In an email to suppliers, Belmond El Encanto confirmed the rumor that it’s changing hands: “Belmond expects to complete the sale of El Encanto to El Encanto SB LLC, a Californian business, owned by Cannon Commercial, at the beginning of July.” My understanding is that Tyrone McKillen of Plus Development is also involved. [See below.]
The hotel, which opened in 1918, was bought by the Orient Express company in 2004; Orient Express was subsequently rebranded as Belmond and sold to LVMH.
There’s no word yet on the new owners’ plans for the 92-room property, but a revamp of the restaurant will almost certainly be on the agenda—it’s the main way to keep on locals’ radar, and it would go a long way toward making the hotel more appealing to groups (and weddings in particular), which is the kind of business it surely needs.
UPDATE 7/7: TradedLA named Justin Mateen, Tyler Mateen, and Garrett Cayton as the buyers, reporting that they paid $82.5 million for the hotel. “The Mateen brothers and Cayton plan to invest heavily in restoring and elevating the hotel, with the goal of making it one of the top destinations in the country.”
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They did a big remodel not so long ago so hopefully it wouldn’t shut down. They have weddings around the very beautiful pond but it doesn’t hold many people. It’s a great location and the grounds are beautiful and they’re nice about letting locals walk through on daily dog walks.
I hope the new owners remove the fire pits located between the main structure and the pool. They may have been expensive to install but they look cheap and tacky. Visual clutter distracting from the real star of the show; El Encanto’s beautiful natural environment.
Dan Are you serious.? That comment is sounds very entitled.
Cannon Commercial ?
Look them up
That restaurant menu is mostly the worst. Hope they will now match the food with the view.
We had an unexpected guest in town last Sunday and wanted to dine early; someplace special. El Encanto was not our first choice-but it is where we landed. We enjoyed a delicious meal and fantastic service. I was pleasantly surprised by the menu updates. The serene atmosphere cannot be beat so I do hope El Encanto lands up and we locals can regularly enjoy its ambiance and food for not the crazy unreasonable prices that too many resorts serve up.
Wonderful food, ambience and service A Santa Barbara gem
My husband and I married here in 1996 and almost every year we dine in the restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. I absolutely loved the old world charm of El Encanto before it was modernized and rebranded by Belmond. I miss the classic patio furniture and lawn swings with yellow cushions and canopies :(
I think it was 39 years ago I first heard about the El Encanto. I was reading a story in the SB Independent, (maybe the other weekly) it was an interview by Dana Brown that took place on the restaurant patio. Dana described the setting as quite magical, or enchanted as the name says.
Back then I worked at San Ysidro Ranch, then the Biltmore as a gardener, while still looking at EE as the goal. Even before that, in the 70’s I’ve read stories about the lifestyles lived on the property. Sounded like fun.
A few years later I got my dream job, “Grounds Supervisor,” at El Encanto. I liked to think of it as Head Gardener. That’s what I did, more gardening. . . less supervising. From 1991 to late 2001 I was the gardener. I’m waxing about days gone by.
I look forward to this new ownership. Before the Orient Express, then Belmond, the owners were locals. It’s something that’s been missing in my opinion. If the new owners are from LA, that’s a huge improvement. At least this won’t be a multi-national corporation to deal with.