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Travelers seeking a hillside retreat can settle among El Encanto's garden bungalows, with beach visits planned as outings rather than doorstep activities.

What makes it special

Arrange a private yacht trip through the concierge for a different view of Santa Barbara's coastline from out on the Pacific.

Room to consider

The Terrace Premier Suite suits longer stays, with a separate living area and furnished outdoor space overlooking the gardens.

Insider tip

Ask about the courtesy house car for downtown trips; journeys within five miles operate on a first-come basis, so keep transport alternatives.

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El Encanto Santa Barbara

El Encanto Santa Barbara is a hillside hotel in the Riviera neighborhood, with terraced gardens and views across the city to the Pacific. Its 90 rooms and suites occupy a seven-acre estate above town, where patios, fireplaces, and garden paths shape the stay. The beach is a separate outing, not a strip of sand outside your door.

Formerly Belmond El Encanto, the independently owned hotel belongs to The Leading Hotels of the World. Its rooms, bungalows and signature suites offer different ways to stay among the gardens, with a choice between open-plan accommodation and layouts with a separate living room.

Rooms

  • 90 90

Hotel Style

  • Casual Casual

Leisure

  • Fitness Fitness
  • Pool Pool
  • Spa Spa

Experiences

  • Wellness Wellness
  • Romantic Romantic

Facilities

  • Pet Friendly Pet Friendly
  • Wheelchair Accessible Wheelchair Accessible
  • Connecting Rooms Connecting Rooms

Rooms & Suites at El Encanto Santa Barbara

Superior Room
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Superior Room

312–549 sqft
From 1’014 USD

Spanish Colonial details bring a sense of place to these rooms facing the gardens. Wood floors and soft fabrics give the bedroom a warm, gentle...

Terrace Room
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Terrace Room

410–540 sqft
From 1’357 USD

The garden setting reaches right to the Terrace Room's door. Warm wood furniture and soft fabrics give the bedroom a relaxed bungalow feel. Most layouts...

Premier Room
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Premier Room

538–657 sqft
From 1’391 USD

Gardens fill the view from the Premier Room in the heart of the grounds. A hearth within the bedroom gives the space the feel of...

Deluxe Room
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Deluxe Room

452–689 sqft
From 1’414 USD

Lush garden grounds surround the Deluxe Room, whose interiors reflect El Encanto's bungalow setting. Wood furniture and soft fabrics bring warmth to the pale bedroom...

Terrace Premier Room
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Terrace Premier Room

540–730 sqft
From 1’757 USD

The Terrace Premier Room has a sitting area around a hearth within its generous bedroom. Wood floors and soft fabrics link the bed to the...

1 Bedroom Suite
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1 Bedroom Suite

540–735 sqft
From 1’928 USD

This suite feels like a small bungalow home, with a private bedroom beside its lounge. Wood floors link these spaces, while soft fabrics give each...

Terrace Suite
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Terrace Suite

535–650 sqft
From 2’385 USD

The Terrace Suite opens its living space toward the gardens while keeping the bedroom private. Wood floors continue through the lounge, bringing warm timber tones...

Garden Bungalow
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Garden Bungalow

655–670 sqft
From 2’727 USD

Craftsman and Mission styles give the Garden Bungalow its California character among the grounds. It stands apart from other rooms, with sleeping and sitting spaces...

Premier Terrace Suite
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Premier Terrace Suite

603–797 sqft
From 3’298 USD

The lounge brings the garden into this suite, with a private bedroom beyond it. Wood floors carry warm tones through both rooms, with a hearth...

Oak Tree Suite
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Oak Tree Suite

1,098 sqft
From 3’305 USD

Large French doors lead from the Oak Tree Suite to a courtyard with a period fountain. Wood floors and a hearth give the living room...

Hummingbird Suite
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Hummingbird Suite

800 sqft
From 3’413 USD

Fragrant planting surrounds the secluded patio beside the Hummingbird Suite. The cottage has a lounge with wood floors and a hearth, set beside the bedroom....

Vista Suite
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Vista Suite

829 sqft
From 3’572 USD

Eucalyptus and palms frame the Vista Suite in a quieter part of the grounds. A patio meets a private lawn beyond the sitting room, bringing...

