Name: Mar Monte Hotel, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
Address: 1111 East Cabrillo Boulevard, East Beach, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America, Santa Barbara, California, US
Price range: $121–$997 per night
Rating: 7.6

What guests think

At Mar Monte Hotel, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, travelers consistently praise the beachfront location, ocean views and balconies, and generally friendly staff, while noting mixed room quality along with thin walls and noise.

Facilities like the heated pool, hot tub, courtyard fire pits, and complimentary bikes are appreciated, though pool seating can be scarce and valet-only parking with resort fees feels expensive. Cleanliness and maintenance are inconsistent, with recurring reports of musty odors, worn furnishings, and sporadic housekeeping. Dining is generally enjoyable but can be slow or pricey; overall, expect a scenic beach stay with variable room quality and occasional service or maintenance hiccups.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Heated pool and hot tub, courtyard fire pits, and complimentary bikes stand out, with a basic gym also noted. Valet-only parking is expensive, EV charging is limited, and pool seating can be scarce or crowded.

Related guest reviews

10

Gretchen

Aug 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The property was lovely and directly across from the beach. They offered bikes and beach chairs to use. They have coffee in the morning in the lobby, water at pool and in the lobby and in buildings next to ice machine to fill your own bottles. Both the pool area and the open air seating off the lobby has nice chairs, couches and fire pits / fire tables to hang with family and friends. The staff was very knowledgeable and very friendly and helpful. The rooms are on the large size and beds were very comfortable. We will definitely return to the property!

10

E

Sep 5, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We love this place. Secured parking and the beach is right across the street:) Restaurant is good! Pool and hot tub are a must!

4

Marianne

Jun 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel is nicely and modernly decorated, but it doesn't hide the fact that this is an old hotel. Our room was on the first floor and it was dark and dungeon-like with only a view of the parking garage. The feature I found most disappointing is the noise! The neighborhood is nice and quiet, but noise travels very easily through this old hotel and kept us up all night. Thankfully, it was only a 1-night stay! We were also disappointed that although they advertise EV charging, they only have a single level 2 charger. We told the valet that we planned to drive back to the Bay Area and needed a full charge, and he made no mention that there was a single charger and loads of cars in the queue. Needless to say, we only got a charge of a few miles. Very disappointing for the price we paid for this hotel and the $45 parking fee.

10

Laura

Apr 8, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This is not your typical sterile hotel. It has a fun rustic vibe. The staff was very friendly and eager to help. I really appreciated the on-site EV charging. The beach is directly across the street. If you’re not in the mood for sand, the pool area is a great place to hang with access to a bar and food. It’s surrounded by glass protection that holds out the wind and allows you to stare at a beautiful ocean view. It’s only a 10-min drive to State St!

8

Timothy

Jun 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

close to the beach pool was crowded, many people using the pool were locals not even staying at the hotel

8

lori

Mar 17, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Staff really professional and friendly. Beds comfortable. Pool chairs old and terrible, no towels at pool. We had ocean view and street noise very loud until about 12:30am.

8

Stephanie

Jul 7, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

It’s a nice property in a quiet location. Our room was great and centrally located in the Santa Cruz building. We were on the bottom floor, ocean side, and had an extended balcony with a wonderful sitting area. This was a perfect hang out spot for our family of four. The website claims that you cannot put rollaway beds in the rooms, and I was a bit concerned having two teenagers with us on our stay. But the moment we arrived, we asked for a rollaway and they delivered one within 15 minutes. Not sure what the actual policy is around that, but we were thrilled to have the extra bed. We were able to secure bikes for daytime adventures every day, but unfortunately, we’re never able to secure pool chairs until later in the evening. It was Fourth of July weekend and the property was packed so people claimed everything first thing in the morning. This meant that we weren’t able to have much pool time, but spent most of our time at the beach right across the street anyway. We also had trouble getting the free beach chairs, and were only able to secure one. Luckily, we had brought along two of our own so it wasn’t a problem. The staff was very accommodating and the property was well appointed. overall we enjoyed our stay and I would stay there again.

10

Karen

Sep 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The Mar Monte Hotel exceeded our expectations. I chose it to see, in person, how the renovation combined modern amenities with its 1930s structure. And the location next to the ocean, in beautiful Santa Barbara, is idyllic. Standouts were the lighting, tile, marble, furnishings, and mostly the two restaurants. On top of that, we experienced friendly service from the front desk staff and Lido Cafe server, comfortable bed and linens, and a large and heated outdoor pool. Don't miss the hand-painted mural in the cafe!

