With miles of seashores, a backdrop of rugged mountains, lovely Spanish Colonial-style structure and a vibe that’s equal elements outdoorsy vitality and laid-back laissez faire, it’s simple to see why the coastal California metropolis of Santa Barbara is dubbed “the American Riviera.”
Though the realm obtained its present identify from Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo within the sixteenth century and was colonized by the Spanish within the 18th century, the area had been house to Chumash Indians for over 10,000 years by the point Europeans arrived. And no marvel. The fertile soils, teeming seas and hospitable local weather (it will get over 300 days of sunshine every year) — all of which proceed to make Santa Barbara a preferred vacation spot and agricultural hub to at the present time — had all the things they wanted to thrive.
Guests will discover a number of the finest California seashores to sunbathe and surf, mountaineering trails galore ranging in problem from newbie to professional, a historic city core sprinkled with landmark buildings, and even an city wine path with a couple of dozen tasting rooms representing a number of the area’s finest wineries. Additionally, because it’s simply 90 miles north of Los Angeles, it’s simple to make it a part of an extended street journey all through California or only a one-off vacation spot by itself.
Whether or not you’re contemplating Santa Barbara for a romantic weekend or an extended household trip, there’s a lot to see and do for each kind of traveler on this seaside metropolis, together with a passel of nice locations to remain the night time.
Listed here are 9 of the perfect lodges in Santa Barbara (together with a number of the finest California lodges generally) and what to make the most of at every.
Resort Californian
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Finest for: People who need an upscale style of this iconic seaside city.
Why keep right here: Although positioned in Santa Barbara’s occurring Funk Zone, this resort is something however funky because of its eye-catching inside design by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, a rooftop pool with coastal views and a classy restaurant serving craft cocktails and seasonal fare.
Finest technique to guide: E book by way of our companion Skylark to take pleasure in elitelike advantages and on-property credit.
Anchoring Santa Barbara’s so-called Funk Zone — a 13-block district close to the shoreline that was as soon as an industrial neighborhood however now homes artists’ studios, eating places, bars, winemakers and galleries — the 121-key Resort Californian is a Moorish-style gem that had fallen on onerous occasions in latest many years. After a top-to-toe rebuild with new grand areas and rooms by designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, it reopened in 2017 and rapidly turned one of many hottest spots on the town.
Visitor rooms have an artwork deco-forward aesthetic with sculptural furnishings in wealthy main colours, quite a lot of daring geometric patterns within the textiles and tile work, to not point out marble loos stocked with bespoke physique merchandise. Some suites even function working fireplaces.
The resort’s Majorelle spa is supposed to evoke the riads of Marrakech because of intricate white-and-blue tiling, in addition to a prolonged menu of customizable massages and facials. Signature therapies embody the “Quake Rescue” therapeutic massage that includes fragrant substances like sandalwood, cedar and bergamot to spice up immune perform and enhance sleep.
The resort can also be house to 5 eating places and bars, together with upscale Central Coast delicacies at chef Travis Watson’s Blackbird, informal grab-and-go choices like baked items and picnic baskets at Goat Tree, and Djinn Library Bar for tasty libations (somewhat than genies) poured from its many bottles. The resort was acquired by Foley Leisure Group in 2021, so it additionally now has a brand new wine-tasting room referred to as The Society: State & Mason, showcasing Foley Household Wines releases from all over the world.
Charges on the Resort Californian begin at $603 per night time.
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Kimpton Canary
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Finest for: Bringing your canine alongside to discover this metropolis and its environment with out sacrificing luxurious.
Why keep right here: For a heart-of-town location with Spanish Colonial-inspired rooms, pleasant service and a candy little rooftop pool, to not point out Kimpton hallmarks like nightly wine hour.
Finest technique to guide: E book immediately with IHG to earn or redeem IHG One Rewards factors and revel in any elite advantages.
