Editors' Picks

The Four Seasons Biltmore

Grand dame, family friendly, historic

1260 Channel Drive, Santa Barbara 93108

805-969-2261

See Website

At a Glance

Serious luxury in Santa Barbara’s toniest neighborhood with access to the beloved Coral Casino club.

Indagare Loves

  • The Coral Casino pool club where suite guests and Indagare Members have free access (and avoid a $200/day charge)
  • Private cottages located within the sprawling grounds and lush gardens
  • The Four Seasons Biltmore Spa, a destination in itself.

Review

Comprising some of the most fantastic real estate in California, the Four Seasons Biltmore boasts a sprawling collection of red-tile-roof Spanish colonial buildings on a twenty-two-acre promontory in Montecito just above Butterfly Beach. Built in 1927 as a refuge for Hollywood’s rich and famous, the hotel hosted everyone from Greta Garbo, Marion Davies, Lana Turner, Rock Hudson, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable and Gregory Peck, who cavorted on the grounds and around the legendary oceanfront pool. Unfortunately, the Biltmore’s glamour faded along with that of its regular guests, and a decade ago, even a major face-lift seemed unlikely to restore the grande dame’s beauty.

However, a savior with deep pockets appeared in the form of Ty Warner. Warner bought the hotel in 2000 and invested more than $240 million and countless hours restoring the property with an attention to detail that few billionaires devote even to their own homes. In addition to choosing rugs and antiques in Europe, he invented special tiles for the pool—patented Tyles™—that reflect sunlight in a particularly luminescent way. Improvements range from the subtle—a parking lot was lowered a few feet to afford sea views from the front door—to the dramatic—designer Peter Marino resurfaced all of the concrete terracing at the Coral Casino beach club with Italian fossilized marble in coral and salmon tones.

Each of the 207 rooms and suites and thirteen cottages was completely renovated, retaining such historic details as the carved wood doors and Spanish bathroom tiles, but upgrading the comfort quotient with amenities like plasma TVs and radiant heating. Many of the rooms, which are reached by brick paths that meander through lush gardens, are unique. Some have fireplaces or ocean view balconies; others open on to their own small, garden-encircled patios. One occupies its own turret and is reached by an exterior spiral staircase (it’s most often the bridal and honeymoon suite).

The only adjustment Warner couldn’t make was to move the railroad tracks that run behind the property. (He undoubtedly tried.) Even with extra insulation, you may awake to the rumbling of trains, so you’ll find earplugs placed on your bedside table. The inelegance of those little foam inserts won’t mar your stay here, though, as every other gesture is so graceful, from the lily-pad-filled water garden encircling the hotel pool to the Peter Marino–designed gym and spa, where four of the eleven treatment rooms comes with a sea view, rose garden view and private bathroom.

The Coral Casino club, which guests have exclusive access to, is the ideal place to spend the day, soaking up the sun, enjoying a seafood lunch with a view or watching the sun dip into the sea. Don't miss a walk on Butterfly Beach, arguably one of Santa Barbara's best, to see dolphins, sea lions and magnificent sunsets.

Who Should Stay

Traditionalists, couples, beach-lovers and families.

Written by Melissa Biggs Bradley

What's Nearby
Indagare employees walking up stiars

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