8

Claude

Dec 24, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Everything at the hotel is lovely, however, the quality of the toilet paper is very poor. We had to purchase our own. Otherwise, service is excellent, rooms and bathrooms are clean, nice beds, linens, and pillow, good jacuzzi, pool ands gym, quiet location, and nice views.

8

Marlene

Mar 11, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

We had a problem with our room - but it was satisfactorily resolved. The staff was GREAT! We had drinks in the bar (all great) and had breakfast in their restaurant (food was ok - but nothing to write home about). The rooms looked dated - and not in a "good" way. The bathroom sinks had "tip toe" drains which mean you have to reach your hand in (or something) to push the drain open once the basin fills with water - YUCK! I expected more from the rooms but the property has a nice location - across the street from the beach - but further from the "action" than I would have liked. Also street parking in non-existent so valet at $42 per night is a must....overall a mixed bag.

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Cleanliness

Many guests found rooms clean, but recurring issues include musty or mildew odors, stained linens and carpets, and occasional dirty bathrooms. Housekeeping can be inconsistent, with missed service or supplies.

Related guest reviews

6

Jeong

Dec 7, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Bathroom lacks ventilation. Bedroom smelled bad. House keeping was too minimal and left the table and toilet uncleaneduncleaned

4

Abdallah

Mar 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very old property, carpet filthy, rooms not well kept and not clean. Definitely overpriced.

4

Kate

Aug 21, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Nice location but rooms are dated and the elevators and hallways smelled. Our room smelled as well.

2

Enrique

Aug 27, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

We were laying down in bed when a spider egg fell from the ceiling. There were spider webs on the ceiling, the bathroom was dirty, shower as well. It’s an old property with very old carpet that smells and makes the rest of the room smell.

6

natalie

Sep 5, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The carpets were super sticky and filthy

6

Lisa

Sep 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We were initially put in a room in building 1 which smelled like mold and mildew. Upon complaining about the strong odor we were moved to building 3 which was better. However, still a slight mildew odor. The pool is small and overcrowded. Great location across from the beach and the staff was accommodating.

8

Vanessa

Apr 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Sheets had blood stains

6

Mark

Jul 16, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The first room they gave us had an overpowering mildew smell that had my nose tickling within seconds of entering. After 10 minutes with windows open we asked to switch rooms. We were able to switch but to a smaller room that at least smelled fresh. What I thought strange was that when we told the front desk about the smell, no one seemed concerned or interested. No one said I’m sorry or we will check into that. We had the feeling that they knew very well this room was mildewy but weren’t doing anything about it. Aside from that issue, the staff was exceedingly nice and courteous during our stay. The pictures on the website look way better than real life. This inn is a bit worn and old but quaint and has a nice view of the ocean. Given the numerous quaint inns in SB to choose from, I don’t think I’d stay here again.

4

Shanice

Oct 11, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I like it was across from beach, I really was looking forward to staying here but didn’t have a good experience in the room. My family stayed one night and honestly I couldn’t wait to leave in the morning. We first walked in room we were hit with such a strong smell , it smelled like wet dog. It was disgusting, it didn’t smell clean at all, just wet dog. Then, my teenager noticed blood on the sheets. Yes blood, looked like maybe someone had a cut or something, but it was noticeable on the white sheets. So I called to the office and they had housekeeping come right away to change sheets out. I had asked for 2 extra set of towels, I was given 4 bath towels, which would have been fine only, the room only was stocked with 2 wash cloths for my family of 4! at this point I didn’t want to keep calling down to front desk so I let it go . When it was shower time my kids used the 2 wash cloths and me and my husband used hand towels to clean with in the shower. Again, we improvised and didn’t make a big deal. My husband was barefoot and discovered a soaked corner by the door of the room, made me think if maybe that wet dog smell came from there. Anyway, majority of people leaving the hotel seemed happy so maybe it was just an odd experience from our side , but I didn’t enjoy the beach or other amenities because i was so disappointed with the room situation I just wanted to continue our trip at different location and different hotel .

6

Judy

Jul 7, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The housekeeping was appalling and on the third day no one made up our room, no clean glasses or towels, no coffee makings. On the second day, a room cleaner had dumped the contents of the wastebasket in the toilet and didn’t even flush. This? For $650 a night?

