Top Luxury Hotels in Santa Barbara
My favorite upscale hotels, inns, and resorts in this beautiful town
Sep 8, 2006
Luxury travel demands stays in classy, well-appointed hotels. Santa Barbara, on California's Central Coast, has many to choose from. These hotels add to a deluxe trip.
Santa Barbara, located on California's Central Coast, has so much to offer. Tourists often realize that one weekend doesn't provide enough time to appreciate the missions, the Chumash and Spanish Colonial history, and the high quality museums. And if that's all tourists did on their trips, they'd be no time left to enjoy the beautiful beach, extensive nature trails, upscale shopping and fine dining. Fans of luxury travel and relaxed environments return again and again to Santa Barbara.
Upscale vacations deserve stays in luxury hotels. Here are my favorite upscale hotels in Santa Barbara.
- The Four Seasons Resort, Biltmore Hotel, at 1260 Channel Drive, is part of the Four Seasons conglomorate. As with other Four Seasons, the service and amenities here are top-notch. The classy, well-appointed hotel has the Spanish Colonial style red tile roofs and other architecturally appropriate details. Far removed from the bustle and hubbub of Santa Barbara's State Street, the Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel is actually in Montecito, a quiet, affluent suburb of Santa Barbara. Part of the 5-Star Alliance, it truly earns its reputation as a super high end luxury resort for the most discriminating travelers. The hotel overlooks Butterfly Beach, a gorgeous, unspoiled stretch along the Pacific Ocean. The Four Seasons SB has a full service day spa with almost any kind of massage to relax visitors, but it's almost redundant, frankly, as a stay here is relaxing in and of itself. Business meetings and conferences can be arranged here, in several differently sized rooms. Two health clubs, the day spa, pools, tennis courts and other sports amenities are available. The concierge can arrange tee time at nearby world-class golf courses, as well as sunset cruises and whale watching outings. Importantly, children's activities and programs ensure that parents can get some romantic or adventurous alone time.
- The Inn of the Spanish Garden, at 915 Garden St., is also a member of the 5-Star Alliance. Spanish Colonial architecture harkens back to the early modern history of Santa Barbara, and the Inn of the Spanish Garden in SB is in a lush, upscale setting. The concierge and professional staff are available around the clock to arrange wine tasting tours, golf course reservations, and whatever else luxury travel fans request. Destination weddings are popular here - last time I was in this part of Santa Barbara, I saw two bridal parties being photographed by the Inn of the Spanish Garden. Now, this is a smaller, five star boutique hotel, so reservations are needed far in advance during SB's peak seasons. The free continental breakfast is just fantastic; fresh, delicious, and with a touch of epicurean creativity. For travelers who combine business with leisure vacations, each room and suite has high speed internet access, with Wi-fi hot spots throughout the hotel grounds as well. Spa treatments are available en suite, and there is also a fitness center and pool. If you're going to stay at the Spanish Garden, I'd recommend trying one of the Inn's packages. There are several, but the Santa Barbara Surf Package includes 4 hours of surfing lessons for coupes, plus a picnic lunch on the beach - giving tourists an authentic coastal Californian experience. This is my personal favorite of the upscale, luxury hotels in Santa Barbara.
- The Hotel Santa Barbara, at 533 State St., provides a different kind of vacation experience than the two ultra deluxe hotels described above. It's right in the middle of State Street (the main thoroughfare of Santa Barbara), with most of the shopping and restaurants therein. Unlike the usual Spanish Colonial architecture that marks most high-end hotels here, the architectural style is French Country. Wi-fi is standard in all rooms, from Queen to Junior Suite. I've found the rooms to be relatively sparse, with fewer hotel amenities than luxury hotels usually provide. But the Hotel Santa Barbara is, after all, right on State Street, and there's a Starbucks in the hotel's storefront property. The starchy continental breakfast is buffet style, but there are a lot of great restaurants just steps away - a better bet. Business meetings can be accommodated by either of two smallish meeting rooms. Many weekend packages are available at the Hotel SB, such as a Golfer's Package, Dining Package, and Coastline Cruise Package; this last one on a large catamaran.
- The Hotel Oceana Santa Barbara, at 202 W. Cabrillo Blvd., has the red tile roof Spanish Colonial architecture, but the interior decor (designed by Kathy Ireland) is termed "beach chic." It looks somewhat casual for a luxury hotel, yet classy, crisp, sunny and clean. Hotel Oceana SB has two pools and an ocean view. Business meetings can be fully catered, any time of day, in a conference room. The hotel day spa has many services and treatments available by appointment only (the concierge will set these upon request), located near a fitness center. If hotel guests wish, they can relax with one of several body treatments and deluxe packages at the day spa, or arrange for a tour of Santa Barbara's wineries. A nice touch, in my opinion, is that the Hotel Oceana's continental breakfast includes locally grown produce from inland Santa Barbara's farmland. You can support small farmers while enjoying a luxury stay at a classy hotel.
Related, on Suite 101:
Luxury Day Spas in Santa Barbara
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