Blue Sands Inn, A Kirkwood Collection Hotel

Positive: All employees were very helpful as are the owners. Loved the cleanliness of the room. Very quiet at atmosphere day and night. Negative: No

As soon as we pulled up, I thought, this is such a cute freak'n place. From the start of planning my vacation, to my first call, Madeline was so friendly, professional and helpful with booking our reservation. Veronica greeted us with kindness and warmth (All the staff we spoke with were genuinely kind and helpful). The front desk area was clean and cute and the smell of the warm chocolate chip cookies was so inviting...and yummy. The room was clean and well stocked. Very beachy boho vibes, down to the Oil Slick, beach tar remover wipes. For the black tar that gets stuck to your feet from the Santa Barbara beach sand. If you stay here, be sure to try their Coffee Cow Vietnamese pour over coffee packets with the Latte Creamer.....So yummy. I didn't use their pool but it looked very inviting. I would definitely recommend Blue Sands Inn to my friends and family and we will FOR SURE return.

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!

We enjoyed our stay here. The check in experience was so Awesome. Jason made us fresh chocolate chip cookies and we had a champagne toast. The reception is available by just texting and they are very quick with helping with anything you need. The room is very clean and bed is comfortable. The location is great and walking distance to East beach right across the street. It was about a 20 min stroll down the beach to Stearns Wharf and State Street. We would definitely come back and stay here again.

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.

Just okay. The beds/mattresses definitely needs to be updated as other people have mentions. The middle is sloped in while the foot area is still firm and high up as possible. Checking in was easy enough and the front desk was very helpful. On our first day back from a walk, bumped into the lady cleaning the rooms, and she asked if we needed the room clean. Told her no it was okay. They also text you each day if you want service. There is a sign on the door you can place on the handle to get the room cleaned or serviced. The second day, we get back around 11:30ish and before we getting to the room, we can see the door is wide open getting cleaned despite us saying not needed. It was a little iffy but we just cleaned our belongings after she left. I had asked her a question if they recycle water bottles and she didn't seem to understand me. Im gonna chalk that up to miscommunication somewhere along the line of guests not needing room serviced but was still. The parking lot is tight and tiny. Our entire trip, 2 giant cal trans trucks were parked out there making the drive out pass it supertight. Didn't use the pool so cant say anything for that. A plus, was the walk pass the other corner hotel, cross the street and the beach is right there.

I would easily return to the Blue Sands Inn for another stay in SB. The overall property is adorable. It was quiet. The registration room, pool area, and the common areas were clean and neat. Our room was so quaint! Love the relaxed vibe. The room was cozy but had enough space. It was light and bright yet soothing. We had a full kitchen. The bathroom was updated and clean. The bed was comfortable and bedding was soft, clean, and warm. Check-in was quick and easy. That room had coffee/tea available all day. Very cute decor. The attendant was courteous. The pool was small but this is SB and space is limited everywhere. However, it was big enough for plenty of people to enjoy. The location had the be the best. We were just across the street from the beach. Walking distance to lots of restaurants, shops, etc. Definitely got our steps! For a well located reasonably priced hotel with great charm, I would highly recommend Blue Sands. I hope to return sooner than later!

Great room, we had the king with the patio. Comfy bed, great shower, nice kitchenette. The office staff were very friendly. Loved the texting they use for when your room is ready and if you want maid service. Very close to the beach, a 3 minute walk. Highly recommend!

The room seemed a little overpriced for what we were getting but I suppose it's all about location location location! Walking distance to the beach and restaurants. Free parking. Santa Barbara Inn located next door and costs an arm and leg. Was disappointed that their so called balcony was just a normal looking walkway to get to your room upstairs w/ a couple chairs & rinky dink table. I was legit looking around the room trying to find another doorway that leads to a real balcony! Complimentary glass of champagne or wine upon arrival - nice touch! I didn't interact w/ the front desk but my husband did & said the gal was very kind so thank you for that! Room was spacious & pretty clean except for a small puddle around the toilet which appeared to be water? No biggie, we just threw a towel over it. I didn't get the ick factor during my stay. Sometimes if a room is not up to par I feel so gross, dirty, and uncomfortable staying there. Would I stay here again? Sure!

