Name: The Steward, Santa Barbara, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
Address: 5490 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America, Santa Barbara, California, US
Price range: $231–$758 per night
Rating: 7.93

What guests think

Across reviews, The Steward, Santa Barbara, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel is praised for its lush, secluded grounds, spacious stylish rooms, and friendly staff, offering a calm retreat near UCSB and a short drive to Santa Barbara sights.

Consistent drawbacks include air-conditioning that is noisy or unreliable, occasional freeway or neighbor noise, and mixed experiences with pool and hot tub cleanliness or crowding. Many also mention expensive parking and uneven service, with slow check-in or dining and delayed responses to requests. Overall, expect a charming, garden-style stay with standout ambiance, but verify room location and AC.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Attractive grounds, pool area, and on-site bar/restaurant are highlights, with a gym available. Recurring gripes include pool cleanliness or crowding, limited or slow pool service/towels, and paid parking.

Related guest reviews

8

Annie

May 28, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The pool chaise cushions need to be cleaned. And the bean bag type cushions need to be replaced.

6

Allison

Jul 12, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Promising. Beautiful hotel and property, but lacking in amenities. Only reason to justify the price is you get a one bedroom suite, which was great for having small kids. Property is beautiful, but that’s about it. You get a patio facing a parking lot or parking lot/highway. We had no towels in room upon arrival and didn’t realize until we need to get ready for dinner. Called 3 times to get towels and finally arrived 1 hour later by front desk. Housekeeping was no where to be found. There is no pool service. Although they said there was weekends after 3, but never saw anyone. The pool was pack and they have 2 cabanas. However, you have to book the cabana through resort pass, not for hotel guests and no priority to guest. Inviting more people on the property for already small space. We did this bc we wanted a spot. The cabana for some reason is on compacted dirt, not pool deck, so your feet are dirty and gritty the whole time. We also had only one roll of toilet paper and were missing our do not disturb signs all of which took a long time to receive. It’s $30 to self park every night. Given the price of the room I expected more, but no one even helped us with our bags.

10

Francesca

May 29, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This property is stunning. What a nice oasis and larger than you would expect from pulling in. The only thing that was annoying is they charge you for parking despite being a "pull up to your room and park yourself" type of place. Our room had a bedroom and common room with a pull out couch which my kids slept on and said was reasonably comfortable.

10

Edwin

Feb 24, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very clean inside , really enjoyed the warmed up pool and the jacuzzi as well, would definitely stay here again

10

george

Sep 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Strange food and snack options - pool furniture pretty dirty

4

Mariana

Feb 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This is a beautiful property with lots of potential. The hot tub and pool were not heated. The incidental hold is $150, but wasn't disclosed at any point.

8

Claudia

Jul 26, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Central air conditioning system did not work. A portable AC was provided but required maintenance each day. Overall great place to stay at; very clean and spacious rooms, equipped gym, heated pool and great customer service.

2

Tracy

Aug 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

They checked me into a room where the A/C didn't work. I was able to get a new room with A/C - why not just give me the room with working A/C? So wrong. New room didn't have tv remote or coffee, they tout having pour over coffee but there wasn't any. Flooring of both rooms were cheap and lifting. Toilet had issues, I had to open tank to get it to work. No Elevator. Pool and Spa area are too small and crowded. I emailed Manager and still haven't recieved a call. They simply don't care. You'd have a better stay at a Best Western.

6

Maheshwari

Jul 25, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Nice quiet property and resort. The service was pretty bad. They always run out of towels at pool even though it was not crowded. They had sofa bed which was worst quality. They did not provide extra sheet, pillow or comforter. When asked, they dropped one item and forgot the rest. Even though we were family of four they put limited cups, coffee and other supplies including bathroom items. We would always run out and they won't pick the phone at desk. They had expensive parking and very expensive restaurants on site. Their discount is useless. Not many other options to eat closeby. They charged extra service charges at checkout which was not mentioned on Expedia while booking, however it was not significant amount. Overall experience was just okay. Was expecting a lot based on rating, pics and cost.

10

Tanya

Apr 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Next to a super main road but once you are inside you would never know - we did a pool day and the bar served wonderful drinks Service and stay were brilliant

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Cleanliness

Rooms and grounds are generally clean. Some guests report issues such as dirty or worn pool furnishings, foamy hot tubs, empty toiletries, or missed housekeeping.

