Santa Barbie-here we come.

Finally hit downtown Santa Barbara where we tangled with a bunch of one-way streets before reaching the Canary Hotel. This full service luxury boutique hotel has 99 rooms – all were filled on the Monday night we stayed. The gracious female GM alerted us to the hotel’s 4-7 pm Happy Hour so we grabbed a glass of the reasonably priced local wine and headed up to “The Perch” on the hotel’s
rooftop. One peek and it was back down to grab the camera and the binoculars (thoughtfully provided in each room) to take advantage of the jaw-dropping 360 degree views of mountains, oceans and islands. The pool, jacuzzi, firepit and the spectacular sunsets make this the perfect place to hang.

Tummies growling, it was time for dinner at the Coast Restaurant, THE downtown gathering spot. Lucky for us it was right in our hotel. Unluckily for us, there was a raucous crowd gathered round the bar’s plasma, cheering on their sports team. Our charming waiter quickly moved us to a corner table further away from the fans. The regular menu features a variety of local seafood, (I happily devoured some pristine oysters and delish Diver Scallops and my sister scarfed down her butterscotch pudding with out offering me a single bite) and farm fresh produce. They also offer some fantastic sounding weekly specials such as their Tuesday night farmers market dinner, or Family style dinners on Sunday for only $25.

The Canary is roosted smack dab in the heart of downtown; walking distance to the wharf, beach and the best shopping. Since Santa Barbara has been named a 2009 Distinctive Destination by The Trust for Historic Preservation, we had fun playing tour guide as we followed the map of Santa Barbara’s Red Tile Walking Tour, which covers the highlights of S.B’s Spanish-styled architectural gems.

Details:
Rooms are done up Mediterranean style with dark hardwood floors and crisp white linens on the four-poster beds, ideal for nesting.
If you need to do a little biz, each room has a large work station with all the necessary trimmings. The “Good to be Bad” mini-bar was stocked with healthy tasty treats and the tiny yellow ribbon wrapped around the extra roll of bathroom tissue shows the attention to detail. There are several girlfriend getaway packages making this a perfect place for best bud’s to re-connect.

Added Value: In the closet you’ll find a yoga mat-perfect for morning rooftop “oms.” Or you can pick up a complimentary pass to the health club next door.