A charming, cute, and clean little place to stay in Santa Barbara! We stayed only for a night, but everything about our experience was great. Check in was a breeze, and there were fresh baked cookies for us -- how sweet! The lobby also has a station to get hot teas with a variety of tea bags to choose from. The employee was so kind and happy to oblige our requests, such as an extra towel. There's not too many rooms here so it's pretty quiet, but there's enough parking here for all rooms. There's a pool, and the stairs to the second floor rooms are painted like colorful tiles. The rooms are very clean, nicely decorated, and make good use of the space. The bathroom has a lot of provided amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, makeup remover wipes, and wipes for tar removal, as well as a hairdryer. The closet is pretty deep as well. The beds are soft and have plenty of pillows. The only complaint we had was that my friend found ants in her purse when she woke up in the morning. It was on the ground overnight but she had no food in her bag, so it puzzled us. Otherwise, everything else was great, would definitely be back (but keep all open bags off the floor).

This hotel is supposedly part of a luxury collection but I found my stay there less than luxurious. We had a King room with a sea view which given the lack of room amenities was overpriced. There was no closet; it had a shelf with a clothes bar underneath and 2 hangers. There was no dresser. There was a cabinet with a hot water pot for making coffee; basically a drip affair and not a Nespresso-like machine. There was a microwave and mini fridge but curiously no table so don't plan on eating anything in the room. There was a bench for luggage and a bucket chair which if I were traveling alone would have sufficed but my traveling companion was out of luck. There's no phone in the room so you may miss maid service asking you if you want your room cleaned via text. There was 1 towel bar and 1 hook in the bathroom plus a towel ring next to the sink so you'll have to be creative with where to place your towels after you use them.There were no shelves in the bathroom; the only horizontal surface was provided by the sink. So after my companion spread his stuff around the sink there was no place to put my things. Actually even he didn't have enough room because he had to put his dopp kit on the floor. I carried my supplies to and from the bathroom since there was no space for them. Really. Many people complain about hotel chains but the big ones know what travelers need. This luxury hotel hasn't done its homework.

During our stay we checked in to a double queen room. The room wasn''t clean up to what should have been expected. The bedding, towels were all stained which was pretty gross. The beds we had in our room had the mattress springs coming through the top of the mattress...most uncomfortable bed I have slept in. After the first night we asked for something for the bed, switching rooms, new mattress and were told to "add an extra sheet". Next morning after horrible sleep again I asked the front desk about a new room/mattress and was told to use another sheet.... A few hours later a brand new mattress was delivered and right out in the front of the hotel. Another guest complained right then about the bed and received the new mattress... The pictures online make it look like a 4 star hotel when it's really only a 1 star with bad customer service. I will never stay there again. The only good thing is its proximity to the beach but you are at least a 30 minute walk to the harbor.

I'm so happy with our get away spot! Couldn't have asked for better accommodations! Staff was excellent, room was perfect and we finally got some sleep! Worked too much but what's new! We'll be back!

This hotel is steps from the ocean, super friendly staff that helped us pick a place for dinner. The room was impeccably clean. The decor was very modern lobby as well, enjoyed the free coffee and the price was what we would have paid for a motel. We are so pleased with this unexpected stay and will certainly be back! We went bike riding on the ocean too because it's so close. Such a cute little hidden Jem and it's small boutique which it's nice

They were nice enough to waive the early departure fee because we chose to stay only one of our scheduled 2 nights and gifted a bottle of wine for the inconveniences. However....some things need to be addressed here. Upon arrival in the room I noticed something spilled on the nightstand, bed frame and wall next to bed. There was A LOT of mold growing all throughout the shower grout. Grime, dirty and makeup fingerprints on back of the bathroom door. When brought to their attention/showed the staff photos I took, I was told housekeeping would take care of it and do a deep clean while we were out. When I returned to the room the only thing cleaned was the back of the bathroom door. We purchased supplies and cleaned the grout with spray bleach and a scrub brush and I got the wall and bed frame area clean as well. The screenshot of the text is from the front desk after their apparent conversation with housekeeping. I was told the black in the shower was beach tar (on the walls...seriously? I showed you mold in the grout on walls not on the floor) and the wall soil was old paint drips. I can't make this up. If they'd have taken the time to actually check what I showed them pictures of maybe they could have explained to housekeeping and had it cleaned it properly. Instead they just sent some random text conveying info from whoever went to clean it. I've attached photos of the text as well as the before and afters of us cleaning. $588 for one night and it was Motel 6 quality at best. Nope.