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Rooms

Ocean-facing balconies and some spacious rooms earn praise, but room quality varies widely. Common concerns include thin walls and noise, dated furnishings, small or dark layouts, obstructed ‘ocean’ views, and maintenance issues with AC, Wi‑Fi, and fixtures.

Related guest reviews

6

Tony

Jun 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Was looking for a hotel with character, nice beach view, and a gym. Found this location and booked a king bed room with ocean view balcony. This was our 28th anniversary weekend so wanted to stay at a decent place. Easy and quick check in…but was very disappointed at the room. It was tiny…you can’t even open the dresser door wide open because the door hits the bed. There was no counter space in the bathroom…and we really didn’t have a nice ocean view room like the Internet. Balcony over looks the noisy pool and to the side, you can see little bit of ocean through bunch of trees and buildings. Paid all these extra fees for this room And it was not worth it. View is poor…and the room was TINY. Don’t think we will stay here again in the future.

6

Winn Mi Mi

Jul 17, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room was spacious, but the furniture setup could be improved. The closet was so close to the side of the bed that there was not enough room to open the closet door. The cushion on the sofa in the room had a nasty stain, and the room felt damp and stuffy.

10

Ira

Sep 17, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Unbelievable ocean views,reserve a room with balcony facing ocean

6

Richard

Aug 23, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Way overpriced! $360 a night for a small queen room next to the elevator with a tiny bathroom with no door open to the bedroom. Seriously?

10

Sharon

Jul 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I was happy with our stay. I loved the hotel’s Spanish revival charm and its food/drink amenities. Our room and bed was very comfortable but the “ocean view” feature was actually more of a small window view of the pool and raising the blinds would have infringed on our privacy. Overall, however, I give the hotel a high rating. It’s lovely.

6

Sean

Nov 29, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The lobby and location were nice. Rooms and property need an update. The floors are thin and it sound as if a heard of elephants were staying in the room above us. Plan on 33% more than the room charge inf “fees and taxes”

6

Judy

Apr 1, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The rooms are very small with very little space to put clothes. The hotel could use some updating. No dressers with drawers. Great ocean view.

8

Casey

Sep 13, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great service and location, but the age of the furniture in the room made it slightly musty and less comfortable than it should have been for a 4-star hotel.

4

Ronan

May 27, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The room was very noisy at the extreme part of the property next to some large hotel engines. Some fees appear on the bill afterwards in spite of paying with Expedia (Valet was Ok but property fee wasn’t)

4

Jeffrey

Jan 12, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Walls are incredibly thin and you can hear everything from guests nearby (e.g., loud children). AC didn't work and needed to be fixed, wifi was incredibly slow, TV didn't work and needed to be fixed, coffee was empty and not refreshed downstairs, etc.

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Service

Staff are frequently described as friendly, accommodating, and quick to resolve issues. However, reviews also cite understaffing, slow responses, occasional rudeness, and check-in or follow-up missteps.

Related guest reviews

6

Gene

Jun 20, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Unfortunately, this hotel is grossly understaffed and service is ultra slow. At dinner, it took more than 45 minutes for our meal to be served. I ordered coffee in the morning and when I went to pay for it, the server took about 10 minutes to run my card and bring me the receipts. There were no towels at the pool and when I went to the front desk to ask them to replenish them, it took 20 minutes for them to do so.

10

Sapna

Sep 25, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel manager, Dennise was above and beyond while our stay at this property. She was extremely friendly and super super sweet to make sure that we had an amazing experience. Even the food was exceptionally good at their restaurant. The room conditions could be better, but I’m definitely coming back for another. Stay soon at this hotel just because of her.

8

Dilshad

Oct 8, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The AC didn’t work in our room, but the front desk staff was excellent and made our experience so much better! I will stay here only because of the amazing staff!

10

John

Dec 28, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Love the location and friendly staff!

