Destination: California: Santa Barbara
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Bacara
In 1968, New York entrepreneur Alvin Dworman bought seventy-eight oceanfront acres just north of Santa Barbara. He spent thirty-two years and $240 million, all the while withstanding scores of public hearings, multiple lawsuits, environmentalists’ lobbies and the threat of angry Native American spirits (nearby burial grounds) to build his dream hotel, which finally opened in 2000. Located on a bluff overlooking a two-mile stretch of beach, the two dozen Spanish Mission-style buildings comprise 360 guest rooms, 3 restaurants, a 42,000-square-foot spa and several meeting rooms. At the center of the village-like layout is an enormous infinity-edged pool surrounded by blue-and-white-striped cabanas. Since it opened, Bacara has managed a delicate balancing act of hosting convention business and drawing A-list stars (Debra Messing stayed here on her honeymoon, and Jude Law and Sienna Miller have spent the weekend.) That said, the staff is so smooth, they make you feel like a star; the ocean views are so heartbreakingly beautiful, the memories of the lost summers they inspire will feel almost within reach; and even when the resort is full, it doesn’t feel...
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