Hotel Californian
"How did it strike you on arrival?Even for just one night, this felt like a taste of Europe—or at least a slower pace than L.A., with an abundance of delicious food both at the hotel and nearby. I wanted to bring everyone from L.A. who felt like a fresh air, laid back, walkable weekend escape either by car straight up the Pacific Coast Highway or by taking the snazzy new trains running from Downtown L.A. The station is less than a block away from this 121-room hotel on Santa Barbara's slice of the Pacific Ocean, with charming staff, a Moroccan-spa and two fantastic restaurants. Nice. What's the crowd like?The guests are millennial to middle age couples, mostly escaping LA or San Francisco! From Friday night to Sunday afternoon, I never saw a child on the property. Guests are dressed for the Hamptons or Malibu, with their copies of 'What Happened' balanced on top of their carry-alls. You can tell the guests here live nicely at home—they're not here to be impressed by the in-room gadgetry or number of towels. They're here to explore the area they've come to. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.While the rooms are super comfortable (the robe was so plush I could have worn it all weekend) there is no couch for stretching out except in the most expensive suites. But this is a fantastic base—the deck offers some of Santa Barbara's best views through palm trees to the Pacific Ocean with an outdoor fire pit and cozy, shabby chic couches. Room service: Worth it?You'd be a fool to order room service when you're just above Blackbird, the hotel's restaurant. Overseeing the menu is Alexander La Motte (previously chef de partie at The French Laundry after stints at Jean George and Boulud.) Our server Katie steered us to the seafood charcuterie, a root salad of multicolor carrot slices with smoked blue cheese, peanut and coriander and then a succulent King salmon with artichokes, garbanzo beans and olives. The deserts were in a class of their own—the "chocolate forest" tastes as good as it sounds. Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.The complimentary car service proved vital, as it's hard to get Ubers around Santa Barbara. Also, ask the hotel to organize a tour of the wine tasting rooms around Santa Barbara so you don't have to drive all over the Santa Ynez Mountains (especially after a few tastings.) It's also worth noting that Santa Barbara's weather is usually a little cooler than in LA. Bottom line: worth it, and why?The hotel is perfectly positioned to help you discover the area, thanks in no small part to the switched-on team who can be relied upon for their on-point recommendations. The front desk never pushed their own eateries, but rather directed us only to good spots nearby (and arranged a complimentary hotel SUV there.)" - CNT Editors