Wishing Well Suite
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Wishing Well Suite

904 sqft
From 3’629 USD

Bougainvillea frames the terrace beyond the Wishing Well Suite's lounge. The sitting room opens straight toward the flowers, with wood floors and a hearth indoors....

2 Bedroom Terrace Suite
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2 Bedroom Terrace Suite

926 sqft
From 3’698 USD

A lily pond lies beside this suite, with the gardens close to its living spaces. Private sleeping rooms sit apart from the main lounge within...

Camellia Suite
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Camellia Suite

1,098 sqft
From 4’920 USD

Camellias border this suite's outdoor space, bringing its namesake flowers close to the cottage. The living room has wood floors and a fireplace, with dining...

2 Bedroom Vista Suite
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2 Bedroom Vista Suite

1,430 sqft
From 5’514 USD

Eucalyptus and palms surround this residence in a quieter quarter of the gardens. The Vista Suite connects to a Deluxe King room, adding a private...

2 Bedroom Wishing Well Suite
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2 Bedroom Wishing Well Suite

1,453 sqft
From 5’514 USD

Pink roses and bougainvillea frame this residence, with a stone wishing well close to the terrace. The Wishing Well Suite joins a Deluxe Bungalow to...

2 Bedroom Camellia Suite
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2 Bedroom Camellia Suite

1,755 sqft
From 6’028 USD

Brick paths and camellias surround this cottage, with ocean and garden views through broad windows. The main suite joins a One-Bedroom Suite, preserving a private...

2 Bedroom Oak Tree Suite
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2 Bedroom Oak Tree Suite

1,647 sqft
From 6’633 USD

Spanish Colonial details shape this linked bungalow, with a generous living room and private sleeping spaces. The Oak Tree Suite joins a Premier Bungalow to...

El Encanto opened in 1918, and its mix of California Craftsman and Spanish Colonial Revival buildings gives the estate a varied character. Wisteria-draped pergolas and a lily pond provide places to pause along the garden paths. Rather than moving through one main building for everything, guests spend time outside between rooms and public spaces. That is part of the appeal of this address, especially when a few unplanned hours are as important as sightseeing.

The hilltop setting is the reason to leave room in the day for the hotel itself. You can look over the city's roofs toward the ocean, then return to the more enclosed setting of a garden patio. Proximity to the restaurant, pool, and arrival area can matter when selecting a room across the grounds. Guests with mobility requirements should discuss those routes as well as the room's own access features.

The zero-edge outdoor pool looks over Santa Barbara toward the Pacific. It gives the ocean view a place in the day even when you have no plans to drive to the beach. A swim followed by time beside the pool can fill the interval between breakfast and lunch, rather than becoming another outing. It is one of the shared spaces that makes the hotel useful for a slower visit as well as a short city break.

The Spa at El Encanto offers Swedish and deep-tissue massages, facials, and couples' treatments in the same room. A treatment booking does not itself include access to the hotel pool or fitness center; the spa's access rules are separate from those for overnight guests. For exercise, the hotel fitness center has Technogym equipment and Kinesis stations. Yoga and HIIT feature in the class program, while personal training is available on request.

The room names reward close reading. Terrace King rooms are garden-facing, with a private furnished patio and 410 to 540 square feet of space. Their marble bathrooms have heated stone floors, and most include a soaking tub and a walk-in rain shower. The Terrace Premier King adds a fireplace and increases the range to 540 to 730 square feet, with a furnished patio or balcony. Neither category name promises an ocean view.

For a garden stay away from adjoining rooms, the Garden Bungalow is a specific choice within the wider room selection. It measures 655 to 670 square feet, with a fireplace, sitting area, and a furnished patio among the planting. The interior is described as open-plan. That matters more than the bungalow label if one guest wants to sleep while another reads or works: a detached setting does not mean a bedroom that closes off from the sitting space.

The Terrace Suite, at 535 to 650 square feet, has a separate living room with a sofa bed and a furnished patio or balcony. One-Bedroom Suites also have a separate living room, and selected examples can connect to another room. These are useful differences for longer visits or travelers keeping different hours. The choice is about how you use the rooms, not just how much floor space they have.

A Deluxe Double offers two double beds rather than a king, with garden views and 520 to 660 square feet. It can meet a different need from a suite with one bedroom and a sofa bed. Across the hotel, the shared terrace and pool are places to enjoy the broad Pacific panorama, even when your own room's outlook is focused on the gardens.

