We'll be booking a trip to Santa Barbara over the winter and want to redeem Amex points for a Marriott property. I would be grateful for recommendations. Thanks.

Unfortunately Marriott does not have a hotel in Santa Barbara. The two closest ones would be the Marriotts in Buellton and Ventura. The one in Buellton is a pretty average Marriott (nothing exceptional but nothing wrong with it either) with a good location if interested in the wine country and the Danish village of Solvang. I have not tried the Ventura Marriott. Santa Barbara is one of those places that lacks adequate hotel represenation from all chains but Hilton. So if possible, I would suggest you try and stay at the Fess Parker Doubletree resort, which has quite a spectacular beach-front location. I am not sure is AMEX points can be converted to Hilton or not, but if so that would be my suggestion to you. If interested in the wine country, then the Marriott Buellton is the way to go. When I stayed there, they gave me a rather large 2-room suite.

[This message has been edited by zakami (edited 11-26-2002).]

I've stayed in Buellton a couple of times. It's basically a nice hotel but quite a distance from Santa Barbara -- at least 10 miles.

Bruce

Thanks, folks. I wonder if Santa Barbara is Marriott's largest unrepresented market in the U.S.

My daughter attends college in Arcata, CA (which is next to better-known Eureka). There are no Marriott-family hotels within a couple hundred miles of her! Sacramento may be the closest. I was shocked.

Bruce

If you are in the SB area to visit wineries, the Marriott in Buellton is in a fine location. If you are not there for the wineries, then stay with another chain closer to SB.

We booked the Oxnard Residence Inn.

We drove by the Marriott on the Ventura waterfront. The hotel appears to be under construction or renovation.