Santa Barbara, the American Riviera

Find out why Kimpton properties and other great hotels rely on Coyle Hospitality to get things just right in Santa Barbara.

Part way along the 600-mile mission trail from San Diego to Sonoma, Santa Barbara is home to the Queen of the Missions dating from 1786. Settled up and down along the coast by Franciscan friars, this is one of the 21 outposts telling the story of late-18th century Spanish California. Today, it it open to visitors and can even be used as a conference center and retreat.

Blessed with super weather, winegrapes, and gentle Pacific waves, Santa Barbara’s Mediterranean-influenced look and feel continue to call out to travelers who appreciate the relaxing side of a California lifestyle.

Additional Benefits

• Southern California experts who know Santa Barbara inside out
• Know your competitive set and raise the bar
• Get insights with both depth and breadth from independent professional evaluators
• You’re open seven days a week, and so are we
• Proprietary software is developed around your property’s needs
• Southern California may feel laid-back, but our network of professional evaluators deliver reports in a New York minute

Santa Barbara is a Mediterranean Jewel in SoCal

Southern Californians have the right idea. Palm trees swaying in the sun fanned by temperate coastal breezes, surf lapping at Pacific coves where world-class grassy golf courses overlook barking sea lions frolicking on the rocks below. And that’s on a Monday. It just gets better as the week goes by.

If you’ve never been to Santa Barbara, pop it onto your bucket list now and build a Pacific Coast Highway and Big Sur itinerary around it. Sometimes called the American Riviera, you’ll see why if you’ve ever been up and down the French version by the same name.

There’s an Amtrak station right in the center of town, so you can even choose to make the journey up and down the coast on the double decker Coast Starlight train; the tracks hug the coast so closely, you’ll resist the urge to dip your toes into the surf.

One thing Californians love as much as their beaches is their wine. Far enough south to enjoy ideal weather, yet far enough north to border the Santa Ynez Valley AVA, Santa Barbara is fortunate in both regards. Local operators run wine country tours to explore by taxi, rock star limousine, jeep, hummer or by trolley car.

Back at the ranch, why not splash out and make that the San Ysidro Ranch? Romantic bungalows nestled among the 500 acres of wine country foothills feature pristine landscaping and lush gardens that make for a rustic, yet luxurious, hideaway. Your dining table at The Stonehouse is set under the beams of a 19th century citrus packing house complete with ocean views and a wood burning fireplace. Winner of just about every award in the book, you’ll want to learn more about the fabled ranch’s connections to the weddings of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, as well as Jack and Jackie Kennedy, and lots more famous guests.

La Super-Rica Taqueria may be every bit as unremarkable looking as San Ysidro Ranch is not, but a woman once remarked upon how much she liked the food at this small turquoise and white painted shack. Since that woman was Julia Child, you can be guaranteed a decent line forms outside this place morning, noon and night.

Back in the city, Canary is a Kimpton Hotel receiving top marks for its canopy beds, ocean and mountain views, rooftop pool, hot tub and fireplace. Four Seasons Biltmore Resort, El Encanto by Orient Express and Spanish Garden Inn for a downtown retreat indicate the level of quality and charm that Santa Barbara visitors have come to expect from this superior destination.

Space alone limits this discussion of what Santa Barbara and Montecito have to offer on the hospitality front. Suffice it to say that Coyle Hospitality can promptly refer locally-based, professional evaluators to your own property to perform mystery shopping exercises, ensuring that your customers will be singing your praises tomorrow.

 

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