The Landsby: A Charming Santa Barbara Wine Country Hotel

A Charming Santa Barbara Wine Country Hotel

Right in the heart of Solvang, arguably a cheesy Danish town thirty miles north of Santa Barbara, lies The Landsby hotel—a paradox of elegance and sophistication, a modern Nordic breath of fresh air. I have always preferred Santa Ynez Wine Country over Napa—less crowded, and a shorter drive from LA—but it has been severly lacking in great hotel options. Not only is The Landsby where you want to stay while visiting the area, but it is a reason alone to travel there. In fact, it’s the best Santa Barbara wine country hotel IMHO. It’s also my next Stylish Stay, and in short—I’m in love.

What I Love: The Modern Scandinavian interiors, designed by Studio Collective in Los Angeles are perfection. From the leather drawer pulls to the painted staircase to the swoon-worthy Rachel Brown artwork, it bedazzled me from the moment I was handed my brass hotel room key with the quote, “Not all those who wander are lost.”

Something to Know: Twenty-eight of the forty-one rooms are in the main house—the other rooms have an outside entry across the parking lot. While I did view one of the standard rooms overlooking the courtyard, and they are beautiful, I recommend that you request a room inside.

Suite Dreams: The two-story Tower King Suite was one of the most delightful hotel rooms I’ve ever experienced. From the enormous spa tub visible from the bedroom above, to the fireplace in the bright and airy sitting room, to the “goodnight” sign above the bed and the lavender sachet on my pillow—this room alone sums up why I love boutique hotels—attention to detail.

Stylish Sips: Happy hour begins at 4:00pm every day in the lobby bar, presented by the hotel restaurant Mad & Vin. I loved the specialty cocktail—they had me at St. Germaine—and ceviche. It gave me every reason to believe you should make a reservation for dinner.

Cool Factor: Some hotels have an automatic cool factor because of their location. The Landsby is the cool factor, but without being too cool for school—there is a big difference. I have a feeling they will be the trailblazer for other design hotels to follow.

Hero Shot: Any nook that features Rachel Brown’s barnyard art or in front of the master staircase.