Oak Tree Suite is a two-bedroom cottage with king beds in both bedrooms and two marble bathrooms. A kitchenette and dining space make it practical for a longer visit, while the courtyard has its own outdoor fireplace, dining area, and fountain. The hotel describes its 1,650 square feet as indoor-outdoor living, so the courtyard forms part of that figure. It provides a place for a family or friends to gather without using a bedroom as the shared sitting room.

The 900-square-foot Wishing Well Suite has one king bedroom, a fireplace, and a private furnished terrace. Its kitchenette and dining area for four make a meal in the suite a different proposition from balancing room-service trays beside the bed. The table's four seats are a dining feature, not a statement of how many people may stay overnight.

The Dining Room & Terrace serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with seasonal cooking shaped by the coast. The outdoor tables face downtown Santa Barbara and the Pacific, while the dining room provides an indoor alternative. Breakfast here gives the view a role at the start of the day; dinner leaves time to see the city lights below. The setting is a reason to spend an evening at the hotel without needing every meal to take place on the estate.

That flexibility suits Santa Barbara. You might spend a day out along the coast and return for dinner, or keep lunch at the hotel between a swim and a spa appointment. The terrace is also a way to share the setting with companions who are staying elsewhere, rather than treating the view as something reserved for your room.

The hotel's arranged outings extend beyond its gardens. Sailing is offered with Santa Barbara Sailing Center, and tennis instruction takes place through a partnership with Santa Barbara Tennis Club. Neither is an on-site facility. Meet the Maker, arranged with Coastal Concierge, combines wine-country visits with transportation and a chef-prepared picnic. These experiences give a longer stay different directions without suggesting that a full schedule is required to enjoy the hotel.

The address is 800 Alvarado Place. Santa Barbara Airport is the local arrival option, while Los Angeles International Airport involves a longer onward journey. Arriving by train still leaves a road transfer from Santa Barbara station to this hillside address.

Why we love this hotel

Why we love this hotel

The Dining Room's coastal, seasonal menu comes with a choice of indoor seating or an outdoor terrace overlooking Santa Barbara.

Ocean views extend beyond the outdoor pool, where food and drink service lets you settle in for an afternoon between swims.

Yoga and high-intensity fitness classes provide guided workouts, while the 24-hour studio lets you exercise independently whenever it suits your schedule.

Location of EL ENCANTO

800 ALVARADO PLACE SANTA BARBARA CA 93103 US UNITED STATES

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Weather at El Encanto Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

What to Know About El Encanto Santa Barbara

Is El Encanto Santa Barbara a good luxury hotel?

Yes. El Encanto Santa Barbara is a strong choice for travelers who want a refined hillside hotel with Pacific Ocean views, garden paths, bungalow-style rooms, a spa, a pool, and elegant dining.It suits guests who want Santa Barbara charm without staying directly in the busiest beach or downtown area. The mood is calm, residential, and scenic, with easy access to the city below.

Where is El Encanto Santa Barbara located?

El Encanto Santa Barbara is at 800 Alvarado Place in Santa Barbara, California. It sits in the Riviera hills above town, with views toward downtown Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean.The setting is useful for travelers who want a quiet base with quick access to beaches, restaurants, museums, shopping, and wine country day trips. A car or arranged transfer makes the stay easier.

What is special about El Encanto Santa Barbara?

El Encanto is special because it combines historic Santa Barbara character with a hillside resort layout. Rooms, suites, and bungalows are set among gardens rather than stacked in one standard hotel tower.The experience feels private and relaxed. Guests come for ocean-facing terraces, garden walks, the pool, spa time, and a quieter version of Santa Barbara luxury.

Does El Encanto Santa Barbara have ocean views?

Yes. El Encanto Santa Barbara is known for views over downtown Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean. The hillside position is one of the main reasons to book the hotel.Not every room has the same view, so room selection matters. Choose an ocean-view room, suite, or bungalow if the view is a key part of the trip.

What rooms and suites can guests book at El Encanto Santa Barbara?

El Encanto offers rooms, suites, and bungalows with a Santa Barbara garden-resort feel. Many accommodations are designed with a sense of privacy, outdoor space, and soft California style.Couples may prefer a romantic room with views, while families or longer-stay guests should consider larger suites or bungalow layouts. The best choice depends on view, space, and desired privacy.

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