Unfortunately, this is not a luxury resort. It is a tourist trap! I stayed there for the 4th of July weekend and for the basic rate they charged for the room (over $800), it would not rate better than a two star hotel chain for $99. The service quality is barely adequate, with staff clumsily trained to upsell every kind of possible service. They were nice and courteous but more attuned to a Ramada Inn than a "luxury hotel". They will charge you for the air you breathe if they could during your stay. I don't mind paying for quality but when i feel that someone is trying to rip me off then it's a whole different matter and especially ruins my vacation. For example, the room service charges you 20% gratuity and a $5 delivery fee!!! the parking costs $24 a night and during our stay, the fires nearby sprinkled ash all over our car (no covered parking). The car was white with ash and they did not have the courtesy to discount the parking. But the worst part of the experience was the rash i got from being in one of the jacuzzis in the hotel. I went to see my dermatologist after my stay and he recommended that I contact the hotel to notify them of the potential health hazard. I spoke to a manager who nonchalantly put me on hold to talk to his head of security because he couldn't be bothered to take notes. This is not only a lack of professionalism but also a lack of concern for their guests. A total disgrace for a hotel who dares to call itself "luxury".

Me and my girlfriend decided to try out Bacara as we saw it featured on a program on the travel channel. We thought it would be a once in a lifetime experience. I have to say it was- for all the wrong reasons. First off, the property is located in a no man's land about 25 minutes from Santa Barbara. Secondly, after we arrived we had to wait for a hell of a long time to get checked in. Why, I don't know because there wasn't a whole lot of people in front of us. I did notice off to the side of us, a manager or somebody with some authority was giving an employee the third degree for something or the other. the poor kid looked ready to cry. I can't imagine dressing down someone right in front of your guests. Classless and tacky to say the least. our room was a huge dissapointment. For the price you pay, you expect something better than what you could find at any Ramada Inn. The walls are terrible. It's easy to hear everything going on in the next room. Also the food was mediocre at best and way way overpriced. The views are great if you like staring at rooftops. The beach was horrible. There was oil or some substance everywhere. I guess it's no coincidence that you never saw anyone swimming there. Also it's not very pleasant to try to take a walk on the property and be nearly run over by golf carts. I have to say that while some of the bell/valet staff seemed good, most of these guys look like they spend most of their time watching Beavis and Butthead. I presume they're college students. Probably not the best group to handle chores for a supposed five star resort. All in all this place was a huge dissapointment. You're paying a hell of a lot of money for not much. If you like lousy rooms with thin walls and walking on filthy beaches and seemingly not very nice management, then this is your place. If you're looking for a true five star resort in Santa Barbara, try some other place. Staying at Bacara is like flushing your money down a toilet.

When checking in they said we had been upgraded to a suite -- not so -we were given a tiny room in the dungeon - when we called they jerked us around for an hour and then gave us an ok room if you don't mind no air conditioning or a toilet that doesn;t work. They told us they would give us a suite the next day, We stayed packed and we did not hear from them I called at 3 and they said we could only then have a suite if we were willing to pay an extra $1000 a day (extortion) --- ! ( Front desk manager RP is particularly unpleasant to deal with-- not someone you would want to spend 2 nminutes talking to while on vacation,) so we stayed put -- It turns out they turn the vents almost off to cut back on the air conditioning and the electrician said they do that because some people don't want to be too cool--right ! It was 88 degrees both inside and out even with the air turned to full blast eek. The bed was extremly uncomfortable but on a previous stay I had had a better experience and a much better bed. The spa treatment are extremely expensive. Beware if you eat in the spa cafe coffee, tea and food are 35% more than the Bistro. I ordered a side of toast and for $4 I got one slice of bread ??? In the Bistro there was no extra charge for toast and they gave you 3 slices~! We arrived a little late on Sunday and missed the ranch tour - they said no problem we could still go. For a 40 minute tour which was lovely they charged us $119. The resort in May could not have benn emptier but the service in both the spa cafe and Bistro could not have been slower-- even thought there apppeared to be plenty of staff relative to the crowd or lack there of! The property is beautiful but maybe because it is so underperforming (lack of guests) they are trying to gauge the ones that are there! Important -- please check you bill before leaving -- Mine had a $100 charge on it and when I inquired about it -- they said I or someone I knew had asked for $100 cash to buy gas . I said that certainly wasn't me and let me see the id or credit card they showed to atttain money off my credit card --- When they could produce neither and I threatened to get my credit card fraud department on the line they finally removed it and said it was a misunderstanding and they had not given anyone $100 (really fishy or really lax??) Also they said it was removed but took 3 subsequent phone calls to get proof of that ! They were really difficult or incompetent to deal with! I have traveled a great deal and one can do better for the money!

