Santa Barbara’s historic El Encanto will reopen on March 18, and Santa Barbara View stopped by for a look. First built in 1918, the exclusive hilltop retreat shuttered in the summer of 2006 for a multi-million-dollar renovation by Orient Express. Set on top of seven acres of landscaped gardens, the new-look hotel will offer 22 bungalow suites and 70 bungalow rooms with open fireplaces, marble bathrooms and either a private garden or patio outside. Any art critics or architecture aficionados? pictures below.
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How has this been closed for 7 years????? Used to be one of my favorite happy hour spots.Glad to have it back.
Hope you enjoy $17 martinis…To answer the editor’s question…how did something so big, so obviously out of scale with the area and site get approved? I guess you can just stroll down Chapala and see how…
It isn’t out of character for the neighborhood. As a neighbor, we are happy to have it back (and the celebs that will be walking our streets). It adds property value to our neighborhood and is better than a blight sitting empty on the spot. We are happy!!!
Looks the same and that is good. But will it creak and groan the same as the old floor boards? It deserves to be chi chi and keep the riff raff out. Glad to have the handsome lady back in operation.