Santa Ynez Inn

I stayed at Santa Ynez Inn and loved it. The entire staff was so attentive and pleasant. The room was gorgeous, the bed was comfortable, the bathroom was amazing and the courtyard was lovely. I highly recommend this beautiful hotel!

do not go there. you will regret it. staff is nasty

Well the person I needed to talk to called and listened. Thank you. I would like to stay here again !

I am the father of the bride of Kevin W. I was the person the kids called when concerned about the mistakes being made by the hotel were being realized. I was even in the meeting with hotel management post wedding.
My input to the activities of the wedding is to caution all who plan a significant life event at this location. Do not expect the service, commitments, nor follow through to be what you would expect from the price. When paying 3X to 5X room rates, you expect the service to be top notch. That was not our experience.
At the post wedding meeting, there was an opportunity for the hotel manager to make things right by offering some kind of meaningful gesture. He accepted responibility, understood the greif that was caused, and offered a small token useful in a year and only if you come back. This offer was in line with what a motel 6 might offer, not one who cares about reputation. It saddened me that this manager doesn’t understand high end hotel management.
Think carefully before you reserve, stay, or event at Santa Yenz Inn.

It is a couple months late, but a great find like this can not go un-​noted! My husband and I stayed there when we were looking for places in the area to move. Angela and Kristin were very helpful, knowledgeable, overly accomodating! Kristin, who actually plans the weddings took a moment to give us an impromtu tour telling us the history. My husband and I are newly weds we just got married in Napa, but we wish we had known about this gem before hand, and the amazing staff!
When our room wasn’t ready (although we arrived quite early) we were offered a list of places we could go wine tasting in the area complimentary! The location, staff, and Inn are perfect for any type of stay! Now that we live in the area we will be referring our friends and family to stay.

We booked the SYI for our wedding in Nov 2014 with a wedding day of Jan 2, 2016. After we signed our contract, they experienced a complete change in management and staff, twice. We finally ended up with Kirsten.
I email her to set up an introductory meeting as well as our menu tasting for the end of Aug. We had to remind her to charge our card for a deposit. She apologizes. During our menu tasting, we run through everything regarding our wedding. I brought menus, layouts of the ceremony and reception. Kirsten looks at them and takes copies and makes us feel comfortable and confident that everything is in order. The food at tasting was awesome.
Now it’s the end of Nov, I email her to set up our final walkthrough for mid-​December. She confirms our appointment, and then asks me if we have a timeline and layouts for our wedding. She also wants to know if we have a final head count. I RESEND her these that I had already given her a few months prior. I also tell her that our numbers but that I will follow up with a confirmed number on December 15 (2 weeks prior). Later, she emails to inform us everything looks good except for «something to note». The Inn can no longer accommodate our rehearsal dinner in their Parlor. And because a previous coordinator didn’t do her job and add it to the contract, we were screwed. And Kirsten waited until 4 weeks out from our wedding! She had all this information the entire time! And to top it off, she sends it in an email as a «note»! We scrambled to find a new venue that would be open on New Year’s Day. Finally found one.
Now it’s Dec 2, and we have our last deposit due. The day passes and there is no charge. This was getting old. I asked for a conference call with Kirsten’s manager, Kristopher (sales manager and acting general manager of the hotel) to express our dissatisfaction and disappointment in the unprofessionalism and serious headaches. He was profusely apologetic, professional, and asked us several times how they could make it up to us. We just asked for prompt communication, and no more of these silly mistakes. I informed him that our last deposit was never charged, he apologized and made me feel confident that everything was again in order that he was personally was assigning himself to our account
Dec 23: Kirsten asks if we wish for the seating chart to change since we have less guests than expected. I send her picture of the layout with a single table crossed out. She confirms that all tables and chairs will be set up for us to decorate on Jan 1 at noon.
Jan 1 at noon (day before wedding): The seating chart does NOT match. This seating chart I designed was based off of the information they were going to use 6′ tables which we were assured would be used and they also had incorrect chairs per row. I walk to the lobby and ask for Kirsten. I ask for her to accompany me to the banquet room, and show her the seating chart I sent her and she confirms that the room looks like that. I point out the discrepancy in number of chairs, and the discrepancy in table size. She then tells me that we can rearrange the room however we like and to put anything we don’t want off to the side. Then she leaves. No apology. We spend two hours fixing her mistake, removing a couple of chairs/​place settings and spacing them out to look even, but what took the most time was redoing the name cards. The use of different size tables also meant that we couldn’t use my seating chart that we printed out, in its frame, on an easel. It also meant that I couldn’t use the table numbers I had made. Kirsten never once even checked on us nor apologized. So we had NO table numbers, NO seating chart, and NO help from Santa Ynez Inn.
Jan 2 late afternoon: We are in our room after our wedding. We open our email and see the bill. We call the front desk to speak to Kirsten or Kristopher, apparently they are out. We ask the Front Desk of the Inn to call either one, we wish to have an immediate meeting because the bill was incorrect and we noticed there were food items missing at the reception. We wait for them to return. We discuss our serious disappointment and all around discomfort we have experienced since the beginning of doing business with the Inn. They promise to compensate us. We return to our room and relax. Kirsten calls our room and I ask her to send an email since we want to enjoy the rest of our day.
Jan 3 morning: I read the email they sent the night before. They want to credit only $ 155, comp a night at the Inn on our 1 year anniversary and comp a dinner at a nearby restaurant in one year. It was at this point that I realized that we were charged full price for 7 children and 2 children under 4. Yes… MORE BILLING ERRORS.
Jan 9 (we are on our honeymoon): after some more back and forth, we now find the bill acceptable. Instead of amending our bill to show the correct items, she adds a line at the bottom that says «Adj Group Attrition /​refund for disputes». No itemization.