This was my first, much anticipated visit to this resort and spa. Met my 2 girlfriends for a 2-day, Girls-Spahhh getaway, We meet once a year at a selected spa in California. This highly touted spa destination was not quite what I expected. Our room was situated near the spa pool. Conventioneers basically stood in groups, talking loudly and directly in front of our small patio. No privacy unless shutters were completely closed. Not impressed with the country-like decor. We expected more luxuriousness. The "Fresh" soap products were very nice. Woke up to the alarm clock of our adjacent room. Disbelief! Hallway noise, not good. Insulation must have not have been in the construction budget. The staff on the grounds, very friendly and helpful. Lobby staff overcharged at check out. Had to fight for that. Bad! Unfortunately, that is the last memory for any traveler. As for the spa, nice, but not luxurious. Tried the signature Lavendar Bliss treatment. Room was dark and gloomy. Lacked ambience. A lit candle would even help. Good therapist. But no remarkable amenity to speak of at this spa. Front desk not helpful to 1st timers. Sadly, I would only return if the rates were lowered enough for the true value of this resort and spa. Spahhh Girl, Orange, California

I have visited the Santa Barbara area many times over the years to see my brother and to relax from the daily grind back home in San Diego. This was our first stay at Bacara and we were not impressed. My girlfriend and I have stayed at many world class resorts for business and pleasure and have wanted to stay at Bacara since it opened about 8 years ago. Our stay began early Friday morning, after flying in and picking up a rental car we arrived around 9am. Check in was a breeze and YES the bell staff were great! Our room was cold but clean and took a few hours to thaw out. Even though a couple of buildings were under going an apparent remodel, the grounds were clean and quite. The pool was luxurious and the staff seemed nice. Later that day, we left to pick up family arriving by train. It took the valet about 20 minutes to retrieve our car since there is no self parking and they need to charge you $24 a day for this service.TACKY !! When we returned later that night, the resort was under siege. It took us another 20 minutes to pull up to the valet after weaving through all the apparent loner cars from expensive LA showrooms. The staff that was all nice and helpful before was now rude and seems overwhelmed. The bell captain was more concerned with lining up the Ferraris, Bentleys and a couple of Bugattis (I want one of those!!!) by color in the courtyard than keeping the arriving guests and their cars moving! We opted to walk since it was down hill and was nearly run over by the bell staff racing in golf carts trying to get people to their rooms. This was just the beginning. Later that night, we decided to have a night cap at the lobby bar and were surrounded by loud, snooty LA socialites who were on a quest to spend all of their daddy's money. From the cars to the girls to even the clothes they were wearing, Bacara is a fun place, just remember to bring daddy's credit card!! The remaining two days of our stay was much the same. Twice we had witnessed management reprimanding staff in full public view. What we had heard I don't think I can repeat here! We had felt that we were in a third world country. The staff seemed agitated and seemed to avoided eye contact ... even a pool server who we had met the day before, seemed to have walked off the job crying after being yelled at by her manager poolside. It was obvious that both the staff and guests were under constant surveillance by security and management roaming the property listening to their eye pieces and talking into the coat sleeves. At first you feel presidential, but them it gets kind of spooky! The resort couldn't have been more the 50% full due the remodel so it wasn't that Bacara was short staff, it seemed that they had a management problem. Both mornings housekeeping missed my mother's room and it wasn't cleaned until my father-in-law cornered a staff member running up a stair. Coffee in the room would be nice so I called room service to deliver some to my mom's room while we all read the Sunday paper... Two hours later the coffee arrived. We already had showered and decided to go out for a walk... The cold coffee that was left cost me over $50 !!! after all the fees and service charges they added. The food was about average but the price you pay is ridiculous. Everything you ask for you a charged for. Yes, even the parking. When we had to leave, we were ready to go home to relax. Don't get me wrong... the property is awesome with first-class amenities however, it takes people to make a resort work and we didn't see that during our stay. I can only say that this was our only visit and many other reviewers seem to have enjoyed their stay. Yes Bubba the owl was interesting and the bell staff was the only department worth commending, but I got more service and personality from a bird than anyone else on staff!! That makes a difference. In closing, both my girlfriend and I have traveled a lot and have come to expect a higher level when staying at a five star resort. No, we are not snobs... we leave that to the weekend socialites on rental with daddy's credit card... we have learned to respect and appreciate good service from others like Starwood, Marriot and Ritz-Carlton to name a few. Bacara doesn't even come close. Hopefully others may have a better experience... Good luck!!