bacara Reviews

Former Employee – worked at bacara

Pros – Company culture was extremely pervasive from top to bottom. All staff were indoctrinated on how to provide the same high quality level of service.

Cons – Because quality of service was consistent on all levels, management tended to have a downsized role.

Advice to Senior Management – Expect much from your employees, and respond more in defense of their service when dealing with customers

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at bacara full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – They paid well for Santa Barbara. Collegues were nice people. It's a pretty place to go to work.

Cons – A ruthless, New York real-estate mentality. Ownership enjoyed being cruel and making employees uncomfortable.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at bacara

Pros – This is a good place to get some valuable experience in the hospitality industry if you didnt get it elsewhere. HR seems to give most candidates a chance to be a part of the "BACARA" experience unless you are a complete screw up. They will provide you with uniforms, free meal, and the rare opportunity to check out the ranch and other amenities if you are on good terms with management. You will find alot of the staff to be UCSB undergrads sprinkled in with more seasoned professionals that probably came from Wyndham-Marriott or other large corporations seeking the independent hotel job. Also dont forget those in the typical housekeeping or banquets positions. One of the reasons I took a job here was because they also seem to pay slightly higher than other places that I had worked. Yes the property does sit next to the pacific ocean and is really beautiful despite vigorous walking you will do to get around the resort.

Cons – For an independent owned resort they make it feel very corporate in a not so good way. Eventually you begin to find out that they dont take paid time off requests very highly. They make it known that your life revolves around this resort even when you leave to go home. I knew many people that got "brainwashed" into the whole scam about the resort being the greatest thing that has ever been built. It is not unheard of to be speaking to someone that works for the property and listen to the way they come off since it is a way that is ingrained in them. I should know because I used to the same thing! The executive management team is comprised of various top level directors in different departments and they all share duties in managing the resort. Essentially, too many people makes it too top heavy! You wil also find that security for the resort to be overly intimidating. Security will go out of their way to make people visiting the beach near the hotel a pain in the rear end. Bacara also has a huge hang up with its image and reputation and because of this it is often common that things will be extremely hush hush with regard to the business of the resort. Many local residents are curious about the place and unfortunately the resort management and owners do the community a disservice by staying clouded in mystery. Does the word "militant" come to mind? You show up late for your shift and say one word and I can guarantee you that by the time you arrive to the property security and managers will be standing there to discipline you! Another thing that will come as a surprise is when you as an employee start making waves to get promoted or move into another department. All of a sudden your plans for transferring into the marketing/sales dept. is derailed because your managers out of the clear blue sky bring up that you have an infraction on your record stemming from a failed guest transaction that occured 8 months prior! Wait a second....as far as you remember they never wrote you up for an issue involving a guest 8 months ago? But then you also discover that the politics of getting the transfer also has to do with your home department not willing to let you go for whatever reasons? Welcome to the nonsense of working for this place!!!

Advice to Senior Management – None, I believe that I have stated enough information already!

Former Employee – worked at bacara

Pros – Overall, Bacara was a nice place to work...the staff is for the most part, well polished and professional. Resort is gorgeous..

Cons – It can get very stressful on staff at some points due to guest/senior management requests and sometimes short/poor staffing. Run by a committee, which brings up the old saying: "too many cooks in the kitchen"

Advice to Senior Management – Bacara should really go back to the days when there was a Resort Manager instead of a Board of Managers who take turns "being" the Resort Manager.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at bacara

Pros – Excellent pay, great food in break room, beautiful location, friendly co-workers, laundry in-house so uniforms are always ready to go, and room for growth.

Cons – Not a lot of attention paid to time-off requests, very long hours, but other than that not a bad place to work.

Advice to Senior Management – N/A

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at bacara

Pros – The people are great and they have a sense of family here. There are new banquets and parties that keep things exciting also.

Cons – They are experiencing a slow time so they are cutting back peoples hours a lot. Which is putting more work on to each employer.

Advice to Senior Management – I would love to see new employees have a longer training program with in the dept. The welcoming and group orientation was great.