NoviceCritic

For me, the sign of a true resort town is the quality hotels they have to offer that make it a great destination spot. Santa Barbara has its own charm, laid-back style, beautiful stretch of beaches, and some of the best hotels around. One of my favorite Santa Barbara hotels is the Belmond El Encanto.

The Belmond El Encanto is perched up on a hill overlooking Santa Barbara, which you learn pretty quickly as you make your descent up the road leading to the hotel. This perch gives it some of the best views in town of both the surrounding city and the coast along the Pacific Ocean.Instead of a more traditional hotel format with standard rooms, the Belmond is spread out over the property and made up mostly of villas and suites.The Belmond in Santa Barbara is also home to one the most popular wedding ceremony locations in California……complete with live turtle friends. Search the Belmond El Encanto location tag on Instagram, and lots of wedding ceremonies will be popping up.The grounds are well kept and turn the hotel into its own little oasis, within the oasis that is Santa Barbara.I could not get enough of the views from every direction at this hotel.