You couldn’t ask for a greater location than this. It is inside a block of sometimes-rowdy State Avenue (it is a faculty city, in any case) however far sufficient eliminated that the hubbub shouldn’t hassle you or your pup in the event you carry them alongside to this pet-friendly resort. Talking of which, the resort can also be joyful to supply canine bowls and beds to be used throughout your keep, freed from cost. As for different typical Kimpton touches, there’s complimentary morning espresso and tea in addition to a night wine hour — that includes native pours, in fact — within the stylishly up to date foyer (suppose terracotta flooring, Mediterranean ornamental tiles and uncovered timber beams, but in addition up to date artwork and mod rattan furnishings), plus bikes to borrow for exploring the city on two wheels.
Though it’s a part of IHG, the resort feels extra like a boutique resort because of having simply 97 rooms and suites, all of which have ornate wood four-poster cover beds wearing Frette linens. Although loos are small, they’re properly provisioned with aromatic Atelier Bloem merchandise. Some rooms have small balconies or non-public out of doors areas, too. Nevertheless, the primary out of doors space you’ll need to go to is the quaint rooftop pool (the one one in Santa Barbara), which is lined by well-cushioned and well-shaded loungers.
There’s no on-site spa, however resort friends can guide in-room therapies from Float Luxurious Spa, which is one block away. Remember to get brunch or dinner on the resort’s single restaurant, Finch & Fork, the place the menus spotlight the bounty of California’s fields, farms and coast, equivalent to Hope Ranch mussels swimming in a coconut-curry broth, in addition to some choices from farther afield.
Simply notice that the resort prices a steep $35 each day resort price. Nevertheless, it features a $10 meals and beverage credit score, an area airport shuttle upon request, a tote bag, weekly rooftop yoga courses and entry to a close-by Gold’s Gymnasium.
Charges on the Kimpton Canary begin at $360 or 60,000 IHG One Rewards factors per night time.
Mar Monte Resort
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Finest for: World of Hyatt members in search of an upscale however understated SoCal spot to redeem their factors.
Why keep right here: Vivid, breezy rooms, a sun-splashed pool space and a chic restaurant that showcases coastal Italian delicacies are all causes to spend an evening or two right here.
Finest technique to guide: E book immediately with Hyatt to earn or redeem World of Hyatt factors and revel in any elite advantages.
If the main focus of your journey is extra on the seaside expertise, the Mar Monte Resort must be at or close to the highest of your listing. A historic resort that initially opened in 1931, this sprawling Spanish Colonial-style class act stays as widespread as ever because of the truth that it occupies delight of place simply throughout East Cabrillo Boulevard from Santa Barbara’s widespread East Seaside.
Lodging begin at a roomy 300 sq. toes and are brilliant and ethereal because of giant home windows to let within the SoCal sunshine and a colour palette that evokes sundown on the close by sands, with taupe as a mainstay together with accents of pink and orangey-red. The decor feels curated however accessible, and creature comforts embody up to date must-haves like Keurig espresso machines and 55-inch flat-screens.
There’s a small however serviceable pool together with loads of out of doors seating going through the Pacific, whereas the 24-hour health heart presents a plethora of up-to-date gear, together with Peloton bikes.
The resort’s vault-arched Cafe Lido, simply off the pool space, makes a speciality of seasonal cocktails and Cali-Med plates equivalent to halibut-crab ceviche with black lime and cara cara orange. The resort’s elegant Italian restaurant, Costa Kitchen & Bar, serves all the things from 30-day dry-aged New York steak and bone marrow to squid-ink linguine with clams.
Charges on the Mar Monte Resort begin at $293 and vary from 17,000-23,000 World of Hyatt factors per night time.
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Finest for: A coastal California getaway within the lap of luxurious that you would be able to take pleasure in whereas incomes or redeeming Marriott Bonvoy factors.
Why keep right here: The attract of its picturesque perch on the bluffs above the Pacific is just rivaled by its giant however cozy rooms (many with fireplaces) and the expansive spa complicated the place distinctive therapies embody the oh-so-Californian citrus-avocado physique scrub.
