California Dreamin’ – Hotel Santa Barbara
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Nestled nicely between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains is the 101 Freeway, known primarily for its scenic route along the California coastline.
It's dark, about midnight to be exact. The darkness blankets the sea's rippling waves and little puffy clouds that dot the sky like little gray cotton balls between the stars. They're low enough for me to see them flowing backwards as I drive onward to the famous town of Santa Barbara, California.
I use the word famous because many Hollywood stars come here for a getaway. I once saw Frazier drive by me in a purple Prowler. He was wearing sunglasses and what was left of his hair blew in the convertible's wind. It's only about an hour or so drive to Los Angeles, so it's a good place to star gaze.
Let's Book Hotel Santa Barbara Most of the buildings here are Spanish-style, about three stories tall. The architecture echoes the adobes built by the Spanish settlers in the early 19th century, and the gingerbread structures built here during the Victorian era. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do here, all that matters is that I'm away from home, somewhere beautiful. I hang a right onto State Street.
It's quiet now, but I imagine the hustle and bustle of wealthy vacationers buying up a storm in the gentle breeze of daybreak. I'm excited but tired, so I make a quick turn onto Cota Street, and into the parking lot of the famous Hotel Santa Barbara.
Apparently, in 1925 there was a huge earthquake that leveled the town and the then called Santa Barbara Hotel. The owner constructed a new hotel, the Saint Barbara, to specifications far exceeding those required at that time. The entire building - including all floors and stairways - was constructed of reinforced concrete tied together by hundreds of steel beams. Boasting exterior walls over a foot thick and a foundation more than five feet wide, the entire structure was built on rollers to allow for movement in the event of an earthquake, a unique innovation in those days. It also was redesigned with soundproof windows so that its guests could get a good night sleep despite the insane partygoers lurking outside.
Book Hotel Santa BarbaraThe Saint Barbara, as it was renamed, soon became the getaway for many of Hollywood's brightest stars. Clark Gable and Carol Lombard were frequent guests, and eyewitnesses claim Leo Carrillo rode his horse around the lobby on several occasions. The Saint Barbara was not always quite a saint though. Local legend has it that liquor was always available in the hotel during Prohibition, and that for years, a "secret" gaming room flourished somewhere near the lobby.
Entering the side door from the parking lot, I'm greeted by the sweet scent of pine from the holiday Christmas party hosted that night. My bag dug into my shoulders and I anxiously approached the check-in counter. A dark haired, lanky looking man with a vibrant energy greets me. He seemed a little too happy to be there considering he was just starting his graveyard shift. Perhaps it was the tropical flamenco music that had him amped. Either that or he drank the entire pot of complimentary coffee.
There was this elevator, you know the kind; the type where you have to pull open the door and slide back a retractable metal guard. It was old, and I hoped that this ride wouldn't make my recurrent dream of falling in an elevator a reality. It only had three walls, so as you went up you could see the wall moving downward in front of you. I always imagined it was everything else that was moving and not me.
I found my room, caught a quick glance of the display of wine and See's candy on the coffee table, the exceptionally clean oak furniture giving the room that musky scent, hopped on the bed and fell asleep.
One of the main reasons the Hotel Santa Barbara attracts so many visitors is its location. It's right in the heart of downtown. You can take a twenty-five cent shuttle down to Sterns Wharf to enjoy the ocean breeze, wine tasting, and all sorts of specialty shops. Walk only a few minutes from the hotel and you might find yourself intimately sharing a glance at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Walk a few blocks more and you'll be at the city's zoo, right across from the historic mission.
There are approximately 75 reconditioned rooms that offer Queen, King, Deluxe Queen, Double Queen and Junior Suite rooms. Each room has individually controlled heat and air conditioning - not that you would use it considering the weather outside is usually beautiful. But if for some reason you are feeling like a couch potato and just can't seem to get yourself up and out into the beckoning town, you could sit back, flip on the tube and watch some HBO compliments of the house.
Other amenities offered complimentary are hair dryers, signature toiletries, iron and ironing board, in-room coffee makers and coffee, bottled water and telephones with data ports for personal voice mail. Handicapped rooms are available as well.
Many of the guests that stay at the Hotel Santa Barbara are on business. Appropriately, the Hotel Santa Barbara provides valet parking and a complimentary continental breakfast in the Mediterranean-style lobby. (There is no restaurant on the premises.) And for those guests that are secret agents, they also have safety deposit boxes and same day laundry / dry cleaning services. The 480 square foot conference rooms boast a corporate feel. Rentals for overhead projectors, flipcharts, white boards and TV/VCRs are available as well as excellent catering recommendations - some of which include Woody's BBQ, Savoir Faire and Pierre Lafond.
The Hotel Santa Barbara has many services
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Josh Edelson, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com
About the Author
Josh Edelson, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com