El Encanto

Not ready for prime time. While the grounds are gorgeous and the rooms are lovely, it is clear that the new management has not prepared their staff properly. From the front desk to the bell staff to housekeeping, they were not performing at the five-star level that the price should deliver.

The food was horrifically bad. The service was amateurish. The prices were insane. I simply cannot imagine why anybody would go through such a gastronomic nightmare twice. The dinner menu was simply weird -- with very few choices. Rather than pay for a ridiculously expensive steak, I chose a ridiculously expensive plate of pasta caccio e peppe. What I got was overcooked pasta with an insipid, watery butter sauce with black pepper. I asked the waitress for some parmigiano (I guessed they didn't have any pecorino romano), but she never came back. Save a whole lot of money. Go anyplace else.

I have stayed at this hotel a few times before when it was managed by Belmond. Let me tell you, there is a HUGE difference in the quality of the service since it has come under new ownership--not in a good way. The rooms and grounds are gorgeous; however, with the hefty rate comes an expectation of quality, attentive service. There were no towels at the pool. At one point, the pool attendant offered USED towels to the guests. Restaurant service was inexcusably slow. I had to wait 15-20 minutes before someone would even come to the table to offer water. I was staying with a friend, and her car was returned by the hotel valet with hard water stains on it which required a $250 cleaning. The hotel took absolutely no responsibility, and I have yet to hear back from the general manager after writing him directly. If you are looking to spend a nice sum of cash for middling service, used pool towels, and an unprofessional management staff, this is the hotel for you.

El Encanto Santa Barbara is a gorgeous gem. I come from the East Coast so I was up at 5 each morning, loved opening my balcony and breathing the fresh air with my coffee before it got bright outside. I wish I brought my workout outfit, but I was there for couple days only.

I haves stayed at this lovely hotel many times. Imagine my disappointment when I went to the lobby at 6am to get some work done, only to find out that the coffee bar had been discontinued. Wow this was a huge letdown.