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| Celebrity Hideaway | ||||
| The Biltmore Santa Barbara gets better with age. | ||||
| BY JANE LONGSHORE | ||||
The Santa Barbara Country Club’s biggest draw was a 2,200-yard, nine-hole golf course along the Pacific Ocean, the second golf course in the state of California. In 1908, Walter Douglas, general manager of Phelps Dodge, one of the largest copper mining companies in the country, acquired the property and built guest cottages on the site to accommodate long-term guests. The Bowman Biltmore Corporation acquired the property in 1925 and hired Los Angeles architect Reginald Johnson to draw up plans for a spectacular resort. Many of Walter Douglas’ cottages were removed and Spanish Colonial-style structures with stucco walls and red tile roofs were built for the Santa Barbara Biltmore, which opened in 1927. The hotel operated as part of the Biltmore chain until the company fell into bankruptcy and the property went into foreclosure. In 1935, Pacific States Savings and Loan Company bought the Santa Barbara Biltmore at auction on the courthouse steps for $476,000. Robert Odell, the major shareholder, began a series of improvements, including the building of the Coral Casino, at the time called the Biltmore Beach Club. At 60 feet wide and 167 feet long, the club’s swimming pool was said to be California’s largest outdoor pool and was originally built with a 30-foot high dive and sand for decking. In 2003, the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, now a private swim club to which registered hotel guests have access, was designated a historic landmark.
One of Odell’s unrealized dreams was to shuttle hotel guests from the hotel’s pier to waiting cruise ships in the Santa Barbara Channel for gambling. The pier was damaged by a major storm in 1983 and was later removed. During World War II, the Biltmore became an Army-Air Corps redistribution station, where soldiers returning from overseas waited for reassignment. The returnees were temporarily stationed at the hotel and paid an average of $2.41 a day, with room, meals, and laundry included. Another bonus was the entertainment frequently provided by celebrities who made the drive up from Hollywood. The Odell era lasted for 40 years, during which time the Biltmore flourished. In 1976, Marriott Corporation purchased the hotel and added the north and east wings of the pool building, bringing the total number of guestrooms to 236. Four Seasons acquired the property in 1987 and launched a $19 million restoration that maintained the original Spanish architecture but updated and redecorated the guestrooms to create a lighter, airier ambience.
In the last decade, the resort has seen a number of improvements and updates, including the opening of a $26 million pool, spa, and fitness center, and a $60 million guestroom restoration that included newly designed bathrooms with custom Spanish tile, deep soaking tubs, and rain shower heads (some bathrooms also feature private steam showers and radiant floor heating). Ornamental ironwork and mission-style furniture maintain the historical integrity of the resort. Throughout its many transformations, The Biltmore Santa Barbara has retained its position as the “jewel of the American Riviera,” earning an AAA Five Diamond rating along the way. And, as testament to its continuing appeal, Hollywood elites still flock to the resort—in 2007, Four Seasons The Biltmore Santa Barbara became the official resort of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, hosting the extravagant Modern Master After-Party for honoree Will Smith. Which just goes to show, while the trappings may change, true luxury never goes out of style.
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What began in 1894 as the Santa Barbara Country Club reached a milestone in 2006 when Four Seasons Resort, The Biltmore Santa Barbara celebrated its 80th anniversary. The resort also celebrated the completion of a $240 million historic restoration that achieved owner Ty Warner’s quest to restore the hotel to the glamour originally envisioned by architect Reginald Johnson.
Odell and his family resided in one of the property’s original cottages, and the hotel became a favorite outpost of Hollywood’s elite during his tenure. Celebrities who frequented the hotel included Greta Garbo, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, John Barrymore, Benny Goodman, Gregory Peck, Lana Turner, and Tyrone Power, among others. The resort even hosted the wedding of Rock Hudson to his agent’s secretary, Phyllis Gates, which took place in cottage number five in 1955 (the marriage itself was short-lived—the couple divorced less than three years later). Odell was himself something of a bon vivant—the coat closet near the entrance to La Marina restaurant hid a secret stairway to El Galeon, Odell’s personal poker room, which was outfitted with a dumbwaiter for replenishing refreshments and a men’s-only restroom. 
In 1992, real estate investment firm Maritz Wolfe purchased the property and entered into a long-term management contract with Four Seasons. In May 2000, Maritz Wolfe sold The Biltmore to Ty Warner, founder of Ty Inc. and creator of Beanie Babies, under whose ownership Four Seasons continues to manage the property. 
