Romantic Hotel/Restaurant in Santa Barbara? (Bistro Eleven Eleven)

[FIDO]

I'm looking for a romantic place to take my girlfriend for Valentine's day weekend (16-18th) either in Santa Barbara or Santa Ynez. Lots of choices, I know, I'd like to stay at <$250/night. I've found this offer from Hotel Mar Monte, is the restaurant there any good?

Bistro Eleven Eleven
http://www.santabarbaraca.com/listing...

Recommendations on hotels and restaurants welcome! Especially love charming/romantic restaurants that don't break the bank.

thanks,

Dave

[glbtrtr]

Hotel MarMonte is kind of generic and would not rank anywhere in my list for romantic or even dining.

Your best bets for combination of both are very pricey: TheFour Seasons Biltmore is gorgeous with a newly designed dining room, along with the newly refurbished San Ysido Ranch though reports on their new restaurant have been mixed. Both in Montecito and I would guess well beyond $250 a night and doubt if there are any deals for Valentine;s Day.

A lower key choice for both dining and stay is the Hotel Montecito, great dining and historic hotel, though near the freeway and on the main shopping street in deluxe Lower Village Montecito - they do have a penthouse room that has a lot of charm. And also close to other nice restaurants like Mollie's Trattoria and Lucky's, both for a little star (celebrity) gazIng.

The Inn of the Spanish Garden is a very romantic downtown B&B, close to lots of good restaurants, including the new Seagrass which is causing a lot of buzz right now. If you want to stroll around the heart of Santa Barbara, that would be my choice. http://www.spanishgardeninn.com/

[glbtrtr]

Looks like the Inn is booked for Valentines Day in its less expensive rooms -- so if you stay at the MarMonte, you might want to dine at Stella Mares which is close by, across from the Bird Refuge down the garden bike pathway from the MarMonte. This place is very pretty at sunset and is a local, romantic favorite in an elegant French country home setting.

[FIDO]

Thank you for the recommendations! A lot of romantic places look like they are already booked... Do you have any recommendations for Santa Ynez or Solovang area?

Any experience with the Solovang Storybook Inn? they have some nice looking rooms open at $250...

http://www.solvangstorybook.com/guest...

[FIDO]

I have narrowed it down to two B&B's: White Jasmine Inn (formerly Glenborough Inn) and James House. ($220 and $280 respectively). Any comments on which is more romantic?

Romantic = girly and expensive? (This is my first time looking at such lavish accomodations)

[glbtrtr]

Did you look at the Upham Hotel - that would be a great romantic dining/hotel combo too. I fiorgot that one.

White Jasmine Inn is close to the upper end of town, large, lovely old house but I have never seen the inside. You are closer to the more famous Santa Barbara restaurants here around West Victoria and State Street, and close to the Upham Hotel dining room called Louie's. Does TripAdvisor website have any info on both your choices.

Oh yes, also forgot the most romantic and the most pricey choice of all The Simpson House B&B 5 diamonds, which is also in the same general area as the White Jasmine Inn - the higher end of State Street downtown.

I don't know the James House but between the two I think I would save the money on the White Jasmine and spend it on a grand dinner instead.

The newly named Hotel Canary is not a bad choice either and it has a newly remodeled dining room - they had to redeign and reposition themselves because their old formula as the Hotel Andalucia did not work so they might still have some good bookings and introductory packages for the hotel and dining room. That would put you right in the middle of downtown at our only upscale downtown hotel.

P.S. Just looked up tripadvisor and they give James House their Number One spot - good reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g33...