Downtown Retreat - Fabulous 'outBACK' Cottage

We have stayed at rental properties throughout the world and have never felt more “at home” than here at this wonderful property. This classic California cottage is absolutely charming, artistically furnished and thoughtfully equipped. The mountain view from the dining room and porch will long linger in our memory. The house is perfectly situated in a lovely neighborhood… just minutes from Santa Barbara‘s beautiful downtown which teems with interesting shops, excellent restaurants and outstanding cultural assets. Truly a heavenly spot for walkers! Finally, our hosts, Debbie and Jim, were absolutely terrific – – friendly, generous and super responsive. In sum, our whole experience was a “10-strike”… we greatly look forward to a return visit in the future.

We biked or walked daily around SB. The cottage was lovely and the host friendly and responsive. We would stay here again in a heartbeat!

I enjoyed my stay at Debbie & Jim's little cottage. Everything was just as described. Internet was plenty fast enough for me to teach several classes on Zoom during my stay. The only glitch was a problem with the washing machine, but Debbie was lightning-fast communicating about it, and it was fixed as promptly as possible. Excellent host and excellent stay in downtown SB!

I spent two weeks in the cottage trying to escape the heat in Arizona, I couldn’t of had a better experience. The cottage was clean, I thought the decor was fabulous! Debbie the owner met me to say welcome. I will absolutely be back!

The Outback Cottage is perfectly put together and organized and is decorated beautifully! An altogether wonderful accommodation. Also, the location is ideal--just a few blocks from downtown Santa Barbara and within walking distance to numerous restaurants and theaters. Debbie and Jim were very responsive to our questions and needs.

The property is a delight from start to finish. The Arrival process is seamless, with contactless entry, with the owner arriving a bit later for introductions, and to answer any of your questions. Communication with the husband and wife team was excellent and responsive. The cottage is cheerfully designed - one might say even a bit quirkily designed - which gives it a special star, for artistic authenticity. Whatever you may need, the owners are very prompt in their response, and they treat you as if you are staying at a five-star hotel. I wanted to bake a dessert for Valentine's Weekend, and the owner promptly delivered an electric hand-mixer for me to prepare my homemade dessert. There is a charming expandable dining table that I was able to 'double' as my daily work-top space for my laptop and various office items. Even though the cottage is not a tiny house it is a home in miniature, and cleverly planned to supply all the space you may need, if you bring plenty of clothes for a month like I did. The driveway is a bit daunting to back up into, but it is on a busy traffic street so I was very happy to have off-street parking. Also, the cottage could offer a softer, more cushiony and comfortable chair and/or sofa, as the sofa and chair that are in there are a bit on the harder uncomfortable side for watching longer movies or reading a novel, but they were adequate for my working stay. If I have to sum up the cottage in one word, it would be: delightful. I would indeed stay here again in the future! 4.5 stars out of 5 (minus 1/2 point for sofa/chair confortability).

We really enjoyed our stay. Our host and hostess were thoughtful. The property is absolutely beautiful and it’s in a really lovely neighborhood. It is a quiet reprieve from State Street, which is a short walk away. We absolutely recommend this property as a wonderful getaway to Santa Barbara.

We stayed at the cottage for more than two months and loved it so much. The proximity to state street was super, the cottage was clean, cozy, and well equipped! Debbie was the best and checked in regularly. Cannot recommend this spot enough.

Outback cottage is charming in every way, and exactly like the photos. Spotlessly clean, comfortable bed, beautifully decorated and very much a labor of love. Debbie and Jim are delightful - welcoming and communicative, and couldn't have been more helpful. I stayed for 2 months on a business trip and looked forward to coming home every day. Highly recommended.

Debbie and Jim are model VRBO hosts. We have rented from them three times and don’t want to stay anywhere else when we are in Santa Barbara! We own VRBO 814791 in Santa Fe, NM and we know the work it takes to make a five star vacation rental. You won’t be disappointed if you stay here! Excellent value and amenities!