Wellness
property, offers a small putting
green and separate croquet lawn.
It was the setting for TVs “The
Bachelor” wedding in early 2014.
pre or post spa respite, the garden by
the entrance with its three-tiered
fountain with views to the beach
is perfect.
Spa and Gym
Begin your Spa treatment in the
Relaxation Lounge, a second floor
quiet room, that offers dried fruits
and nuts, a fireplace in the corner
and ocean views visible from plush
comfortable chairs. Treatment rooms
with clear maple wood flooring are
designed for singles, though there
are also couples suites. Four of the
treatment rooms are master suites,
with an outdoor patio and views to
the ocean, a Jacuzzi tub and two
massage tables. You can have
in-room massages and nail services if
you prefer the comfort of your own
accommodations, and Champagne can
be incorporated into any service.
Locker rooms include dry saunas and
separate steam rooms with mist that
is infused with menthol, which is
strong but not potent and helps
clear sinuses. Showers in the locker
rooms, as in all of the Spa, have rain
bars, allowing you to get only your
body wet, rather than your hair and
face, and rain heads if you prefer the
full deluge. It’s no surprise that you
can get almost anything you want,
from massages including stone work,
The Four Seasons opened its Spa in
2002, though the building itself
for the Spa was built in the 1970s.
Careful attention was given to making
it feel seamless with the rest of
the historic property. Its soft,
comfortable and subdued interiors
were designed by Peter Marino, whom
Architectural Digest listed as one of
the top 100 best interior designers
for 2014. The Spa is as comfortable
and relaxing as its beach-side location.
There are beach cruisers for families
available for rent, 11 treatment
rooms, and an on-site trainer upon
request. The gym portion of the Spa
was outfitted in 2014 with state of
the art Technogym treadmills,
allowing guests to upload any exercise
apps they may already have on their
smart phone. This way, they don’t miss
a scheduled workout. The equipment
includes air conditioning units and
touch screens, so guests can exercise
in specific places filmed on location,
such as San Francisco. There are free
weights and you can schedule private
yoga or Pilates classes as well. For a
Swedish, and maternity massage,
to facials. One of the most popular
treatments is the Grape De Vine
scrub, using grape seed directly from
Santa Barbara wine country. Since
the Four Seasons is pet-friendly,
it offers in-room dog massage so
Fido can feel frisky too.
Water Works
The Spa offers three outdoor
pools, all flanked by lush vegetation,
including a main pool that is heated
to 86 degrees and is outfitted with
an underwater sound system. There
are also two smaller whirlpools, and
one is filled with mineral water
drawn from the property itself,
heated to 104 degrees. The other
small pool, ideal for kids, uses
non-well water and is heated to
94 degrees. During summer months,
there is poolside service, including
treats from Santa Barbara’s oldest
ice cream shop, McConnell’s.
A visit to Santa Barbara’s Four
Seasons is a step back in time, with
its historic property, flush with
modern amenities. Such an
experience represents an ideal way
to visit this coastal town.
Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore
Santa Barbara
1260 Channel Drive
Santa Barbara, California 93108
Tel. +1 (805) 969-2261
www.fourseasons.com/
santabarbara/