The Bacara Resort & Spa in Goleta, California, has all the essentials of a luxury seaside resort — tennis courts, a full-service spa, several infinity pools, fine dining venues and, of course, dramatic Pacific Ocean views. There is even a 1,000-acre ranch that borders the Los Padres National Forest where guests can take scenic hikes through the avocado and citrus groves. Bacara is all about white-washed, red-tile roofed Mediterranean architecture, long walks along the cliffs above the sea, and superb service. How superb?
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How much do the rooms cost at Bacara Resort?
The basic rooms start at $780 a night ($860 a night on weekends), going up to $3,800 a night for a private ocean front 2000 square feet suite with fireplace, dining area, kitchenette and a wraparound balcony. In addition to the room price, there is a $50 per day “Hospitality” fee that includes the use of the Spa, two bottles of water in the room and one bottle per stay of a non-descriptive wine. So the superb experience doesn’t come cheap. But is it really wort your money?
How did we end up at Bacara Resort?
Last December at a Christmas party drawing, my husband and I won a free two-night stay at the Bacara Resort in Goleta. Lucky, I guess. Over the years we’ve been fortunate enough to stay in some fine hotels around the world, so we were very much looking forward to spend a relaxing weekend in this luxury resort, just a few miles up of Santa Barbara.
The Good
The resort layout, architecture and landscaping are quite exquisite and impeccably maintained. There is a full-service spa, tennis courts, and a 3,500-square-foot state-of-the-art training center offering wellness classes, including yoga, Pilates,and aqua fitness.
The guest rooms feature a Spanish colonial decor with wood-beamed ceilings and tiled floors, along with private patios or balconies, flat-screen TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi. The rooms look nice and clean, although not luxurious.
Bacara is a pet-friendly hotel, so your canine companion can accompany you for a $150 fee and enjoy a special bed, as well as his own food and water bowls. All these may sound great, but that’s about where the greatness stops.
The Bad
Bacara Resort & Suites may be a beautiful 5 star hotel, but the service is 3rd class. Their staff is young and inexperienced – local college kids. The check-in was slow although we arrived late in the evening when no other guests were checking in. The baggage delivery took about 40 minutes, during which time we kept being reassured that the bellboy is on his way to bring it.
To start off, the hotel only has valet parking at 70/night. But it’s not covered parking, so your car will be baking in the sun and white with dust when you pick it up. While I understand valet parking in a big city like New York, or San Francisco, where your car has to be parked in a garage that is sometimes adjacent to the hotel, at Bacara resort there is plenty of space just outside the hotel where you could park the car yourself, avoiding an unnecessary charge.
Is it worth the steep price?
When spending more than $850 a night for a room, you expect certain free things included in the room price, but other than bottled water and coffee there is nothing free at this resort. Not even a continental breakfast which is customary even at a Motel 6. The hot breakfast buffet they serve at the Bistro by the pool costs $59/person. So for two breakfasts and a beer (with tip) we paid $150. Auch!
Of course, the breakfast price is not advertised anywhere, so you are caught totally off guard when the bill arrives. The food selection is less than mediocre, with cold breads and sour fruits. In the afternoon, we wanted to have a drink at the pool side bar, but all the drinks were triple the price of everywhere else, so we gave up.
In the evening, after the breakfast experience, we decided to dine in Santa Barbara, just 12 miles away, where for $125 we had an excellent dinner in the historic district.
Drawbacks of Bacara Resort
Running toilets, stained towels, not working coffee machines and burned light bulbs are small details considered unacceptable even in a modest hotel room, leave alone in a five-star resort! The front desk offered to “fix” the problems, but having a plumber mess up with your toilet while you are on vacation is not our idea of a relaxed weekend.
Another drawback affecting the Bacara Resort is the natural petroleum drainage from the ocean floor that can make the entire area smell like a refinery when there is a temperature inversion. Tar balls wash up on the beach spreading through the sand where you can’t even see them. If you walk or jog on the beach you’ll destroy your footwear. You’d probably be better off going barefoot, then simply use the resort-supplied towelettes with mineral spirits to wipe it off.
Bacara Resort & Suites in Goleta looks quite luxurious and enjoys a great setting, but nothing else meets the expectations. Their nickel-and-dime attitude is quite annoying. Everything is not just expensive, it’s OVERLY EXPENSIVE! If they could charge you for the air you breathe, they probably would.
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Amila @Leisure and Me
It is nice to read your honest review about this resort.The hotel looks beautiful in the pictures,but terrible to hear the bad experiences.Anyway,the beach views are really beautiful and attractive!