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.

Such high expectations because this place is advertised as a 4 star hotel. Paid extra for an ocean view room. Worst stay that I have ever had. Do not stay here. I texted the staff to address my concerns. I have included the screenshot of our exchange. They obviously don't care.

Stay clear from this place!! They do not refund you even after one day after you make reservations way in advance. Horrible people to deal with!

The hotel is awesome. I got the ocean view room, which had a beautiful view of the beach about a quarter mile away. Rooms were very clean, and well thought out. The room had a decidedly beachy vibe.

We would not recommend this hotel. My husband reserved it thinking it looked cute and something that I would like. However, upon walking in it felt incredibly cheap, it was unfinished, the bed is basically an air mattress. Very uncomfortable, neither of us slept. There were weird holes in the ceiling with no lights in them and they looked like cameras. The hotel worker didn't even know what it was and said the hotel is not finished. My husband called ahead and asked them to leave champagne and flowers in the room. Upon arrival, there was nothing inside the room. The gentleman working the desk said he forgot and then gave us a bottle of champagne. No flowers. There also is no one working after 6 PM. So if you need anything, tough luck. The rooms are paper thin. You can literally hear everybody above, below, nextdoor even if they're not yelling. It was so uncomfortable. I don't care how cute it looks, it's not worth the price. We didn't stay the second night. I would recommend staying somewhere else.

UPDATE TO THE OWNER: it doesn't matter if you have initials or names: you have keys to every room in your hotel in a minimum security box outside the hotel. Anyone could pry that open with a butter knife. To make matters worse, when I called to go through the process, the person on the phone didn't even ask my name or verify who I was. I could have been anyone. I was given the code. Do not stay here unless they update the keycard/door lock system. Amazing that a business owner would put themselves in such a precarious legal situation like this. Basically nice. Great location. A little worn down. They do have an absolutely terrible security/room key situation: they warned me that my room key may be demagnetized and it happened twice which was annoying. You have to call a number after hours to get a code to open a lockbox outside that has keys for every single room with room numbers and names on them! I could have just taken keys and walked into anyone's room. Obviously, someone could have done the same for me. Paradise for thieves and rapists. Incredibly unsafe and zero security. Would not stay here again because of this. They really need to fix this. Insanity. Lawsuit or a murder waiting to happen. Take the money from the overpriced rooms and upgrade the door lock/card system.

Far and away the worst hotel we have ever stayed at. The rooms are absurdly tiny (half the size of a standard hotel room) and have the world's cheapest finishes and decor. It's like sleeping in an IKEA dorm room, but worse. The fact that they charge $600/night for this janky motel should honestly be criminal. There's literally nothing good about this place. The mattress is both lumpy and hard and makes you wake up feeling like you were in a car accident. That's if you get any sleep at all. The walls are paper thin, the windows either have no screens or the screens are bent up and don't fit, so either way you should expect to be bit up by mosquitos. The light in the bathroom is the absolute worst. It's on a sensor with no dimmer and no way to shut off the sensor, so if you have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, expect to be blasted in the face with bright light each and every time. Don't bother turning it off immediately either because it'll come right back on as you exit the room. This place is a massive security concern. The deadbolt on the door cannot actually be locked -- which is absolutely terrifying given that the previous review on this page says there is a lockbox on property with all the room keys and the staff gives out the code to anyone who calls -- so don't leave anything valuable in the room and you should probably sleep with a weapon to defend yourself to be safe! The manager reply to that review is an absolute joke. Having initials on the keycards in the lockbox is not in any way any kind of security. There are literally 12 rooms total in this dump, it would take all of 2 minutes for a criminal to access any room using the handful of keys in the box. That's terrifying and negligent af! And to be clear, the deadbolt isn't broken, it was literally installed so that it cannot be used. The screws that attach the lock's plate to the door prevent the lock from being turned to lock position! There are marks on the door that clearly show someone has tried to break into or broken into this room before! (See photos) On top of all that, the refrigerator in the room is not cold at all, and don't bother putting the "do not disturb" sign on your door, because housekeeping will come banging on your door multiple times anyway as if they can't read. This place is the absolute worst!

