Reina G.
Yelp
I have been looking forward to staying at the Montecito Inn for a long time, especially as it has been recommended by numerous friends. Unfortunately, I will never return and it's predominantly rooted in the poor service.
PROS:
LOCATION:
The Inn is perfectly located in the heart of Montecito. This is ALL YOU WILL BE PAYING FOR if you stay here.
THE RESTAURANT LOCATED AT THE PROPERTY:
I am not sure if the restaurant at the entryway to the hotel is a part of the hotel or not, but if it is, it is wonderful. The staff that work the outside patio are absolutely lovely. That being said, the staff that works the inside of the restaurant are as dismissive and uniformed as the staff that works the front desk. If you want to make a reservation, make it on Open Table and skip asking anyone in the restaurant for help if walking by.
VALET:
The guys that work the valet are helpful.
CONS:
THE SERVICE:
When you walk in or out of the hotel, the gentlemen behind the counter never greet you. When we checked in, it was the same story. What was the worst was the fact that despite telling the hotel that we would be arriving early as per their numerous text requests telling us to do so, when we arrived our room still wasn't ready. Icing on the cake is that when we arrived at the hotel later that evening to grab our keys, we were treated horribly by a gentleman named Ramone who wouldn't look at us, smile, tell us about the property, welcome us, etc... Both my husband and I were confused about what we did to make this man that we had never met, so upset with us. His colleague who did happen to check us in earlier in the day could have helped to ease tension, but as per every other time we walked through the lobby, he was practically hidden in his computer screen. Not sure what the staff is watching on that screen, but it must be good.
Additionally, after writing Paola the Property Manager a detailed email of our experience, we never heard a peep. To me, this is unacceptable, especially for area like Montecito and a property as historical as the Inn.
ROOMS:
We stayed in a large king family suite. While the suite had two bathrooms, everything about the room was relatively run down. The carpets need to be replaced and there were no slippers provided. There is also no central air and only an air unit, which barely cools down the room. The bathroom sinks are so small that I had to do my makeup in the living room.
AMENITIES:
Outside of a pool, I am not sure what else the hotel has to offer. We also were never informed of any of the amenities, so if there are any the hotel is doing a horrible job of informing patrons of this.
To save our Valentine's weekend, my husband and I decided to take a 7 min Uber to the Rosewood as our friends mentioned that the beach views and the service were unbelievable. Despite not being hotel guests, we were welcomed from the moment our Uber pulled up to the moment we left. It would be worthwhile for Paola and her staff take a field trip to their neighboring property to learn how to make people feel welcomed.