Santa Barbara County is truly a one-of-a-kind destination. Nestled at the dividing line between sunny Southern California and the ruggedly beautiful Central Coast, Santa Barbara benefits from near perfect weather, scenic beaches, and a rich local history dating back to the days of Spanish Missions and the El Camino Real. While this coastal landscape happens to be home to some of California's greatest vineyards and wineries it also provides the setting for one of the Golden State's most picturesque and trendy beach cities. All it takes is a quick walk down State Street or a jaunt around the Funk Zone to forget that historic downtown Santa Barbara is simply a short drive over the mountains from world renowned wine country. This place actually does have it all.
While we typically prefer to stay close to vineyards on our trips to wine country the city of Santa Barbara provides us opportunity to make a glorious exception. On a recent visit to town we decided to mix things up and take full advantage of this region's geographical blessings by staying right in the heart of the city. Naturally we sought out accommodations in the very best possible location and it didn't take long for us to find the perfect spot.
Hotel Milo might have the most ideal location in all of Santa Barbara County. This boutique beachfront establishment sits just across Cabrillo Boulevard from the iconic West Beach and Stearns Wharf, and is merely a 2-5 minute walk from many of the city's best restaurants, bars, and urban wineries. Its rather spacious property is covered in palm trees and beautiful drought-resistant flowers and greenery adding brightness to the charming adobe-inspired exterior. At first glance Hotel Milo appeared to us to be the dictionary definition of the perfect Santa Barbara beach hotel and we knew we had found our place to stay.
As our highly anticipated weekend getaway began we were instantly convinced that our online impressions of Hotel Milo were dead-on. From the first moment of check-in we were blown away by the setting that we found ourselves in. The hotel itself is gorgeous, featuring beautifully classic California decor and a number of charming and highly functional outdoor seating areas, but it's the views that makes this place so unique. We couldn't help but gaze at the mighty Pacific ocean that was literally just steps away, and we found ourselves taking extra time to enjoy deep breaths of the clean coastal air.
When we got to our room we became even more impressed. Our spacious king room centered around a large ocean-view window, which let in considerable natural light and allowed us to continue feeding our infatuation with the dazzling scenery. Everything about the room was flawless and exceeded our expectations. The layout was cozy and the bed was sublime, but our favorite unanticipated discovery might have been the waterfall shower head that turned even the simple act of bathing into a luxury experience.
It didn't take long into our stay for Hotel Milo to prove its worth as an elite oceanfront accommodation option. We were able to walk to the beach, to wonderful restaurants, and even to a number of urban wineries without breaking a sweat. Not only did this place have everything we were looking for, but it is also extremely pet friendly. We love to travel with our dogs especially when visiting wine country, and Hotel Milo allowed us to stay in an ideal setting while still getting to spend quality time with our two pups. The rooms themselves have the benefit of each opening up onto well-maintained grass areas which are perfect for pets, and it was great to be able to sit outside with our dogs and pop the cork on a bottle of wine at the end of our day. Hotel Milo also provides their guests with access to a series of fantastic outdoor fire pits which were great to snuggle up to during the cool coastal evenings.
We had an absolutely amazing time spending a weekend at Hotel Milo and cannot recommend this wonderful spot any more highly. It is simply the perfect place to stay for those looking for a combination beach and wine vacation. While a bit of driving is required to get out to vineyards the reward is absolutely worth the effort, and if urban tasting rooms suit your fancy there are extensive options just down the street. Staying at Hotel Milo has changed our perspective on Santa Barbara Wine Country vacations, and while the convenience of staying near vineyards is nice we're not sure it beats waking up at the beach.