Related guest reviews

8

Annie

May 28, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The pool chaise cushions need to be cleaned. And the bean bag type cushions need to be replaced.

10

Tracy

Jun 6, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

So clean and super cute!

10

george

Sep 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Strange food and snack options - pool furniture pretty dirty

6

Ana

Jul 18, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We love this hotel, so it’s sad to leave negative feedback. This is the first time we’ve had a negative experience. The shower gel and conditioner bottles were empty, the first room we were given which we were told was a complimentary upgrade because we were celebrating a birthday did not have working AC. The room we were switched to, also didn’t have an AC that was fully functional either. When we turned it on it made a sound like a plane engine and it didn’t cool the room much, so we stuck to just the fan. The living room area tv also didn’t work. We didn’t want to keep calling the front desk, so we just let it go. Luckily our kiddos wanted to spend the majority of the day in the pool, so that was helpful.

10

Jacqueline

Aug 8, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The place was so amazing! Wonderful staff as well. Nice & Clean I’m recommending

8

Simon

Jan 28, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice accommodation with big rooms, but cleaning could have been better. Cornflakes, crayons, food crumbs on the floor. Also quite noisy since it’s next to a highway.

10

Carly

Feb 4, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean rooms and nice property.

2

Pantea

Dec 3, 2023

·

They just over charged me for everything I paid $150 more than I supposed to pay. Shampoo and body wash was empty and towel was dirty .

10

Kimberly

Jul 11, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Beautiful hotel. Clean and lovely pool and patio areas. Lots of staff they are doing a great job taking care of everyone.

4

Mackenzie

Jun 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I got bed bugs and the water was cold to take a shower at night. Also hot tub was full of foam.

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Rooms

Spacious, well-decorated suites with comfortable beds; some pool-facing rooms feel quieter. Recurring complaints cite AC units that are loud or ineffective, noise from the freeway or thin ceilings/walls, and occasionally unreliable Wi-Fi.

Related guest reviews

8

John

Aug 7, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Really nice, clean place. Staff very friendly and professional. Just depending on where your room is located, the surroundings outside can be loud. I would stay again with a room opening to the court yard / swimming pool area.

6

Vanessa

Nov 18, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

I stayed here for two nights. The room itself was clean and as advertised, which pleased me, but had I known this property was literally next to the freeway, I would not have booked here. I heard the freeway noise and felt the car rumblings both nights, which made it hard to fall asleep. Also, it's not well-insulated with sound proofing. I think the glass is single-pane and I could hear my upstairs neighbor clomping and stomping around both nights and mornings. If you sleep like a rock, it would be a good place to stay, but if not, book somewhere else.

6

Stephen

Dec 20, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The Wi Fi was useless, there was limited hot water and the desk clerk could not have cared less about it. Charging $30 for parking each night when there is no need other than pure profit is wrong.

8

Marie

Sep 12, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Absolutely love this property and I paid for the room w/ a courtyard/pool view and it was just lovely hanging out on the balcony. Only bummer was the super loud a/c unit right outside the bedroom.

4

Mirna

Sep 16, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The property is absolutely gorgeous, well decorated with fruit trees all over the property. The rooms are very spacious, well decorated, the staff is friendly and available for questions. The pool is big and beautiful. The only reason why I"m not ranking my stay any higher is because the AC units in the rooms are extremely loud to rhe point were even with earugs the loudness of the AC can't be canceled out. I didn't sleep the first night due to the loudless of the AC. We were moved after the first night to a different building, however, we had to insist. Beautiful hotel, just know that the AC units are extremely loud, bring earplugs, you will need them.

8

Shannon

Jan 5, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was very friendly and welcoming. The hotel is new and rooms are very spacious with easy access for parking. Unfortunately the wifi didn’t work the entire stay and the rooms are not insulated well, walls are super thin (you hear people moving around above you easily which made it hard to sleep).

2

Tracy

Aug 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

They checked me into a room where the A/C didn't work. I was able to get a new room with A/C - why not just give me the room with working A/C? So wrong. New room didn't have tv remote or coffee, they tout having pour over coffee but there wasn't any. Flooring of both rooms were cheap and lifting. Toilet had issues, I had to open tank to get it to work. No Elevator. Pool and Spa area are too small and crowded. I emailed Manager and still haven't recieved a call. They simply don't care. You'd have a better stay at a Best Western.

