Belmond El Encanto

An amazing world class property. From the moment you check in you feel pampered.
The last time I stayed there was 17 years ago. They remodeled the entire property to perfection.
The service was on point. The rooms big enough. The gardens fully manicured.
Although the food was amazing, they need to add more selection to their Menu.
I would defiantly go there again.

Exceptional in every regard. Rooms, grounds, food and service all make this a very special place. Bartender Trevor makes a fine drink and great company. Manager Mario went above and beyond. Thank you for another wonderful stay We hope to return soon!

Wow! We stayed here on a last minute getaway and the service, grounds, and accommodations are well deserving of it’s Forbes 5 star rating. Even with a last minute booking we were welcomed warmly by Sam at the front desk who put us in a lovely large bungalow and ensured we had everything we needed to make our stay both memorable and comfortable. Cocktails in the clubhouse to watch the sunset with a Sinatra-​esque duo to serenade us; perfection!
Cocktail staff had a couple of service hiccups, but not enough to spoil the mood. On to dinner in the restaurant… Service again was incredible. Just the right amount of attentive. Some dishes were «home runs», while others were merely «good».
The room was a large and lovely Spanish Bungalow. Beautiful linens, en suite espresso maker, a courtyard view, just enough of a stroll from the lobby to make it romantic. Part of the new updated portion of the 100 year old property, but who could complain about that? The grounds are to die for and every vista is breathtaking.
After our morning hike the hostess in the lobby fresh brewed my coffee for us to take back to the room (and presented it with WARMED cream, yummmm!). Like I said the service is amazing! It’s all of the small touches that make a difference.
Before we left we decided to enjoy Brunch overlooking the city on the patio; delish. A little too much food for 2 people with the «family style appetizer service»; but again… is that really something to complain about? Wonderful, «just right» attentive service again.
Then off to pick up the car from valet to drive back down to reality. At least the car was fully charged, the cup holders filled with bottles of fresh chilled water. Ahhhhhh! Can’t wait to get back to the land of enchantment — El Encanto indeed!

I have been coming to this hotel before it got remodeled. Since the remodel I have to say it’s really have come to fruition. I love the new bar and the Resturant excellent selection of wine and spirits. The spa is excellent and overall for me it’s a home away from home for me. The rooms are clean the amenities are perfect. The shower stall are big and all toilet trees are Aqua Di Parma. The gardens are perfectly manicured and the fish pond and turtles are just beautiful. Keep up the good work guys. I have reservations for next month. Cheers

Beautiful! Pet friendly… our friends live down the street, so it’s a nice little meet up spot. Great bar and Jennifer is a stellar bartender.
Great burger too!

Some feedback from my recent stay, overall it was very enjoyable.
* The grounds are absolutely gorgeous and the setting is one of the most beautiful I have seen. The newly-​renovated guestrooms are appointed to the highest standards, with heated bathroom floors and Waterworks hardware. We stayed in an upgraded twin room and it was lovely and really couldn’t have asked for more.
* The lounge and bar areas are beautiful, comfortable and elegant. They usually have live music on Saturdays. On an earlier visit to SB my friend took me to drinks at the El Encanto and the lounge is the primary reason for my decision to stay at this property this time around. The bar and lounge both close a bit early — 11:00 on Saturday nights. I decided to hang out there on Saturday where there was a large holiday party going on outside with dancing, etc. and it completely ruined the vibe. The bartender seemed to be in a rush to close as well — I got there around 10 — and they actually shut down a little early which was a little disappointing, but he was able to squeeze in another drink for me. I don’t fault the hotel for the party but employees being in a rush to close is not part of the guest-​centric experience. Also considering closing later if allowed.
* The room was $ 500 + a $ 35 resort fee + $ 35 for parking. Resort fees are irritating but I knew about it going in. My rate included $ 60 credit per night for breakfast to be used before 10:30 AM. We had early plans on Saturday morning and did not have the opportunity to use the credit. Honestly, I didn’t really care about the credit. It did not drive my decision to stay at this hotel. On Sunday before I checked out I asked the hostess if I could use both day’s credit ($ 120) for breakfast since we didn’t use it on Saturday. The hostess was not sure, so they referred me to the front desk. I told them what happened and he explained that they couldn’t combine the days. I asked if an exception could be made and they said no. This is a kind of a cheap move given the room rate is $ 570 before tax. It is a very reasonable request and we would not have used the full $ 120. At a hotel that is trying to be a ultra 5 star property, If a request is reasonable, and also something a guest has directly or indirectly paid for, the best policy should be ‘just say yes’ or offer a some form of compromise. No roadblocks. No friction. The breakfast was just OK also. Nothing special at all.
* Upon departure there was some confusion regarding my bags — part my fault, part the valet’s fault, and part my friend’s fault. When we got back home to LA I realized that nobody had put the bags in my car. I called the hotel, they located the bags, and offered to ship it back to me free of charge. That is the right way to handle things and I really thank them for this.
Overall the hotel is beautiful and the service is good but I think it’s more or less really expensive for what you get.

