Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort

Santa Barbara, California

Star rating

Standard Two Queen Room
Fess Parker Wine Tasting Room
Ocean View King Room
Standard Bathroom
Accessible Bathroom
Lobby
Junior Suite
The Set
One Bedroom Suite Resort View
One Bedroom Suite Bathroom
Fitness Centre
Resort View King
Standard Two Queen Room
Fess Parker Wine Tasting Room
Ocean View King Room
Standard Bathroom
Accessible Bathroom
Lobby
Junior Suite
The Set
One Bedroom Suite Resort View
One Bedroom Suite Bathroom
Fitness Centre
Resort View King

The hotel

Oozing seaside charm, Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort puts you just a flip flop stroll from the sands and ocean. Check out the casual coastal menu of its restaurants, and the Central Coast vintages in its Wine Tasting Room. And if that's not enough of the seaside vibes for you then check out the styling in your room for even more of a beachy feel (and ocean veiws if you opt for them)!. When you’re not making the most of your beachfront setting you can relax by the heated outdoor pool and whirlpool, enjoy some lawn games in the palm-dotted grounds or pop to the sanctuary of the Spa del Mar for one of the wonderful treatments.

Amenities

  • Kayaking
  • Tennis
  • Yoga
  • Families
  • Bar
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Internet Access
  • Restaurant
  • Room Service
  • Safety Deposit Box
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pool

Where is it

Located just across from East Beach, on 24-acres in Santa Barbara, one mile from the Funk Zone District. Within a 10 minute walk of the pier and a 15-minute walk of downtown Santa Barbara.

Hotel information

360 rooms and suites, with a light and airy beachfront-style theme. All have either a balcony or patio, air-conditioning, WiFi access, HDTV, mini-fridge, coffee maker, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, bathroom amenities, and safe. 

Standard Rooms have either 1 king-size bed and a sofa bed, or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 people.

Resort View rooms offer pool or garden views, with either 1 king-size bed and a sofa bed, or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 people.

Partial Ocean View rooms with either 1 king-size bed and a sofa bed, or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 people.

Ocean View rooms with either 1 king-size bed and a sofa bed, or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 people.

Junior Suites feature a spacious living area with sofa bed, larger bathroom with dual rain shower heads, bathrobes and upraded amenities, and 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 4 people.

One Bedroom Resort View Suites feature a separate living room with sofa bed, larger bathroom with dual rain shower heads, bathrobes and upraded amenities, and master bedroom with 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 4 people.

Ocean View One Bedroom Suites are the same as above, but with sea views from the balcony.

Complimentary shuttle service to Santa Barbara regional airport, and to the downtown Santa Barbara AMTRAK station (reservations require 24 hours in advance). Self-parking $42 plus tax per night, and Valet parking $50 plus tax per night (payable locally, fee subject to change).

The Roundhouse (open for breakfast, with buffet and a la carte options). The Set (serving bistro-style classic dishes, open for lunch, dinner, drinks and weekend brunch). Java del Mar (located in the lobby, serving breakfast sandwiches, Starbucks coffee, and other snacks). Wine Tasting Room (open seasonally). Terraza del Mar (poolside bar serving drinks and light bites - open seasonally). Room service*.

Outdoor swimming pool. Fitness centre. Spa del Mar*. Salon del Mar*. Cinema under the stars. Lawn games including croquet, giant checkers, giant chess, cornhole and bocce ball. Table tennis. Shuffleboard. Tennis*. Beachfront yoga classes*. Bicylce rental*. Kayak* and paddle board* rentals. 

WiFi access*. Concierge. Room service*.

This hotel has resort fees that are included in the room rate (subject to change)

Resort fee includes: - Internet access for up to 2 devices - Complimentary fitness classes - 2-hour bicycle rental for up to 2 people - 2 bottles of water daily (available from reception) – 2 beach chair - 20% discount on spa treatments and tennis clinics – Local activity discounts. Resort fee, tax and inclusions are subject to change - please see hotel check-in for current inclusions available to you upon arrival.