8

Harry

Jun 29, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We recently stayed at The Steward, Santa Barbara, and overall, it was a lovely experience. The property is beautifully designed, with a relaxed, boutique vibe and lush landscaping that gives it a peaceful, retreat-like atmosphere. The rooms are spacious, tastefully decorated, and thoughtfully appointed with modern amenities. We especially loved the comfortable bed and stylish furnishings. The staff were friendly and welcoming, and the location is great - both a short drive to both the beach and downtown Santa Barbara while still feeling tucked away. However, we did encounter a significant issue with the air conditioning in our room. The unit was unbelievably loud — loud enough to make sleep nearly impossible. We were told this is a known issue with the newer systems, but unfortunately, there was no real solution offered aside from earplugs or a white noise machine. Since no alternate rooms were available, we had to turn the unit off and deal with the heat, which made for some uncomfortable nights. It’s disappointing that such a well-designed and otherwise high-end property would overlook something so critical to guest comfort. That said, we still enjoyed our stay and appreciate the overall experience. If they can resolve the A/C issue, this hotel would easily be a five-star rating.

8

Paula

Apr 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The place was beautiful. Comfortable and very relaxing. Two thing that we felt that needs attention. First, water in the shower is very light, no pressure at all. A bit disappointing when taking a bath. Second, we can hear heavy steps in the room above us. Quite bothersome when going to bed.

2

Mary

Aug 29, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Our experience was not great at all at this hotel. We arrived at our room and the room was like an oven and so we turned on the AC. We called the front and they told us someone would stop by. We decided to step out for dinner and when we arrive, the room was still hot. We ended up calling to switch rooms. This was close to 7pm. The room we were given was also an oven, but our baby’s bedtime was soon so we ended up sleeping in a hot room. The hotel room did not cool down until around almost 2am. Needless to say we will not be staying at that hotel we ever again. Worst experience ever

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Service

Staff are frequently described as friendly and accommodating. However, service can be inconsistent, with slow check-in or dining, delayed responses to requests, and occasional poor handling of issues.

Related guest reviews

10

Melissa

Dec 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great size room and friendly staff!

4

Mirna

Sep 16, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The property is absolutely gorgeous, well decorated with fruit trees all over the property. The rooms are very spacious, well decorated, the staff is friendly and available for questions. The pool is big and beautiful. The only reason why I"m not ranking my stay any higher is because the AC units in the rooms are extremely loud to rhe point were even with earugs the loudness of the AC can't be canceled out. I didn't sleep the first night due to the loudless of the AC. We were moved after the first night to a different building, however, we had to insist. Beautiful hotel, just know that the AC units are extremely loud, bring earplugs, you will need them.

6

Karina

Jul 27, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Customer service was seriously lacking. From the room not being ready an hour and a half AFTER check in time, to no apologies or smiles from front desk staff, to long waits for breakfast from the kitchen, this was not up to par for this type of hotel/pricing. The room was beautiful but functionally poor. Lighting was so dim in the bedroom, bathroom door wouldn’t shut unless you threw your whole weight against it, tub was chipped, no bottle opener for water bottles sold as part of the mini bar, sliding door unlocked when we got to our room. No lotion as part of toiletries offered, and the AC shook and was so noisy. Very disappointed in what looked like a high level hotel (based on the prices and photos).

8

Miranda

Feb 9, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Front desk staff were extremely helpful and kind!

2

Francia

Jun 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I had an absolutely horrible experience the night before my wedding. Instead of feeling excited and joyful, I was met with frustration and disappointment. My husband’s room had no AC, and all maintenance did was bring a candle. We were told no other rooms were available due to overbooking, so nothing was done to resolve the issue. My room was just as bad—blood stains on the sheets, a leaking bathroom sink, a toilet that wouldn’t flush, and a broken shower. On top of that, I was made to wait at check-in (5:30 PM!) because “VIPs and elite members” had late checkouts and took priority. I felt completely unappreciated and unwelcome. When I addressed all of this with the GM, Robert, he was dismissive, rude, made excuses, and never once apologized. No compensation was offered, and no effort was made to make things right. The customer service was terrible from start to finish. This was supposed to be one of the most special nights of my life. Instead, it was stressful and upsetting. I will never stay with Marriott Bonvoy again.

