21 Bath St, Santa Barbara, California, United States | (888) 710-7049
Convenient location near the waterfront
Affordable, modern rooms
Some rooms have kitchenettes
Free continental breakfast
Bicycles to borrow
Free Wi-Fi
Business corner with printer
Large, furnished outdoor garden
No full restaurant or bar
No pool
Small rooms
The Marina Beach Motel is a mid-range hotel with a convenient location and affordable, modern rooms that tend to fill up fast. The hotel's location near both the park and the beach puts it within quick walking distance of many downtown attractions and dining options. The rooms are small, but were updated in 2015 with amenities such as rainfall showerheads. There are no facilities or public spaces here other than a pleasant outdoor courtyard, but bicycles are free to borrow and a simple continental breakfast is provided in the lobby. The Best Western Beachside Inn has noticeably higher rates, but also a small pool and views of the harbor.
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Scene
Renovated motel with an inviting central courtyard
Built in the 1940s as a classic motor inn, the privately owned Marina Beach Motel eventually lost its carports in favor of extra rooms, but outdoor parking spots remain outside the room doors. Wild lavender, roses, and native succulents grow around the motel and throughout the central courtyard, which also has a smattering of umbrella-shaded teak tables and a fountain that attracts bathing birds. The lobby has country-inspired decor, with a vaulted wood-beam ceiling, hardwood floors, a sitting area with a couch and a couple armchairs, and a desk and sideboard where coffee and the continental breakfast are laid out. The motel attracts a range of tourists looking for clean, modern, affordable lodgings.
Location
Near the beach and the wharf
The Marina Beach Motel is located just a block from the Santa Barbara Harbor and the beach. Pershing Park, with its baseball diamonds and tennis courts, is also just a block away. Numerous restaurants -- such as Endless Summer Bar-Café and Waterfront Bar & Grill -- are located within walking distance and the popular Stearns Wharf, with its candy stores, local shops and cafes, is an eight-minute walk away. There's a trolley stop nearby, too, from which you can easily get to State Street, which offers more shopping, sightseeing, restaurants, and nightlife.
Rooms
Beachy, modern rooms with mini-fridges and coffeemakers; some have kitchenettes
Renovations in early 2015 gave the 32 rooms at the Marina Beach Motel extensive updates -- namely breezy contemporary decor and modern bathrooms. A mix of dark and light wood furnishings, alongside brown carpets, are brightened by red armchairs and throw pillows, as well as white louvered window shutters. The Standard Rooms are small, but cram in full-sized work desks, mini-fridges, and coffeemakers. Some larger rooms have kitchenettes with small stovetops and microwaves, while the a Family Room (that sleeps five) has a kitchenette with a full oven. The updated bathrooms have either large tiled walk-in showers or shower/tub combinations, but both types have two showerheads: a conventional fixture and a rainfall showerhead.
Features
Courtyard garden patio, bikes to borrow, and free continental breakfast
The main event at the Marina Beach Motel is its pleasant little outdoor courtyard with umbrella covered tables and sun loungers. The motel is pet-friendly, but guests with furry friends should note that they're not allowed in the courtyard. Bicycles are free to borrow, and, inside the lobby, books are also available to borrow. Tea and coffee are set out in the lobby 24 hours a day, and the free breakfast includes an assortment of scones, pastries oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, as well as coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice.