Finest technique to guide: E book by way of our companion Skylark to earn Marriott factors whereas having fun with elitelike advantages and on-property credit, or redeem your factors by reserving immediately with Marriott.
Few locations in Santa Barbara really feel extra rarefied than the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, which perches alongside 78 waterfront acres about 15 miles northwest of city alongside the 101 freeway.
This 358-key Mediterranean-styled resort is traditional California at its most interesting. The superbly landscaped grounds abound with coastal shrubs and vegetation, three infinity-edge swimming pools for uninterrupted Pacific views, and quick access to 2 seashores for individuals who need to courageous the surf.
Visitor lodging begin at a whopping 450 sq. toes, and every includes a patio or balcony with ocean or backyard views, so take a look at your particular room kind fastidiously earlier than reserving. All of them have elegant two-poster beds (immaculately wearing Frette linens, in fact) and marble loos with deep soaking tubs and Asprey merchandise. Some even have fireplaces or fireplace pits to take pleasure in on these cool coastal evenings.
The resort’s 42,000-square-foot, light-filled spa and wellness heart is the biggest well being complicated within the space and contains services like a redwood sauna, eucalyptus steam room and its personal swimming pool. The signature therapies draw inspiration from the locale and embody delights such because the “Pure Resilience” facial, which contains Japanese kobido therapeutic massage, jade rollers and probiotic merchandise to revive pores and skin’s radiance and tone. Lively friends ought to take pleasure in a match on one of many 4 clay tennis courts or a spherical on the next-door Sandpiper Golf Membership. They will additionally hire electrical bikes to discover the realm.
With a plethora of eating and ingesting institutions proper on the property, friends won’t even really feel the necessity to enterprise out and discover Santa Barbara’s restaurant scene. Among the many highlights, Angel Oak is a up to date steakhouse with unparalleled shoreline views, to not point out its spectacular 12,000-bottle wine assortment. For fresh-as-can-be sushi and sashimi, there’s San Setto, whereas Caffe and the poolside Haskell’s Bar serve extra informal choices, as does Bar de Vino, which proffers wine and light-weight bites.
Charges on the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara begin at $646 or 53,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per night time.
Rosewood Miramar Seaside
Montecito, California, USA
Finest for: A splurge to remain at one of many few lodges proper alongside the seaside in Santa Barbara (properly, Montecito, however who’s quibbling?).
Why keep right here: This historic resort initially dates to 1889, however is wanting more energizing than ever with beachy rooms, an outpost of Rosewood’s Sense Spa and a number of eating and ingesting venues together with the Michelin-starred Caruso’s restaurant.
Finest technique to guide: E book by way of our companion Skylark to take pleasure in elitelike advantages and on-property credit.
Skewing extra natty Newport than upmarket Mediterranean, the Rosewood Miramar Seaside is just the most recent incarnation of this rarefied seaside resort within the tony enclave of Montecito, about 5 miles east of Santa Barbara, which dates to the late nineteenth century. Whereas it’s most likely the closest you’ll be able to really get to a resort that sits on the sand round these elements, it’s really bisected by a railroad observe that useful escorts support friends in traversing – removed from an annoyance, this offers the place a really Californian really feel.
Nautically themed with clear traces and crisp blue-white patterning, the 158 visitor rooms and suites begin at over 500 sq. toes and have backyard or ocean views from non-public lanais and balconies. Spacious and stylish marble loos function Hollywood Regency-style finishes and custom-created La Bottega bathtub merchandise.
The resort has a health heart, which incorporates an outside part to make the most of the realm’s sunny clime. It is also house to one in every of Rosewood’s branded Sense spas, which proffers wellness classes, together with a heavenly rose-citrus full-body therapeutic massage that includes an exfoliation with Himalayan salt and antioxidant-boosting cranberry.
The resort boasts two swimming pools: the family-friendly Manor pool, whose yellow-patterned loungers and umbrellas are allusions to the encompassing citrus timber (Scoop Store, serving burgers and ice cream, can also be right here), and the 21-and-over Cabana pool, which has a particular scalloped edge and is bordered by 19 non-public cabanas.