2

Tracy

Aug 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

They checked me into a room where the A/C didn't work. I was able to get a new room with A/C - why not just give me the room with working A/C? So wrong. New room didn't have tv remote or coffee, they tout having pour over coffee but there wasn't any. Flooring of both rooms were cheap and lifting. Toilet had issues, I had to open tank to get it to work. No Elevator. Pool and Spa area are too small and crowded. I emailed Manager and still haven't recieved a call. They simply don't care. You'd have a better stay at a Best Western.

6

Maheshwari

Jul 25, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Nice quiet property and resort. The service was pretty bad. They always run out of towels at pool even though it was not crowded. They had sofa bed which was worst quality. They did not provide extra sheet, pillow or comforter. When asked, they dropped one item and forgot the rest. Even though we were family of four they put limited cups, coffee and other supplies including bathroom items. We would always run out and they won't pick the phone at desk. They had expensive parking and very expensive restaurants on site. Their discount is useless. Not many other options to eat closeby. They charged extra service charges at checkout which was not mentioned on Expedia while booking, however it was not significant amount. Overall experience was just okay. Was expecting a lot based on rating, pics and cost.

6

Claudia

Aug 6, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Check-in definitely was not a good start to this trip. Arrived at 4:15pm for check -in and I was advised to wait a few minutes while the room inspection was completed. It was not until 4:53 that we were able to get our keys. Checked a couple of times with the front desk in the meantime, but didn't seem to speed up anything.

10

Susan

Sep 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The people that work here are so hard working and did so much to make our stay feel special. Everyone was always smiling and in a good mood. The food was amazing and the grounds are beautiful!!

10

Karen

Jul 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I always enjoy staying at the Steward- it’s nice to be a ways away from the hectic traffic in Santa Barbara! Rooms are very nice - a bit pricey, but nice! Staff at check in are always super friendly and professional.

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Location

Secluded setting near UCSB with a short drive to beaches and downtown Santa Barbara. Some freeway exposure and limited nearby options make a car helpful, and certain rooms pick up road noise.

Related guest reviews

10

Susan

May 20, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Beautiful location. This place was a dream

10

Dean

Oct 27, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Really nice property and grounds and excellently located for Santa Barbara

8

Duong

May 29, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice hotel but location was a bit tight and inconvenient to get and and out

10

Fernando

Nov 29, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice staff, really cute place,fairly quiet though next to a freeway. we took bikes out to UCSB to go to cute coffee shop in am. Not a lot near the hotel location but not a long drive to get to things.

10

mary

Feb 22, 2025

·

It is beautifully landscaped and interior design very fresh and comfortable. Stayed here while taking my daughter on UC tour.Location perfect for that.

10

Simone

Apr 20, 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Nice hotel in Goleta, close to UCSB, the Goleta beach, and about 15 minutes to downtown Santa Barbara. Nice restaurant and a pool. Staff was friendly. Room was clean. Only complaint were the slamming doors at the entrance to our building.

8

Simon

Jan 28, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice accommodation with big rooms, but cleaning could have been better. Cornflakes, crayons, food crumbs on the floor. Also quite noisy since it’s next to a highway.

8

Susan

Feb 26, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel is very cute. I was nervous after reading a couple of bad reviews, but I would highly recommend this boutique hotel. I only have two recommendations. One is to request a room facing the pool. The street side is a little bit loud. The second would be not to prepay for breakfast at a cost of $60. We would have spent less just paying out of pocket. Otherwise the hotel is beautifully appointed and was prefect for our needs. The rooms are spacious and comfortable.

10

Elizabeth

Sep 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel is hidden off the road and easy to miss, but the grounds of the property were beautiful.

10

Brianne

Apr 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

A perfect stay near UCSB

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Dining

On-site restaurant and bar earn praise for tasty food and good drinks. Downsides include high prices, slow service at times, occasional limited offerings, and confusion over breakfast inclusions or value.

