What is Waterfront like?

Travellers to the Waterfront neighbourhood in Santa Barbara will be sure to enjoy their stay. Make sure that you visit Santa Barbara Harbor and Leadbetter Beach as part of your Waterfront travel plans.

If I need to cancel my hotel reservation in Waterfront, will I receive a refund?

Yes! The majority of hotel reservations are fully refundable as long as you cancel before the accommodation's cancellation deadline, which is often 24 or 48 hours before your check-in date. If you booked a non-refundable reservation, it may still be possible to cancel it and get a refund within a 24-hour period of your booking. Put your dates in and click on "Search", then you can filter by "fully refundable" to view top deals in Waterfront.

What is there to do around this Santa Barbara neighbourhood?

Leadbetter Beach, West Beach and East Beach are great spots if you want to spend some time by the water during your stay in Waterfront. You could also plan a visit to Santa Barbara Harbor or Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center while you're in the neighbourhood. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, Santa Barbara Deep Sea and Stearns Wharf are just a few of the places to visit in and around Waterfront. Santa Barbara Art Foundry and MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation are also worth a visit when you're out sightseeing in Santa Barbara.

Top 10 Waterfront Hotels of 2026

A river with rocks, palm trees, and mountains in the background.

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Our top choices for Waterfront hotels

1. Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort

East Beach, 0.5 km from Waterfront

McKenna

RM1,629 total

includes taxes & fees

24 Aug - 25 Aug

2. Santa Barbara Inn

East Beach, 0.9 km from Waterfront

Lilly

RM1,491 total

includes taxes & fees

4 Aug - 5 Aug

3. Motel 6 Santa Barbara, CA - Beach

East Beach, 1 km from Waterfront

Leanne

RM879 total

includes taxes & fees

10 Aug - 11 Aug

4. West Beach Inn, a Coast Hotel

West Beach, 1.3 km from Waterfront

Lorena

RM1,413 total

includes taxes & fees

25 Aug - 26 Aug

5. La Playa Inn

West Beach, 1.4 km from Waterfront

darryl a

RM1,265 total

includes taxes & fees

23 Aug - 24 Aug

6. Harbor View Inn

West Beach, 0.9 km from Waterfront

Hector

RM1,623 total

includes taxes & fees

23 Aug - 24 Aug

7. The Inn at East Beach

East Beach, 1.1 km from Waterfront

Vy

RM884 total

includes taxes & fees

30 Jul - 31 Jul

8. Mar Monte Hotel, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

East Beach, 1.1 km from Waterfront

Justin

RM1,471 total

includes taxes & fees

25 Aug - 26 Aug

9. Marina Beach Hotel

West Beach, 1.3 km from Waterfront

James

RM1,210 total

includes taxes & fees

25 Aug - 26 Aug

Desk, laptop workspace, blackout curtains, iron/ironing board

10. Avania Inn of Santa Barbara

West Beach, 1.4 km from Waterfront

Martin

RM1,036 total

includes taxes & fees

9 Aug - 10 Aug

11. Pacific Crest Hotel Santa Barbara

East Beach, 1 km from Waterfront

Victoria

RM869 total

includes taxes & fees

24 Aug - 25 Aug

Premium bedding, pillow-top beds, in-room safe, desk

12. Riviera Beach House

The Funk Zone, 0.9 km from Waterfront

Laurette

RM886 total

includes taxes & fees

27 Aug - 28 Aug

13. Beachside Inn

West Beach, 1.3 km from Waterfront

Melanie

RM1,175 total

includes taxes & fees

10 Aug - 11 Aug

14. Brisas del Mar, Inn at the Beach

West Beach, 1.5 km from Waterfront

David

RM1,233 total

includes taxes & fees

26 Aug - 27 Aug

15. Harbor House Inn

West Beach, 1.2 km from Waterfront

Rajnish

RM1,095 total

includes taxes & fees

28 Jul - 29 Jul

16. The Franciscan Hotel

West Beach, 1.3 km from Waterfront

Marcella

RM916 total

includes taxes & fees

25 Aug - 26 Aug

17. Hotel Californian

The Funk Zone, 0.8 km from Waterfront

Melanie

RM2,214 total

includes taxes & fees

10 Aug - 11 Aug

18. The Milo

West Beach, 1.1 km from Waterfront

Karen

RM1,337 total

includes taxes & fees

23 Aug - 24 Aug

19. Castillo Inn at the Beach

West Beach, 1.4 km from Waterfront

Alexa

RM1,117 total

includes taxes & fees

2 Aug - 3 Aug

20. Mason Beach Inn

West Beach, 1.3 km from Waterfront

Dayne

RM1,536 total

includes taxes & fees

13 Aug - 14 Aug

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Where to stay in Waterfront

Find the best Waterfront areas for the activities you enjoy most.

