Belmond El Encanto

We had an excellent stay at El Encanto. Guest Services Agent Edward "Eddy" Grichanik was particularly attentive. We connected on LinkedIn in advance. The resort is lovely. First class in every way. The setting is stunning and all of the grounds and facility are beautiful and pristinely maintained. We were upgraded upon arrival and received wonderful amenities to celebrate my husband's milestone birthday. The restaurants served excellent food with great service. The staff at the pool, fitness and spa were also outstanding. This resort adheres to a "customer is always right" attitude. They want their guest to have a great time and from the moment you pull up the valet you feel like you are a V.I.P.

There are many very good to excellent restaurants in Santa Barbara, Calif. Our favorite be far is the dining experience at Belmond El Encanto on the hill above the Santa Barbara mission. The food which is flavorful and always prepared to perfection. But what makes this experience beyond just having a very good meal, is the great service by a friendly attentive staff accompanied by an incredible view of the harbor. On a really clear day you can see 20 miles in each direction. I have eaten lunches and or dinner at El Encanto about a dozen times and always have a great dining experience. My last visit we were attended by Emmy our server, who was very professional and made us feel very welcome.

From engineering to housekeeping, to valet to room service, there were issues that made the stay extremely frustrating. This is a property I would never return to - ever. Here's why: 1) The hotel has very few signs to direct you to your room. If you go left of the duck/turtle pond and in a way, you will have no idea where your room is. The path serpentines across the acreage and my room was very far from the lobby. When I finally found my way back to the lobby, the valet said that the reason the signs were not up was because it was hotel policy to have someone accompany you to your room. 2) The room lighting is bizarre. There are bedside controls for "all on" and "all off" and for the bedside lamps and on/off button. But the lamps did not work. Thinking that the bulb was out, I discovered that there was a dimmer hidden below the bulb. Why did we have to try? Because calling engineering resulted in no answer. 3) Room service - delivered ice with no tongs. 4) Housekeeping did not replenish the shampoo and conditioner or water bottles. 5) Valet and luggage assistance upon departure? Twenty minutes. 6) Bags of garbage were left next to the walking path by the housekeeping staff. 7) There is no honor bar for munchies. 8) The internet was entirely unreliable with constant outages. The hotel was sympathetic upon checkout and was eager to hear of the issues. When the rooms director met with me to address the concerns, she made an offer for some type of compensation for a future stay, which I declined. I will not return to this hotel, even if the stay was free. The attention to detail is completely lacking. The valet staff was very friendly, but response time was completely unpredictable.

We decided on Belmond El Encanto after reading many TripAdvisor reviews. I really wanted to love this hotel because I have had positive experiences with Belmond properties. Unfortunately it did not quite meet my expectations. The Pros: -Beautiful property that has gorgeous lobby, restaurant with patio overlooking the ocean. -Responsive staff -Great history. Reopened in 2013 after a 7 year renovation. -Bungalows/buildings well spaced and rooms over 400 sq ft. -Large bathrooms with lots of towel hangers which is surprisingly lacking in most hotels. -Free welcome wine The Cons -Room layout was not ideal. The premium "suites" were actually just one really large and long room with the bed separated from the TV on the far wall with a desk and sofa. As a result the TV was too small to watch from the bed comfortably. -Bathroom, while large, was dated and needed upkeep. Tiny shower room with chunks missing from the marble and dated shower head with green mineral buildups made it unappealing. Bathroom sinks were not draining properly. Toilets did not flush properly and would occasionally get stuck. -We found bugs frequently in the room including fruit flies and centipedes. -Housekeeping were not at the level of other 5 star hotels I've stayed at. They would miss some trash, move our personal items around and not put them back where they originally were placed. Sheets that were changed were not clean. Overall beautiful property but rooms were dated and not quite 5 star hotel level. Probably will stay at a different 5 star hotel next time I'm in Santa Barbara.

Food was delicious and the whole meal was flawlessly executed by the staff. Highly recommend for holiday brunch. The scallop ceviche,tuna poke and the entire fresh seafood station were amazing. We were served by Emmy who was very attentive.