Double Room, 2 Double Beds, Resort View
from $160
Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort
4.5 out of 5.0
4.2
out of 5
"Good!"
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Recent guest reviews
The hotel grounds are beautiful, well kept and maintained but it's too far from everything and everyone. There is no hotel entertainment.
Nice old fashion hotel, has it's own beach, quiet at nights, car a must, offers some activities
Stated at property for a week. Very nice and well maintained property. The issue is it is an isolated area in the desert, although on a Rocky beach. Beautiful surroundings but nothing to do. 30-40 minute drive to the closest activity or restaurant. Do not come here unless you have a car. There is nothing to do. After one day at the nice pool, was getting board. Everything at the hotel is extremely overpriced. They know that you are isolated from everything so they try to take advantage of you. Breakfast buffet is 30 USD. A cup of coffee is $5+ USD.
Pros Beautiful resort. Well maintained. Three restaurants a mini general store and nice pool. Private "beach" area Cons Beach was small but worked okay since it seemed slow. The resturant near the pro shop was pricy and food was just ok. It takes 15 mins to get to the hotel from the entrance. Our golf cart broke down halfway through golfing. It took 45 mins just to reach someone and another 30 to get rescued... I think we should have been refunded for the round. When we get back to the states I will be calling management.
This is a beautiful place. Very private. Private beach. The rooms are nice and the staff were friendly. They give you a drink when you arrive. They do charge a 16% fee on everything. Certain restaurants in the resort are open on certain days. The food is a bit pricey. They accept US money. $1=$1.78 their money. Get a rental car!
the place is awesome, but its really far from everything it even takes 7 minutes to drive out of the front entrance, thats the fastest i tried driving, but it does have the best beach in all the hotels, trust me! we snuck in to the other hotels its no good and on sunday they have family day, the local people rent out boats and they have cookouts and play games on the side of the hotel beach, everyone was pretty cool just show up with a bucket of beers and join the party. The philippine husband & wife that serve on the beach & restaurant was great they are very helpful & friendly, also the guy who brings you your bags to your room knows about great things to do on the island so make sure you rent a car is really needed and easy to drive. the only thing i didnt like was the manager decided to shut off the wifi because the manager felt nobody was paying for the wifi in the room, because everyone would just go to the lobby to use it for free, that was kind of petty. you do need wifi so you could get directions on your phone, to drive around in the island, and the island is very safe... overall it was alegre!
My husband and I cannot say enough about our stay. The grounds were gorgeous and the rooms were always clean! We enjoyed utilizing the pool and the beach during our stay. The only downside was that wifi was not free in our room.
This resort is truly a 5-resort. Everything about it was just perfect. From the lobby, to the room, to the hall ways, the pools, and the restaurants. Our room was always clean right before we got back from our excursions. The staff at the lobby were very helpful. The only downside is that is so far away from everything, but my boyfriend rented a car from Budget (which is located inside the resort) and we explored much more instead of paying for taxis. I will definitely do all-inclusive because it can get pricey in the long run.
The hotel room was very comfortable, the view from the balcony was beautiful, and the amenities were excellent. The one thing we really missed was free high-speed wifi in the rooms.
The resort is beautiful. It was approx. 30-40 minutes from the airport. I rented a car for the duration of the trip since I read it was best in Curacao. Not sure if Santa Barbara provides a shuttle. You have to pay for wi-fi in your room, but I decided against it. When I wanted to connect onsite, I used wi-fi in the Great Room (it's free). This allowed me to save data for navigating to various spots on the island. The staff is super friendly and very helpful when needed. The food at Medi and Splash is just okay. Typical to what is served in the US, but a bit more expensive due to it being served at a resort. I decided not have dinner at Shore because I assumed it would be more of the same. Since they have three restaurants on site, it would be nice if one of them served strictly local cuisine. If you are like me and want to venture out and truly experience the food/culture, you will have to leave the resort.