Want to give this place a 3.5 but will lean toward the 3. Although our customer service was perfectly satisfactory, the fact that this place was a 4 star location and it was almost $300/night was quite outrageous. The pictures are deceiving. The rooms look WAY larger than they really are when they're your typical motel sizes, super small. You can tell the location has recently been remodeled but only surface level. New wood(?) floors, electric fireplace, & shower. That's about it. Everything else was obviously old. The water pressure was so low, the toilet lid had an old ring stain, the windowsill moldings weren't redone well, not enough insulation between the walls, floors, and ceilings to prevent noise. If you look up the differences between what each star for a hotel means, this one does not apply to the standards I saw for major travel sites like hotels, expedia, and even AAA. It's weird that they are rated 4-star everywhere when they are not. It's just a well decorated motel. The downside besides mistakenly booking what we thought was a four-star but is actually somewhere between a two to three, is that as you would expect from any motel, noise coming from every direction, every wall, every door and window once the sun comes up and definitely uncomfortable beds. The plus side is this place is pet friendly and has a pool. It's also more or less right across the beach and an incredibly large park period definitely great to bring pets.

We wanted to stay at Santa Barbara inn we previously stayed at and loved but they required 2 two night stay. The booking agent for Santa Barbara inn said we have a sister property that is the same quality (4 star was stated). We agreed and booked the $800 room for one night. We arrive at the property it was obviously called a motel in its previous life. The hotel consisted of 10 rooms 5 upstairs, 5 downstairs and a pool. The room was clean and updated but very small. The deadbolt on the door was disabled by means of two long screws not allowing the lever to swing and lock the door. This is a nice beach adjacent property if you are looking for a budget friendly small hotel but was not worth $800 a night

Full disclosure: our family has been high CoVid alert for 5 months and had to get the family a change of scenery and were on the hunt for a pet friendly CLEAN environment. Upon arrival at the BSInn we were greeted via text by our hostess Raven who allowed us to reserve the pool (in 30 min increments) prior to our 4pm check in which was nice considering we made the trip from OC early and hit August days were in effect. We checked into the retrofitted 12 room motel on time and were pleasantly surprised at the tasteful and well appointed double queen room. We had our Woodle (Wheaton terrier poodle) with us and we had him Groomed the day before so he could lounge at the foot of the bed with us. He was in heaven. The location for our 9 and 12 year was ideal with the athletic park next door and the smooth sand beach across the street. We played in the ocean in the morning and swam in the private pool in the afternoon then picnicked on the beach in the evening... It was more expensive than other accommodations and the walls were a little thin (4stars) yet the Covid considerations and staff made it perfect for what we were looking for.

Absolutely ghetto. Thin walls. They sent us a text to remind us about checkout at 9:30, a maid walked in on me when i was changing at 10. Never coming back.

Blue Sands falsely advertises their establishment as a 4 star hotel. Nothing about this hotel is 4 stars. Do not be fooled by the pictures on their website. We paid close to $1800 for two nights here which was a huge rip off! I've stayed at way nicer hotels for much less. Very cheap finishes in the room with lots of random damage to the walls. Chairs were completely mismatched, floors were dirty and grimey, no desk, terrible beds and pillows, and badly rusted bathroom accessories. The pool was not heated or cleaned. Couldn't believe the front desk girl with bright neon green hair was dressed in gothic clothes. The back of her t-shirt had a gigantic satanic symbol on it. Not what you would expect from a "4 star" hotel. There is no 24 hour staff either. If you get locked out, you are very screwed.

