Four Seasons Biltmore or Inn of the Spanish Gardens?

My husband and I are planning a 3 night stay in Santa Barbara in mid-March. Neither of us has visited Santa Barbara, and we%26#39;re trying to decide between staying at the Four Seasons Biltmore and the Inn of the Spanish Gardens. The reviews of both properties are good. Anyone out there who has stayed at both properties or know of anyone who has? Any input is appreciated!

Four Seasons Biltmore or Inn of the Spanish Gardens?

I haven%26#39;t stayed overnight at either property but have visited both.

The two main differences are the locations: The Spanish Garden is located in the middle of town which can be important to some who want the village setting and being more intimate with the downtown shops and restaurants and the Biltmore is located next to the sea in a lovely area nearer Montecito which gives you a more secluded feel and intimacy with the sea.

The other differnce is one is a boutique style hotel with limited services(Spanish Garden versus a Four Seasons with many resort style amenities.

Some people search out smaller properties with local individuality such as Spanish Garden and other people require consistency of a chain like Four Seasons.

Noth properties will give you an excellent Santa Barbara experience.

Enjoy!!

Four Seasons Biltmore or Inn of the Spanish Gardens?

I have only stayed at the Biltmore. It%26#39;s pluses are it%26#39;s oceanside location and world class amenities %26amp; staff.

Inn of the Spanish Gardens has a better location if walking to State St. is important. Personally I would stay at the Four Seasons and drive to State St. since parking is seldom an issue.

We had lunch at the Biltmore out on the patio and took a tour of the hotel, it is absolutely beautiful. Montecito is an upscale coastal town with much scenic beauty.

The pool area at the Biltmore was gorgeous, there is also a spa there, next visit to Santa Barbara this is where we want to stay! I hope you have a wonderful time in Santa Barbara, it%26#39;s a beautiful area to spend time in. :)

I had the pleasure of staying at both. My husband and I stayed at the Spanish Gardens when we had tickets to see Jackson Brown at the Lobero Theatre. The location is absolutely perfect if you plan to walk around State St., shop, eat, etc. I actually think it%26#39;s a hassel to drive around down town and find parking, so being able to park at the Inn and not get in a car all weekend was a plus for us. Our room was really private, clean and nice (simple, but kind of charming). They serve a wonderful buffet type bfast that comes with the price of the room. I found the staff to be very helpful and pleasant. I used to stay at the El Encanto before they closed for renovation. It kind of reminds me of that place.

When I stayed at the Biltmore this past summer - I felt that I had died and gone to heaven. The property is so amazing. It%26#39;s so beautiful and serene. SB can kind of be a busy touristy place, but when you are at the Biltmore, it%26#39;s like you are in your own little beautiful world. As usual with all 4 season properties, it%26#39;s all in the details - and unbelievable service. The negative is it%26#39;s so pricey (remember too you are paying for location - righ on the beach). So I think it depends on your budget and what you are looking for in a weekend getaway. Even though you%26#39;ve got the beach at 4 seasons, it%26#39;s going to be cold. So unless you plan to hole up at the Biltmore and just enjoy the spa and being together in a beautiful place (which is great!) I don%26#39;t know if the price is worth it.

Good luck! You really can%26#39;t go wrong w/ either property - and SB is wonderful! (I%26#39;m a UCSB alumni!)

Thanks for all of the opinions - it%26#39;s appreciated! Skateboards - I just responded to a post of yours regarding Lanai. We just returned earlier this week from splitting a week between the 2 Four Seasons properties on that island. It was wonderful - possibly our favorite vacation to date. I%26#39;ll get my reviews posted soon. Anyway, the rate I found for the Four Seasons Biltmore is only $45/night more than Spanish Gardens. Just no breakfast included and no fireplace or balcony, where we would have all of that at SG. Plus, the room size at the FS is over 200 sq ft smaller than what we just had at both FS properties last week. I was concerned that we would be disappointed. I%26#39;ll have to re-evaluate if you feel the property itself is really that nice. Thanks again, and any other opinions out there would be great!