As for eating, there’s the Cabana Bar for mild bites and drinks, Ama Sushi for Japanese specialties, the oceanfront Miramar Seaside Bar for small plates and drinks, and the Michelin one-starred Caruso’s for superb eating with panoramic views that may have you ever pondering you’re on the Italian Riviera as an alternative of the American one.
Charges on the Rosewood Miramar Seaside begin at $1,505 per night time.
El Encanto
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Finest for: A secluded sojourn with sweeping coastal views and a splash of Southern Californian historical past round each nook.
Why keep right here: Tucked away within the hills above city, you gained’t thoughts not being on the seaside because of this resort’s glamorous Previous Hollywood aura and an virtually too-gorgeous-to-be-believed pool.
Finest technique to guide: E book by way of our companion Skylark to take pleasure in elitelike advantages and on-property credit.
This ultra-luxe hideaway tucked into the foothills above city has been a success with the movie star set since initially opening in 1918 and has hosted luminaries like Clark Gable and Barbra Streisand.
After being acquired by Belmond (previously Orient-Specific Lodges), El Encanto underwent a $134 million renovation and reopened in 2013 as probably the most unique enclaves on California’s coast.
Charming cottages dot its seven gorgeously manicured acres of gardens and have traditional touches like Mission-inspired wooden and leather-based furnishings, marble loos with heated flooring, and even fireplaces in some room and suite classes.
The dual focal factors of the 92-key resort are the tranquil terrace simply out the again of the primary constructing, the place you’ll be able to take pleasure in a glass of native wine as birds and butterflies flutter previous, and the infinity-edge pool, which has spectacular views of Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands.
The resort additionally has one of many city’s finest spas, with therapies that harness the therapeutic powers of botanical merchandise and tropical fruits. Among the many signature experiences is the 90-minute “Physique Regeneration” designed by skincare guru Linda Ross, which features a full-body masks and therapeutic massage.
There are a number of eating choices, together with the primary all-day Eating Room and Terrace, whose menu objects, equivalent to Channel Islands halibut with olive tapenade and cauliflower, give attention to domestically sourced substances. The Bar presents a small menu of Americana bites and traditional cocktails, whereas the Lounge serves informal small plates like truffle fries together with cocktails like a pear-ginger mule. Weekday afternoon tea within the Lounge is an space spotlight.
Charges at El Encanto, a Belmond Resort begin at $863 per night time.
San Ysidro Ranch, A Ty Warner Property
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Finest for: Nicely-heeled jet-setters who need to really feel like they’re rusticating within the lap of luxurious.
Why keep right here: Romance abounds (JFK and Jackie O. honeymooned right here) at this enchanting enclave, with cozy cottages tucked into the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains.
Finest technique to guide: E book by way of our companion Skylark to take pleasure in elitelike advantages and on-property credit.
There’s unique … after which there’s San Ysidro Ranch. This legendary resort has been round since 1893 and counts Oprah as one in every of its neighbors within the tony city of Montecito. Its rambling grounds comprise 550 beautiful acres, together with gardens and mountaineering trails, however simply 38 uniquely adorned visitor cottages, so the expertise is rarefied and enjoyable. Maybe that’s why it’s welcomed so many well-known friends — together with Audrey Hepburn and Winston Churchill, in addition to John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy, who honeymooned right here.
The bungalows begin at almost 800 sq. toes, every with a unique identify. They really feel Craftsman and comfy thanks to non-public walled patios (some with sunken sizzling tubs), polished oak flooring and uncovered ceiling beams, four-poster beds with diaphanous netting and brick fireplaces, amongst different options.
Company can select from a wide range of experiences — epicurean wine-tasting excursions, non-public yoga classes, strenuous hikes within the close by foothills and different diversions. They will additionally merely calm down by the pool, wander the gardens or guide a session on the salon and spa, whose delicious-sounding therapies embody a brown- and white-sugar physique scrub and massages using important oils distilled from vegetation on the property, equivalent to lavender, rosemary and lemon.