Hands down one of the nicest and most attentive places I’ve stayed. The staff is gracious and kind and will go to any ends to meet your needs. The rooms are giant, bathrooms beautiful and service impeccable. I especially love that every shower is also a steam room.
It has that Bed & Breakfast feel with the breakfast each morning, wine and appetizers each evening, and dessert each night. My favorite room is the library, although my actual rooms have rivaled even that over the years. The grounds are beautiful and the city is quaint and pleasant. The Inn is not cheap, but nothing done this well ever is. It’s always such a pleasure to stay here and I’ll do so for many years to come.

We stayed there on Sunday and Monday. The rooms were very spacious and the staff was super friendly. Me and my wife just got married on Saturday we booked the place in advance. They even let us checked in earlier it was an amazing experience.

My husband and I stayed one night at Santa Inez Inn. The hotel was perfect! Janet checked us in and recommended local places to eat and places to go wine tasting. Her recommendations were great! Our room was spacious, bed was comfortable and the fire place was a nice touch. We have stayed at Fess Parker in the past as well. I would say Santa Inez and Fess Parker are the top two hotels to stay in this area. Santa Inez Inn has less rooms and more cozy. We are definitely returning.

Used a coupon to stay here last September. (Too expensive otherwise). This place is straight old-​school. I don’t even know what era to define it as, but it’s almost like a haunted mansion… spooky hallways w/​pictures of old guys staring at you… cool «library» with old guy staring at you… our room was nice… spacious, clean, built in speakers/​stereo system… the bathroom was big with a big tub and shower and I think they had nice shampoo and soap. Free breakfast (made-​to-​order)… which wasn’t that great, but nice to have. And free sweet-​treats and wine and snacks in the afternoon? It was really peaceful here and we explored the wedding venue restaurant and area next door. Just a nice relaxing time and I’d like to come back some time.