*Denotes local charge.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (1585)
  • Very good (1247)
  • Average (837)
  • Poor (471)
  • Terrible (315)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Consider Elsewhere

Jun 29, 2025 aaronp674

Like many others, I really wanted to give this property a fair chance despite the below-average reviews. Unfortunately, my stay left a lot to be desired—so much so that I found myself thinking about what I’d write in this review while tossing and turning through the night, thanks to the worst pillows. Pros: The hotel is in a great location and… Read more
Like many others, I really wanted to give this property a fair chance despite the below-average reviews. Unfortunately, my stay left a lot to be desired—so much so that I found myself thinking about what I’d write in this review while tossing and turning through the night, thanks to the worst pillows. Pros: The hotel is in a great location and has impressive curb appeal. The exterior is beautiful, and the staff at The Set restaurant/bar were genuinely excellent—attentive, professional, and friendly. Bartender is outstanding! Cons: I arrived at 2:00 PM and was told I’d receive a notification once my room was ready—which was completely reasonable. However, no follow-up ever came, and I had to contact the hotel myself around 5:00 PM to finally check in. While my initial interaction at the front desk was pleasant, the actual check-in experience fell short. The staff member who assisted me was unprofessional and lacked the basic courtesy expected at a business. The room was generally clean and in decent condition, but the bathroom was another story. The tub/shower floor was in such poor shape that I had to lay down a towel just to feel comfortable using it—it simply didn’t feel sanitary. It also looked like a dog was clawing on the bathroom door frame. And then there were the pillows. I honestly don’t know how pillows can be this uncomfortable—they were so lumpy and worn, it felt like they hadn’t been replaced in years. They disrupted my sleep to the point that I found myself composing this review in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, I won’t be returning. Please, invest in new pillows. Bottom Line: This hotel appears to prioritize weddings and corporate events over providing a comfortable, high-quality experience for travelers. While it may look impressive from the outside, there’s little value here for couples or vacationing guests. I'd like to give this a 1-star review but the staff at The Set were great. I would not recommend staying here. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Beautiful resort stay!

Jun 25, 2025 HilaryandG Las Vegas, Nevada

My wife and I recently stayed at the resort so this was just the two of us. The property is in a prime location right across from the beach and close to a lot of restaurants, bars, and shops. I was hesitant to stay at this property due to the reviews. I reached out directly to the hotel before booking a reservation, to make sure that some of the… Read more
My wife and I recently stayed at the resort so this was just the two of us. The property is in a prime location right across from the beach and close to a lot of restaurants, bars, and shops. I was hesitant to stay at this property due to the reviews. I reached out directly to the hotel before booking a reservation, to make sure that some of the issues that previous travelers described, had been resolved. I’m happy that I did that as well as made the reservation to stay at the property for 5 days. The room was spacious, with a balcony and ocean view. We found the room to be quite nice, with no issues whatsoever. The pool was open, however, with the beach right across the street we preferred beach over pool. The resort charge other reviewers mentioned does provide things like beach chairs, pickle ball, bottled water, and bikes, which were really nice to ride around the area. The bike rental shop personal were always very eager to help and provided locks for the bikes upon request. The bellman we encountered were helpful and quick with our luggage, both at check in and check out. At first, I was going to valet, however, I ended up self parking. The parking is not far from the main entrance and I found there to be plenty of spaces. The beach is right across the street which was perfect! We did dine at both restaurants and found the food to be good for the most part. There are so many dining options in the area so there really isn’t a need to feel stuck dining at the hotel. I am a Hilton Diamond member and have stayed at many properties worldwide. While certainly this is an older property, there was charm to it and we felt it was well-maintained. Both managers, Evelyn and Sophia, seem to manage the property and staff well. They both made me feel valued as a Diamond member. I would not hesitate to stay at this property again when traveling to the Santa Barbara area! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Maybe the food and beverage team should be in charge of the entire property?