2

Sabina

Sep 4, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This was hands down the worst hotel stay I have ever experienced, and I would never recommend the Mar Monte Hotel to anyone. When we arrived for check-in, we had two very tired, crying babies with us. Our room was not ready, and instead of showing even the slightest bit of empathy or professionalism, Nick at the front desk was incredibly rude and dismissive. He didn’t care about our situation, didn’t apologize, and made what was already a stressful moment even worse. As if that wasn’t enough, when we retrieved our car from valet, it was returned to us with a flat tire. We had to call AAA and have the car towed to a tire shop — an unbelievable and unacceptable inconvenience, especially after paying nearly $1,000 a night for this stay. The Mar Monte Hotel is not worth a single penny. Between the rude staff, the lack of basic hospitality, and the complete disregard for guests, this was by far the worst hotel experience of my life. Save your money and your sanity — stay anywhere else.

10

Tamara

Feb 2, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The Mar Monte hotel is situated in a very beautiful area of Santa Barbara, just across the street is the beach! We were greeted upon arrival by Lauren who went out of her way to make sure my birthday weekend was special...and it was spectacular. We did have a few problems with our room, very minor, but they were taken care of immediately. I would highly recommend this hotel and look forward returning in the future.

10

Jordan

Feb 18, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This hotel is fantastic! Jackie was amazing and took great care of us at the front desk! They were very accommodating and friendly.

8

Jessica

Sep 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I stayed in a King Deluxe room with an ocean view overlooking the pool. Unfortunately, several issues impacted my experience. The blinds in the room did not work, preventing me from fully enjoying the view. The hair dryer was broken, and despite calling the front desk, no replacement was provided. I also requested a late checkout, but it was not documented, which led to housekeeping repeatedly knocking and intruding during my work calls. These service lapses were disappointing and fell short of expectations for this level of accommodation.

10

Yanais

Jul 16, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Grant, Danielle and Lauren were great! 5 star service,10 out of 10. Thank you!

4

Behnaz

Apr 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff was not the friendliest. They tend to look more like we are bothering them by staying there. The walls and flooring are thin and you can hear other people staying at the property. A guest above us left their dogs alone who were crying and howling for at least 3 hours. I told staff but they didn’t do anything about it. The plus was the beach across the street and easily accessible.

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Location

Beachfront across from East Beach, with easy access to the zoo, pier, and paths; many find it walkable and scenic. Some note it feels a bit far from State Street and downtown nightlife.

Related guest reviews

8

Natasa

Aug 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great access to beach and close to downtown area.

10

Eric

Sep 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Thoroughly enjoyed a nice September weekend at Mar Monte. The staff were wonderful: friendly & helpful. I'm from out of State, and found the fresh produce in the restaurants to be outstanding, along with good service. The room was comfortable - firm mattress, with a soft pillow-top, soft pillow, good temperature. They do have a primitive cooling system, which is rather loud. Bathroom & shower were clean & good. The hotel is right across the street from a clean and well maintained beach - safe for walking any time of day. I'd happily stay here again next visit.

10

Anna

Feb 20, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

I would highly recommend this hotel to a friend! Great location - 5-10 mins from downtown Santa Barbara and also close to Montecito. The hotel was clean and cozy and in a quiet neighborhood. We’d definitely stay again!

10

John

Dec 31, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Excellent location across the street from East Beach and an easy drive or bike ride to downtown and the harbor. The front desk staff, especially Lauren, is welcoming and hospitable. The valet team, headed up by manager Holden and crew, are very efficient. The property is maintained well for an older property. Would not hesitate to stay at the Mar Monte again.

10

Ariel

May 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Beach access

10

Nolen

Nov 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great view. Good location. Nice staff and easy access to beach and state street shops

10

Patricia

Sep 26, 2023

·

Stayed 4 nights

We loved that this hotel is right across the street from east beach.

10

Jeffrey

May 1, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great location not far from Funk Zone

10

JILL

Feb 25, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location!

10

Tracie

Aug 5, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Beautiful property. About a mile walk to state street and across street from beach

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Dining

On-site dining is often praised for tasty breakfasts, good coffee, and enjoyable meals, though prices can be high. Guests also reported slow service, order mistakes, inconsistent drink-token benefits, limited options (e.g., vegan or kids), and variable quality.

