My husband and I stayed at the Four Seasons Biltmore for four nights in February. It seems that this hotel has gotten excellent reviews so I'll just make a few points that might be helpful.

The train. I'm not sure there is a "quiet" room on the property. We didn't stay the closet or fatherest from the tracks, but you can hear it. I am a relatively light sleeper so I think it did wake me up once or twice in the morning, but it was not a big problem at all. It wasn't as if the train was going by every 20 minutes. I can say it didn't bother me greatly and certainly wouldn't deter me from staying there again, but if you are looking for absolute quiet, maybe another location would be better.

We had a deluxe fireplace room, which was lovely. I think we got a decent (its all about perspective) rate at $470 a night for it. For the winter, I loved the fireplace. It made the room very cozy. The room was a very nice size, the bed was the most comfortable I have ever slept on in my life, the tub was wonderful as well, and the closet was enormous.

The restaurant was seriously excellent. We had dinner one night and it might have been my best meal in Santa Barbara. The atmosphere of the dining room was lovely as well, so different in the day and the night, but worth checking out at both times.

Keep in mind as well, if you are looking for a large resort, this might not suit you. They do have a first rate spa and a small store, but I'm not sure if this is the type of property you would want to stay at if you didn't want to leave. There is only one restaurant choice and the pool is relatively small. But if you are up for checking out Santa Barbara, there is plenty to do very close by.

Of course, the service was excellent.

In any event, I enjoyed my stay and would go again. I hope these comments helped.

My girlfriend and I stayed here for a quick weekend getaway to take advantage of a three-day weekend and we loved every minute of it.

The moment we arrived our bags we ushered out of our car and we were escorted to the front desk. The only negative (which was very minor and actually turned out to be a positive) was at check-in. Unfortunately, our room was not ready so the front desk attendant offered us a room upgrade and to take care of our drinks at the bar while we waited. We gladly accepted especially considering that we had planned on heading to the bar immediately after checking-in to enjoy the sunset anyways.

Right off the main lobby is the bar which has a great little patio that overlooks the front gardens and the ocean. We enjoyed some wine and watched the sunset over the pacific. It was beautiful. I highly recommend doing the same. WIthin 5-10 minutes of sitting at the bar patio the front desk attendant informed us that our room was ready and that our bags had already been taken up. We decided to stay and enjoy the sunset for awhile before going to our room.

The room and the entire hotel are decorated in spanish colonial style that blends perfectly with the surrounding area and Santa Barbara's spanish heritage. We originally booked a deluxe room, but were upgraded to a room with a fireplace and a private patio that faced a secluded little garden. The bathroom featured colorful spanish tiles, a rain shower (a favorite of mine ), and a deep soaking tub. To my girlfriend's delight the bathroom was stocked with L'Occitane products. The bed was extremely comfortable and made getting up in the morning more difficult than usual. (That may have also been tbecause of the great Santa Barbara County wine)

We had dinner in downtown Santa Barbara but took breakfast and mimosas at the hotel's restaurant each morning which was very good and the service was great. The dining room had two fireplaces and ocean views.

Before breakfast we utilized the gym which was a little small; however, the best part of the gym was that all of the cardio machines had a spectacular view of the gardens and ocean. The gym was stocked with free weights, weight machines, medicine balls, gatorade, and bottled water.

The pool was a little small as some reviewers have already stated, but it was not terrbily crowded when I was there. The service around the pool was great and the pool was kept the perfect temperature.

Make sure to stroll around the grounds as they are beautifully landscaped. Don't forget your favorite putter as the hotel has a decent-sized putting green or your tennis racquets as the hotel also has a couple of well-maintained tennis courts which we really enjoyed. (If you happened to forget your putter or racquet the fitness center will loan you some.)

The hotel is across a small and quiet street from Butterfly Beach. The hotel will pack a gourmet picnic for you if you would like to have a picnic on the beach or up in wine country. We didn't take advantage of this but we definitely plan on it next time.

All in all the hotel was fantastic. The service was perfect. The grounds were gorgeous and the rooms were comfortable. All of that added up to a perfect weekend getaway in one of the most beautiful towns in America. We can't wait to go back.

My husband and I recently spent 2 nights at the Four Seasons Biltmore, Santa Barbara. It was fantastic! We went the week before Christmas, so the hotel was festively decorated. It was not crowded since it was mid-week, which was a bonus. The hotel was formerly The Biltmore, and is built in the Spanish tradition. The roof and the archways and tile floors are all beautiful. The hotel recently completed a massive renovation which was impeccably done.

The common areas are very nice. We went to Ty's bar in the evening for a cocktail and some appetizers. The service was great, as was the food and drink.

The guest rooms are very well appointed. We stayed in a Deluxe room, which was very spacious. The bed was very comfortable, as was the leather chair and ottoman. The bathroom was quite big, with a separate soaking tub and shower stall with a rain shower head. The towels were plentiful and everything was very clean. We also had french doors leading to a private patio with a table and chairs that overlooked the pool area. It was a nice place to sit and relax.

The grounds are also breathtaking. The hotel is right across from the ocean, which you can hear if you leave your door to your room open. We didn't get to walk around the grounds very much, but from what we saw, they were very well maintained. There is a train that goes through the property, but we only heard it a few times during the day and even then it wasn't that loud.

The staff was superb! Everyone was very helpful and bent over backwards to be of assistance.

Overall, the Four Seasons Santa Barbara is a wonderful hotel that I would not hesitate to recommend. Yes, it is expensive, but the amenities and level of service are worth the price.

My friend and I went there for two nights to relax after the Christmas rush. We had a great time in our beautiful rooms and the property generally.

Staff's attention to detail and courtesy is exceptional.