Santa Barbara has long been the antidote to the hectic lifestyle of Los Angeles, in this renowned part of the American Riviera, the pace of life is that much more sedate. The revival of Santa Barbara since 2017 has centred around the Funk Zone and at the heart of this district is the world-class, Hotel Californian.
Hotel
The original Hotel Californian opened back in 1925 as part of a Spanish colonial revival architecture movement sweeping Southern California and it was mostly destroyed just one week later by a massive earthquake.
The current incarnation of the hotel is decorated by celebrity designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, whose clientele includes the Kardashians, Cher and Tommy Hilfiger. The design is an elegant mix between Moorish influences and contemporary Mediterranean. The tile work is particularly dazzling and would not look out of place in the likes of the Royal Palace of Rabat. The hotel features over one million tiles with many hand-painted and flattened in Morocco.
The hotel has a total of 121 rooms, but it never feels crowded as it is spread across three low-rise buildings. The tan-tan pool with reclining sun loungers is the place to be for enjoying a soothing summer breeze and the jewel in the crown is the Mirador Rooftop Deck, which offers panoramic 360-degree views of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. All of the surrounding buildings are three storeys or lower due to changed building laws post-1925.
Room
The design team has ensured that no two rooms are alike. The rooms are named after culturally significant places, people and things with a Spanish or Moroccan slant such as Sevilla, Granada, and Cordova. Rooms range in size from up to 450 sq ft for the Almeria guestroom to the Alcazar suite at 1,705 sq ft, which is their equivalent of the presidential suite.
Velvet tufted headboards, ornate snake lampshades and leather benches add a sense of character to the room without ever veering into ostentatiousness. 65” high-definition televisions also offer personal device streaming capability, which is vital given most people nowadays are more on Netflix and Amazon rather than terrestrial.
Double vanities, a rainbow shower, and MALIN + GOETZ botanical toiletries are perhaps to be expected at such a five-star establishment, however, it is the little touches that guests will remember such as the Santa Barbara wines in the minibar or the hip cocktail bottles from WithCo Cocktails.
Food and drink
The signature dining venue is Blackbird, which offers an elevated dining experience focusing on local produce such as Santa Barbara spiny lobsters to Hope Ranch mussels. The contemporary design includes subtle nods to many of Hitchcock’s iconic films, while the playful cocktail list is a must-try, created by legendary mixologist Devon Espinosa. You can experience the likes of Call Me an Ube(r) – an inventive take on the classic piña colada with pandan-infused rum and Thai basil.
You’ll have no shortage of libation choices with the likes of Djinn library bar and The Society: State and Mason tasting room. The latter is the newest tasting room in the funk zone. You not only get to try local classics like the buttery complex notes from Two Sisters Reserve Chardonnay, but also the hugely underrated Cremant d’Alsace Brut from Lucien Albrecht. Along with the hotel, these wineries are part of the Foley Group.
Spa
The reception area of the spa, Majorelle is arguably the most stunning room in the hotel. Majorelle blue is an ultramarine blue often found in Moroccan designs such as in their world-famous tiles. Yves Saint Laurent famously owns the eponymous Majorelle Garden in Marrakech and with this spa, they’ve meticulously transported a slice of this exotic city to Santa Barbara. It is a 2,500 sq ft oasis of calmness with customised treatments on offer, steam rooms, an expanded fitness centre and beauty treatments.
To do
The hotel is a great base for exploring the numerous tasting rooms and boutique shops in the Funk Zone. The Santa Barbara Trolley is an ideal offering if you want to get your bearings around the city and neighbouring Montecito, where countless celebrities and royalty live. It offers the ideal mixture of a sightseeing tour, historical facts and celebrity news.
If you do want to check out Montecito, then the place to visit is the fantastical, Ganna Walska Lotusland. It boldly embraces the American dream that bigger is better with 37 acres of meticulously manicured gardens and unique architecture. The highlights include the Zen-focused Japanese Garden, the Jurassic Cycad Garden and the maze-like Cactus Garden. Entry to the garden must be pre-booked in advance as the number of visitors to this unique attraction is strictly limited due to the residential nature of the surrounding area (including a certain member of the Royal Family).
Factbox
Hotel Californian offers rooms from $509 per night.
Address: 36 State Street, Santa Barbara CA 93101
Phone: (805) 882-0100
Email: info@hotelcalifornian.com
Website: hotelcalifornian.com
Photography courtesy of Hotel Californian
