note on the window stating to call the number listed or check your email for late check in instructions. I had no email instructions and when I called the number, someone answered right away but had no idea about me checking in. Signal was also poor and the call kept cutting out. She said she’d have to check with her manager and get back to me. After not hearing back after 15min, I called back but wasn’t able to connect with her. She texted instructions as the call wasn’t connecting us well. We were finally able to enter our room 30min after arriving, frustrating after a long day of travel and the website saying that the lobby is open until 10pm. Room was at least clean and the fridge and microwave was helpful as we had left overs to store.||No one was available in the lobby to ask for extra towels. I read in some reviews about water and coffee available in the lobby but didn’t see anyone there until 1030am. ||Location was right across from east beach and made the stay worthwhile. Nice morning walks along the water was great and it was about a 30min walk to the pier.

We have stayed at this little gem of a spot several times, and I think the key is to manage expectations. Location is perfect. It's a short walking distance to a beautiful white beach, fine dining, casual tacos/batting cages, a small grocery store and you can even walk to the wharf/state street if you are a walker.||The king room w/kitchen (fridge, stove, oven, sink, dishes, pots and pans, utensils and kitchen table) and patio is super functional and convenient. The rooms are cute and bright. Each room has a Smart TV with cable as well. The shower is spacious and the water pressure solid. Bathrooms come with shampoo/conditioner/body wash and makeup remover and lotion. The bed is simple but it was quite comfortable. Linens and pillows were soft and comfortable as well. They do have effective in-room air conditioning (which can really matter at certain times of the year) and the fireplaces offer extra warmth and ambiance. The pool is a lovely spot to catch some sun without the sand and breeziness of the beach if that's your preference. The hotel has beach towels and pool toys for guest use.||Staff is kind and super helpful (Shout out to Ben for being a great host and the housekeeping staff for being helpful and kind!) We like that it's not a big chain and they treat you like valued guests. ||We enjoy the convenience and functionality of this property, but there are some areas that they could improve and some updating would go a long way.||Although we can't speak for every room, the plumbing in parts of the building can be very very noisy. And the kitchen, while functional, is outdated and worn. The bathroom is generally updated but the walls are showing distinct signs of wear. We had a lovely, peaceful stay but I can see that if you had noisy or disrespectful neighbors, it might be a rough night sound-wise. ||Pay attention to lobby hours. Staff is only onsite for the the main part of the day. Late check-in can be a bit rocky and is a self-serve affair. Coffee is not available until 8am-ish and there are no coffee makers in the rooms. They do offer cold lemon water and coffee/tea throughout the day once staff is onsite. Also, they do wine in the afternoons from 4-7pm which is a nice touch.||Many reviewers complained about the door lock system. We have always felt secure here, but the deadbolts are not functional - they use an occupied (internally engaged) locking mechanism on the door. ||In general, the condition of the property is comfortable and clean, although worn in some places and not necessarily kept in the best repair.||Room tip: Forego the ocean view and request a room away from Milpas if you are a light sleeper - the street can be noisy on that side of the hotel.

Great little inn a block from the beach and within walking distance of everything. Cute, updated rooms, beverages and snacks in the lobby, free parking, great value for the price, highly recommend! 4 stars! Definitely will stay here again.

We stayed at this hotel in July and had a pretty good experience, so I booked a return trip in October expecting the same. The hotel is very dog friendly and many hotels don't allow large dogs. When I booked my return stay, the room rates had gone up and they offered a lower prepaid non-refundable rate which I accepted and paid 11 weeks in advance. We also asked for the same room. A week before our trip, I found out I could book that same room class for about $21 less, without prepayment. ||At check in, we found out that the lock to the door was broken and we couldn't use that room. We ended up in a smaller room. This room had a malfunctioning window shade on the only window. When I brought this to the attention of the front desk they said they were aware of it, but no mention of when it would be fixed. It never was fixed.||This stay was not nearly the same as my first and I was charged $30 the pet fee at check out. I tried to dispute this because I was charged for the Pet Fee at booking, but I didn't realize they had credited that back to my credit card earlier in the month. Management was very unresponsive and most hotels would provide some concession for the inconveniences. They didn't. I'm sure I will find a better place to stay on my next trip to Santa Barbara. Not a good value.

Room smelled of feces, door blew open with breezes and the WiFi sucks. Front lobby is nice but the attendant was definitely not. Try motel 6 for better accommodation for 1/2 the price