Of the resort’s two eating places, Plow & Angel (you should definitely discover the stained glass window of the ranch’s namesake, St. Isidore) appears like a refined roadhouse, serving consolation classics like child again ribs. Stonehouse Restaurant resides in a former citrus-packing home and plates up up to date American fare, equivalent to Santa Barbara’s well-known sea urchin with celery leaf salsa verde and Meyer lemon.
Charges at San Ysidro Ranch begin at $2,495 per night time.
Palihouse Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Finest for: A residential-style stick with simply the correct amount of quirkiness.
Why keep right here: This much-loved minichain brings its signature model of caprice and comfort to the guts of town’s Presidio neighborhood with colourful rooms (together with tiled fireplaces) and a small however sunny courtyard pool.
Finest technique to guide: E book immediately for the perfect charges and packages.
The burgeoning SoCal Palihouse resort minichain is understood for its quirky, residential-style lodges, and this 24-key outpost in Santa Barbara’s Presidio neighborhood isn’t any exception. You won’t discover all of the facilities you’d count on at a giant resort. Nevertheless, your keep right here will make you are feeling like a Santa Barbara insider with a really stylish but homey (Twenties Moorish-style) pied-a-terre.
Decor within the visitor rooms, a few of which might really feel a bit compact, channels a midcentury clubby vibe with wood-framed furnishings, clear traces and matte-finished lighting fixtures, to not point out Smeg minifridges and tile-lined fireplaces, plus finer touches like Nespresso machines and Diptyque bathtub merchandise.
As for different facilities, there’s a quiet pool with cabanas, loungers and meals service; a small health heart with Peloton bikes; Linus bikes on mortgage for excursions round city; and even a particular neighborhood information that will help you navigate the realm.
The resort’s eating program melds a foyer lounge, cocktail bar and alfresco cafe right into a single all-day outlet the place specialties like smoothies and breakfast burritos begin the day, adopted by sandwiches and salads for lunch (amongst different choices), plus a plethora of specialty cocktails just like the fizzy passionfruit home spritz.
Charges on the Palihouse Santa Barbara begin at $315 per night time.
Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Finest for: A traditional Southern California seaside trip you’ll be able to guide on factors with out draining your complete Hilton Honors account.
Why keep right here: It is the proper mix of seaside location and metropolis actions, plus it has brilliant, spacious rooms which can be affordably priced and loads of on-property facilities.
Finest technique to guide: E book immediately with Hilton to earn or redeem Hilton Honors factors and revel in any elite advantages.
Near the primary a part of city, adjoining to the Funk Zone and simply throughout the road from the seaside, the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort has top-of-the-line areas and is among the finest offers on the town.
The resort has 335 rooms and 25 suites, and whereas it gained’t win any originality awards for inside design, decor within the lodging is beachy and brilliant with a mixture of tones from the blue spectrum plus taupe and beige evoking the sands of close by East Seaside.
The resort has a big, family-friendly pool and presents actions like beachfront yoga, bike leases and complimentary garden video games like croquet and bocce, and may also help friends prepare excursions like day sails or kayaking jaunts.
Informal and uncomplicated, The Set is the resort’s foremost restaurant, serving brunch, lunch and dinner (reserve one of many fireplace pits for further ambiance), together with dishes like chilaquiles, mahi mahi tacos and lobster macaroni and cheese. The resort additionally homes the Fess Parker wine-tasting room, the place friends can take pleasure in glasses and flights from the long-lasting vineyard.
Simply watch out for the $30 each day resort price, which incorporates primary web entry for 2 units, a two-hour bicycle rental, a glass of home wine for as much as two adults and two bottles of water each day on the entrance desk, in addition to a 20% low cost on providers like spa therapies and tennis clinics.
Charges on the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort begin at $261 or 79,000 Hilton Honors factors per night time.
