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Marina Beach Motel – reviews, photos

21 Bath Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Hotel amenities
Marina Beach Motel
Ranked #14 of 60 hotels in Santa Barbara
4.0 of 5 stars 159 Reviews
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159 reviews from our community

What travellers say about this hotel
  • State Street(5)
  • Very nice(3)
  • Free bikes(3)
Traveller rating
    59
    78
    9
    7
    6
Only show reviews for Family (29) | Couples (75) | Business (4)
Date Rating
Cupertino, California
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
“Great pet friendly dog hotel!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 February 2012

This was our second time at this friendly motor inn style hotel. The rooms are in a semi-circle, your car right in front of you. The fee for pets is $15.00 per night, but they had a special deal on their website that if you asked, you got $20.00 off the going rate! Last visit we stayed in the larger room with the kitchen. It was a nice sized room, but I would have loved to see some very basic things in the kitchen, maybe a few paper plates or utensils. There is nothing in the kitchen in terms of cooking or eating equipment, so bring your own. This trip we had the smaller room. Dogs are not allowed in the patio or larger tub rooms. While the room was a bit small, it was cozy and clean. Be sure and turn the frig up when you get in the room, it was on the lowest setting and is not kept cold all the time. It worked fine however for leftovers and drinks. Breakfast is in the lobby, yogurt, bagels, fruit and baked goods. There is fresh coffee and Stash tea all day in the lobby as well as bikes you can take out for free during the day. Only a block to the beach, so it is a nice location. You can not leave your dog in the room when you are gone, so plan accordingly. All pet hotels I have been in are that way to avoid problems. We had no problems with noise either trip, not even dogs barking. This recent trip the hotel was totally full as well. For just over $100 a night, I thought it was a great value and the staff are very friendly as well.

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Powell River
Top Contributor
108 reviews 108 reviews
Reviews in 33 cities Reviews in 33 cities
48 helpful votes 48 helpful votes
“noisy and small”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 January 2012

Using the AAA book, we drove to this motel because it took dogs. The setting is pretty enough but it is really just a painted up creaky old motel from the 40's. Coats of paint don't make the place sound proof and even reasonable neighbours making normal sounds kept us awake. For $179 before taxes, the price was staggering for a tiny room where every sound the people made in the next room was audible -even turning over in bed. We left before the sun was up after a sleepless night. There are lots of hotels in Santa Barbara. Give this one a miss.

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Seattle
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Loved this place, loved, but....”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 January 2012

This motel was absolutely charming and just 1/2 block from the beach. It is a motor court so you can drive your car right to your door. The rooms are spacious and sparkling clean. We had a misunderstanding of what we were renting when we first arrived, but the front desk folks cleared it up immediately and were very gracious. The but, is that the walls are very, very thin. The first two nights were delightful, but the third night had guests next door. I heard everything. Not fun.

  • Stayed November 2011, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Costa Mesa, California
Top Contributor
140 reviews 140 reviews
Reviews in 61 cities Reviews in 61 cities
149 helpful votes 149 helpful votes
“A nice Motel...1/2 a block away from the Harbor/Beach in Santa Barbara”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We just got home after a one night's stay at the Marina Beach Motel. It is an older motel property, like so many other in Santa Barbara, but you can tell that the owner is spending a fair amount of money on upkeep....both in and outside.

Room: we were in #5, which we understand is one of their larger units with a king and a sleeper sofa. My wife felt that the bed was really uncomfortable; I slept fine. The room features a coffee maker, a micro wave, mini fridge, a flat screen TV and what appears to be a recently refurbished bathroom with a LARGE shower. Nice!

The Grounds: Nice and clean with plenty of parking. The motel features a grassy area right in the middle of the property with a wooden table, several chairs and benches. Perfect for relaxing or enjoying a cocktail of your choice...!!!

Lobby/Staff/Breakfast: Check-in was quick and efficient. A nice lobby doubles as the breakfast area with a few outside tables. I'm not crazy about the "free breakfasts" being served by many motels, but I have to say that the breakfast being served by the Marina Beach Motel was (much) better than an average motel breakfast.

Free Bikes/Pet Friendly: The motel offers free loaner bikes to guests. This is really a great feature. The motel is also dog friendly...in certain rooms, I believe. The pet charge is $15; I can't remember if that's per night or per stay.

Location: The location is PERFECT...right on Bath Street. You are 1/2 a block away from the harbor and the nearby beach. The Wharf and State Street are five minutes away...walking.

Better yet, Emiliol's, a fabulous Italian restaurant, is only 1/2 a block away as well...on Cabrillo. Unfortunately, Emiliol's is not dog-friendly, but....we do take-out. Try their "Flatbreads"....one is with smoked salmon and another one features figs, gorgonzola and proscuitto. VERY, VERY GOOD...!!!

In summary: This is a "motel" more so than an "inn", but...what's wrong with that. Several features....especially the LOCATION is better than average, so I'm rating this property as a FOUR...!!!

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Contadora Island, Panama
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Wonderful find very close to beach”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 December 2011
2
people found this review helpful

We planned to spend 1 night at the Marina Beach Motel as we arrived late in Santa Barbara and very hungry so we did not want to search for a hotel. We ended up stay a few more nights because the Marina Beach Motel is so delightful, clean, and right near the beach. You turn off the main beach road and there is the Marina Beach Motel. The staff were all very helpful and seemed to really be happy working there - the manager and owner were around at times and it seemed that they have an excellent working relationship with the staff which flows to the guests.

Room Tip: We only tried one room out near the far side of the semi circle of rooms and I heard someone say the...
See more room tips
  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about Marina Beach Motel

  • Marina Beach Hotel
  • Marina Beach Santa Barbara
Address: 21 Bath Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Price range (per night):* INR8,177 - 12,042

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