Our wedding headquarters/bridal suite/main guest hotel was the Santa Barbara Inn. Located on Cabrillo Boulevard, it boasts ocean views, great proximity to the East Beach (across the street), and was about half a block from our reception venue which is perfect walking distance.
Here is the front of the SB Inn. We actually booked the room block before we saw the place, but after a visit months before the wedding, we knew it was perfect.
It has a quiet exterior, very unassuming.
But the interior was quite nice and fancy. A mix of Asian art and SB cool. Photos of the city lined the halls.
We stayed in the Anacapa Suite on Friday and Saturday night. This is the biggest suite at SB Inn, boasting a living room, bedroom, 2 bathrooms, jacuzzi tub, a wrap around balcony, and an amazing view.
The decor was nice and comfy.
It was also very roomy enough for everyone who would be going in and out of the place.
This is the view from our suite. Loved it.
The bedroom had such a huge and comfy bed, soft pillows, and warm sheets. It provided such a good rest.The suite was the perfect size for the bridal party to get ready in. We kinda made a mess of the place. But we were comfy and enjoyed it very much :)
A nice bonus was the nightly wine and cheese hour, which we enjoyed before our rehearsal.Overall, it was a beautiful and a bit pricey place to stay. The staff was friendly, easy to work with, and on top of our requests, there was even someone who recognized us from our initial visit! Our family stayed in the regular guest rooms, which were smaller and didn't have air conditioning, but had the same decor and cool/casual feeling. The reason we chose this hotel was location and we got it.
I would recommend it for location and staff, but pricing was steep (even with group rates) and it wasn't as fancy as other hotels in the area.
Did you have a main hotel for all of your family and friends to stay at?Blog title is from lyrics by Everclear
We may live in Santa Barbara, but to 90% of our guests, ours is a destination wedding. And destination weddings need plenty of travel and accommodation plans for the ease of guests making the trek from their home towns. Some will be coming from as close as LA or Santa Maria, while others will be traveling from cities further away like Folsom, CA, Miami, FL, and Manila, Philippines. But no matter where they're from, they will need a place to stay.
We have obtained a room block at two local hotels to make their plans easier. And since our guests vary in age, lifestyle, and budget so I thought I'd prepare a nice list of popular hotels, B&B's, and vacation rentals in SB, aside from the hotel which we'll be staying at, so guests can choose the place that fits their needs.Hotels. Santa Barbara is flanked by two gorgeous hotels, the Biltmore and the Bacara. They're super fancy, private, and offer picturesque views of the Pacific. If you can afford it, I'd say go! (and try a Bacara Spa treatment, they are amazing.) Other hotels in the area include the Fess Parker which has a beautiful outdoor area for ceremonies and receptions, the Canary hotel in walking distance to downtown's shops and restaurants, the Hotel Santa Barbara that has a great location for bar/club hopping downtown, and the Hotel Mar Monte which is across the street from the beach. Bed & Breakfast. I have yet to stay at a B&B before, but they sound like a lot of fun. They provide a 'home' atmosphere and allow you to get acquainted with the owners and other guests. B&Bs tend to be more comfortable, relaxed, and personal.
Popular B&Bs in SB are the Upham and Colonial Beach Inn. Vacation Rentals. Similar to vacation rentals in other cities, these are amazing houses and town homes, offered at a minimum of one week rental, that provide a private and local feel to your stay. They are located all around the city (Mesa, Riviera, beach side) and come in different styles and sizes. I would love to be able to afford one of these and house my family for a week. My mom would be able to cook and we could kick our feet up, just like home :)
With our room blocks and the aforementioned types of accommodations listed on our website, guests can surely find the place that suits them. Where will you be housing your guests?
Blog title is from lyrics by Journey
