What is Waterfront like?

Travellers to the Waterfront neighbourhood in Santa Barbara will be sure to enjoy their stay. Make sure that you visit East Beach and Santa Barbara Harbor as part of your Waterfront travel plans.

If I need to cancel my hotel reservation in Waterfront, will I receive a refund?

Yes! The majority of hotel reservations are fully refundable as long as you cancel before the accommodation's cancellation deadline, which is often 24 or 48 hours before your check-in date. If you booked a non-refundable reservation, it may still be possible to cancel it and get a refund within a 24-hour period of your booking. Put your dates in and click on "Search", then you can filter by "fully refundable" to view top deals in Waterfront.

What is there to do around this Santa Barbara neighbourhood?

Spend some time exploring the great outdoors at Leadbetter Beach, Chase Palm Park and Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center. You could also plan a visit to East Beach or Santa Barbara Harbor while you're in the neighbourhood. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, Santa Barbara Deep Sea and Stearns Wharf are just a few of the places to visit in and around Waterfront. Santa Barbara Art Foundry and MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation are also worth a visit when you're out sightseeing in Santa Barbara.

Top 10 Waterfront Hotels of 2025

Top 10 Hotels in Waterfront, Santa Barbara

"I Can't express how wonderful the staff are!!! Jonathan help my wife with some stuff to bring up from the restaurant because i am handicapped... the hotel and the rooms are very clean!!! This was our first time here and plan on coming many more times!! We are from Hawaii and this place was beautiful!! The weather worked out perfectly... Mahalo for everything "

RM740 total

includes taxes & fees

31 Mar - 1 Apr

"The hotel is a 15-minute drive from Santa Barbara, offering excellent value ."

RM812 total

includes taxes & fees

20 Apr - 21 Apr

"Pretty nice room "

RM483 total

includes taxes & fees

6 Apr - 7 Apr

"Loved the property. And the onsite staff were great. Enrique was super cool and friendly. Would definitely stay again. The apartments behind the property are a little sketchy however. Such is our world these days. "

RM555 total

includes taxes & fees

27 Mar - 28 Mar

"Very close to the beach"

RM419 total

includes taxes & fees

6 Apr - 7 Apr

"It is where we stay when we come to Santa Barbara. It is only a ten minute drive just up the 101 freeway. Carpenteria is a mini version with cute shops and restaurants and a nice easy access beach. The hotel is older but well maintained. The room was nice and comfortable. It had a mini fridge and coffee maker in the room. There is a nice courtyard. There is a restaurant but they do not have a free breakfast. Also they do not clean or make up your room unless you ask the day before. It is within...

RM604 total

includes taxes & fees

20 Apr - 21 Apr

"Hotel was clean and had everything we needed. The front desk was super welcoming and friendly and even gave us the option to pick our room! "

RM387 total

includes taxes & fees

27 Mar - 28 Mar

"Our second stay at this fabulous property. A lovely upscale place just off the 101, perfect when traveling but would love to spend a little time there. Close to Santa Barbara and Ventura with a lovely little town down the street with shops, coffee and a great restaurant. A must stay! "

RM1,158 total

includes taxes & fees

30 Mar - 31 Mar

Premium bedding, down duvets, pillow-top beds, minibar

"Beautiful property and always love staying here as this would be our 3rd time visiting the resort. Brought our golden retriever and she got the VIP treatment as well. "

RM7,923 total

includes taxes & fees

16 Apr - 17 Apr

"Overall in a nice area . Alittle noisy due to the construction but room is decent "

RM1,000 total

includes taxes & fees

3 Apr - 4 Apr

"We have stayed here twice and always enjoy our stay. Rent the bikes, ride along the coast! It’s the perfect location with restaurants and shopping at your fingertips. I would say my only complaint is just that the beds are incredibly firm and the pillows will leave your neck a bit sore for a few days afterwards, but that could just be my personal preference at play here. We do enjoy our stay and hopefully next year we will make it back!"

RM890 total

includes taxes & fees

30 Mar - 31 Mar

Outdoor pool, pool umbrellas, pool loungers

"Liked the hotel for the short stay "

RM1,264 total

includes taxes & fees

1 Apr - 2 Apr

"First, I don't look for fancy in a hotel room. Instead, it's about convenience, location and the service, and this place has all three in spades. The best aspect about staying here was Ameil at the front desk (BTW, he has a college degree in hospitality). Nearly every morning I would get a cup of coffee (local from SB Roasting Company!) and an apple (not gross red delicious but honey crisp), and sometimes a pastry (also local from up north), and I would chat with Amil about all kinds of topics....

RM670 total

includes taxes & fees

30 Mar - 31 Mar

Egyptian cotton sheets, premium bedding, down duvets, pillow-top beds

"Perfect location! Staff at the front desk was not the most friendly or helpful but everything else was wonderful. Will be back"

RM1,084 total

includes taxes & fees

9 Apr - 10 Apr

"Front desk very nice "

RM554 total

includes taxes & fees

30 Mar - 31 Mar

"Great check in and really nice room close to the beach."

RM813 total

includes taxes & fees

27 Mar - 28 Mar

"Clean, safe and nice property "

RM1,514 total

includes taxes & fees

30 Mar - 31 Mar

"The location of this hotel is very good. It is close to the waterfront of Santa Barbara. We had some trouble trying to understand how to use the heat in the room, and the staff person came up to our room and showed us how to operate the remote for the heater. This was above and beyond what I might have expected somewhere else. And my husband and I appreciated it. While this hotel is a bit older, the decor of the room was up-to-date and appropriate for the setting. We very much enjoyed the...

RM991 total

includes taxes & fees

20 Apr - 21 Apr

"Our family really enjoyed the amenities this hotel offered, but were sad to learn the pool was under construction. It’s not the hotels fault, but I’d say Expedia included the closure in very small print that I did not notice when booking, so that was a bummer. I’m sure it will be beautiful when it’s re-opened. We thought the property was so beautiful and grand. Loved having the beach view patio. We really enjoyed taking the bikes down to east beach and enjoy lunch on the beach. The beach...

RM1,292 total

includes taxes & fees

1 Apr - 2 Apr

"Beautiful hotel & spa. Everyone on the staff was extremely helpful and nice. It’s walking distance from everything, beach and state street. "

RM3,846 total

includes taxes & fees

8 Apr - 9 Apr

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Where to stay in Waterfront

Destinations near Santa Barbara Learn more about Waterfront

Montecito

1 out of top 10 points of interest in this area

5/5(4 area reviews)

The pristine beaches and ample dining options are top of the list for many visitors to Montecito. A stop by Miramar Beach or Butterfly Beach might round out your trip.