All in the Family
Santa Barbara Hotel Collection loyalty spans generations
From its inception, Santa Barbara Hotel Collection has been a family business at heart. Founders Pamela and David Webber bought their first hotel here in 1962 and raised their children Jeanette and Philip immersed in local hospitality. Today, Jeanette Webber remains at the helm of our four-property hotel collection, ensuring her parents' legacy of family-style hospitality lives on. Providing visitors with a "home away from home" atmosphere over the decades has instilled strong customer loyalty and inspired countless positive reviews at Best Western Plus Santa Barbara, Brisas Del Mar Inn By the Beach, Inn by the Harbor, and Lavender Inn by the Sea.
Santa Barbara Hotel Collection treats employees like members of the family, too. That comes through in the way employees treat guests and the pride they take in their work—whether they specialize in maintenance, housekeeping, gardening, management, sales, or guest services. That high level of job satisfaction and a healthy work environment has resulted in several children following in their parents' footsteps, taking advantage of rewarding employment opportunities at our properties. We think that generational story is a rare and special one and wanted to share some of them with you through the lens of a couple of our newer, younger team members.
Cristina Vera's father Antonio has been a part of our engineering department for more than 40 years. She joined our team in May 2021 and works at the front desk of the Best Western Plus Santa Barbara, helping guests book reservations and check in and out. She was drawn to the company by the friendliness and a desire to pursue a career in hospitality. When asked what has surprised her the most, she said it was how many people know her dad. The most rewarding part of the job for her so far is "hearing the positive feedback from guests." Favorite Santa Barbara activities she recommends to guests is going down to explore the Harbor and touring local historic landmarks like the Mission and Presidio.
Kimberly Quezada Carrillo's father Manuel worked for Santa Barbara Hotel Collection for three decades. She grew up around the hotels and saw the properties evolve over the years. "As I got older, I would become even more excited knowing that one day I would be able to work for a company that has given my family so much," she recalled. In May 2022, Kimberly was hired as a front desk agent at the Best Western Plus Santa Barbara. In addition to checking guests in and out, she ensures guests are comfortable and makes frequent trips to rooms to provide items guests request. Seeing smiles on guests' faces is one of the most rewarding parts of her job. "Something so simple as delivering additional shampoo makes guests feel happy and valued," she said. "Taking an extra step to accommodate guests goes an extremely long way."
When asked what inspires her own loyalty to Santa Barbara Hotel Collection, Kimberly answered, "My dad dedicated 30 years to the company, and it was very rewarding for him." She elaborated, "Santa Barbara Hotel Collection is special because they are willing to take a chance on you. As a college student, I noticed that people were hesitant to hire me, but here there was no hesitation. They were more than excited to let me join the team and were thrilled to see me grow in the professional world."
Kimberly and Cristina both remarked that they feel like members of a family at Santa Barbara Hotel Collection and how valued they feel for their contributions and talents. "The warmth that is associated with home is what attracted me to the Santa Barbara Hotel Collection properties," Kimberly summed up.