It had been 20 years since I had stayed at the El Encanto. It was wonderful then. However, since being taken over by the Belmond group, the hotel has risen to fantastic!
The service is impeccable. From the moment you pull into the driveway, they make you feel like royalty. I have stayed at other high end hotels, but none had this level of service.
The hotel consists of multiple small buildings spread over a large piece of land on the hill portion of Santa Barbara. There is a great view of the ocean. We had a Superior Bungalow room with a huge wrap around balcony. The amenities in the room are out of this world included a marble bathroom floor that’s heated, and you can control the temperature. A gas fireplace that warms the room nicely. The bungalow itself was massive with a huge bedroom, I mean really big, approx 30′ x 20′, plus a large foray (15′ x 6′), and an enormous bathroom.
The bathroom has a full size bathtub along with a decent size separate shower. The toilet room is separate also and fairly large. It has two sinks spread over a marble countertop.
The grounds are beautiful with a large fish pond surrounded by a oversized pergola in the center of the grounds.
They offer spa services that are a little high in my book, so we didn’t use them. The gym is very well equipped and has it’s own showers.
At a price of 400+ a night, this place is a bargain.

The Charmer at El Encanto, including the best view in all of Santa Barbara, along with a good friend… Makes for one fine day!

Spectacular grounds an amazing service! Probably one of the nicest places in Santa Barbara

Had such a great time here! The bungalows are really cute. The grounds are beautiful. It is a quick drive to State Street. Great views! Nice spa, and very nice staff. My only complaint is that the walls are thin. So even though we were in a private bungalow, I could hear people walking by and talking loudly at 11pm-​midnight and I had a hard time falling asleep. But I would definitely come back and I wish I could have stayed longer!

The guest’s needs are #1 here! Excellent service and always a smile.
The grounds are glorious. Absolutely beautiful and peaceful.
The pool, restaurant and spa, perfection.
I wish I could live here.
5 stars aren’t enough.

Amazing hidden gem with incredible food and a spectacular view to boot. Sitting on the deck overlooking my hometown the ambiance, now that the place has been redone, is both romantic and casual.
The appetizers were good, nothing to write home about but was certainly interesting. I tried the Avocado Gazpacho which was a little heavy and aesthetically pleasing but I tired of it after sever bites. The stone fruit plate or watermelon salad is the better choi e. We ordered the sweet corn risotto as an appetizer and it was light, creamy and delicious.
The real stars were the entrees! I ordered the filet mignon with truffle mash potatoes and bernaise. The filet was cooked perfectly with the cream and saltiness balanced just right for an explosion of flavor. The filet was a rich dish but portioned just right and I really couldn’t finish it fast enough, left wanting more even though I was full.
The desserts were great as well, but the entrée was not outdone by them. Both the peanut butter bite and chocolate soufflé were great choices, decadent and rich. But again overshadowed by the filet. I strongly recommend eating here, the setting, view and food truly provided a rich experience. The service was adequate, a little slow for my taste but not worth docking any points for.

