Tall palm trees and lush tropical foliage accentuate the Spanish Moorish style of The Eagle Inn, a quaint bed and breakfast property in Santa Barbara’s West Beach neighborhood. Built in 1929, the inn was originally a twelve-unit apartment building. In 1981 the current owners purchased the property converting it into a bed and breakfast property, eventually adding the casitas, individual units with private entrances. You could park your car and walk or bicycle around Santa Barbara from here, a great option if you plan to do any wine tasting during your Santa Barbara sojourn.
photo by Jay Sinclair for Visit Santa Barbara
What Else Is Nearby
The Eagle Inn is perfectly located to enjoy the beaches, the Santa Barbara Harbor, iconic Stearns Wharf (the oldest operation wooden wharf in the state), historic State Street, and the Funk Zone.
If you like history the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is on the harbor and The Museum Of Natural History Sea Center is on Stearns Wharf.
Whether traveling to Santa Barbara for business or pleasure or one of the many cultural events the city hosts, the Eagle Inn provides a convenient and comfortable base for exploring the city.
Rooms At The Eagle Inn
The Eagle Inn hosts twenty-three guest rooms and casitas, perfect for a family holiday or wedding.
Guest rooms have either queen or king-size beds with options such as double queen, superior king, deluxe king, and casitas. Rooms are spacious and the furnishings vary from room to room. My room had heavy oak furniture with wrought iron accents following the Spanish theme of the inn. Bonus: All rooms have heating and air-conditioning units. Though you rarely need either in Santa Barbara, it really depends on when you visit. I visited in February and it was very cold.
Deluxe rooms and casitas include electric fireplaces (the electric fireplace in my room put out quite a lot of heat), oversize whirlpool tubs, patios, and balconies.
Amenities include wifi, cable television, a private parking lot, an in-room refrigerator, a safe, microwave, glasses, and cups instead of disposables in the room, plus a complimentary aluminum refillable water bottle for guests. Note that I did not locate a USB port for charging digital devices in my room, though there were plenty of electrical outlets.
Bonus: Bicycles are complimentary.
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Accessibility Features
Bathrooms
The Eagle Inn has several protocols in place to comply with sustainability practices. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion products are all in refillable containers. The Inn provides shower caps and makeup wipes, along with towels and bathmats.
The extra large soaking tub in my room required a step up, but there are accessible rooms so be sure to specify that that is what you need when you make your reservation.
Food And Drink
One thing is certain, you will not lack fine dining options within a stone’s throw of the hotel. At the harbor there’s longtime favorite Brophy Brothers for casual seafood and fantastic views of the harbor; Anchor Rose is a newer addition to the harbor dining scene getting good reviews. The Funk Zone with all of its wine bars, breweries, and restaurants is just a ten to fifteen-minute walk from the inn. Be sure to check out Lucky Penny and The Lark in the Funk Zone or closer to the inn try the new Toma for excellent Italian cuisine.
If you just want to pick up some bottled water and snacks there are several grocery stores within a few blocks of the inn.
Other Things To Note: Rates are very reasonable for a beach destination like Santa Barbara, especially when one considers proximity to the beach and other top tourist attractions. Depending on the season and day of the week room prices vary from $200 – 400 USD. Make your reservations directly with the property or see if you can find a better deal on Booking.com or Expedia. Breakfast is served daily and is included in all rooms. There’s a cute patio for dining when the weather is nice.
Getting There
Only an hour and a half from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara is an easy drive for a weekend getaway or for visitors flying into LAX and picking up a car rental. The Eagle Inn is located on a quiet side street just a few blocks from Cabrillo Blvd. and the waterfront.
Photo credits: Exterior photo Eagle Inn courtesy Visit Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara Harbor courtesy Jay Sinclair for Visit Santa Barbara. All other photos ©PennySadler 2023.
