Inn of the Spanish Garden

The Inn of the Spanish Garden is a fine place to stay while you spend a few days in Santa Barbara. It's not an option for the low-budget traveler but does provide good value for money, a convenient location and a highly accommodating staff.

The best attribute of the Inn of the Spanish Garden is its staff. Everyone we interacted with was pleasant, super-helpful and willing to do whatever it took to help us out. The friendly front desk staff helped us find a place to have a late lunch, recommended the perfect place for a light dinner and were ready to answer all our questions.

Built in 2001, the Inn of the Spanish Garden looks like it's been here much longer, its architecture well integrated into the Santa Barbara red-tiled Spanish Colonial style. Rooms have red-tiled floors and plastered walls and the place is full of wrought iron and other details. The Inn is in an excellent location three blocks from State Street, just far enough away to be out of the hubbub, but surrounded by lush vegetation that makes it feel isolated.

This small hotel is an excellent place to stay, toward the more expensive end of Santa Barbara accommodations in price but a good value for the money if you can afford it. Despite all of the good things we have to say, though, the Inn of the Spanish Garden lacks the wow factor that distinguishes a great hotel from a very nice one.

A word of caution about getting there: the map on the Inn of the Spanish Garden website leaves out some streets for the sake of simplicity, so don't be alarmed and think you've missed your turn. It may still be ahead.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.