Pete
Resort fee as of July 2023 is now $50 and parking is $70!
Anda
Thanks for letting me know.
Rhonda Albom
I could never spend that much on a room, but if I did, I would expect first class service. Even for free I can hear your disappointment, and it all sounds very valid. Valet parking only seems really odd at this location – and annoying, but not nearly as bad as waiting 40 minutes for your bags. I suppose he stood there waiting for a tip after being so late. Thanks for the review.
Anda Galffy
Yea, and stupid me I tipped him.
Brooke of Passport Couture
It’s unfortunate to hear the service was bad at this resort and you couldn’t enjoy your vacation properly! It’s also disappointing to read about the petroleum drainage–how can you enjoy the beach when that is a huge problem? I appreciate your honest opinion so people know what they’re getting into and I hope the resort makes some changes to how it’s run.
Michele {Malaysian Meanders}
Thank you for your very honest review. Your “free” stay sounds very expensive. Some of my family lives in Goleta, and I’ve dreamed of staying there when I visit. After reading this, I’ve definitely re-evaluated the idea. Perhaps I’ll just drop by for a spa treatment.
Anda Galffy
That’s what I thought too, Michelle. The “free” came out to be quite expensive.
Linda Bibb
It sounds like Bacara has decided to cut down on salaries for qualified staff and cleaning/laundry/maintenance. My guess is that their high end status won’t last too long. No wonder you got two free nights.
We enjoy exclusive, boutique hotels as much as anyone else, but it has long baffled us why the more expensive ones seem to nickel-and-dime their guests at every opportunity. For instance, I can get free wi-fi and breakfast at Hilton and Marriott’s less expensive properties, but if I pay more to stay at one of their higher end places why must they charge for them? Maybe someone may be able to afford an expensive room, but that does not mean they can also afford all the additional – and unnecessary – charges. As you said, OUCH!
Jessica @ Independent Travel Cats
Sorry to hear you had such a bad stay at this resort, although sounds like it is in a wonderful area (love Los Padres NF). I am often annoyed and confused about why more expensive hotels charge for such small things (WiFi, breakfast, parking) that are free at most budget hotels. They may offer some great amenities (e.g., luxury toiletries, a Nespresso machine, giant flat-screen TVs, Jacuzzi), but most travelers want to also receive basic services in their room price. We often book places based on offering exactly the 3 above things and budget/mid-range hotels almost always provide the best value for us when we just need a place to overnight on a road trip. ~ Jessica
Anda Galffy
Nothing feels worse then feeling ripped off. It may ruin your stay in a hotel, even if there are nice things about it too.
corinne
Anda, Love that beach….I feel the sand in between my toes right now.
Elaine J Masters
Ouch! The setting is beautiful and the rooms seem nicely appointed but they didn’t know about your discerning eye! Must say the Bacara is not going on my bucket list. I’d much rather stay in Santa Barbara!
Anda Galffy
Totally agree, Elaine. It’s way more affordable.
Michelle | michwanderlust
Love that you were so honest in your review! Yikes… Even before I got to “The Bad” section, I was already surprised at the rooms – for that price, I’d expect rooms that are a whole lot more luxurious 😛 like a palatial suite! How annoying that they take a “budget airline” approach to charging guests when you’re already paying full-service airline rates. With regard to the breakfast, I also think it’s bordering on unethical not to display prices clearly or at least volunteer the information. A friend of mine recently fell into that trap too – she ended up paying over US$100 to use the tennis court for an hour at a resort in China!
Anda Galffy
Yea, I wish people would read my review before getting into this trap.
Lydia C. Lee
That’s the worst!! There is a certain expectation when things are expensive that the service and everything else should be at certain level….
Ruth - Tanama Tales
I am more than surprised by your review. First, I had no idea the hotel was that expensive. Second, I can’t stand when a business is interested in emptying your wallet without shame. And then, bad service on top of that. Wow! Sadly, paying for every little thing is a rising trend in some cities (like Palm Springs).
Arnie
I have a real hard time spending a lot of money, and $520 plus is a lot of money, when I really only want a comfortable place to sleep. It’s not like we are going to hang out for any length of time. Of course, the whole resort thing really isn’t us, so that might have something to do with it.
Anda Galffy
I love comfort and luxury but I hate it when I’m being robbed blindly. Fortunately, we didn’t have to pay for the room, but even so, with the money we’ve spent in these two days we could have rented a nice room in another hotel.