The Best Hotels in Santa Barbara
July, 2021
I recent traveled to Santa Barbara and explored the entire county, visiting wine tasting locations such as Los Olivos, enjoying a wonderful brunch in Montecito, and exploring Santa Barbara’s “Funk Zone.” Here, I’ve gathered the best hotels for each type of traveler.
The Best Wine Hotel in Santa Barbara County: Fess Parker Wine Country Inn
Rates: From $520
Description: Fess Parker Inn is the best hotel located in the small town of Los Olivos. The hotel is extremely accommodating, as part of the room rate includes wine tastings at their signature wineries, such as Fess Parker, Epiphany, and the Bubble Shack. One of the best parts about visiting Los Olivos is that everyone is extremely nice. I pet cute dogs, drank good wine, and ate amazing food at Fess Parker’s signature restaurant: Nella Kitchen and Bar. I was lucky enough to stay in the Epiphany Suite, which was a spacious room located across the street from the main lobby. The room is approximately 600 sq. ft. Fess Parker Inn is divided into two buildings, with one housing the fitness room and pool, and the other housing their lobby and restaurant. Before booking the hotel, please check on which side of the street you will be. When staying at Fess Parker, I recommend the Epiphany Suite for those that desire extra space but please note this suite only has a single vanity. In addition to the Fess Parker Inn rooms, the hotel features unique cabins located behind Epiphany and the Bubble Shack. There is one studio cabin and one two-bedroom cabin. I highly recommend their two-bedroom cabin because it has its own driveway for parking, two separate bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a wonderful master bedroom.
The Best Hotel for Exploring Downtown Santa Barbara: Hotel Californian
Rates: From $750
Description: Hotel Californian is located right next to the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara, an area with plenty of fun bars and restaurants. When you go to Hotel Californian, you are going for the privilege of being in downtown Santa Barbara, not the privacy. I stayed in a Sevilla Guestroom. In my room, I had a double vanity and a balcony, from which I could see the ocean and could easily see other guests if they did not have the covers on their rooms. My room was approximately 400 sq. ft., but as every room is a different size at Hotel Californian, your room may have only a single vanity and be smaller than the room in which I stayed, despite having the same room category. While privacy is not the Hotel Californian’s specialty, they do happen to have an amazing breakfast at Tulibee, and their rooftop pool has wonderful views over the ocean. As I mentioned before, Hotel Californian is all about being in downtown Santa Barbara. During my stay, I visited Toma restaurant, which has the best lasagna I have tasted outside of Italy, and I had an amazing espresso martini at Shaker Mill, which is located east of the hotel.
The Best Hotel for Getting Away From it All: San Ysidro Ranch
Rates: From $1450
Description: San Ysidro Ranch is one of the most romantic places I have ever been. I have been to the resort for a celebratory lunch, and the grounds are nothing short of spectacular. Furthermore, the rooms are beautifully decorated, as each room is designed as a standalone cottage to ensure maximum privacy. This is not the hotel to visit if your goal is to socialize with other people. For that, I would head to Hotel Californian to be in the funk zone. San Ysidro Ranch is the place to be with your significant other and to hear nothing except the wind blowing. There are also several hikes around the area, and the town of Montecito is beautiful, as are the spectacular homes. Furthermore, their signature restaurant, Stonehouse, receives rave reviews from clients.