The Montecito Inn, one of Santa Barbara’s landmark boutique luxury hotels, tastefully combines the history of Charlie Chaplin, who built the in Inn in 1928, with an elegant Mediterranean charm.
My husband Jim and I feel fortunate when it comes time to plan a romantic getaway, we often find that Santa Barbara is so beautiful why not have a “staycation” in our town of paradise. This time we chose The Montecito Inn. Being of Mediterranean descent and film lovers, we also enjoyed the Mediterranean design and the feeling as if we had stepped into a time capsule of Hollywood’s Golden Years of Film. We enjoyed the Charlie Chaplin movie posters in the hallways, the original and still operating 1927 Otis elevator, the history about Charlie Chaplin and the Inn’s first guests that ranged from the Who’s Who of Hollywood’s Golden Years such as Carole Lombard and Norma Shearer.
In our room, black and white framed photos of Montecito of yesteryears decorated the wall, which helped us picture what the Inn’s surroundings once looked like. The Inn is located on Montecito’s upscale Coast Village Road and back then it was called Old Coast Village Road and was the only major highway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. For guests, The Montecito Inn’s location is ideal since it is only steps away from fine dining, boutique shops and a breathtaking beach. The beauty of the Santa Barbara with its majestic mountain views, beaches, culinary and cultural offerings makes the area a destination for travelers around the world and especially those in California looking for a romantic getaway.
Danny Copus, General Manager of the family run Montecito Inn says the Inn has a variety of accommodations. “We have room styles for everyone from those on a weekend getaway to a those on a longer trip to ‘A‘ list celebrities who enjoy staying in the private Tower Suite apartment.” The inn has 61 rooms that include 9 luxury award-winning suites.
Bedroom inside the Tower Suite apartment at the Montecito Inn
Marble Bathroom witha Charlie Chaplin touch in one of the Montecito Inn suites
We enjoyed touring the property and seeing the suites with their arched windows, French doors, spacious Italian marble bathroom with spa bathtubs and many of the suites had custom fireplaces. The Tower suite apartment has 2 bedrooms, a sitting room, kitchen, dining area and stunning views of the ocean and mountains that can be enjoyed on the patio.
At the Montecito Inn, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Our room was a Mountain View Queen with lovely views of the Mountains and colorful window flower boxes.
Enjoying a goddess moment of relaxation in our cozy Montecito Inn room.
Our Queen Mountain View Inn Room
The Mediterranean style furnishings were elegant and our bed plush. I enjoyed a relaxing bath in the sunny bathroom decorated with hand-painted tiles. The service of the staff was excellent and we enjoyed the self-serve gourmet coffee and herbal tea that was available anytime in the lobby. In the morning we had a continental breakfast in the light filled Montecito Café, which is located within the Inn. The Montecito Café is independently owned by husband and wife team Mark and Margaret Huston, both graduates of the California Culinary Academy, who create a simple and delicious California-Mediterranean menu. Many of the café’s menu items are available on the Inn’s room service menu.
We have enjoyed many delicious meals at the Montecito Café (now a new restaurant) located within the Inn – including one of our first lunch dates that included their delicious spinach & grilled homemade lamb Sausage salad with marinated tomatoes, olives with a lemon goat cheese dressing. I enjoyed learning the history of the café’s beautiful fountain filled with fresh flowers. Before the hotel was renovated, it was the site of a wishing well that inspired Richard Rodgers to write the song “There is an old hotel with a wishing well.”
Standing by the beautiful fountain in the Montecito Cafe (now a new restaurant) located in the Inn that marked where a wishing well that Richard Rodgers
wrote about in a song once stood.
We were charmed by our visit to the Montecito Inn, and our wishing well wish would be to return to the Montecito Inn again in the future.
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