The property is undoubtedly a 5 star property. It's beautiful, secluded, and has a private beach. My wife and I stayed at this hotel last year and thought it was one of the best places we've ever been. The service and the food were outstanding. This year was not the case. While the property hasn't changed the hotel has slipped dramatically, in my opinion, from a 5 star luxury resort to more of an average 3 star hotel. My biggest issue of the stay was the restaurant, Medi. Last year the food was outstanding. They had a full menu and if you wanted anything off menu, they would make it happen. The staff was outgoing, friendly, and seemed genuinely excited all the time. This year, they only allow you to order the dinner buffet. It's not great. There's nothing great about food that's been sitting out and picked over... especially at their high price. You could opt for the salad bar buffet that comes with soup and pizza which is more reasonably priced. However, the food quality and availability is not reliable. For example of the 5 times we ate there during our 2 weeks, pizza was only available 3 times. My issue with quality is the fact that the dressings for the salad are not fresh. They come from and get put back into the refrigerator. Service is spotty. We got the impression that if you're not drinking alcohol, you're not worth servicing. Also, they seemed to frown upon requesting the lower priced salad buffet, and 5 out of 5 times charged us for the full buffet so that we had to ask to have the bill changed. On our last visit there, they actually insinuated that we lied about eating the salad bar. The full menu is still available, however, but it's for room service only. Our next issue was with our maid service. Our first set of sheets were not clean, and our towels were typically understocked (missing face towels, wash clothes, and floor towels). Also the towels were never quite clean either. My last major issue of the hotel is the fact that they now sell day passes to their private beach and pool to people not staying at the hotel. They didn't do this in previous years, and I think it definitely effected the quality of service and condition of the amenities. The hotel is extremely remote which has its pluses and minuses. However, if the food, service, and amenities are mediocre, then you have to ask yourself if it's worth driving 2 hours a day (the city is 30-40 mins away, and the other side of the island is 1-1.5 hours away). We would not recommend this hotel. It's not worth it for us to spend a lot of money for a room only to share our private amenities, not be able to eat the food we want, and then on top of it all have to spend 2 hours a day driving to find those things.
We arrived at Santa Barbara after a horrible stay at another hotel. We were pleased with how clean and beautiful the property is. The rooms were clean and a great size. We had a great stay!
My husband and I spent a week at the Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort in March. This place is absolutely gorgeous, well maintained and clean. The staff could not have been nicer or more accommodating. We loved the Shore restaurant even though it was a bit on the expensive side. Each fish dish we ordered there was not only fresh (as we expected, being in the Caribbean), but also perfectly seasoned and cooked. Also, the view from the restaurant is truly breathtaking. We also ate at Splash frequently, and found the bartenders there to be particularly friendly and helpful. Our only complaint is that we wish there were more dining options. The resort is far from town, so it isn't easy to eat off-resort. We ate almost every meal at the resort for a week, and since we don't really like buffets (offered at Medi), our options were pretty limited. Splash wasn't open every night we were there, and our wallets certainly would not allow us to eat at Shore every night. We did enjoy take out pizza from the resort store/gelato shop a few nights though - we are from New York, and we thought it was really good! Overall, we thought Santa Barbara was outstanding and well worth the money we spent there. We would go there again in a heartbeat.
Hotel was very nice... It's far from everything so you need a rental or you'll be paying high taxi rates and stuck in the hotel. Cleaning staff used some of my makeup products, which was pretty gross, so I recommend locking up everything. Everything is very expensive so get ready to spend especially at the hotel. The pool was very nice and it's only the hotel with a Beach on the property.
We really enjoyed our stay. Our room was beautiful, very clean, and well maintained. The pools were very nice and warm, my family enjoyed swimming for hours. The restaurant was great as well. The staff was very helpful, provided great customer service. We would return to this hotel and recommend to our friends.
The Santa Barbara resort was beautiful. A little out of the way but well worth it!! the food was good and the service was excellent. Definitely worth a trip!!
Everyone at the resort and on the island were very friendly. A little far from downtown, so perfect if you want to stay on the resort. We rented cars and took a lot of cabs, but the cabs are not cheap. There is enough to do at the resort if you are looking to relax.
This resort is physically stunning. It sits on a large piece of property away from busy Willemstad, and features an incredible beach and great pool area. The hotel itself is beautiful and well-maintained as well. In my opinion, though, it falls short of a four or five star resort. The food was mediocre at best, and the service in certain areas left something to be desired. We still had a great stay, and it is currently a great value, but don't expect a five star treatment. This resort could be something great, but it's not there yet.