No...just...no. I don't know how this place got 4 stars on the hotel booking sites, or even the close to 4 stars here. We booked this (unreasonably) expensive motel for a weekend getaway in Santa Barbara...paid extra because of the reviews for the "boutique" hotel experience, close to the beach. Live and learn. Poorly assembled IKEA grade furniture? Check. Water hammer in the pipes at 3:00 am? Check. Tiny room, no closet, no dressers, malfunctioning toilet? Check and check. Over $600 a night? Check and double check. We left halfway through our stay. They only reason they get 2 stars is for the location and the fact that they are semi-dog friendly.

Overpriced roadside motel that underwent a cheap renovation and furnished with a few hipster-ish knick-knacks. Deceiving... and if you're still unsure after reading this... ask for a tour prior to booking. You'll save yourself regret. :)

This was a wonderful place to stay! It blew us away! The decor was so cute and honestly made you feel like you were in your own little oasis. They have a nice clean pool out front and also a shaded place with coaches and chairs outside to sit and enjoy. The location is right next to downtown. 5 minutes drive or 20 minute walk. It is also right next to the wharf. The lobby closes at 11pm and there is no one to check you in or answer calls past that time. If you are planning on arriving after 11 make sure to call in advance and they will set up a way for you to get the keys. Our room had a nice fireplace, a private patio surrounded by bamboo trees and a full kitchen including sink, large fridge/freezer, microwave, oven, stove, and cups as needed. So get some groceries and cook a full meal! The bed and pillows were so comfy! Nice bathroom with a big shower. The room is incredibly clean! The staff were really kind and friendly! They leave a book of dining and activities in the room for you. All the places they suggest are local- no chains- I think that's nice! They also have a lobby with tea/coffee, couches and chairs to hangout at equipped with books and games! The allowed us to have a late check out which was great because we wanted to stay as long as we could! If we go again we will want to arrive early and really spend lots of time at this hotel- it was fabulous!

Posting my very first review for a hotel because I have to inform potential future customers about Blue Sands' pet policy since their website is extremely misleading. Be sure to read the fine print before purchasing a non-refundable room; not all rooms are pet friendly! This is not clearly stated on their website or any of their affiliated 3rd party sites. I reserved a non-refundable room under the impression that it was pet friendly due to their Expedia site stating it was a pet friendly property. Unfortunately, immediately after booking I was informed that the room was not pet friendly. I immediately called the property and received a refund, but weeks later without my approval, Blue Sands charged my credit card for the full amount. Pet owners beware!!

Located on the back side of the Hotel Santa Barbara one is tortured by the bad choice made. We stayed in the "ocean view " room located directly above the lobby with a partial view of the ocean and zero privacy . Very busy street noise and the hotel room across from us looked into our room. The walls and floor shook every time anyone entered the lobby below. Spent a sleepless night on an extremely hard mattress coated in vinyl. No hot water in the shower . Avoid this rip off.

Motel 6 with a paint job by the beach. Overpriced tiny room with no amenities. You can do way better.

Key words: hipster motel. If you're looking for a lot of bells and whistles, this may not be the place for you, but it's definitely newly remodeled with tasteful decor that suits for 1-2 nights quick stay. We grabbed a room via HotelTonight on the way back from San Diego, drank a little too much wine tasting, weather was warm bliss and didn't want to leave yet! Clean rooms, near the ocean for a walk in the morning and relatively easy check-in process. Beds were comfy too, pillows and mattresses may have been new. The fireplace was a nice touch and their cable TV options was solid for drinking a bottle of wine in bed to end the night. There was no phone in the room, no iron (hipster motel standards by the way so no surprise there) and it is not super ADA friendly without an elevator or a downstairs room. None of this mattered to us, so we were fine with it. Our only complaint is that one bed had nubbly bed sheets (queen beds though, so we slept in the one that had smooth sheets) and the walls are a bit thin. We were slightly annoyed because someone left a dog alone next door that barked for a bit when we came into our room the first time, but they quieted down and we didn't hear anything after about 5 minutes (and besides, we are used to barky dogs in our life so we had ear plugs worst case). If you need more amenities, don't want to take the risk of having to sleep with ear plugs, aren't into dogs...this place isn't for you. Also, apparently the check-in process for after hours is a bit of an issue from what the front desk attendant told us. We luckily made the cut-off just in time, but it was a bit surprising to hear them say that when it's clearly an issue others have complained about here. Maybe time to fix that process!

