Located in the exclusive Rivera neighborhood of Santa Barbara, El Encanto Hotel and Garden Villas offers charming cottages, bungalows, old brick pathways and sweeping lawns set within six acres of gardens, and features spectacular views of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean. Established in 1918, the hotel once provided gracious hospitality to old-world Hollywood starlets. Today, the property is owned by Orient Express Hotels, Trains and Cruises, which is committed to preserving classic, historical properties. Just one-half mile past the historic Santa Barbara Mission, El Encanto is five minutes from the downtown shops and restaurants on State Street. The 40-mile Santa Ynez Vineyards Trail begins five miles from the city.
El Encanto offers 84 guestrooms in one- and two-story California Craftsman and Spanish Colonial-style bungalows decorated in French Country. Guestroom amenities include minibars, Internet access, down pillows and comforters, terry bathrobes, Bath & Body Works toiletries, evening turndown service, and complimentary daily newspapers. Some guestrooms also have hardwood floors and fireplaces.
The hotel's restaurant features a French-American menu that changes seasonally, along with an extensive wine list. The restaurant provides quiet, intimate dining in the alcove, while the upper terrace offers refreshing alfresco dining against the backdrop of glistening city lights and the Pacific Ocean. Popular with locals, the hotel's lobby lounge serves appetizers, martinis, and regional wines with a backdrop of live piano music and sweeping ocean views.
Hotel amenities include vine-draped walkways to the hotel's lily pond, wishing well, tennis court, and outdoor splash pool patio. Tennis racquets, maps of self-guided nature walks, and local wine country tour information are complimentary. The hotel offers four salons and outdoor garden spaces for meetings and events; catering services and audiovisual equipment are available. Valet parking is complimentary.
