We are thinking of going to Santa Barbara late April.
I have looked via Trip Advisor at various hotels and I have a Karen Brown's Guild to Charming Inns in SB. She recommended Four Seasons Biltmore, Simpson House Inn, Tiffany Inn. The Four Seasons Biltmore looks beautiful but I was on hold for a long time just to speak to someone in reservations - they kept saying I was in line and there were many ahead of me. That didn't sound too promising.
Is there a recommendation based on your experience in Santa Barbara you can recommend?
Are there other cities within the area of Santa Barbara that we might look at as well?

The Biltmore is closed until at least June 1st. Mudslide damage.

Look at the Hotel Californian on lower State Street or the Kimpton Canary Hotel on upper State Street. I like the look and views from the Californian but prefer the location of the Canary.

We haven't stayed at the Simpson in decades. Back in the day, it was too noisy for us. Things may have improved in that department. We have stayed at the Upham and nearby Upham Country House and at the Cheshire Cat. The Upham CH is very convenient if you have a car and plan excursions.

What are you hoping to do while you’re here and what is your price point? If you can give a bit more detail, I’m happy to give suggestions that are tailored to your needs.

We aren't sure exactly Jean and lynn. Based on availability (almost every place is booked) and costs in Santa Barbara we now may now want to think about another location. One thought is Lake Tahoe.

If you only need a place to sleep, the Sandyland Reef in Carpenteria is still open. I'm with the crowd that calls it "Average". When our son was at UCSB in Goleta, we stayed there for a few nights. Lots better than paying over $200/night in Santa Barbara

Tahoe is lovely and far, far away!

I might suggest Santa Monica, Shutters or Bacara in Goleta or Inn At the Pier, which is a new property in Pismo Beach or the Sea Venture in Pismo where you can be on the sand about 10 steps from the lobby door! My other favorite in Ca is the Inn Above Tide in Sausalito!

Without knowing what what you want to do it’s hard to say. Do you want to hang around the property or be out sightseeing?

We spent a couple of days in Paso Robles last week, and I'd love to go back again before the summer heat arrives. The hills were as green as Ireland. If you aren't terribly interested in wine (although some are great for lunch), there are easy excursions to Cambria, Hearst Castle, elephant seals at Piedras Blancas, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo....

How many days do you have?

I meant to add that it might be too early for Lake Tahoe. The Sierra is still getting snow, and there will likely be a lot of mud at the end of the month. Too wet for hikes, etc.

"If you aren't terribly interested in wine (although some are great for lunch)....

!! Ha! I meant wineries, not wine. But if you did choose to drink your lunch, Paso is a great place to do that!

>Inn Above Tide in Sausalito!>

We stayed there one year and loved it. It was a base for San Francisco then we traveled North to many of the towns along the coast and then east to Napa, Sonoma and the wine country. Beautiful. We are now kinda set on Lake Tahoe (as we have never been and I've lived in So.CA since a child!) But most of the nice places are booked solid through April.

Nanabee, if you can’t get Tahoe and want to come back near Santa Barbara... check out Ojai. Either the Su Nido Inn or the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. Both are lovely properties and tend not to be as booked out as Santa Barbara. The Su Nido is all lsuites within walking distance of the town and the Inn is a beautiful property with amenities galore!! Wouldn’t be bad at all for a plan B!!

i checked Su Nido and they have a few rooms still available at the end of April but I’m not sure of your dates.

I feel eel like a kindred spirit with you! I too have lived in Ca my whole life and still have places I haven’t been as an adult, Mendocino and Sonoma are two at the top of my list!!

Good of luck and let us know where you end up!

>>But most of the nice places are booked solid through April.

Hi Janis for some reason three of the Big resorts in N Lake Tahoe are booked and all three have big wedding parties. At least that is what they told me when I called.

Santa Barbara's nicer resorts or hotels were extremely expensive. We have so many travel obligations coming up that are very expensive and involve paying for family traditions and events that we dont want to spend a lot on this trip.

We love the Simpson House. Stayed again in January. It’s off upper State Street, wonderful neighborhood for walking, not far from lots of great restaurants. We walk to the Alice Keck gardens, the mission, down to the beach. We stay in the house itself, and don’t think it’s noisy at all.

If you will consider a simple place in Santa Barbara, we have stayed her a couple of nights, on our way through town:
Santa Barbara - Motel - Inn - Marina - Castillo Inn at the Beach

It's a motel set-up, where you park in front of your room. It's a well-managed, nice little place. Great location for walking to the marina.

I agonized over where to stay last year when I went to Santa Barbara, but I ended up (thanks to Lynni) at the Santa Barbara Inn. I LOVED IT. It's right across the street from the beach and while I had a car, it was an easy and cheaper Uber to town when I knew I'd be having some drinks. I used Chase Sapphire Reserve points too and had a beautiful oceanfront room.