A coastal town with a pier extending into the ocean, a beach, and a mix of residential and commercial buildings.

Santa Barbara Beach

Santa Barbara Beach is known for its stunning beaches, and you can see some sights area like Stearns Wharf and Santa Barbara Harbor.

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A coastal beach with palm trees, a sandy shore, and a clear blue sky.

Montecito

The pristine beaches and ample dining options are top of the list for many visitors to Montecito. A stop by Miramar Beach or Butterfly Beach might round out your trip.

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A coastal town with a prominent white building with a red roof, palm trees, and mountains in the background.

Downtown Santa Barbara

The pristine beaches and ample dining options are top of the list for many visitors to Downtown Santa Barbara. A stop by Lobero Theater or Arlington Theater might round out your trip.

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A marina with multiple boats docked, calm water, and a clear sky.

West Beach

If you're spending some time in West Beach, Santa Barbara Harbor and West Beach are top sights worth seeing.

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A beach with palm trees, a pier, and the ocean at sunset.

East Beach

East Beach is beloved for its stunning beaches. Take some time to explore sights in the area like Santa Barbara Zoo and East Beach.

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Top Waterfront Hotel Reviews

Vagabond Inn Santa Barbara - Carpinteria South

8/10 Good

"Hotel staff was nice and friendly. We were able to stay with our dogs here which was nice. The t is conveniently located in the city. Hotel a little older but friendliness made up for it. Thank you."

Vagabond Inn Santa Barbara - Carpinteria North

8/10 Good

"We had a great stay at this hotel. The room was very clean, and the entire property was quiet and peaceful. Everyone mostly kept to themselves, which made for a relaxing stay. The air conditioning worked amazingly it kept the room nice and cold, which was especially appreciated during the warmer weather. The pool was also clean and well maintained. The only minor downside was that there wasn't a microwave in the room. However, there is a shared microwave located in the laundry room next to the washers, dryers, and vending machines, so it wasn't a huge inconvenience. As for the staff, we honestly didn't interact with them much, so I can't fairly comment on the service. We didn't need to ask for anything during our stay. Overall, we had a very pleasant experience and would definitely consider staying here again."

Hotel Californian

8/10 Good

"The property is indeed unique - - beautiful architecture - our room however was extremely overpriced for having it face a parking lot and garbage area . The room itself was clean although the carpet had several spots all over. For 1300 / night I would expect more, at least a bigger property with more to do … The pool area was the best thing we experienced in the hotel although they didn’t really have food or drink service - waiters would show up maybe once / hour. They are located in the best Santa Barbara Funk Zone as it’s called but that also within 2 min walk of commercial transportation train tracks."

Beachside Inn

10/10 Excellent

"We enjoyed our family trip with beachside inn. The staff was very friendly and helped us get adjoining rooms. the parking was easy and were able to walk around. Since it was hot the pool was nice and clean. The breakfast buffet was a nice way to start the day, especially with our picky little eaters. overall nice stay."

Hotels in Waterfront, Santa Barbara

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Be picky

Check prices for these dates

Filter by

Star rating

Guest rating

Our top choices for Waterfront hotels

1. Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort

2. Santa Barbara Inn

3. Motel 6 Santa Barbara, CA - Beach

4. West Beach Inn, a Coast Hotel

5. La Playa Inn

6. Harbor View Inn

7. The Inn at East Beach

8. Mar Monte Hotel, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

9. Marina Beach Hotel

10. Avania Inn of Santa Barbara

11. Pacific Crest Hotel Santa Barbara

12. Riviera Beach House

13. Beachside Inn

14. Brisas del Mar, Inn at the Beach

15. Harbor House Inn

16. The Franciscan Hotel

17. Hotel Californian

18. The Milo

19. Castillo Inn at the Beach

20. Mason Beach Inn

Where to stay in Waterfront

Santa Barbara Beach

Montecito

Downtown Santa Barbara

West Beach

East Beach

Top Waterfront Hotel Reviews

Vagabond Inn Santa Barbara - Carpinteria South

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