My wonderful husband booked a surprise Birthday-​Baby Moon weekend for us last week. Oh how I was ready to be charmed by this resort that I had dreamt about. Dreams do come true, but as they say, the devil is in the details.
We had beautiful weather the whole weekend and the drive all the way up the winding road to the resort presented beautiful views of Santa Barbara and the ocean. The location is set amongst a residential area, high up on the hill.
Room 2801– It has a cute private patio in the back where you can have breakfast every morning, but be prepared to share your morning with the overly energetic babies/​kids in the private residence next door separated only by a hedge. You will hear their every word and they will hear yours. There goes your peaceful morning.
The bathtub was long, deep and very slippery. Not good for a pregnant woman. The toiletries were supplied by Etro which I used in Italy and did not like. I understand this is a sister property, but Molton Brown would have been more appropriate.
The hair dryer is crap. Come on!
The mini bar does not come stocked. You have to request what you want and then get charged for it.
Room Service– They forgot to bring extra cream and sugar, they drop the tray and leave, the coffee pots were never distinguished as regular or decaf, food was cold and portions were pretty skimpy. Also, I request the WSJ throughout my stay and I never received it once. When I called to ask for it, they said they were out of it.
The Spa– One word: Tiny! There is literally one bathroom and two showers for the entire women’s spa. There isn’t any face wash or make-​up remover supplied. The 80 minute maternity massage was delightful however.
Pool– A beautiful pool with limitless edges, but not a true infinity pool in my opinion. Also there isn’t a Jacuzzi which I overheard guests complaining about. The food was good, but they were going to heat up some food for me in addition and totally forgot about it. They ran out of bloody mary mix by 12pm on a Sunday. Really? Many guests complained that the salt water was too hot and not refreshing at all. It did feel like a big Jacuzzi. There were super annoying and very inebriated guests at the pool on a Sunday. This is Santa Barbara, not Vegas. They were extremely loud and bothered those trying to relax around them. The staff kept feeding them drinks instead of asking them to curb their behavior.
The Valet– They lost our car when we were trying to get to our dinner reservation. First, they brought up the wrong car and then they couldn’t find it at all which made us pretty late.
The shuttle service– We were given a ride to dinner at San Ysidro Ranch by a very well-​mannered and courteous driver named Cody. However, they did fail to inform us that the shuttle stops running at at 9:45pm and we ended up getting stranded and having to call a taxi service which was not fun after you are standing outside waiting cold and tired and heavily pregnant. Had we known, we probably would have just driven our own car. Baby bump compliments from John Locke of «Lost» were an added bonus however.
Weddings– We almost walked right into the middle of a wedding going on because there was no staff to block off the entrance or redirect hotel guests. After seeing two weddings take place here, I would not recommend it as a wedding venue no matter how beautiful it is.
Dogs– It’s dog friendly which is great, but they need to have garbage cans somewhere, even hidden, where guests can dispose of the dog waste. I saw rooms with piles of dog poop bags outside the door because no one knows what to do with it. Also if you are not down with the furry species, know that there will be dogs at the pool and inside the lounge. Technically, not allowed I guess, but they do get away with it.
Bellman– We requested help with our luggage checking out and no one ever showed so I walked down to reception and had to get them to send one again. Again it just seemed that this young and inexperienced staff was overwhelmed. I looked to see who was managing them and apparently no one was around. There was only one person working at the desk during a busy time when people are trying to check out and get home.
Bike Rentals– The free electric bike rentals are really fun to take down to State street and the beach. Then when you are too tired to bike the hill back to the resort, just turn on the battery and zip back. However, if you aren’t good with directions, don’t listen to the staff’s convoluted suggestions. They would do much better by offering a map to guests.
I’m truly on the fence as to whether I would return. It is so beautiful, but all together the lack of attention to details just dulls the experience. If I went back to Santa Barbara I would probably be more tempted to stay at Bacara which is much more professionally run or San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito. El Encanto, the charm is wearing off…

Grab a glass of rose and watch the sunset on the porch.
Amazing views & good service

