With a stay at Ala Mar by the Sea in Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara Beach), you'll be within a 15-minute walk of Stearns Wharf and Leadbetter Beach. .This beach motel is 1.4 mi (2.2 km) from Presidio Santa Barbara and 1.7 mi (2.8 km) from Santa Barbara Zoo.
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) - 12 min drive
Restaurants
Moby Dick Restaurant - 8 min walk
Jeannine’s American Bakery & Restaurant - 3 min walk
Chad’s - 3 min walk
Finney's Crafthouse - 4 min walk
SB Biergarten - 4 min walk
About this property
Ala Mar by the Sea
Beachside motel walking distance from Stearns Wharf
Ala Mar by the Sea offers 18 accommodations, which are accessible via exterior corridors and feature complimentary toiletries and fans. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. Refrigerators and microwaves are provided.
Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Flat-screen televisions come with premium digital channels. Irons/ironing boards and hair dryers can be requested. Housekeeping is provided daily.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 18 individually decorated guestrooms, featuring refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms have complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include microwaves and fans, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Take in the views from a terrace and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access and concierge services.
A complimentary continental breakfast is included.
Featured amenities include a 24-hour front desk and ATM/banking services. Free self parking is available onsite.
Guests are offered a complimentary continental breakfast.
Languages
Danish, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transport
Free self parking on site
Wheelchair-accessible parking and van parking available
Food and drink
Free continental breakfast
Things to do
Personal motorised watercraft
Family friendly
In-room microwave
In-room refrigerator
Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)
Conveniences
24-hour front desk
ATM
Guest services
Concierge services
Housekeeping (daily)
Tour and ticket assistance
Outdoors
On the beach
Terrace
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
No lift
Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
Wheelchair-accessible parking
Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
Wheelchair-accessible van parking
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Blackout drapes
Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)
Bathroom
Free toiletries
Hair dryer (on request)
Private bathroom
Towels provided
Entertainment
Flat-screen TV with premium digital channels
Food and drink
Microwave
Refrigerator
More
Access via exterior corridors
Fan
Heating
Individual decor
Individual furnishings
Iron/ironing board on request
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 10:00 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before 11:00 AM
Special check-in instructions
An adult age 18 or older must assume all liability for the booking
The property charges USD 28.50 for credit card payments
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation
Guests are asked to check in between 3 PM and 11 PM on Saturdays and by 10 PM Sunday through Friday. To arrange check-in outside of these hours, guests should contact hotel/vacation rental management in advance.
Access methods
Staffed front desk
Pets
Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 50 per pet, per day
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Food and water bowls are available
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available
Payment types
Important information
Optional extras
Pet fee: USD 50 per pet, per day
Service animals are exempt from fees
Rollaway beds are available for an additional fee
Credit card charges are subject to a surcharge of USD 28.50
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards; cash is not accepted
This property reserves the right to pre-authorize the guest's credit card prior to arrival.
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a first aid kit
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
We should mention
This property does not have elevators
Property is also known as
Ala Mar
Ala Mar Sea
Ala Mar Sea Hotel
Ala Mar Sea Hotel Santa Barbara
Ala Mar Sea Santa Barbara
Ala Mar Sea Motel Santa Barbara
Ala Mar Sea Motel
Ala Mar by the Sea Motel
Ala Mar by the Sea Santa Barbara
Ala Mar by the Sea Motel Santa Barbara
Ala Mar by the Sea Reviews
Reviews
6.0
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
When I booked, price said included all taxes and fees. But checking in they charged me an extra $30 fee
Breakfast was a joke.
