Santa Barbara: a pristine stretch of California coastline that’s adored by locals and visitors alike. Ask anyone what they like most and you’ll hear about the Spanish-influenced architecture, outstanding dining options, and breathtaking scenery at every turn.
Personally, my favorite part of Santa Barbara is the surf culture that permeates every nook and cranny of the city. It’s laid back, yet upscale, and a quintessential part of the city that’s baked into every local, restaurant, and activity.
This unique Santa Barbara surf culture is also alive and well with one of our partner hotels in the area, The Kimpton Goodland. And that culture has grabbed the attention of countless people as they look for a place to experience the city.
Visitors from out of town choose to stay at The Goodland because it’s got tons of character, on-site amenities that delight, and minutes away from popular places. Locals choose to spend their nights and weekends at The Goodland because it’s everything they’ve come to know and love about Santa Barbara.
Recently, I had an opportunity to explore this boutique hotel in California to see why it’s such an engaging place. Below, I’ll show you what I discovered that cements this hotel as a classic fan-favorite.
First Impressions Are Everything
Plain and simple: The Kimpton Goodland pairs seamlessly with the California culture that dominates Santa Barbara. As you pull up to the hotel, you’re greeted by a polished, silver airstream and beautifully maintained Ford Country Squire Overdrive—wood-paneled, of course.
This is the “one” on a one-two punch that sets the mood for an entire hotel. The follow-up “two” is immediately recognized when you walk into an amazing hotel lobby.
Staring at you are mounted steer horns above a soft, warm fire. There’s a duality at play of old and new; rustic and modern; sharp and soft; laid back and professionally polished.
This push and pull is alive all over the hotel, most notably in the outward appearance of the buildings. They’re reminiscent of an old Route 66 roadside motel you’d seek out in a moment of tired desperation on a long road trip.
There are three buildings, two-stories each, with outward rooms facing the parking lot and inward-facing rooms that look out to the pool, firepits, and lawn area. It feels like it should be filled with outdated amenities, but it’s not.
The rooms are comfortably furnished with modern touches like plush bedding, artistic furniture, and wooded accent beams on the roof. The bathrooms are finished with handsome fixtures and posh Atelier Bloem products.
Once you cozy up to the hotel, you realize that The Kimpton Goodland might look like an old motel, but it’s actually dripping with a sense of style and character not found in many other hotels. You notice surfboards hanging from the ceiling and tucked into corners, friends enjoying fireside s’mores, and the Good Bar serving up cocktails. The property is alight with activity.
So. Many. Activities.
While the style, design, and amenities of The Kimpton Goodland are on point, they’re not the only factor that define the culture of the hotel. There are countless activities to keep you engaged, like yoga sessions (with wine), dog-friendly happy hours (where you might head home with a newly adopted dog from the Santa Barbara Humane Society), live music on the patio-turned-stage, or lawn games to help laze away an afternoon poolside.
For those who want a more laid back evening, every room comes stocked with a vinyl record player and a sampling of records. I was lucky enough to have some Rick James, A Tribe Called Quest, and Gary Clark Jr.
Don’t be bummed if the vinyls aren’t to your musical preference though, because there’s an entire store on-site that you can explore: VNYL. Not only can you buy fresh albums here, there are countless others you can rent from the front desk and take back to your room. It makes for a great night of music, some dancing, and of course some good drinks (who needs TV?).
Then, in the morning their in-house restaurant Outpost, one of the best hotel restaurants, dishes up brunch until 2:30 pm on the weekends. To be clear, this isn’t a continental breakfast where you get a bagel made of sawdust and cream cheese that’s dangerously close to expiring.
Outpost serves coastal California cuisine that screams Santa Barbara. They get their menu items from local farmers and vendors and their commitment to culinary craft blazes through with rich, flavorful bites.
Straight up, the menu is amazing. And being able to order steak and eggs, with a side of crispy potatoes, was the perfect way to start my day. Tell me, what other hotels can hook it up with crab croquettes, chilaquiles, short rib tacos, and fried chicken sandwiches for brunch?
The food menu might honestly be one of the reasons the local Toastmasters chapter decided to have an all-day event at The Goodland on Sunday. I even met a few of the event attendees in passing, and they told me how excited they were to be at the hotel for the event, while snapping photos of the lobby fireplace for their hotel influencer marketing Instagram profiles.
Real, Human Connections
The glue that holds all everything at The Kimpton Goodland together are the staff. They’re sharp, attentive, accommodating, and dedicated. Case in point, about 15 minutes after getting to my room I got a text message from the front desk asking if everything was OK with my room. That’s the kind of service that retains guests trip after trip.
The staff is also easy to talk to: at The Goodland, it felt like I was catching up with longtime friends. They gave some amazing recommendations for Santa Barbara activities, like the chromatic gate and the Mission, and they knew where the locals went to avoid the tourist crowds.
I heard about the history of the hotel, why they love working there so much, and what about the culture makes it such an engaging destination. In fact, some of the content in this blog post came from conversations with them and the insights they shared.
For example, one young man told me of a secret quest for anyone who swings by in the future. If you find the special “Instagram Walls,” take your picture in front of them, and tag The Goodland in your post, you get a discount on your meal.
There’s also a secret code word that you can mention at the front desk for a special surprise, but I won’t tell. Half the fun is figuring it out! Make sure to let us know when you do.
When it was finally time to pack up and head out, I did not want to leave The Kimpton Goodland. I didn’t want to leave to explore Santa Barbara. To me, I could have easily spent the duration of my trip at The Goodland and felt that I got a true Santa Barbara experience.
I think that’s the main reason why locals choose to spend their weekends and nights out at The Goodland. If you’re interested to learn more about this hotel, or you want to book your next trip there, reach out to Luxpitality directly. We’d love to help you have a good time at The Goodland.