Recently stayed at the beautiful Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort. Although far from the airport, worth the trip to a gorgeous calm beachfront resort. Only drawback: free wifi was only available in the hotel lobby, would be great if free wifi was available in guest rooms.
My Husband and I stayed at Santa Barbara for our week long honeymoon. The hotel and property is absolutely amazing! The grounds are kept pristine and all of the staff is very friendly and helpful. The property was quite and I did not witness screaming children as others had complained about at this property. The beach is great as well as the pool. The first night we ate at Medi restaurant. We waited for over 15 minutes before we were greeted and poured a glass of water. It took another 20 minutes to order our food. I ordered a pizza and my husband ordered a chicken dish. The food took about 30 minutes to come. My pizza was less than pleasant but my husbands dinner was great. The next night we ate at Shore. The service was spectacular as well as the food. The prices are a bit high but not much more than Medi and the service and food is a lot better. We never ate at the pool bar Splash. We would get gelato almost every night from Bella Italia but never ate dinner there. It is a must to rent a car when staying at this property. There are so many amazing things to see on the West side of the island. The beaches are astonishing in Westpunt. There are also a ton of great restaurants for much cheaper prices and better quality food. Our absolute favorites were: Espetada, Seaside Terrace, Rib Factory, and Baoase. The only complaint that I have which is very, very disappointing is that my husband left his sunglasses in the room as we were checking out. Once he realized he had forgotten then, he ran back to the room to find the maid already there cleaning and his sunglasses were gone. I would not ever accuse someone of stealing unless I knew for a fact that this had happened. I saw his sunglasses right before we walked out of the room and assumed he would grab them, but with his hands full of our luggage he had forgotten. It is a shame that this had happened and we were sure to search all of our bags inside and out before coming to the conclusion that they were taken. Overall I would definitely recommend this hotel. Just be sure and use the in room safe and rent a car.
Hotel highlights
- Free parking
- Onsite dining
- Marina
- Spa
Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort places you 9.3 mi (15 km) from Zuikertuin Mall and 10.5 mi (16.9 km) from L Aldea Rainforest Mystery. This 350-room, 4.5-star resort welcomes business and leisure travelers with 3 outdoor pools, a private beach, and a golf course. It's on the waterfront and also near Fort Beekenburg and Jan Thiel Beach.
Dining
There are ample dining options with 6 onsite restaurants, including Medi, which specializes in international cuisine and serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, and Shore with pleasing ocean views. Savor a meal from the privacy of your room with room service, or get a pick-me-up at the coffee shop/café. Buffet breakfast is offered for a fee each morning from 6 AM to 11 AM.
Rooms
All 350 air-conditioned rooms feature balconies or patios, iPod docks, and refrigerators. Guests can expect to find WiFi and 37-inch plasma TVs with satellite channels and pay movies. Pillowtop beds sport down comforters and bathrooms offer hair dryers and free toiletries. Coffee makers, free newspapers, and ceiling fans are also standard.
Property features
Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort features a private beach, a golf course, and a marina. There's free parking, and an airport shuttle at scheduled times for USD 42 per person roundtrip. A multilingual staff is on hand to assist with dry cleaning/laundry, concierge services, and luggage storage. Other amenities at this beach resort include a full-service spa, 3 outdoor pools, and a children's pool.
Guest reviews for Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort
hotel is nice but far!
Everyone
The hotel grounds are beautiful, well kept and maintained but it's too far from everything and everyone. There is no hotel entertainment.
Everyone
Nice old fashion hotel, has it's own beach, quiet at nights, car a must, offers some activities
Review comment
Darren Law - GM responded on May 16, 2017
Thank you for taking the time to rate us and sharing your experience. Our facilities, beach and peaceful nights are assets that should be taken advantage of. We hope to welcome you back!
very nice hotel but desolate
Families
Stated at property for a week. Very nice and well maintained property. The issue is it is an isolated area in the desert, although on a Rocky beach. Beautiful surroundings but nothing to do. 30-40 minute drive to the closest activity or restaurant. Do not come here unless you have a car. There is nothing to do. After one day at the nice pool, was getting board. Everything at the hotel is extremely overpriced. They know that you are isolated from everything so they try to take advantage of you. Breakfast buffet is 30 USD. A cup of coffee is $5+ USD.