My husband and I spent the Fourth of July weekend at the El Encanto with two guests who were part of our very small wedding party. We were married at the courthouse during our time at the hotel and figured that staying at the El Encanto would make the entire experience extra special and memorable. It was our second time at the hotel and while we weren’t disappointed in the beauty of the hotel and overall comfort of the rooms, the service was unfortunately a different story. It was actually quite remarkable how many things were just overlooked or botched completely. You kind of have the feeling that to many of the people who work there it’s just their part-​time /​summer job away from college and that they’ll be moving on to their actual careers (not hospitality) very shortly. So here’s a sampling of what went wrong:
1. While we had paid in full for our guests’ rooms via an online booking service prior to our arrival, they were actually charged the full price of the room anyway, with no acknowledgment that the previous booking had been made! This despite the fact that we had booked their room under their name. We obviously brought this to the front desk’s attention later that evening when we spoke with our guests and realized the error. And thankfully the front desk made the correction; but this is not an error you would expect from a hotel which is expected to have five star service.
2. Our guests had ordered flowers to be placed in our room upon our arrival at the hotel in celebration of our wedding. But there were no flowers to be found. Our guests called the florist to confirm that they had been delivered to the hotel — and they had. But no one at the hotel seemed to know where they were. Thankfully the flowers appeared in our room the next day, though the hotel did not think ahead to provide a vase for us to place them in. So we had to call for a vase and they thankfully provided us with one. Not thinking of providing a vase is not a huge deal, but it’s those types of little extras you expect from a five star hotel. It’s all about anticipating the needs of your guests and clearly there was no anticipation here.
3. We ordered room service (two lattes and some pastries) and asked when we could expect them to arrive. We were told 10:20 am. We didn’t receive them until 10:40 am and by that time the lattes were cold. What’s more, the server failed to remove the plastic wrap which had been placed on the cups. Kind of tacky.
4. The pool, while beautiful, was not well kept. Towels and artifacts from previous guests who had long since left the pool remained for 30 minutes or more. New guests coming to the pool had nowhere to sit and had to clean up and make a space for themselves.
5. Dinner on the patio on Fourth of July was expected to be a highlight, but turned out to be a huge disappointment and even larger expense. An over $ 500 bill for four people for what was very poorly prepared BBQ (crazy dry) was by far the worst spent money on the trip.
So why four stars? The setting and accommodations are so amazing that even disappointing service can’t take away more than one star. While there are a couple of very hospitality oriented people who work at the El Encanto, most feel like amateurs to whom this appeared to be merely any job. Perhaps it can be attributed to a lack of training and understaffing? Maybe there isn’t proper supervision? Worker moral just seems pretty low and that’s a true shame as there seems to be so much potential. If the workers were happy and not overworked, perhaps it would result in improved and more genuine service?
We do hope to come back to the El Encanto on what has become an annual trip to Santa Barbara. But given the other excellent hotels in the area, many who have incredible service, I can’t say for certain.

My boyfriend and i celebrated our one year anniversary at This beautiful hotel the staff is attentive super outgoing and friendly everyone seems to work together well and really cares about how the guest feel! The rooms are beautiful more than a room it was a little casita (mini house) our room had a electric fire place, front porch and patio so it felt like you were at home you will get easily attached! Lol and the food is delicious they offer a 24 hour in room dining pretty awesome I woke up early every morning passing by this beautiful wishing well on my way to the gym which had a dance/​yoga room
overall it has been an amazing experience I am already planning my next trip back xo

Great place to stay while in Santa Barbara! Staff was super friendly and attentive. Every time we walked by someone, they would smile and greet us which made us feel very welcome. You’ll be surprised how big the property is when you walk around.
Rooms are really nice. We had a Deluxe Bungalow with a full balcony. Area was really quiet. We didn’t hear any noises from any of the neighbors so it was very pleasant. Didn’t really see any children either.
Bed was super comfy. Double vanity sink, separate shower and tub, heated bathroom floors, fireplace, walk-​in closet. Includes complimentary water bottles, ½ bottle of Chardonnay, and free WiFi. Loved the turndown service.
Only issues we had were:
–One of the drains of the double vanity sink was draining slowly.
–The bath towel I had the first night had some dirt stains on it.
–Housekeeping did not refill our fridge with complimentary water bottle, new coffee mugs, and Nespresso pods.
–Main light switches were difficult to deal with as the on/​off didn’t work the way I wanted it to.
But none of these were real deal breakers so I’m still giving them 5 stars! Hope to stay here again some time.

