  The Bacara Resort & Spa features luxurious villas on the Pacific Ocean. The bright and elegant rooms offer views of the pool, ocean or Santa Ynez mountains. Please note that prices and other details can often change, and we recommend that you call ahead before you go. All of these hotels accept American Express, Visa and MasterCard unless otherwise noted. For additional accommodations along the Central Coast, see our Hotel and Resort database.
8301 Hollister Ave. Santa Barbara, CA 93117 Telephone (805) 968-0100; (877) 422-4245 Web site www.bacararesort.com Rooms 360 Rates $450–$7,500 This impressive 78-acre luxury property, situated just outside the city limits along the Pacific Ocean, opened in 2000, but its Spanish Mission sophistication evokes the easy grace of the 1930s. The rooms are bright and elegant, with Spanish terra cotta floor tiles, Frette linens, cream-toned walls and a deck or patio. There are three restaurants on the premises: Miró, open for dinner; the Bistro, which serves all three meals; and the Spa Café, which features a low-fat menu. The 42,000-square-foot spa has 36 treatment rooms and the adjoining fitness center has a broad assortment of cardio and weight machines. Guests who prefer outdoor activities can schedule time at the tennis courts, two 18-hole golf courses or poolside cabanas equipped with Internet access. Of course, you could also just wander the beaches or the trails winding into the Santa Ynez Mountains.
2436 Baseline Ave. Ballard, CA 93463 Telephone (805) 688-7770; (800) 638-2466 Web site www.ballardinn.com Rooms 15 Rates $215–$305 Located in the Santa Ynez Valley, the Ballard Inn is an ideal pied-à-terre for exploring wine country. Each of the 15 rooms has a different look: One evokes the Shakers, with antique wooden farm tools mounted on the wall, while another has a charming white-picket headboard and a duvet patterned with pale violets. A full breakfast is included. Most rooms have wood-burning fireplaces. Wines from six local producers, including Curran and Kenneth-Crawford, are poured in a tasting room adjacent to the lobby.
415 Carmel Valley Road Carmel Valley, CA 93924 Telephone (831) 658-3400; (888) 648-9463 Web site www.bernardus.com/live-the-dream Rooms 55 Suites 2 Rates $275–$1,890 Bernardus has what it takes to satisfy the luxury traveler: a beautiful estate on a lovely site ensconced in Carmel Valley amid the Santa Lucia Mountains. The lush 16-acre grounds are a botanist's delight, full of exotic species as well as rosemary, potted lemon trees and lavender that reinforce the Mediterranean aesthetic. Ten acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards frame the property entrance. The guest rooms, each at least 525 square feet, have a private deck or patio, a gas fireplace and bright, California wine country decor. Bathrooms are particularly spacious. A bottle of Bernardus Chardonnay and Marinus (a Bordeaux-style blend) are complimentary. There are two restaurants on the property: Wickets, which offers all three meals inside or on the terrace; and Marinus, a superb dinner venue.
11680 Chimney Rock Road Paso Robles, CA 93446 Telephone (805) 238-6932 Web site www.justinwine.com/web/the_just.shtml Suites 4 Rates $325–$395 The Just Inn stands out in rustic Paso Robles, for both its luxury and its idyllic location in the midst of the rolling Justin vineyards, surrounded by oak-dotted hills. Decor here evokes a Victorian jewel box: roomy humpback leather armchairs and elevated queen-size canopy beds heaped high with pillows. Bathrooms are spacious. Flat-screen TVs and microwave ovens are in the rooms, although guests must use the tasting room's computers for Internet access. Reservations should be made well in advance.
Monte Verde at Seventh Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921 Telephone (831) 624-8578 Web site www.laubergecarmel.com Rooms 20 Rates $250–$520 Open since 2004, L'Auberge Carmel raises the bar for high-end accommodations in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The building, constructed in 1929, is a particularly formidable example of the town's distinctive Old World-inspired architecture but has been updated and outfitted with modern amenities. Rooms are stylish, with custom-designed mahogany beds, richly textured linens and walls painted in serene sage tones. The bathrooms are spacious and have heated travertine floors. Weather permitting, breakfast is served in an enclosed brick courtyard brimming with French country charm. Dinner is served daily in the 12-table restaurant adjacent to the lobby.
4230 Buena Vista Drive Paso Robles, CA 93446 Telephone (805) 238-5600 Web site www.myvillatoscana.com Suites 8, plus 1 villa Rates $375–$2,200 Villa Toscana, which opened in 2002, is a welcome addition to a region short on luxury accommodations. The architecture indeed evokes Tuscany, with rooms along a Renaissance-style palazzo with a central fountain. Cypresses, oaks and 20-year-old olive trees enhance the grounds. Rooms are uniformly expansive, with either a deck or patio affording sweeping vineyard views. Decor at this property, owned by Martin & Weyrich Winery, varies from room to room, but expect rich tones with elements such as hewn ceiling-beams and antique pine plank floors sourced from a Pennsylvania barn. Bathrooms come with Jacuzzi tubs and large showers. In-room spa treatments are available, as is a buffet breakfast. The evening brings complimentary wine and appetizers. |
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