It's one of the cheaper options in Santa Barbara, but it has it's drawbacks. Its a couple of miles away from the centre and you need to take the car there. And of course there is no breakfast, wifi costs extra and no hairdryer in the room. On the other hand the room is clean, so not to bad either.

Motel 6 is not the place that I would normally stay at but we wanted to spend 4 days in Santa Barbara and weren't looking to spend a lot. The location on State Street up near the La Cumbe mall was very convenient. There were great restaurants closeby in both directions including two "best of" winners, Jeannines and Flavor of India Located midway between downtown SB and Goleta, everything was quickly within reach.

We were about 1/2 way back from the street and it was very quiet. The room had a large flat screen TV with video inputs and the beds were comfortable. Our room also had a microwave and a refrigerator. I didn't swim in the pool as I got a 3 day free membership at the nearby YMCA but it looked nice. All in all, I can't complain about much given the great price for staying in SB. I do agree with others that they could include the wifi in the price.

My suggestions would include bringing your own towels as the towels are cheap white hotel towels, but were functional. I would have also brought a dvd player to connect to the TV or at least brought cables to attach my laptop dvd player to it. Don't expect luxury, but this is a very convenient and affordable option.

We stayed here for 1 night in Sep 2011 as part of our trip down the Pacific Coast Highway. The room was reasonably furnished but very small and with a general lack of care - for example there was a cigarette burn in the bed cover. The price was not bad for Santa Barbara but expensive compared to almost every other motel we stayed at during our trip. It was also the only place we stayed that did not provide in-room coffee-making facilities or shampoo! It was also a shame that wireless internet was an optional paid for extra rather than being included in the cost.

Our room was right next to a vending machine and its buzzing could be heard while inside the room. Late at night loud music was being played from cars in the carpark which could also be heard inside the room.

One good point, the staff were very friendly and helpful. All in all though, we couldn't in all good conscience recommend this to a friend.

Staying at this hotel in May was like coming a full circle for me. I first stayed here over 10 years ago when I was just starting grad school at UCSB and looking for a place to live. It was nice to be able to get away and revisit this property.
I've stayed at a variety of hotels in SB from the fancy to the plain. I think that this is probably the best value hotel for the money for certain things.
1. The location is excellent and very central if you want to hit my favorite beach--Hendry's. It's also quite close to the freeway to make a speedy trip to other parts of the city (but it's definitely not 'on' the freeway)
2. The rooms have been refreshed and are pleasant and clean. In comparison with some of the other new 'hip' budget hotels in SB, I think the amenities in terms of towels and blankets were much better here
3. The hotel was really quiet. I'm a light sleeper, but I really didn't hear a thing and the hotel was completely full when my husband and I stayed there
4. Dog friendly! If you're going to take your dog to SB, then you're going to take it to the beach, right? This hotel is dog friendly, there's no dog fee, and you're about as close as you can get to the best off -leash beach in SB.