SeaCliff - Pacifica by Paradise Retreats

We rented a two-bedroom apartment from Sea Cliff-Pacifica by Paradise Retreats. There is a dedicated parking space and a key code, so no need to pick up keys. Although we stayed there in mid-August and there was no air conditioning, Santa Barbara's blessed climate and good flow-through construction meant the rooms were always comfortable. And the views were stellar: a huge window from the living-dining room to the balcony with vistas of the ocean and the mountains. Plus, there's a roof terrace for wrap-around views up one level from the place we rented for sunset and sunrise delight. The kitchen was possibly the best-equipped in any place I've ever rented, and there have been more than a few. Full fridge, full oven and range, basic supplies all there, even capacious salt and pepper grinders! The dining table seats four comfortably (we were three). For three people, the king bed in one bedroom and the queen Murphy bed in the other bedroom were plenty. Both bedrooms had good-sized closets. And the Murphy bed was easy to lower into sleeping position and actually the most comfortable bed I encountered during 19 days on the road! This was in general the most completely equipped apartment we've encountered: beach stuff, plenty of towels for both bath and beach, they even had a kit ready for scrubbing the Santa Barbara beach tar off your feet!

There is no elevator. The property is on a steep incline (which makes the views possible), and you can avoid most stairs and steep slopes by choosing your way, but you have to get your luggage up one long-ish staircase. The bathroom is tiny, just a toilet and a tub/shower, and tub/showers aren't ideal for those of us hovering around age 70. This is compensated for by a large sink area outside the bathroom with a vast surround and lots of hooks for individual towels. Lastly, and this is not the fault of the apartment owners, the laundry room, which is in the building opposite (two flights of stairs required each way), had only one working washer at the time we stayed which swallowed far more quarters than were supposedly needed, and when we called the support phone number we were bombarded with questionable ads while on hold, got no real help and were never called back as promised. So no hope of a refund and we were out a goodly number of quarters.

The apartment is spacious, super clean, and very well kept. The neighborhood is quiet and feels safe. We especially loved sitting on the balcony and enjoying the ocean view. We also enjoyed walking down to the beach and strolling to nearby restaurants - everything felt easy and convenient.

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