Read all reviews closely. This is not worth what they are charging, there are better places to stay in Santa Barbara. Staff was very nice, but at $765+ for a Sunday / Monday 2 night stay, properly working and clearly marked hot water for the showers would have been nice feature, in addition to better safety and security measures. After my first ice cold morning shower, they said the plumber came to fix it after I left the property for a tour. The next morning, it was the same thing. Maintenance came again, said it was fixed, however I only had to turn it slightly and wait for it to heat up. This was not intuitive, especially since the writing on hardware indicated just the opposite and that's what I followed. Staff offered to let me use the managers office shower in the lobby, and gave me a bottle of sparkling wine when I left to make up for it. Again, the staff is very nice, but the hot water and texting only situation was really frustrating for the price I paid. The "ocean" view rooms are very small and have more of a park view. They auto-text you before you check-in to remind you of your reservation, then you can use the same phone number to text in case of emergencies when staff are not in lobby. Important FYI to female solo travelers: Staff are NOT at the property or responding to these texts 24/7. It's helpful to have a phone number to text, but it feels unsafe in the location to not always have staff on the property, not to mention the fact that the locks on the room doors don't have a deadbolt nor are you able to click them closed. I didn't feel entirely safe as a female traveling alone by myself. The free on-site parking is extremely limited, and you must park on the street if no parking spots are available. Lobby hours and easy access to coffee and tea in the morning are limited too. The facilities are clean, the pool is well kept, and staff are very nice when they are there. It's close to the beach, just feels a bit remote and far from activities and main attractions. All this considered, I think I could have been a better, safer, easier experience for an average of $383 per night somewhere else in Santa Barbara. I would have paid more, had I known this about the lack of parking, safety measures for guests, and the shower hot water situation.

Driving up the coast from Temecula to San Fran with my daughters and found this gem. Such a cute lil location and legit a 2 minute walk to the beach. The room was extremely clean! So important during this time. Cute kitchen with fridge oven stove and microwave. Spacious shower and super comfy beds Pet friendly and absolutely awesome customer service. Legit nothing negative to say about this place. Located next to a SUPER high end hotel with waaaaay higher rates. But why spend your money there when you can get this gem with the same location for like half the price? Walking distance to the habit and a cute local grocery store ... don't sleep on this bomb spot!!!

Very cute inn steps away from East Beach. Staff was very professional and helpful. Sparkling wine and cookies upon arrival and coffee in morning a nice touch. The room was very well appointed and very clean. Only big drawback was the price but it was high everywhere in Santa Barbara for the long holiday weekend.

Very unhealthy environment, bed bugs, sands on the floor and ants on the kitchen counter. Bad service as well

LOCATION amazing 4 min walk to the beach Unfortunate downfall beach is littered with homeless and drunk vagrants caution advised. Walls are definitely super thin.

worst hotel ever....!!!!!please stay away motel 6 is cleaner....dirty dirty dirty insects infested.....management did not care to respond checked out within a few hours.....could not even spend the night....front desk said management would call me about my stay.never got a call. even emailed rene supposedly someone higher up then manager and yet still no response.....place is a complete dump. i repeat do not waste ur money. stay as far away as possible. dirty bed sheets as well.

Avoid! Not only over priced, paid almost $500 for a closet sized room. The place was dirty, there was no phone in our room, and worst of all, left medicine there, only to call, have a young girl answer the phone, who asked for my credit card to ship it back. No authorization form, just give a stranger my card info. I asked for a manager. There wasn't one on site, and was told there wouldn't be one for two days. Two days later, still no returned call. Still no medicine. Guess the room cost me another $100! $600 for a night in a closet! Gave a second star because location was nice, and this is a fare review. Otherwise, avoid like the plague. Way to may options in SB to end up in a dirty closet with no phone or staff to deal with ahyt

Loved my stay here!! Great customer service, free coffee and happy hour wine/champagne. Pricey but worth it due to the bungalow cozy vibe & perfect location.

