Wellness
T
here are few places that feel
destined to be exactly where
they are – the Four Seasons
in Santa Barbara is one of
them. Situated just yards
from Montecito’s dog-friendly
Butterfly Beach, with consummate
views of the Pacific Ocean and the
Channel Islands lining the horizon,
the Four Seasons Resort, The
Biltmore, Santa Barbara (its lengthy
official title) is classic Santa
Barbara. Built in 1927, the original
coffered ceilings and saltillo floor
tile in the lobby reflect the Spanish
Colonial Revival design that was all
the rage in the later 1920s. Period
furnishings (some from the original
property, some not) fill the spacious
lobby. The Four Seasons is a gracious
Spanish hacienda, with red
bougainvillea vines scaling white
walls, red tiled roofs, and colorful
Mexican tiles, exactly what the
perception of Santa Barbara is
to most people.
As you should rightly expect, there
are a plenty of amenities, including
lighted tennis courts with a tennis
pro and a spa with state of the art
workout room. But perhaps the most
prized is the next-door Coral Casino:
A private cabana and beach club with
an Olympic size pool within yards of
the beach and one of Santa Barbara’s
most exclusive restaurants, Tydes,
named after owner, Beanie Baby king
Ty Warner. Access is available to
guests who book Premier and
Executive rooms at the Four Seasons,
allowing them use of the pool and
cabanas. Otherwise, if you book
Superior or Deluxe accommodations,
access to the Coral Casino is $200
per day. However, dinner and lunch at
Tydes are available to all guests of
the hotel and a visit here is a must.
Though there is a limited menu, the
food is superb and may range from
east coast diver scallops with
mushroom ragu, to braised Kurobuta
pork with black vinegar caramel
reduction sauce and petit kale salad.
The Ty Lounge, located adjacent to
the hotel lobby, opens at 3 p.m. each
day, with live piano music on Friday
and Saturday nights, and Wednesday
is Spanish music night. Its onyx back
bar lit from behind looks like a
glorious wall of butterscotch, and
this low key gathering spot has patio
access with views to the Pacific
Ocean. The hotel’s Bella Vista
restaurant, serving lunch and dinner,
has an emphasis on Italian nuances
from Chef Alessandro Cartumini,
with a preponderance of ingredients
sourced locally. In addition to all
that, the Four Seasons offers
something rare for Santa Barbara,
a proper Afternoon Tea, served on
Friday and Saturdays, which has been
ongoing since 1987 and includes two
courses; the first course of finger
sandwiches and the second an
assortment of pastries, scones and
other decadent goodies. Of course,
tea is the mainstay and there are a
dozen teas to choose from, including
standards ranging from Earl Grey
to peppermint herbal, and Japanese
sencha. You can upgrade to the
Montecito Tea, which adds a glass of
sherry, or the Royal Tea, which adds
a glass of Champagne or Kir Royale.
Rooms & Grounds
Ranging from 350 to 2,000 square
feet, all of the rooms have hand
stenciling around the entrance, a
throwback to an earlier time. Suites
have self-heating floors and each
room is different in terms of décor
and color. But thematically, they all
stay true to simple clean furnishings,
a basic color palate and open floor
plans; there is nothing ostentatious.
Rooms also have deep soaking tubs
and water spigots on the side of the
tub, not the end, making it easier for
actual lounging in them. There are
12 cottages which all have wood
floors, including the Ty Warner
Cottage. Also known as the
Presidential Suite, this building was
once the home of the former owner.
The suite has a huge living area,
second only to the back patio, with
a newly built plunge pool capable of
holding 12 people. All mattresses
were made specifically for the Four
Seasons and the mattress tops are
interchangeable. Therefore, you can
request plush or firm depending on
your preference. Of the 207 rooms
and suites, only 11 are ocean-view.
I was curious as to why a hotel like
this would have so few rooms facing
the property’s best asset – proximity
to the ocean. The answer was that
“back in the day” (we tend to forget
there was a time before TVs