Related guest reviews

10

MEHOOL

Dec 25, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Spent a christmas weekend and had good clean rooms restaurant was good but limited vegan options. Well stocked bar and wine list

2

Josie

Jun 9, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Do not stay at this hotel. This property is not worth the cost. We had several occasions in which the customer service was poor: - Moaning about other guests and staff in front of customers, extremely unprofessional - Following noise from other guests (playing music loudly and revving a car, driving it around the car park while also smoking cannabis in early hours of the morning), the staff moved us to another room. We were thankful for them attempting to solve the issue but then, rather than addressing the problem with the other guests, they criticised us in the lobby stating we should have moved all our belongings at 12am to the other room - Rude staff both at check in and check out The food in the restaurant is expensive yet has the quality of a microwave meal. If you do stay at this hotel, I'd recommend eating at the Santa Barbara Inn just up the road. The quality of food and service matches the prices. The room was nice enough (make sure to book a ocean view room otherwise you over look a car park) and the location was great, right next to the beach but I will not be wasting my money again on this hotel. Please also note the cost of valet parking (there is street parking around but there are restrictions).

8

Roger

Aug 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

room was quiet beds are comfortable staff friendly front desk phone barely anyone answered, but also the food was delicious but a bit pricey

8

Melissa

Aug 5, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The hotel was great. The restaurant at the bar got our order wrong every time. I ordered a salad and it came with chicken. She said I ordered it that way but I’m a vegetarian so pretty sure I didn’t. They took it back and just removed the chicken! The other restaurant didn’t do much better, check was wrong every time, the food was good except for the chicken thing.

10

Siomara

Sep 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The breakfast is awesome, healthy & delicious.

4

veronica

Apr 30, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The exorbitant charge for parking and no self parking was ridiculous. The evening we checked in, the hotel restaurant was booked for a private event and we were not warned; extremely frustrating when you want a quick, convenient meal after a long drive. The front desk clerk even sent us to the restaurant as she obviously didn’t even know! Coffee in the lobby was out on our first morning there. Staff said it would be refilled but that never happened.

8

Petra

Jun 10, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Everyone couldn’t have been friendlier and customer service excellent. The only 2 downsides were the restaurant Costa and when checking out the printer at front desk wasn’t working. Both mornings we went to Costa for breakfast and my friend ordered a toasted bagel with plain cream cheese and both times it had to be re-prepared. Also, please use real Crab in Crab Benedict, not canned!

10

Regina

Aug 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff was very attentive, personable and knowledgeable. The pool area was perfectly relaxing. Our room was clean and comfortable. The only thing I would say needs improvement is that they need a kids menu. Our room came with a credit for breakfast and it was hard to find something for the grand children.

10

Karen

Sep 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The Mar Monte Hotel exceeded our expectations. I chose it to see, in person, how the renovation combined modern amenities with its 1930s structure. And the location next to the ocean, in beautiful Santa Barbara, is idyllic. Standouts were the lighting, tile, marble, furnishings, and mostly the two restaurants. On top of that, we experienced friendly service from the front desk staff and Lido Cafe server, comfortable bed and linens, and a large and heated outdoor pool. Don't miss the hand-painted mural in the cafe!

10

Mandy

Oct 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Location is amazing and we had lovely huge patio areas looking at the beach. We spent the evening in their courtyard with a fire pit and drank wine and chilled. Some ordered a few items from the restaurant and it was delicious. The coffee at the cafe was really good too!

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$233
February	$268
March	$264
April	$297
May	$323
June	$352
July	$405
August	$369
September	$376
October	$343
November	$277
December	$252

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15 $508	16 $535	17 $376	18 $702	19
20 $365	21 $304	22 $339	23 $457	24 $582	25	26 $918
27 $325	28 $326	29	30 $397

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1	2	3
4 $608	5 $390	6 $344	7 $316	8 $343	9 $864	10 $997
11 $332	12 $330	13 $360	14 $121	15 $378	16 $863	17 $890
18 $307	19 $307	20 $308	21 $308	22 $490	23 $866	24 $883
25 $301	26 $301	27 $298	28 $298	29 $301	30 $396	31 $420

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Suite, Ocean View

Room, 1 King Bed, Ocean View, Corner

Room, 2 Queen Beds, Balcony, Ocean View

Room, 1 Queen Bed

Room, 1 King Bed

Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed

Room, 2 Queen Beds

Room, 2 Queen Beds, Balcony

Room, 1 King Bed, Balcony, Ocean View

Premium Room, 2 Queen Beds, Ocean View

Room, 1 King Bed, Balcony

Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible (Shower)

Premium Room, 1 King Bed, Ocean View

Deluxe Suite, Ocean View

Deluxe Room, 2 Queen Beds

Guest reviews

Good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Mar Monte Hotel, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

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