UPDATE:
I wanted to add that the front desk at check out was horrified to learn about my experience, so they comped us $ 100.00 for the spa mess up (probably because the front desk was the one who made the double-​female request and couldn’t believe the Spa ignored her). The bill was close to $ 400 – the thing to do is to completely comp us for the unwanted male masseur.
The manager below said he’d contact me directly to fix things. It’s been about a month and he hasn’t contacted me at all. While it’s cool to look like you’re responding to all of the disappointed guests via Unilocal,it’d be great if you could actually follow through instead of making a show of doing so. If I could drop another ½ star, I would. Bravo Belmond, you couldn’t disappoint me more if you tried. Kudos.
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I really wanted to like you. When one pays $ 500/​night for a room for 3 nights, one expects perfection. Instead, we got subpar service and an okay room. The grounds are gorgeous, but the pool’s pretty small and there’s only one hammock on a 7 acre property. Btw, because of where the property’s situated, you can’t get a clear view of the sunset or sunrise unless you get elevation away from the dining area. Beware of super possessive guests who won’t deign to share their open (and public) stairway for you to check out the view. We met one nice couple – the rest are kind of stereotypical in the «I don’t know how to share,» way. It’s okay, they paid for privacy, I get that. But the attitude is ridiculous.
The front desk is completely clueless. While check-​in went smooth (though slow), I specifically asked for a room with a view. Yet, our first floor bungalow had no view. Basic understanding of a hotel’s offerings is expected from the staff, yet when we called the front desk to ask general questions about what’s included in the Amex Plat travel package, it took the team at least 10 minutes to call us back with an answer.
When they brought us our bags, they promised to bring us several extra bottles of water and ice. We waited four hours and no ice and no water. When we finally got the water, they didn’t bring ice. In fact, two people promised ice: the person who checked us in, and our valet (who took well over 30 minutes to bring our baggage). We had to call front desk to remind them that we were waiting for ice and water.
The next day, we called for extra coffee pods for the in-​room Nespresso. We figured it’d take several hours (we can learn!), so we went out for breakfast and a swim first. Several hours later – still no coffee. We had to call twice to get it – roughly 3 hours total.
Speaking of the pool, the hotel staff pretty much ignored me and my girlfriend until we pretty much called out to one of them for service. Was it because we were the only Asian couple? The only queer couple? I don’t know. When they interacted with another couple (Caucasian + Asian), they only addressed the Caucasian guy. So so weird. Every Caucasian got asked if they wanted food/​drinks.
While we only had breakfast, the food is average. The restaurant staff, especially Peter, Alfredo, and Nathan, are impeccable. The same for the valet guys. Fast, responsive, and genuinely kind. They were the best part of our stay.
Our room was an upgraded première bungalow thanks to Amex. The bed, shower, tub, and fireplace were great. Not too sure if the room (2701) was haunted, but the bathroom lights kept going off by themselves. It is not fun to use the loo and have the lights go off. Nor is it cool to have the lights all go off in the middle of a shower.
Btw, because the property is surrounded by lush plant life, expect fruit flies/​gnats to pester you, and spider/​flea bites in the morning. I don’t have pets so I’m not too sure how this happened. I still have scabs from scratching at the bites a month later.
The deadbolt was finicky and took the patience of Job to turn. Not too sure what’s going on, but it was a pain to lock it at night.
And last, but not the least, we got a couple’s massage for about $ 400 after tips. We specially requested two female masseuses. When we got to the spa, they told us we would have to take one male and one female. By then, it was too late to cancel (or else we’d have to eat the cost of the whole thing). The male had hairy arms, and each time he rubbed his arm across my back, it felt like Chewbacca giving me a rub down. When asked to apply more pressure, he ignored my request. The female was loads better. I’ve gotten better massages for $ 15.
I grew up in hotels in Atlantic City staying in penthouses and suites. From my experience, the St. Regis, while not bungalow style, is leaps better and includes a butler. I’ve gotten more responsive service at a Days Inn for a fraction of the cost.
I really wanted to like you, Belmond El Encanto, but you’ve failed to impress. Ty Warner Ranch the next time we come back to SB!

The hotel itself is beautiful and a very nice place to stay. Service was also up to par. They remembered us throughout our stay, which was a nice touch. I would highly recommend spending a night here (I loved the style of the rooms and the fireplace!). The views outside are gorgeous and they have a state of the art fitness center.
We also came for afternoon tea, which I would not recommend. The tea was great but the food was either very dry or sweet. We have had better experiences at Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons. Not worth the $$$ in my opinion.

They just got their 5 Star Award and are the only hotel in Santa Barbara with that rating!
I have been coming here for over 25 years but had not been since the 7 year renovation was completed. I was excited to see what had been done. They built a ballroom and a Spa, moved the pool but kept it the same size.
We got an amazing site tour and went into 4 of the most beautiful suites & rooms. The reno jobs were beyond amazing. Kitchens & bathrooms were completely updated and looked much larger than before. Since the cottages are over 100 years old they couldn’t mess with the footprint, so I don’t know how they did it.
We spent the day in the lunch/​bar area & Brian was our bartender. He made craft cocktails & kept us amused all day. The lunches we ordered were fresh & healthy, I had the oysters on the half shell, chicken wings and salads were ordered. The service was on point. The view from the terrace area is stunning & worth the trip up the mountain.
It was sad when we had to call our Über car to leave. While we were waiting,
outside & had said goodbye to everyone, one of the front desk girls came out with 4 bottles of water for us. Service doesn’t get better than that.
LOVE you Belmond El Encanto!
P. S. We have also enjoyed The Belmond Hotel Caruso (formerly owned by Orient Express) in Ravello, Italy. It’s a world renowned property boasting «Best infinity Pool» in the world. Enjoy!