Related guest reviews

8

Lauren

Apr 18, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel is beautifully updated and the rooms are spacious. Lobby/bar is also really nice! The staff were also so friendly, every person we encountered was super nice. However, I did have two issues with my stay. 1. the gym never had any gym towels stocked when I was there working out. This was frustrating especially given that I was there earlier in the day to work out, when fresh towels would likely be stocked. 2. Our room's thermostat was not working, so we had to switch rooms because the room was too hot to stay in. We paid for a king suite and there were no king rooms left, so we had to switch to a room with two queen beds. Being that we were in town for our wedding, this was a HUGE disappointment. The front desk staff meant well by giving us free breakfast to help rectify the situation, but our stay was still slightly tarnished because of this issue. That said, I would stay here again as long as everything works properly and get the room that I reserved and paid for.

6

Lusine

Aug 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Dining too expensive. I indicated I wanted room service every night, it didnt happen until I had to additionally call to remind the front desk. I do like the hidden aspect of the hotel but it could have been better given the price tag.

10

george

Sep 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Strange food and snack options - pool furniture pretty dirty

8

Santos

Aug 8, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

I paid nearly $1500 for a 2-night suite which included breakfast. But when checking in I was told at the front desk that breakfast was not included. This was a huge disappointment. Please don't advertise false claims.

6

Karina

Jul 27, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Customer service was seriously lacking. From the room not being ready an hour and a half AFTER check in time, to no apologies or smiles from front desk staff, to long waits for breakfast from the kitchen, this was not up to par for this type of hotel/pricing. The room was beautiful but functionally poor. Lighting was so dim in the bedroom, bathroom door wouldn’t shut unless you threw your whole weight against it, tub was chipped, no bottle opener for water bottles sold as part of the mini bar, sliding door unlocked when we got to our room. No lotion as part of toiletries offered, and the AC shook and was so noisy. Very disappointed in what looked like a high level hotel (based on the prices and photos).

10

Diana

Sep 3, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Loved our 1 night stay here. Recently renovated, a chic/modern style boutique, clean, pool view room was quiet considering it's off a highway. The bar should be advertised open as I thought it was closed since the kitchen was closed when we checked in until dinner. The bar and lounge area are superb to have cocktails and take to the pool, many seating areas and all instagram worthy. Rooms are spacious and we slept well! Overall great stay.

6

Maheshwari

Jul 25, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Nice quiet property and resort. The service was pretty bad. They always run out of towels at pool even though it was not crowded. They had sofa bed which was worst quality. They did not provide extra sheet, pillow or comforter. When asked, they dropped one item and forgot the rest. Even though we were family of four they put limited cups, coffee and other supplies including bathroom items. We would always run out and they won't pick the phone at desk. They had expensive parking and very expensive restaurants on site. Their discount is useless. Not many other options to eat closeby. They charged extra service charges at checkout which was not mentioned on Expedia while booking, however it was not significant amount. Overall experience was just okay. Was expecting a lot based on rating, pics and cost.

10

Tanya

Apr 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Next to a super main road but once you are inside you would never know - we did a pool day and the bar served wonderful drinks Service and stay were brilliant

10

Susan

Sep 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The people that work here are so hard working and did so much to make our stay feel special. Everyone was always smiling and in a good mood. The food was amazing and the grounds are beautiful!!

10

Cris

Apr 28, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean, nicely appointed and updated hotel conveniently located near UCSB. Restaurant serves tasty food as a bonus! Second stay was better than the first!

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$255
February	$277
March	$274
April	$286
May	$321
June	$406
July	$359
August	$401
September	$366
October	$330
November	$335
December	$280

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15 $526	16 $481	17 $444	18 $649	19
20 $263	21 $260	22 $268	23 $340	24 $352	25 $593	26 $529
27 $243	28 $261	29 $274	30 $353

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $245	2 $434	3 $758
4 $231	5	6 $290	7 $277	8 $270	9 $449	10 $713
11 $259	12 $247	13 $254	14 $268	15 $307	16 $694	17
18 $247	19 $245	20 $285	21 $338	22 $263	23 $521	24 $542
25 $238	26 $235	27 $245	28 $296	29 $286	30 $389	31 $455

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Suite, 1 Bedroom

Standard Suite, 1 Bedroom (Hearing Accessible)

Suite, 1 Bedroom (Hearing Accessible)

Standard Suite, 1 Bedroom (Mobility Accessible, Tub)

Standard Suite, 1 Bedroom

Standard Suite, 1 Bedroom (Mobility Hearing Access, Roll-In Shower)

Suite, 1 Bedroom (Mobility Accessible, Tub)

Guest reviews

Good

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about The Steward, Santa Barbara, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

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