So, in late August I planned on taking my wife for a birthday celebration trip to Santa Barbara. Had no idea where to stay and how expensive it would be. Searched and searched …
, Expedia, Tripadvisor. My wife is somewhat of a germaphobe, so I really wasn’t sure what I could find that would meet our needs. Searching this way, all three searches provided great ratings for Santa Ynez Inn. It was 4 star and had tons of positive comments. So, I booked a week. After doing so I had buyers remorse being unsure if I could trust possibly self serving hotel site ratings. Lost a nights sleep then decided to try Unilocal!And Facebook believing I’d get more reliable rating responses from real people. Well it was crazy, ratings fell between 4.7 and 5! Again great comments. Almost too good to be true, but at this point I was glad my reservations were locked in.
OK, now my experience. Got there and it was clearly a beautifully designed Victorian Inn. Wife love it. Walking in was like stepping back in time. Beautiful and spotless clean. The staff was outstanding. My wife and I are cyclists and our road bikes were part of this vacation. Was worried about how they were going handle our desire to keep them with us in the room. No problem! They were very gracious! We weren’t familiar with the area, so, they whipped out a bike trail map and book and allowed us to take them to our room giving us the opportunity to plan our morning rides every night!
So, as for the room, it was gorgeous, very clean and included a nice private balcony, large bath with a spa tub, a fireplace, king size bed, 2 end tables, 2 side chairs, a desk, a refrigerator, iron and hair dryer, etc.
Other than that, they provide an amazing, delicious full hot breakfast every morning from 7am to 10:30! Then you get wine and Hors d’oeuvres every night from 5:30pm to 6:30! If that’s not enough, you also get delicious deserts every evening from 9:30pm to 10:30! All three of these things were a great add. THEN … The when arriving, the staff provided a sheet of wineries, where if you show them your room key you get free wine tasting. All this for the price of a room!!!
I want to call out the staff again, especially Jake, Janet, Alex and Angela! These folks were very helpful, courteous and always went the extra mile ensuring we enjoyed our stay! Truth be told, we loved the Inn and area so much we never bothered to go to Santa Barbara. It was a very calming, decompression get-​a-​way!
I hope this was helpful and will say, we WILL be back again!

If you’re coming to this area for wine tasting in Los Olivos, Solvang or Santa Ynez, this is the place to stay. Such amazing décor, very new and clean feel yet awesome old-​world charm in the architecture. Friendly staff who go out of their way to accomodate.
Every morning, you get to enjoy a complimentary made to order breakfast from their menu, unlimited waters and coffee in your room (also complimentary), wifi, nightly wine and cheese, and 8pm deserts, tea and coffee. The perks really add up.
The rooms have such tall ceilings and nice gas fireplaces for a nice romantic touch. I believe every room has a patio or balcony with a table and two chairs to enjoy the nice weather and scenery. Each room also comes with Direct TV and very large bathrooms.
The key here is to book this hotel 3 — 5 weeks in advance of your trip. That’s how you can lock in a decent price. If you wait too long they sell out or prices go up a lot.
Either way, it’s worth a stay here and well worth booking in advance. The price is also worth it.

If you are going to Santa Barbara and Solvang, you should definitely stay in Santa Ynez inn. This is a very small hotel (only 20 rooms), but their service is very good.
Once you checked into the hotel, they will take you to your hotel room, which is very nice and comfortable. I especially liked the steam that is inside the shower, which is very relaxing.
Also need mentioning is their food. We arrived at around 6, when they were serving snack, cheese, and wine, It’s really good. At night time (I forgot what time they serve it), they have desert for you along with coffee and tea. I personally think the desert is too sweet, but maybe that’s just me. Breakfast next morning is also pretty good. I love their food. However there was only 1 person working there to do everything (cleanup, refilling of new plates, food, taking orders etc), which I guess is why, when we got there, there were no plates and forks and food on the table. We also need to wait for quite long until the waitress can come to take our orders. But overall, their food is good.
Anyway, I think this is a very good hotel especially if you are planning for a relaxing trip. I would definitely recommend this hotel to all my friends.

Wow… beautiful room!

They have a Tesla HPWC @ 100A available for Guests, it’s at the back of the Inn. Inquire at front desk for use. Don’t pull up close or you’ll knock over landscape light and scratch the nosecone/​hood!
After we left we followed the staff’s recommendation visiting two wineries: Ganey & Bridalwood. Both were great and as guests of the inn our tastings were complimentary!

My wife and I got married here back in 2007 and come back every year with friends for our anniversary. Apparently, there is new ownership and they indicated to us that they didn’t have any of our past customer information on file. How can one acquire a business without customer data? That’s the most valuable asset of a company.
I never thought I’d write a poor review on this place as it holds a special place in our hearts. but not being acknowledged after a 50k/​wedding and a dozen revisits is unacceptable. The old owner grandfathered our initial rates every time we came back, greeted us by name and knew what room we preferred.
What made this place feel special, is that it felt like home away from home. Please don’t lose that for your loyal customers.
Regretfully, I don’t think we’ll be back :(

