1/5

El Encanto, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA • Riviera • OVER THE TOP

avg. $1,074 / night

Includes $57 / night in cash back

Cash back is redeemable via Virtual Visa, Venmo, or bank transfer starting 24-48 hours after check-out

LHW Leaders Club property

Exclusive PressBeyond Benefits

Get to where you see yourself

Ultra-clean, global, hand-picked hotel curation & imagery designed to help you visualize enticing environments and the elevated social experiences they create

Cash back

5% cash back on all completed stays (redeemable via Virtual Visa, Venmo, or bank transfer starting 24-48 hours after check-out)

Credit card points

Credit and debit card charges are processed directly by the hotel (i.e. not PressBeyond), meaning that any travel-specific credit card points or incentives that you normally get as a cardholder for direct hotel bookings are preserved

Hotel loyalty points

Points accrual and status eligibility with major hotel loyalty programs: Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, and others

Free breakfast

Breakfast-included rate options available

Room upgrades

Complimentary room upgrades (subject to property availability)

Extend your stay

Early check-in and late check-out (subject to property availability)

Part of Leading Hotels of the World

Location

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PB hotel design editorial

Perched on Santa Barbara's Riviera hillside above the city's red-tile roofline, a cluster of white clapboard cottages has drawn writers, diplomats, and Hollywood figures to this address since 1918. El Encanto — the name translates simply as the enchantment — was reimagined after a seven-year closure by Orient-Express Hotels, reopening in 2013 following a restoration overseen by interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud. Her brief was to recover the property's original California craftsman character while fitting it for contemporary expectations, threading 92 rooms and suites across ten acres of terraced gardens without disturbing the compound's deliberately residential scale. The herringbone brick motor court visible at the entrance, with its sandstone fountain and vine-draped porte-cochère, establishes a register that the main building — white-painted weatherboard, pitched shingle roof, multi-pane casements — sustains throughout. Champalimaud's interiors work through accumulation rather than declaration: wide-plank hardwood floors, woven lattice headboards, carved Spanish colonial armoires, and iron-and-glass nesting tables layered against cream walls with deep crown mouldings. Fireplaces anchored in white marble surrounds and French doors opening onto garden terraces give each room the atmosphere of a well-inherited house. The dining room's coffered ceiling and wraparound fenestration frame a panorama running from the Santa Ynez foothills to the Pacific, a curtain of amber late-afternoon light catching the rattan chairs and the cascading amber-glass pendant above the room's centre. The lap pool terrace, set into the hillside below mature eucalyptus, completes the picture — the ocean visible just beyond the treeline.

Travel notes

Formerly a Belmond property

About

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Amenities

Pool

Internet

Kids Activities

Shuttle Bus Service

Suites

Room service

Free Internet

Wheelchair Access

Restaurant

Bar/Lounge

El Encanto, Santa Barbara Reviews

1,620 reviews

"I’ve stayed at this place multiple times when it was the Belmond and loved it. I would give the valet staff 5 stars as they are fantastic- but overall disappointing weekend. Also 2-3 front desk staff great / other than that - service and front desk really need help. Have one more night and frankly if it wasn’t my bday weekend and I had two rooms I paid for I would leave. There are 2 or so front desk staff who are borderline rude. Before the trip I emailed and called multiple times to ensure my 82 year old father and I would have rooms next to each other and without stairs. 2 days before after still not getting confirmation, the woman I spoke with was unprofessional and kept telling me about all their phone issues and how she had no idea was I was talking about and seemed to have no idea what the Fine Hotels and Resort Program was . I was then hung up on 4 times. This same hanging up/disconnection experience occurred almost every time I called from my room after arrival too - over 15 times I was hung up on in a 24 hour period. Then calling back - waiting on hold for 10 minutes - then hung up on again. So unacceptable. Never experienced that ever at a 5 star resort. When we finally got to the rooms - I had to again explain that I had the Terrace room despite calling and explaining in multiple emails who had what room. Also - there was then a large amount of stairs up to my room - which prevented my dad from coming up often due to the difficulties of climbing the stairs (exactly what I spent 3 months and multiple emails trying to avoid). The first night it took 45 minutes to get a bucket of ice - and only after calling 3 times - I even offered to just go pick it up myself after no one came. The amazing valet team finally brought the ice after hearing no one bring it on the radio. FYI - no guest can get ice themselves. Again - props to the valet team. Same issue occurred the next day too with the ice. The Terrace chairs, table and floor in the room were filthy on check in. While they cleaned it after calling them - I shouldn’t have to at this level of resort on first arriving. My air conditioning wouldn’t work on the first morning and my toilet never flushed properly (and would randomly flush at night waking me up). We also had multiple service issues - and despite multiple attempts at filing out their forms prior to arrival on preferred service times, speaking with them after this wasn’t honored, then literally coming from the front desk who assured service would come after 12 - only to get back from that conversation and have them knocking at my door at 10:30AM- 30 minutes later). I gave up. Today my bathroom sink stopped draining - video tapped it as I felt like the hotel thinks I’m making all these issues up - and after yet another failed turn down service time - I gave up trying to get yet another thing fixed. All this happened on my birthday which made it sting more. We went to lunch at Rosewood and the service there was night and day. The restaurant - food was great - but bizarre experience there too (felt like I was being punk’d - kept waiting for some hidden camera). All and all don’t think I will be back or recommend this place which is sad after having been so many times and loved it. Can’t justify the cost at this level of service - rather go to Rosewood or Four Seasons when its reopens."

A Tripadvisor traveler review

Mar 21, 2026

"We just left after 4 nights of celebrating my husband’s birthday with friends. Wow! what a great hotel. our suite had incredible views and the vibe was just great. Every time we returned to the hotel we were welcomed like family. Huge shoutout to Hugo and Linda! They were so sweet and helpful. We can’t wait to come back."

A Tripadvisor traveler review

Feb 23, 2026

"I had an amazing time at lunch and the pool. The servers gave excellent service and would 100% recommend this place for a day trip."

A Tripadvisor traveler review

Feb 21, 2026

"We stayed at El Encanto, A Belmond Hotel for a romantic getaway, and it was exactly what we were hoping for — private, quiet, and beautifully done without feeling over the top. The bungalow layout makes a big difference. It feels secluded and intimate, with plenty of space to relax together. Coffee on the patio in the morning and a glass of wine overlooking the ocean at sunset were simple but memorable highlights. Service was polished but never intrusive. The team struck the right balance — attentive, efficient, and genuinely welcoming. Dinner on property was excellent and made it easy to settle in and stay put for the evening. The setting above Santa Barbara gives you incredible views while still being just minutes from town, so it’s easy to explore during the day and retreat back to calm at night. If you’re looking for a romantic escape that feels special but still comfortable and understated, El Encanto delivers. We’d absolutely return."

A Tripadvisor traveler review

Feb 16, 2026

"Beautiful hotel and restaurant in the hills above Santa Barbara. Great service and the views were killer."

A Tripadvisor traveler review

Feb 16, 2026

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El Encanto, Santa Barbara | Best Design-Driven Stays in Santa Barbara, CA