FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Unbound Collection Santa Barbara (MarMonte) REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Old Sep 30, 2010, 9:02 pm
  #10  
theguyfromsocal
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Southern California
Programs: spg starwood -platinum, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 86
We Really Enjoyed Staying At This Hotel !!

First, a shout out to Luis (one of the front desk managers). He was wonderful to work with ... he made our stay virtually perfect at this hotel.

Let me tell you where I am coming from ... as a truly dedicated Starwood Platinum with only a choice of the Channel Islands (Cat 2) property about 45 minutes (or an hour at bad times of the day) from UCSB as the closest hotel to visit my freshman son at the college, I knew I needed to search for a back up plan for the next 4 or so years. I just couldn't get too excited about driving 1 1/2 -2 hours back and forth each day to visit the collge and return to my hotel. I tier matched Hyatt to gain Diamond status and booked this hotel for our first visit up to the college while he was attending college (Starwood if you are listening ... YOU NEED A HOTEL IN SANTA BARBARA!) This is what I encountered:

1. Literally, a 10 minute drive to the collge from the hotel !! We went back and forth 2 or 3 times a day with ease!! My biggest problem solved.

2. A hotel located in an absolutely magnificent beach setting with splendid ocean views from the balcony of the hotel rooms facing the beach (which we were upgraded to).

3. One of the nicest room service breakfasts we have had in some time ... of course fully comped for the diamond status.

4. A fabulous weekday rate ... if you can make it out to this hotel during the week ... check out the DEAL on this hotel!!

5. Very inexpensive parking ... $10 a day to park right outside where your hotel room is located or if you prefer walking a very short distance free parking on the street (but watch street cleaning signs). I am used to paying more like $15-$30+ to park at hotel these days, especially nice ones like this.

6. Friendly staff in all departments.

7. You are right across the street from a beautiful beach!! We walked over and spent a great time at the beach while waiting for our son to finish his classes one afternoon.

OK ... you want one "negative" ... (there always has to be one in these "fair" reviews - right) ... since the hotel does not have a regency club, it would have been nice to receive some courtesy points especially since it also did not participate in the G1, G2 or G3 bonuses most other Hyatt hotels do. As such, the points I earned for this 2 night stay were less than half the points I earned at another Hyatt a couple nights earlier where I had an $89/night room rate for a single night at that other hotel. There, I said it - as an "addict" for points my only hope for the near future at this hotel is to get involved with Hyatt's promotions.

I knew about the points going in and I could not have been happier with my stay at this hotel. I hope to be able to stay here many times in the years ahead. Hyatt has found a real JEWEL in this new addition to their family of hotels (by the way, I was told suites may be available at this hotel sometime in the next year ... they are under construction / plans right now).

I give my stay a solid A.

Last edited by theguyfromsocal; Sep 30, 2010 at 9:10 pm
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