3504 State St, Santa Barbara, California, United States | (888) 240-7148
Quiet, motel-style hotel that's a good value
Well-maintained property with lovely landscaping
Comfortable guest rooms with pleasant decor
In-room flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, mini-fridges, and microwaves
Suites add whirlpool tubs
Free continental breakfast and afternoon beverages
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Free on-site parking
Not within walking distance of downtown
No elevator
The parking lot can fill up when the motel is full
The two-pearl Sunset Motel offers comfortable accommodations within a short drive of downtown Santa Barbara. The older, motel-style property has 17 well-equipped guest rooms with pleasant decor. All units contain large flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, microwaves, and mini-fridges. Bathrooms have attractive tiling that resembles stone, spacious, black granite vanities, and shower/tub combos, and suites add whirlpool tubs. Amenities are limited and there's no elevator, but freebies include Wi-Fi, a continental breakfast, and on-parking, although the lot can fill to capacity when the motel is fully booked. Travelers looking for a stay with a pool that's closer to downtown can check out Orange Tree Inn, with rates that are only slightly higher.
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Scene
Solid motel-style property with a quiet atmosphere for couples and families
This tidy motel makes a good first impression, with towering palm trees a terra-cotta tile roof. The grounds are pretty -- there's a fountain, and murals on some of the whitewashed walls depict pastoral scenes of the beach or countryside. Travelers are welcomed in a modest, narrow lobby, that's cheered up with plants and flowers in vases, an old-fashioned popcorn maker, and a Tibetan statue. There's no seating at reception and the space doubles as a breakfast area, so it can get cramped in the morning while people grab food and head back to rooms. Guests tend to spend little time here, preferring to venture out into the beautiful waterfront community that surrounds the motel.
Location
On a busy road with restaurants, but not within walking distance of downtown
The Sunset Motel is located on State Street, a main road that runs south directly into downtown Santa Barbara. There's a sidewalk and several restaurants, a convenience store, and a grocery store short walk from the hotel, but the four-lane road is often busy, and isn't ideal for strolling. However, there's a bus stop right in front of the property that ferries guests downtown. 10-minute drive to downtown Santa Barbara 11-minute drive to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport12-minute drive to Santa Barbara Amtrak Station and Ambassador Park12-minute drive to West Beach13-minute drive to Ledbetter Beach and Park13-minute drive to Santa Barbara Harbor14-minute drive to Santa Barbara Zoo15-minute drive to Stearns WharfTwo-hour drive to Los Angeles International Airport
Rooms
Comfortable and well-equipped, with mini-fridges, microwaves, and coffeemakers
There’s no denying that this is an older motel, but units have decor that's modern, bright, and pleasant for a budget property. Expect wood laminate floors, handsome, two-tone headboards, white comforters with red or brown throws, and mint accent walls behind beds. Units are nicely equipped, with large flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, microwaves, coffeemakers, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms have wide, black granite vanities -- some of which are en-suite -- and there are shower/tub combos framed by nice tan tiling made to resemble natural stone. There are also hairdryers and toiletries. Units that are a step up add sleeper sofas and seating areas, and dining tables and chairs. King Suites feature whirlpool tubs outside the bathrooms. Some traffic noise can be heard from the busy street, but it’s not excessive.
Features
Free continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi, and free parking, but no elevator
This no-frills motel has exterior corridors and lacks an elevator to access second-floor rooms. But there's a free continental breakfast that includes fresh fruit, coffee/tea, juices, cereal, bread, and pastries. It’s served in the lobby, where there's no seating, and so trays are provided for guests to take meals back to rooms. There's also free juices on offer every afternoon, and there's free Wi-Fi and on-site parking, but past guests have reported that the lot can fill up when the motel is full.