Consider staying here if you are planning a peaceful getaway or simply just trying to get some (i.e. romantic getaway). This place is beautiful, warm and very inviting. If while here you don’t get any action then you must be doing something wrong.
1. Location:
a. If you live in a congested city, the area may seem a bit desolate… actually it is very desolate… but that’s good.
b. Few restaurants and wine tasting rooms within walking distance (all great by the way)
c. Very centrally located to Los Olivos and Solvang (about 15-​min drive from it all)
d. Plenty of wineries and wine tasting rooms nearby
2. The Grounds:
a. Is it a Hotel or a B/​B… this place is very cozy & warm
b. Lots of details in the design & architecture of the building, from the lobby to the garden… you can tell they are proud and take lots of care of the building.
3. The Room:
a. Again, very warm. Nicely decorated with lots of design detail.
b. Not a cheesy hotel-​like room.
c. We stayed in the Deluxe room which added a fireplace. perfect.
d. Great size… plenty of storage and space… two sinks
e. Be sure and request a room on the second floor. And asks for a room with a balcony (private) overlooking the large fountain.
f. My only regret was not upgrading to the Jr. Suit, as that is where they add a steam/​shower.
g. The whirlpool tub was roomy & relaxing
4. Meal perks:
a. The warm breakfast was nothing spectacular
b. What was spectacular was the homemade granola they served (fantastic).
c. The happy hour and desserts in the evening I thought were a nice touch.
d. relaxing in the lobby or library by the fire while having your coffee (or wine in the evening) is a great way to start (or end) the day
5. Service & Staff:
a. Everyone was great and very approachable
b. Again, what was nice is that this place didn’t feel at all like a big resort or hotel.
c. The people were warm and fun to talk too
6. Complaints/​Misc comments:
a. None really.
b. I do wish they had more newspapers and magazines to flip through while in the lobby or library.
c. There is no video on demand in the rooms… no big deal. There is wifi (included) so you can get your p*rn fix that way.
Overall a great experience. Highly recommended. I’ll be back for sure.

really love this place I’ve been here once before… but every time it’s really welcoming and nice and quiet… friendly staff…
and the bed is super soft PILLOWS!
love the place… and the bathroom is amazing each show has a steamroom yessss!!!
thank god for this place !!

I enjoyed our overnight stay at Santa Ynez Inn. Did it meet my hyped up expectations after reading all the glowing reviews on Unilocal?I’m not sure about that… I wasn’t disappointed, but I didn’t think it was the best experience ever, either.
Located in Santa Ynez, which is a really, really small quiet town consisting of couple blocks of shops, restaurants and a bank (Rabobank– who names a bank Rabobank? Might as well call it Rob-​a-​bank), you can have a nice early morning stroll in half hour around the neighborhood.
What I liked:
The evening wine hour: very nice, with a great assortment of cheeses and crackers.
Breakfast: top-​notch with a delicious eggs benedict and self-​service fruits and pastries.
Room size: Very spacious with a huge bathroom, even in the standard room.
We weren’t given a list of wineries with free tastings like some reviewers mentioned, and the front desk wasn’t too welcoming, not even cracking a smile when we checked in. When I asked for a map of the area, they had no idea where the maps were and looked flustered until I grabbed a pamphlet they had and found a map myself. No one volunteered any info about local wineries, things to do, activities we can partake in… just felt really impersonal.
I might have just had really high expectations, but my experience wasn’t five-​stars. Not sure if I’d come back, but it was a pleasant stay overall.

Since we had such a lovely experience last time that we visited the Santa Ynez Inn, we decided to stay there again. And this time we got there earlier so that we could enjoy the wine tasting hour and some of the other amenities. I have to say, this time was even better than the last (if that’s possible!).
They gave us a sheet with about 15 wineries that offer free tastings to hotel guests (just show your key), some within walking distance and others all over the region. I’m not sure why we didn’t get this last time, maybe because we showed up after all the tasting rooms were closed. But give another + to the Santa Ynez Inn for that!
The breakfast was also even better than last. poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce that were delicious.
Last time we stayed in the handicapped room since it was the last available, and it was lovely. This time, we were on the second floor in an amazing room with a jacuzzi tub surrounded by windows. Wow! There was also a walk in closet with a fridge inside. Both this time and last, there were two cans of diet coke and two bottles of water inside. Awesome!
This is officially my favorite hotel.