"Why did this hotel catch your attention? What's the vibe? With rows of white roses and trim boxwood and clapboard cottages that look so pristine they surely must be touched up with fresh paint nightly, I felt like I had landed on Wisteria Lane on the set of Desperate Housewives (in a great way and without the drama) or some manicured neighborhood in Cape Cod than at a hotel in Central Coast California. It’s a delightfully unexpected departure from the haute hacienda architecture and sprawling Cal-Med gardens of lemon trees and prickly pear that dominate Montecito, the tony town just south of Santa Barbara. It felt a bit like going back in time when people dressed for steak and martini dinners, when kids were thrilled with an ice cream cone and an afternoon at the pool or the beach. It definitely has a throw back vibe, but it's not at all stuck in time. What's the backstory? The former Miramar Hotel occupied these 16 acres of prized oceanfront property from 1889 until it closed for renovations in 2000. The hotel sat half-demolished for years, jumping between owners—hotelier Ian Shraeger followed by Beanie Babies tycoon Ty Warner—its renovation plans stalled by red tape. It took SoCal billionaire-developer Rick Caruso and Hong Kong-based Rosewood Hotel Group to push the project through. Tell us all about the accommodations. Any tips on what to book? I stayed in a Bungalow Queen room. The property is sort of divided into areas. There's the main building, one of the restaurants, the lobby, spa, Goop boutique, and a few rooms. Then there are the bungalows that are scattered around the gardens and the pool areas. Train tracks separate these two areas from the beachfront zone, which has a bar, restaurant, and ocean facing rooms. I loved being close to the pool and sitting outside on my little brick patio; however, one of the Beach House Suites, which are a little bit bigger and have ocean-facing terraces, might be what I'd chose if I were return. The vibe of the rooms is more swank than comfortable (although the beds, linens, and robes are quite plush and coddling): lots of white, subtle beachy tones (soft blues, sand, gray), bathrooms are done up in sleek white and black and are very chic. The gardens, pools, beaches, on-property restaurants and bars and the nearby town of Montecito are so lovely and the weather predictably perfect—you don't really come here to hang out in your room. Is there a charge for Wi-Fi? No charge. Wi-Fi is strong and easy to access. Drinking and dining—what are we looking at? The f&b game is sort of a dream come true. There's an outpost of Malibu Farm, which is great for veg-forward, locally sourced everything and the best for breakfast and lunch. There's also Scoop Shop at the family-friendly pool that serves up fountain drinks, ice cream cones, and burgers. A liveried crossing guard escorts you across the railroad tracks that separate the main property from the beach and the hotel’s Pacific-facing Miramar Beach Bar, which looks a bit like a ship with polished teak and shuffleboard courts and is absolutely where you want to be for a sunset cocktail. Also overlooking the water is Caruso’s, where the Michelin-starred chef (who hails from Harry’s Bar in Rome) takes on Italian classics with modern flair. Caruso's is wonderfully old school—there's an enforced dress code, white leather chairs, lots of dark wood, strong drinks, and tuxedoed waiters. If it weren't for very on-trend touches like chardonnay pickled fennel, you might think you're on the Amalfi coast in the early '60s trying to glimpse Sophia Loren at the next table over. And the service? So slick. So professional and attentive and low profile. Rosewood at its best. What type of travelers will you find here? You're going to see a celebrity and you're going to play it cool, it's that kind of place. Maybe a Baldwin brother or Sophia Vergara (we did actually see her at dinner), or aging directors who you might not recognize but seem to emanate power. Well dressed parents (Zimmerman dresses, Izods...) with kids in Bon Point. What about the area? Does the hotel fit in, make itself part of the scene? This stretch of California is about as tony as it gets and the hotel fits right in. The beach out front, Miramar, is one of the loveliest in Central Coast. The town of Montecito is beautiful, if not a tad Stepford-esque. The number of celebrities that own houses here or in nearby Santa Barbara is sky-high. While Montecito feels white and wealthy, Santa Barbara (about five miles north) feels more like a real life town with UC Santa Barbara, a historic downtown, the newly reinvigorated Funk Zone (terrible name, but it's got some cute new-ish restaurants and hotels, like the Martyn Lawrence Bullard-designed Hotel Californian). Is there anything you'd change? No. It is just lovely. Any other hotel features worth noting? The pools are lovely, but the wide, sandy beach out front is one of the most beautiful in the area; a beach butler sets up umbrellas and chairs and can hook guests up with boogie boards and just about any beach game imaginable. Bottom line: Worth it? Yes. For most of us, it would be a splurge, but it's definitely the type of place you'd go to celebrate some major life moment or if you really wanted to indulge." - Rebecca Misner