This place seems nice on the surface but the fact that their rooms keys demagnetized so easily is a joke. It's 5:30 Am and the only reason that I have a place to sleep is because the brother of the bride that I came to be with for a wedding let me crash on his couch. So basically I spent $500+/night to park my car near the beach. The kicker is the phone number that they gave as the emergency contact was answered @ 11pm by someone clearly asleep who said that 'they should have changed that number' and then hung up on me. Either have keys that work or an office that staffed or don't. But don't claim to be a hotel when you're not. Ridiculous.

Location is good close to the beach but that is all it has going for it. We booked a "deluxe" king room for over $600 a night. We never spend that much but thought we would splurge for the last night of our road trip. What a disappointment. There was nothing deluxe about the room. It was a basic motel room that didn't seem to be clean and the sheets were wrinkled. The lights flickered on and off, which was really annoying. I can't think of anything positive to say. Would rather be in a nice clean room further away from the beach for less $$. Very sad end to our trip.

When we initially drove up to the hotel, I thought... blast to the past? Then I found out this was a renovated motel. I'd forgotten also how close it was to the beach! It's like 5 mins walk from the hotel, and we can see the beach from the the walkway to our room. I love the location and the cleanliness of the room. We opted for the double deluxe room with fireplace. The room is super modern - love the sink! The pool is kept well - noticed that a guy was cleaning it early this morning. Like most Yelpers have mentioned... I wish I'd booked more nights here, but we have to get going to LA for family function. I wish my family can meet up here instead and stay at this hotel. The only negative which isn't too bad is the fact that their office opens at 9 AM and their "breakfast" doesn't start until then. With 2 kids, we were up by 7:30 AM. I was planning to drive over to our usual gluten-free cafe in downtown SB anyways so this wasn't a big problem. Another huge bonus is that they give you a complimentary carafe of water in the room which is really considerate. Most hotels offer bottled water for exorbitant price. They also give you organic coffee for the Cuisinart coffee machine and a bigger than average mini-fridge. I appreciate all these touches as well as the EO soap and lotion in the bathroom.

Just what the doctor ordered! Got a great last minute deal so I stayed here on a Tuesday night. The staff was super friendly and beautiful to say the least. Had a great view of the ocean, parking was easy and the location is just a few miles from downtown Santa Barbara. The room was super clean, great TV options, and the bathroom was amazing! I'm sure I'll be back!

Booked the hotel in the morning. Then headed to the airport to travel across the country. Arrived 12 hours later at 1030pm a closed and locked lobby. No response to calls or texts. Apparently they emailed me at 830pm that night that I needed to contact them to arrange a late check-in. I was on a plane at that time so obviously didn't receive this last minute email from them. No system or process for handling late check-ins. Just a terrible experience overall, which just echos the sentiments of other reviewers. Avoid.

Recommended by a friend. Online presence is 100 percent accurate. Perfect and quiet location. Clean and comfortable rooms with a fresh design. We wanted a relaxing place to stay and this hidden gem met our needs! Great check in staff.

King room, ocean view. Room 12 is the room with the best view of the ocean. Very clean, and decorated nicely. I had a good two nights stay. Friendly staff as well. The location is great. Lots to do around the area.

We had the MOST beautiful time at blue sands inn. The ambiance in the room is incredibly refreshing & restful: cool colors & boho themed. A beautiful pool w/ mosaic tile around the edge. LOVED the electric fireplace & modern basin sink & beach wood-like tike planks. And lenice at the front desk is just precious & so welcoming & kind. Finally, being one one hotel away from the closest beach was a dream! We would absolutely stay here again!!!

JUST DON'T DO IT!!! A glorified Motel 6. A futon that didn't even fit on its wooden box for a bed. Nursing home style disinfectant smell pervades. Tile floor (no carpeting). For the exact same price, we went across the street and had a fabulous stay at the Hilton, with all its amenities. This place is an unbelievable rip-off. We now see why their fees are non refundable. Only giving it one star because zero stars isn't an option.

