WheelsFirst

You can try and see if HGP will talk to the hotel and confirm you a room in the main building, I was unsuccessful. Pretty crazy they're able to manipulate the award nights like that.

VandyBDL

I spent 2 nights here this past weekend during the triathlon, and I was pleasantly surprised. Rates were around $500 with tax, and I booked the last available room on points. It was a handicapped queen room. I parked on the street, and had to drive around the block a few times to find a spot around 1 PM on Saturday. Just be aware on Mondays from 1-3 there's no parking due to street sweeping. Upon arrival you'll notice construction in the parking area, and the hotel just doesn't look all that nice from the outside. The bell staff and the front desk staff were very welcoming and friendly. More so than most domestic properties of any brand. I was impressed with them.

I checked in (room wasn't ready until 2 hours later at 3 PM, but stored bags and gave key to pool. Note that the pool/lobby baths are closed for renovations, so you'll need to use fitness center bath to change) and was 'upgraded' to a rather spacious second floor ocean view room with 2 queens, a balcony, and a very nice ocean view room. This was in the building next to the main building...the one with the fitness center in it. The room had plenty of space, and it seems like maybe possibly it was renovated recently, but not all that well if that is the case. They could do with some nicer furnishings. The rooms don't have central heating and cooling, just a through the wall unit. Given the size of the room, the AC was undersized and never got down quite to where I like it. Other than that the beds were nice and the room was clean. I didn't notice noise from neighbors and the hotel was rather full. The bigger issue is a sulphur like smell from the tap water, which at times lingered the entire day, and I could see it making some people upset. The hotel knows about this, and they could install a purification system, but they just pretend like this is the first they've heard about it and "will talk to maintenance". The smell made me uncomfortable drinking from it, and I usually drink from the tap everywhere except Mex.

Diamond amenity includes a variety of choices, and we ended up going with the fruit and cheese plate, which was nice, and two 805 beers. Breakfast is buffet in dining room (dining room smells funky and lacks a nice ambiance) or choice of 1 item off a la carte menu, or room service. Food was OK, not great, but was presented well and was prepared quickly.

As others have said, pool is rather small, but the new bar that they're building at the pool looks like it will be nice. Interestingly they had 3 staff members working the pool which was unnecessary. Given that they are expanding the number of guest rooms with the auxiliary buildings that you'll read not so great reviews of on Tripadvisor, the pool is just too small and I imagine it will be a problem during peak periods. I believe the sign at the entrance said max occupancy 25 persons. There also doesn't appear to be any other outdoor lounging space, especially considering the little fire pit area is within the pool enclosure.

Compared to a property like the HR in Huntington, this is not a nice property, but I had a nice stay overall and would come again. Management is stingy with their upgrades. They should consider buyer higher quality furnishings, invest in a real HVAC system, as well as a water purification system. If they have room to move the fire-pit somewhere else outside of the pool area, that would make sense so that there can be more pool seating. Thumbs up on the pleasant staff, location, and not giving me a parking lot view like most of the rooms have.

musikdude

still not honoring DSU on paid stay- that is quite lame!!!

rntraveller

This Hyatt is one of the few that will not allow DSU use. I have been successful in getting a suite (there are only 3) by e mailing GM and asking if the hotel is quiet and they have the availibility that I request an upgrade. Have been successful a couple of times othertimes not .

firewoods

may I know the email for GM for Hyatt santa barbara, I will have a forthcoming stay here, thanks

ORD-TGU

I just saw that this hotel is being re branded as a Hyatt Centric. Any recent reports about this change? Planning a stay here. Thanks.

Jasper2009

Along the same lines, I'd be interested in knowing whether anything has changed since the re-branding?

(I've stayed at the property, but it's been a while)

ORD-TGU

No change since my last visit. Received standard oceanfront balcony top floor. Rooms are average. Only nice thing about this hotel is the ocean view. Pool and hot tub were closed one night. Breakfast average.

JackE

I am frequently near this property on my travels and sometimes stay. No complaints when I stay, but on three occasions when not staying I've tried to throw the two on-site restaurants my business and credit points it to my GP account. It's a complete waste of time and counter-productive as well.

rntraveller

How is this property now? thinking of using a couple of nights points after 4th July on a trip down from central coast? Stayed a few years a couple of years ago before it became a Centric . Now Explorist so I know there will be no free breakfast , do they have a pool again?

JackE

Hotel fact sheet on the website should have pool info.

joetro

Any updates? Am thinking of July 4th weekend stay in 2018, but tripadvisor reports still show as quite bad. Are they renovating rooms with the rebrand?

JustinMSP

There is a small outdoor pool (nothing to get excited about). Most rooms at the main hotel were renovated before the re-branding to Hyatt Centric. You might want to make sure that you book a room at the main hotel, and not "Santa Barbara House" (which is a separate building several blocks away from the hotel compound). The rooms at that building tends to be cheaper.

The hotel has valet parking only. I never have any issue with street parking the last few times I stayed there.

eefor jfp

if you are using points or your annual cert, they are usually a good value. Not the height of luxury but not too bad, either. I prefer the main building although the rooms are slightly bigger in the newer part (don't think that's what Justin was referring to as the Santa Barbara House but I'm not sure). I liked the restaurant for breakfast but there are also fun places nearby (like the original Sambos). Nice location for a walk on the beach and close to the pier for dinner but if you want to go downtown you need to drive. All that to say it's "fine" but nothing truly magical.

But that's true for almost all chain hotels in SB--either they cost a boatload of points (Hilton, Marriott) or they don't exist (Starwood) or they're cash only and expensive (4 Seasons). The one exception (besides Hyatt) is IHG; they have a HIX, an Indigo (which are OK with points) and a couple of Kimptons (though the Kimpton program still has not been integrated with IHG).

So given the other options, the Hyatt is almost always our choice in SB.

joetro

So are there any recently renovated rooms? Is Hyatt planning to renovate with the rebrand? I hear a lot of tired/dirty/gross kind of TA reviews.