Jun 18, 2025 rockjaunt Incline Village, Nevada

Disappointing, and lacking value - in general, what stands out to me about the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort is how much time the resort consumed simply managing being there. Check in - Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort is a huge resort. However there are only two check in desks. Check-in took considerable time, and each subsequent… Read more
Disappointing, and lacking value - in general, what stands out to me about the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort is how much time the resort consumed simply managing being there. Check in - Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort is a huge resort. However there are only two check in desks. Check-in took considerable time, and each subsequent time I passed by there were no less than three couples/travelers in line waiting. Why? My sense was even the team is aware of this issue, as I had challenges with and needed to move rooms, and the person assisting acknowledged coming to the desk would be time consuming. Right out of the gate it was clear something wasn't right. The initial room, upstairs above bar/restaurant, was a fine room, but the wifi didnt work consistently in the room, so I had to take business calls from the lobby area, which was not ideal and full of distractions and noise. This is after placing multiple calls to tech support for the wifi not working. Now, interestingly around 1030PM or so the wifi was fine in the room, so perhaps there is some device in kitchen which disrupts while kitchen is open, i don't know, but candidly spent way to much time on calls to wifi helpdesk and hotel challenges which did not need to be issues and interfered with enjoying the property. After moving rooms, had zero wifi issues. Wifi was good literally anywhere except in the room. 3 or 4 calls to wifi support and multiple tickets, hard to appreciate the really great location and sunsets when on the phone with IT support, especially when it extends your day due to not being able to complete work. Now considering all the time, impact and challenge, I was rewarded 25,000 points, which is 5% of what I used in points to reserve the room. That the experience impacted nearly half my stay does not encourage me to want to return. FWIW - have Lifetime Diamond status though in this instance there did not appear to be a factor. Will add, am a cybersecurity and networking professional, and it was an interesting exercise figuring out, or at least identifying the failure of coverage specifically while in room, though doing so while attempting to meet and work around existing commitments was simply too much to overlook. Its a fail at best at this property, and thats not even getting into the stale smell which understandably is there from being an older property. Candidly, the 25,000 points, given how watered down and little value the points provide, was more a condescending "we did something" vs true action of remediation. The restaurant/bar staff were consistently the silver lining blessing of this trip!!! Side effect of spending considerable time in the lobby/restaurant/bar is the staff were all really great people - friendly, funny, courteous and just a joy to be around. Food and drinks were consistently good to great, and timely! Restaurant/Bar team pulled this review from a Zero to a 2 Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Terrible experience!

May 24, 2025 Michael C

I had a very bad experience staying at the Santa Barbara Hilton. Not only was the property tired and dated, my room was never cleaned and they charged me a $150 fee for a late check out when in fact I was out of the room early! Awful experience from start to finish! I will never be staying here again.
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Not worth the price!

May 9, 2025 257dawnq

Very disappointing, for the price! The location of this Hilton is very good––across the street from the beach (not beach front), and barely a mile into downtown SB––but it is in SERIOUS need of updating, and nowhere in line with the pricing! Sitting in the lobby, you look up at the giant glass skylight, that is covered in bird poop, on the INSIDE!… Read more
Very disappointing, for the price! The location of this Hilton is very good––across the street from the beach (not beach front), and barely a mile into downtown SB––but it is in SERIOUS need of updating, and nowhere in line with the pricing! Sitting in the lobby, you look up at the giant glass skylight, that is covered in bird poop, on the INSIDE! It's disgusting. The carpet and design throughout is incredibly outdated. We had to take one elevator from the lobby to the 2nd floor, and then walk countless hallways (imagine Severance, with ugly 90s floral carpet) to take another elevator to the 3rd floor. Our room had missing trim that was rusty and ugly, and there was nothing about it that was luxury or worth the $600 per night cost. The view from our room of the pool and side ocean was nice, and again, location is good, but overall, disappointing! Read less