Review comment
Darren Law - GM responded on Apr 20, 2017
Thank you for taking some time to write us a review. Your comments will be taken into account in order for us to improve our on-property experience. We would not want a guest to leave and think that we took advantage of them, it is disappointed that you have felt that way. We hope you give us another opportunity in the future.
beautiful very secluded resort
Everyone
Pros Beautiful resort. Well maintained. Three restaurants a mini general store and nice pool. Private "beach" area Cons Beach was small but worked okay since it seemed slow. The resturant near the pro shop was pricy and food was just ok. It takes 15 mins to get to the hotel from the entrance. Our golf cart broke down halfway through golfing. It took 45 mins just to reach someone and another 30 to get rescued... I think we should have been refunded for the round. When we get back to the states I will be calling management.
Review comment
Darren Law responded on Feb 21, 2017
Thank you for taking your time and writing us a review. I'm disappointed to hear about your incident at the Golf Course; it will be communicated to them. On the other hand we are glad that you enjoyed the rest of our vacation with us. Hope to welcome you back!
private resort
Everyone
This is a beautiful place. Very private. Private beach. The rooms are nice and the staff were friendly. They give you a drink when you arrive. They do charge a 16% fee on everything. Certain restaurants in the resort are open on certain days. The food is a bit pricey. They accept US money. $1=$1.78 their money. Get a rental car!
great place to go for the holidays!
GetawayWithFriends
the place is awesome, but its really far from everything it even takes 7 minutes to drive out of the front entrance, thats the fastest i tried driving, but it does have the best beach in all the hotels, trust me! we snuck in to the other hotels its no good and on sunday they have family day, the local people rent out boats and they have cookouts and play games on the side of the hotel beach, everyone was pretty cool just show up with a bucket of beers and join the party. The philippine husband & wife that serve on the beach & restaurant was great they are very helpful & friendly, also the guy who brings you your bags to your room knows about great things to do on the island so make sure you rent a car is really needed and easy to drive. the only thing i didnt like was the manager decided to shut off the wifi because the manager felt nobody was paying for the wifi in the room, because everyone would just go to the lobby to use it for free, that was kind of petty. you do need wifi so you could get directions on your phone, to drive around in the island, and the island is very safe... overall it was alegre!
great first anniversary
Couples
My husband and I cannot say enough about our stay. The grounds were gorgeous and the rooms were always clean! We enjoyed utilizing the pool and the beach during our stay. The only downside was that wifi was not free in our room.
so beautiful
Couples
This resort is truly a 5-resort. Everything about it was just perfect. From the lobby, to the room, to the hall ways, the pools, and the restaurants. Our room was always clean right before we got back from our excursions. The staff at the lobby were very helpful. The only downside is that is so far away from everything, but my boyfriend rented a car from Budget (which is located inside the resort) and we explored much more instead of paying for taxis. I will definitely do all-inclusive because it can get pricey in the long run.
great vacance
Couples
The hotel room was very comfortable, the view from the balcony was beautiful, and the amenities were excellent. The one thing we really missed was free high-speed wifi in the rooms.
beautiful resort
Couples
The resort is beautiful. It was approx. 30-40 minutes from the airport. I rented a car for the duration of the trip since I read it was best in Curacao. Not sure if Santa Barbara provides a shuttle. You have to pay for wi-fi in your room, but I decided against it. When I wanted to connect onsite, I used wi-fi in the Great Room (it's free). This allowed me to save data for navigating to various spots on the island. The staff is super friendly and very helpful when needed. The food at Medi and Splash is just okay. Typical to what is served in the US, but a bit more expensive due to it being served at a resort. I decided not have dinner at Shore because I assumed it would be more of the same. Since they have three restaurants on site, it would be nice if one of them served strictly local cuisine. If you are like me and want to venture out and truly experience the food/culture, you will have to leave the resort.
Thank you for your review. We will certainly take your comments into consideration to improve the on property experience of our guests. We hope to welcome you back.