El Encanto

What the El

A Hilltop Oasis in Wine Country

None 6 Photos El Encanto
Hey, enjoy your weekend.

That sounds kind of expected, doesn’t it.

So actually, let’s go with: hey, enjoy your weekend frolicking in a private outdoor shower before heading to an ocean-view terrace for a long, leisurely dinner that includes cheese from your own personal cow named Ellie.

That’s better...

Throw your bags in the backseat for a drive to El Encanto, a new Santa Barbara hotel well-stocked on bungalows, cocktails, extreme leisure and, yes, cheese from Ellie, now open.

Say for argument’s sake that you’re not heading in this direction to spend every waking hour at the wineries. Say you just want to hide out in a ’20s-Hollywood-feeling bungalow with the doors thrown open... but still have enough walls and plants around to maintain your privacy... even if you step onto the patio to take a shower. Then you’ll be wanting the Hummingbird Suite. And probably somebody to bring with you. To scrub your back.

As for dinner at the Dining Room, the food’s... food. Looks great. Seafood and stuff. And you’re on a hilltop, so the view isn’t exactly in the con column. But the two important facts are: 1) They make their own unpasteurized beer in-house. So you should try that. 2) Right. And they have their own cow named Ellie. She lives off-site, so you won’t see her, but you should know that the hotel’s signature cheese came from her.

Thanks, Ellie.

Vitals

El Encanto
800 Alvarado Pl
Santa Barbara, CA, 93103
805-845-5800
website

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