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The Santa Barbara Biltmore, nestled between the sparkling Pacific and rugged Santa Ynez
Mountains, has been Santa Barbara's hallmark of luxury accommodations
since 1927. The famous and almost-famous have been lured to the
hotel by ocean breezes that flow gently through its open, white-stuccoed
arches, bouganvillea that spill wantonly over wrought iron balconies,
and the unparalleled service and amenities of the hotel.
Constructed on property that once belonged to several ocean-front
estates, including that of copper magnate Walter Douglas, the
Biltmore was designed to be refuge for the affluent. The low,
rambling two-story hotel complex, a picturesque composition of
white stucco, red tile rooftops, arcades and curved stairways,
is a harmonious blend of Spanish, Moorish and Portuguese design.
The lobby is graced with hand-painted tiles from Mexico, Italy
and Portugal; Moorish arches frame views of the ocean; and wings
containing guest rooms are arranged to form intimate garden courtyards.
The grounds of the hotel contain thousands of rare shrubs, bougainvillea,
towering eucalyptus, live oak and camphor trees. In the deep shade
of cypress, blooming annuals add brilliant splashes of color.
In 1936, Robert Odell, a former bank president and investment
broker, bought the Biltmore. Odell, a perfectionist with old-world
standards, created an elegant refuge that was a magnet for the
rich and famous. Celebrity guests of the Odell era read like a
roster of Who's Who: Mary Pickford, John Philip Sousa, Supreme
Court Justice William O. Douglas, Adali Stevenson, then-governor
Ronald Reagan, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby, Benny Goodman, Loretta
Young and many, many others.
Today, the grand hotel is owned and operated by The Four Seasons,
and it remains as luxuriant and inviting as ever. The establishment
continues to attract people of wealth from all over the world
who come to enjoy the mild climate.
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