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The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California, United States · Ritz-Carlton · High Luxury
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara sits above Haskell's Beach on seventy-eight ocean-bluff acres named for oil prospector Alfred Haskell, whose Ellwood field took the first Japanese naval bombardment of the U.S. mainland on 23 February 1942. Alvin Dworman's resort opened in 2000 with three pools, a spa, and Channel views, the only true oceanfront stay of this scale in Santa Barbara.
- 358 rooms
- Opened 2000
- Neighborhood: Goleta
- Rooms from 420 sq ft (39 m²)
About The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
- The resort sits above Haskell's Beach, near the site where a Japanese submarine shelled the Ellwood oil field on February 23, 1942, the first Japanese naval bombardment of the continental United States.
- Real estate billionaire Alvin Dworman assembled the 78-acre bluff site starting in 1968 and originally partnered with Hyatt, which later withdrew and paid $5 million toward environmental projects after years of Coastal Commission battles that reached the California Supreme Court.
- Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler held their 2004 wedding here with a 'Nightmare Before Christmas' red-and-black theme.
- The resort cost $222 million to build in 2000 across 78 bluff-top acres and 24 buildings, and is the only true oceanfront resort in the Santa Barbara area.
- Former president Gerald Ford and California governor George Deukmejian publicly supported the resort's approval process.
History
The bluff above Haskell's Beach north of Santa Barbara has a history that reaches back to the geological drama of California's oil era. The beach itself is named for Alfred Haskell, a nineteenth-century oil prospector whose Ellwood Oil Field nearby became the site of one of the most unsettling moments of the Second World War on American soil. On the evening of February 23, 1942 — less than three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor — a Japanese submarine surfaced off Ellwood and shelled the oil infrastructure in the first Japanese naval bombardment of the continental United States. The attack caused minimal physical damage but enormous psychological impact, contributing directly to the atmosphere of anxiety that preceded Executive Order 9066 and the internment of Japanese Americans. The beach and the land behind it have carried that history quietly ever since.
The resort itself was built on 78 bluff-top acres as Bacara Resort and Spa, opening in 2000. The development took full advantage of the site's Mediterranean climate and ocean-view geometry, arraying guest buildings, pools, and gardens along the bluff edge in a Spanish Colonial idiom that suited the architecture of the wider Santa Barbara coastline. Three oceanfront saltwater pools, a full-service spa, and a restaurant program anchored by an ocean-view terrace established Bacara as one of the largest true resort compounds on California's Central Coast.
Marriott International acquired the property in 2017 and rebranded it to Ritz-Carlton Bacara, integrating it into the brand's portfolio of landmark resort properties. The hotel now operates three distinct dining venues — Angel Oak, with its California steakhouse menu and oak-fired hearth; the Mediterranean-inspired Miro; and the poolside O Bar and Kitchen — on a site where the Pacific views extend uninterrupted from the Channel Islands to the Santa Barbara Mountains, and where the ground beneath the bluff carries more twentieth-century American history than the scenery might immediately suggest.
The setting
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara commands 78 acres of bluff-top coastline at 8301 Hollister Avenue, thirteen miles northwest of downtown where the Santa Ynez Mountains meet the open Pacific. The Ellwood Oil Field nearby was shelled by a Japanese submarine in February 1942 — the first foreign bombardment of the continental United States mainland. Haskell's Beach, an eleven-minute walk, stretches below the bluffs in seclusion, while the Sandpiper Golf Club, one of California's few true oceanfront courses, lies close by. Insulated from urban density by the Santa Barbara airport and the UC Santa Barbara campus, this self-contained village resort stands as the only truly oceanfront luxury property in the greater Santa Barbara corridor.
Restaurants and bars
- Angel Oak — Restaurant · Steakhouse
- Miro Restaurant — Restaurant · Spanish
- 'O' Bar & Terrace — Poolside · Modern Latin
- Lulio — Restaurant · Mediterranean-inspired
- Marisella — Restaurant · Italian (Amalfi Coast tradition) · Chef Danny Grant
- Mission Market — Café · Light fare
- SunBar — Restaurant · Californian
Experiences
- Family Activities & Experiences — Curated wellness, culinary and coastal activities; families can go birdwatching, take scenic beach walks or guided eco-hikes along coastal trails.
- MDW summer celebration — Memorial Day Weekend celebration with poolside cabanas, slow-grilled ribs, sunset cocktails and summer-inspired wellness experiences.
- Festive experiences (holiday feasts, seasonal shopping, 12 Days of Wonder) — Seasonal holiday programming including holiday feasts, seasonal shopping and the beloved 12 Days of Wonder.
- Tennis Center Access — Daily one hour access to private clay tennis courts, with rackets, ball machine and a 30-minute group clinic for 2 guests.
- Guided Beach Walk — Guided beach walk by an Ambassadors of the Environment certified instructor for 2 guests, daily at 3:00pm, weather permitting.
- Electric Bike Rentals — Electric bikes for 2 guests for 2 hours daily from 9:00am to 7:00pm, with helmet and lock; waiver required.
Amenities
- 78 oceanfront acres and private Haskell's Beach access
- 42,000 sq ft spa — the largest resort spa in Santa Barbara
- Three infinity pools (one adults-only) overlooking the Pacific
- On-property winery (Foley Food & Wine Society tastings)
- Championship outdoor tennis and pickleball courts
- Sauna
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
- EV charging
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Recommended (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2020)
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