Verified traveller
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024
6/10 Okay
SANDRA, Ridgecrest
Travelled with partner
30 Dec 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
My husband and I stayed 2 nights while exploring Santa Barbara. Very convenient to the harbor and State Street, with its fabulous dining. Parking in the lot can be a challenge but street parking is available. Check-in was at the lobby of the hotel next door for some reason. The hostess was nice but I don’t think she ever made eye contact with me. Our room was quaint with the 2 queen beds as requested. I didn’t have a very comfy bed (I used 2 pillows which were both pretty flat) but husband was fine in his bed. Amenities were limited - shampoo/conditioner/lotion and one small round of soap in the bathroom. Refrigerator, small microwave, ice bucket with 2 plastic cups. I wish I could’ve opened the bathroom window to let steam from our showers out (no fan) but it appeared to have been permanently locked. All in all we would stay again just for the convenient location but it is pretty no frills.
SANDRA
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024
8/10 Good
Melissa
Travelled with family
28 Dec 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Disliked: Staff & service
The location is excellent and the second floor patio has a great view. This old hotel has some beautiful details like tile floors and nice tile work in the bathroom. However, it’s clear they are relying on the location to sell the place and not bothering much with upkeep and service.
Check-in was frustrating. We checked in on-line as requested, including giving a digital copy of a driver’s license which seemed like an invasion of privacy. When we arrived to actually check after dark (a few minutes ahead of when we had said we would), there was no sign of life at the office and a sign I could barely make out in the dark said to check in at the Villa Rosa hotel next door. This hotel had no obvious entrance but all the doors were locked. Knocking didn’t work and neither did calling the number on the door. I had to pound on a door to be let in. The desk clerk was clearly overwhelmed dealing with unhappy guests who needed things (towels, TV remotes, a new room because their first one had no glass in the window) so we had to wait to check in. Once in our room we found it clean and the windows all had glass. But the bathroom doorknob kept falling off, almost trapping me in the bathroom once. And the TV remote had no batteries so the TV couldn’t be used. By this time it was late and it seemed like too much trouble to rouse the clerk from next door to get batteries so we just went to bed.
However, waking up to a beautiful view of the sunrise over the water made up for it all.
Melissa
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024
4/10 Poor
Jordyn
Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
29 Nov 2024
Disliked: Cleanliness
I had higher expectations for this stay. The floors in our room were dirty and we had a broken window in the bathroom. There was a man standing out by our window in the morning trying to get back into his room. Not a hotel problem but speaks to the locals. Our room details stated there was a jetted hot tub. It’s a standard bath tub with a couple jets. I liked how close this hotel was located to the wharf and downtown state street. We made the best of our trip but I would not stay here again for the price.
Because it was off-season, I had to go next door to check in. There was no one to call at midnight when the neighbor was having an argument - someone locked out and angry. Otherwise, the room was lovely.
Thanks for the wonderful stay at your hotel. A special thank you to Laura. I had left my I.D. in the room and Laura tracked me down and sent my I.D. back to me. Thats above and beyond customer service. I look forward to a return visit there.
I should probably be ok at staying at this property if it wasn't for the feeling of have being tricked on getting into their restaurant with some discount tickets given at check-in. The restaurant is a rip-off with over priced drinks and food.
The office to check in to Alamar is not discoverable - and in fact as a different hotel next door. There was no signs mentioning this, so we had to ask the construction crew.
Also, the construction crew took up several of the few available parking sopts, and got to work pretty early in the morning. Not a great way to wake up.
All in all, this is a lovely place, but unfortunately being there during construction made our experience not stellar.
Also, like there was a pirate living somewhere on the property. He spent a good deal of time hollering and smoking weed through an apple which he left for all to use on the terrace.
So strange to have such a high potential property and such an ... "interesting" experience.
Ron
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024
6/10 Okay
Ajay
Travelled with family
17 Jun 2024
It was just ok. Bare necessities. But receptionist was very nice.
No front desk no phones in the room 12 o’clock. Neighbors have a party till four in the morning. Dry throughout the hotel mold in our bathroom on the ceiling big patches of mold we should’ve bolted from this place, but I already paid through Hotels.com. The balcony looks like it’s ready to fall down. I’m going to call the city and complain. feces residue in the toilet when we arrived