Hotel recs. In Santa Barbara?

[AnnieW625]

Posted here for traffic. Will be spending two nights (2/21 and 2/22) and will be visiting UCSB, and Santa Barbara in general. It will be just myself and DD1 (15). I am debating between staying near campus or in Santa Barbara closer to the beach. Since we decided to do two nights there I am leaning towards the beach. My absolute max is $200 a night, and we will need two queen beds (we can’t share). I don’t see an Air BNB being a value for this trip.


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[bisous]

I would stay on the beach there. In a hotel. We had a place we really liked on the beach but haven't stayed there for ten years. It was the Castillo Inn (not to be confused with the Cabrillo Inn). It was at the far end of the beach but still close enough to the city center that we had no issue walking to State Street or the pier. It was affordable, close and had a free breakfast. Not fancy at all, but nice.

[Tenasparkl]

We stayed at a Best Western (I think it was the Best Western Plus - near the Mission) because my father in law got it free with points. It was totally fine - clean, the restaurant there was good, pool etc. Not too far from State Street. I think it would be in the right price range. I'd imagine most spots right on the beach will be more than $200 a night.

[AnnieW625]

Thank you both! I was able to get a two queen room at Castillo Inn at the Beach for $125 a night through Expedia with free cancellation until 2/19 (and 3% rakuten). I also found The Eagle Inn (which was also walking distance to the beach) for $164 but that was for a single king. It was a cool looking place and DD1 said she would be fine sharing but the recent reviews of Castillo Inn were pretty good so I just went with that. I remember walking by it when Dh and I stayed at the Harbor House Inn in 2008.


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[WatchingThemGrow]

Sounds like a lovely college visit! Is this your first one?


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[PunkyBoo]

I don't have a hotel recommendation, but our favorite Mexican restaurant is in SB so let me know if you want the rec.

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[AnnieW625]

Yes these are her first college visits. We can schedule in person student led tours with Cal Poly, Loyola Marymount, and USC now, but tour schedules aren’t available yet with UCLA and UCSB so we will have to see where it goes. Our current plan is: LMU (and maybe UCLA or at least a self guided tour at UCLA) on Monday (and then drive to SB), tour UCSB on Tuesday, maybe hang out some more in SB on Wednesday morning then drive to SLO, tour SLO on Thursday, and come home on Friday. We could also fit in USC in the late afternoon on Friday, (which works out to avoid the traffic rush), but USC can always be done later if needed. We thought about going as far north as Santa Cruz but decided to keep it within a 5 hour drive from home.

FWIW: LMU, USC and pretty much most out of state schools or privates are serious stretch schools, but I still want her to look at them so she/we can start figuring out what type or aid/scholarships she could qualify for there if she truly thinks that anyone of those schools are somewhere where she feels at home. I don’t want her falling in love with a school via online tour and then not following thru and figuring out the costs….she is the type of person that needs to feel things to see if they work. I know this may not work 100% and there maybe schools we don’t get around to visiting, but I really think this little push will help. Another bonus to starting somewhat early.

PunkyBoo…I saw your Mexican restaurant recommendation in another post about Santa Barbara!


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[Tenasparkl]

I don't have a hotel recommendation, but our favorite Mexican restaurant is in SB so let me know if you want the rec.

I'd love it please!

[AnnieW625]

I'd love it please!

I'm so glad OP (and the other PPs ) liked Los Agaves! I wish we lived closer to it!! The closest location to us is an hour and a half away so I eat vicariously through people we recommend it to!

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[mom2binsd]

I laughed when I saw it mentioned and looked back in photo album and saw that a friend and I stayed at the Cabrillo Inn when we were there in the early 90s. Castillo Inn is definitely nicer.

XH and I often did weekend trips to SB, our favorite breakfast spot was Esau's on State, it's closed but it's sister location in Carpenteria is open, it's classic old school breakfast food.