We are celebrating our 25th anniversary and will stay one night in Santa Barbara in May. I'd love a hotel recommendation, willing to spend some money but not break the bank.

The Hyatt and the Fess Parker are in the $200 range.
Both are by the ocean between the zoo and the pier.
4 star ratings for each.

We stayed a night at Kimpton's The Canary and loved it! Highly recommend it.

https://www.kimptonhotels.com/stay/c...-santa-barbara

Is it a weekend? If so the vast majority, and just about all nicer properties, have a 2 night minimum.

I think Simpson House Inn offers overnight stays. Very nice place and excellent location imo, if the main goal is convenience. If scenery and amenities take priority over convenience, first choice would be Bacara in Goleta, up the coast a bit from Santa Barbara. Stunning place but you're looking at $400/night and up for a room.

Fess Parker's is really nice but janis is correct about two night minimum stays, hope it is not over Memorial Day weekend.

I too loved the Canary in Santa Barbara...
Belmond have a lovely property in SB cannot remember the name though....( look on their website)

Certainly not a bargain priced hotel but the San auditors Ranch is very special.

HappyTrvlr . . . Could you by any chance mean the San Ysidro Ranch??

That is what I typed! Autocorrect does it again!

vr22, if you want "real" help from us, it would be terrific if you could specify your exact date and a number that you are not willing to exceed.

The Belmond El Encanto mentioned above is usually over $600 per night, the San Ysidro Ranch is even more than that... so if you're truly looking for a special property, a named budget is helpful.

The Canary is usually more around $300.00, is a beautiful property with a rooftop sitting area that overlooks the city all the way to the ocean.

For a special dinner, you can't go wrong at Bouchon!

I also went to Bouchon when we were in SB, it was fab!