Over Father’s Day weekend, we were heading down to San Diego and it’s about a 9 hour drive total from home. That includes dinner, snack, and restroom stops for all 5 of us and makes for a long one-day trip. This time around we wanted a half-way point and when driving down the coast on Highway 101, Santa Barbara is about as beautiful as mid-way stopping gets! Now there are tons of places to stay in this gorgeous locale, the Pacifica Suites on Hollister Avenue is one of them, and if you’re looking for immaculate grounds, relaxing rooms, and a step-above breakfast, you’ve found the right place!
The property is just a few short miles from the beach, UC Santa Barbara (a great place for parents of college students to stay!), and tons of shopping, the hotel is beautifully landscaped and adjacent to the Sexton House, now a grand social gathering or business meeting site.
In 1852, the Sexton family left Ohio for California, and upon reaching their destination, established plant nurseries. On the Goleta property, Joseph Sexton built one of California’s widely acclaimed pioneer nurseries. He introduced countless plant species to the areas and provided many of the trees and ornamentals that enriched the beautiful gardens for which Santa Barbara was eventually celebrated. When the family grew, so did their need for space. In 1880, Joseph and Lucy commissioned Peter Barber, Santa Barbara’s premier architect, to design the striking Italianate house which now serves as the centerpiece of Pacifica Suites in Santa Barbara, California.
My husband loved how they took the same style of architecture from the original Sexton House and designed the Pacifica Suites. The grounds are kept immaculate, have beautiful flowers and shrubbery, gives you a feeling of warmth.
We arrived early evening after about a 4 hour drive and the kids were eager for a pool. The long rectangular heated pool was perfect on this cool coastal evening and put smiles on all of our faces! The hot tub was smoking hot and you can set the timer on the jets for some muscle soothing after a long day. Plenty of chaise chairs are available on a busy day and the pool is centrally located on the property.
Our room had a great view overlooking the pool, was open and very spacious for our family of 5. The main bedroom included two queen beds and a television next to a full bath with shower. I love that the vanity area is separate now that my tween takes more time to get ready than I do! On the counter I was surprised and a bit saddened to see an amenity I’ve never encountered before in a hotel, Tar-Off wipes! After talking to some friends, Santa Barbara and Goleta beaches are known to bring in lots of tar from the channels just ashore. The sticky substance is often taken with you once you leave and the hotel is keen on helping you out. Complimentary bottled water is offered, which is a premium nowadays when you can see them in hotel rooms for up to $6/bottle.
Being a suite, our room also had a living area with sofa-bed, television, balcony with chairs, and a work table and chairs. I like not having to bring sleeping bags and putting kids on the floor, we had plenty of room for everyone to have a bed (two kids did share, which is fine). According to my 10-year old, the sofa-bed was the most comfortable couch he’s ever slept on! Robes were offered and though many people may over-look them in the closets, I think they are lovely and use them all the time, those are always something that makes me feel at home!
Upon check-in we were informed about the special made-to-order breakfast that comes with your night’s stay! Not only does the hotel offer a full continental-breakfast with cereals, muffins, breads, fruit, coffee, tea, and juices, but you can fill out a form with your choice of eggs, meat, breads (including bagels and cream cheese), side of waffles, pancakes, and hash browns! Omelets with your choice of fillings are also available, just take the form to the counter and the chef makes it fresh for you in a few short minutes. The breakfast room has a lot of 2-top tables that can be combined for more family members and you can also dine outside with heaters when it’s cooler.
Another great amenity is Pacifica Suites’ weekly wine reception. Monday through Thursday evenings you can enjoy Firestone wines, a local family winery! This hotel is fabulous, the staff is so nice and eager to help, I thank Melanie for checking me in and making sure everything was perfect during our stay. I also thank the staff for holding on to our bag that we left upon check out. We realized it when we got to our final destination of San Diego and were so happy to call and find that they set it aside for us. We picked it up on our return trip home!
I look forward to the next trip down the coast, this will be the first place we book!
Looks like a nice place!
I enjoyed reading this review. This sounds like an amazing place to visit and looks like they have great food and views.