History-Worthy Hospitality
in Los Olivos
A First Sojourn to The Inn at
Mattei’s Tavern Earns Raves
By Roger Durling | March 23, 2023
An average work day during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is 20 hours, and that routine is sustained for 10 days. Once you’re in it, the adrenaline keeps you going — tuning out your body and mental fatigue. After it ends, it all hits you, and figuring out how to slow down your thought process becomes a major task. I normally take about two weeks off after closing night, but due to my teaching commitments at Santa Barbara City College this year, I couldn’t plan anything until spring break at the end of March. To hold me over, I booked a two-day weekend stay at The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern Auberge Resorts Collection in Los Olivos. It turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.
At only 30 minutes from my house in Goleta, it felt as if I had traveled to another country — and the moment I stepped out of my car, I started to sense the accumulated stress and wear and tear melting away. This is a five-star luxury resort — there’s nothing quite like it in the area — and it rivals and/or tops similarly sized places in the Napa Valley region. It beckons total immersion. Yes, there are plenty of activities and great restaurants to partake in the surrounding area, but this place is so self-sufficient and relaxing that I can’t blame anybody who does what I did and decides to just stay within its perimeter to regenerate and refresh.
Established in 1886 by Felix Mattei and his wife, Lucy, Mattei’s Tavern was initially called the Central Hotel. Passengers that arrived at the railroad terminal directly across from it found shelter and food as they waited for the next morning’s stagecoach to bring them to Santa Barbara.
You must be logged in to post a comment.