Our experience with the Blue Sands Inn was disappointing to say the least. On the evening of 08/23/20, we book a 1 night stay. We had purchased a plane ticket weeks ago and we were scheduled to fly into LA, rent a car, and drive to Santa Barbara for 1 night. From there, we were planning to head up the coast on US1, stopping for a single evening in San Luis Obispo, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Cruz and finally fly out of San Francisco. Little did we know that California was going to declare a state of emergency due to the fact that there was over 12,000 lightening strikes which created more than 580 fires during over 1,000,000 acres. When a family member from California reached out to let us know that they were having issues with smoke in LA, we went online to do some research. We learned that our entire trip would entail driving through smoke and ash--not good for a family of 3 asthmatics. We also learned that residents of California were asking people to cancel their travel plans as rescue workers/firefighters needed lodging. We immediately began phoning hotels, the airline and the rental car company. We received a full refund from each place with the exception of the Blue Sands Inn, the only stay we had booked less than 24 hrs prior. Their explanation: "Unfortunatly our hands are tied. We cannot offer a refund or future credit. We are living in strange times where every reservation is vital to our survival as a business." We explained that we understood and could we possibly get a credit for a future stay, that way they could hold onto our money. They said no. It's disappointing when companies put $ before doing the right thing. Not a good practice.

Blue Sands No Longer Accepts Cats and now Charges $50 a night for Dogs. I stayed four or five nights last October for a conference and brought my cat. There was only a $40 one time fee for the pet. Under new management, I received a reply from Francine Talmadge telling me, "You will have to leave your cat at home," after I booked five nights for this year's conference. I was making the inquiry because the website only talked about dogs and stated bringing them there was a whopping $50 a night. The rooms are cramped. Just cancelled. Bye bye Blue Sands. You were really nice before but under new management, no thanks. I just booked the Hilton across the way.

I was looking for hotel accommodations over New Years and stumbled upon Blue Sands Inn in my search. It doesn't look like much from it's Yelp reviews but, I think most of them are from the previous ownership. I didn't want to break the bank, wanted to be near the beach and didn't want to stay at the Fess Parker (which I find to be super dated) and Blue Sands Inn checked all the boxes. Plus, the photos looked great online! Upon checking in, I learned that they had just undergone a seven month renovation and reopened in August. I was super impressed with the design of the lobby and all of the rooms they have available (only 12 rooms btw). I opted for the ocean view and fireplace room (#10) because I wanted a little ambiance. The room was boho sheek and super cozy! Each room had a mini fridge, microwave, TV, and WiFi and plenty of outlets for all your electronics. The lobby opens at 9am and offers free coffee, limited pastries and tea. Nice little touch as you're heading out of town. All in all, the staff was friendly, the pool was warm and it was a great stay for the value. I paid $279/night during a peak weekend so, I'm sure it gets a bit cheaper in the low season. Highly recommend...

We came to Santa Barbara for my husbands birthday, the day before we were to arrive I had the idea to call ahead and see if I might be able to get a couple surprises for my husband. God put Skyler in touch with me and she is truly an angel. She ran around.... got the best bakery to make an amazing birthday cake, got an orchid for my husband and had birthday cards made from all of our family members who called to leave messages for my husbands special day. She booked a massage for him as well! Skyler is a dream with sweetest spirit. Hotel is beautiful, clean and quaint. Fresh coffee, baked goods and teas in the lobby. Handmade soaps and friendly staff! Parking is so close! Oh and I loved the sitting area outside where you could enjoy the mornings and eves. We will be back, maybe for my birthday! Hahahahaha! Love you Skyler!

We had a wonderful stay at the Blue Sands Inn. It was the perfect place for us to bring our small dog. The location was fantastic, the rooms were very clean and we enjoyed having a patio and a fireplace. We will definitely be back.

We had room 12 with a view of the ocean. Modern beach themed rooms with mini fridge, microwave, TV, and WiFi. 2 plugs on each side of the bed. Chill, friendly staff. The office does have limited hours like another reviewer stated, but they are open until 9 and have coffee, tea, and croissants for breakfast. Small, generally quiet, and the other guests we've met have been nice & friendly. The parking is tight if other guests don't pull all the way into the stalls. Walking distance from the zoo, and a quick drive to the pier & state street! The walls are THIN, or we had an OBNOXIOUS neighbor our second night. We heard all about his proposal, begging his dogs to lick him, etc very clearly until 130am and starting again at 630am. Banging on the wall upset his dogs, but he quieted down. Hopefully there's an empty room next to you if you stay.