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

includes taxes & fees

19 Aug - 20 Aug

2. Santa Barbara Inn

East Beach, 0.9 km from Waterfront

Logan J

includes taxes & fees

3 Aug - 4 Aug

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

3. Avania Inn of Santa Barbara

West Beach, 1.4 km from Waterfront

Martin

includes taxes & fees

29 Jul - 30 Jul

4. Motel 6 Santa Barbara, CA - Beach

East Beach, 1 km from Waterfront

Michael

includes taxes & fees

9 Aug - 10 Aug

5. The Inn at East Beach

East Beach, 1.1 km from Waterfront

Vy

includes taxes & fees

28 Jul - 29 Jul

6. Pacific Crest Hotel Santa Barbara

East Beach, 1 km from Waterfront

Victoria

includes taxes & fees

17 Aug - 18 Aug

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

7. Riviera Beach House

The Funk Zone, 0.9 km from Waterfront

Laurette

includes taxes & fees

11 Aug - 12 Aug

8. Harbor House Inn

West Beach, 1.2 km from Waterfront

Jill

includes taxes & fees

29 Jul - 30 Jul

9. The Milo

West Beach, 1.1 km from Waterfront

Karen

includes taxes & fees

4 Aug - 5 Aug

10. The Franciscan Hotel

West Beach, 1.3 km from Waterfront

Jaime

includes taxes & fees

23 Aug - 24 Aug

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

East Beach, 1.1 km from Waterfront

Justin

includes taxes & fees

29 Jul - 30 Jul

12. Castillo Inn at the Beach

West Beach, 1.4 km from Waterfront

Li

includes taxes & fees

29 Jul - 30 Jul

13. Hideaway Santa Barbara, A Kirkwood Collection Property

Santa Barbara Beach, 1.6 km from Waterfront

Viviano

includes taxes & fees

10 Aug - 11 Aug

14. Marina Beach Hotel

West Beach, 1.3 km from Waterfront

James

includes taxes & fees

5 Aug - 6 Aug

15. Haley Hotel

Lower State, 1.2 km from Waterfront

Rey Jacob

includes taxes & fees

3 Aug - 4 Aug

16. La Playa Inn

West Beach, 1.4 km from Waterfront

darryl a

includes taxes & fees

23 Aug - 24 Aug

17. Beachside Inn

West Beach, 1.3 km from Waterfront

Oscar

includes taxes & fees

10 Aug - 11 Aug

18. Villa Rosa Inn

West Beach, 0.9 km from Waterfront

Frank

includes taxes & fees

28 Jul - 29 Jul

19. Hotel Santa Barbara

Lower State, 1.5 km from Waterfront

Dominique

includes taxes & fees

29 Jul - 30 Jul

20. West Beach Inn, a Coast Hotel

West Beach, 1.3 km from Waterfront

Lorena

includes taxes & fees

26 Jul - 27 Jul

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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 Presidio Santa Barbara or Granada Theatre 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

Avania Inn of Santa Barbara

8/10 Good

"Nothing special, just a clean, reasonably priced hotel in a good location in Santa Barbara. I would recommend this property if you're traveling alone or without kids and don't plan on being in the room much."

Sandpiper Lodge

8/10 Good

"Pros - Great location, nearby most of Santa Barbara's shopping and popular spots. Great for families. Loved the family suite with a separate room for the kids. Air conditioning worked great. Cons - Rooms are a bit outdated (there was construction in some of the rooms, so maybe they are upgrading?) Bathrooms needed a deeper clean. Breakfast was minimal. Overall we had a good stay."

Inn By The Harbor

10/10 Excellent

"Fantastic little hotel in a nice area. Minutes from everything in Santa Barbara. Staff were all nice and our room looked like a little apartment with a kitchen and fridge. Very helpful for leftovers from dinner out! The grounds were so beautiful! The breakfast was great too. They had egg frittatas, out meal, cereal, yogurt parfaits and pastries. Coffee and tea. We ate inside but lots of people ate on the patio outside the lobby which was really nice. I highly recommended this hotel."

Hotels in Waterfront

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Treat yourself

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. Avania Inn of Santa Barbara

4. Motel 6 Santa Barbara, CA - Beach

5. The Inn at East Beach

6. Pacific Crest Hotel Santa Barbara

7. Riviera Beach House

8. Harbor House Inn

9. The Milo

10. The Franciscan Hotel

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

12. Castillo Inn at the Beach

13. Hideaway Santa Barbara, A Kirkwood Collection Property

14. Marina Beach Hotel

15. Haley Hotel

16. La Playa Inn

17. Beachside Inn

18. Villa Rosa Inn

19. Hotel Santa Barbara

20. West Beach Inn, a Coast Hotel

Where to stay in Waterfront

Santa Barbara Beach

Montecito

Downtown Santa Barbara

West Beach

East Beach

Top Waterfront Hotel Reviews

Avania Inn of Santa Barbara

Frequently asked questions

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