Our Eco Hotel Series: El Encanto, Santa Barbara

“El Encanto is a hotel that is leading the way in sustainable luxury – a hotel who’s ethos is as high as it’s aesthetic. From food to waste, it’s amazing to see as much effort going into ethical practices as there is service, beauty and comfort.” – Cora Hilts

Native plants and eco irrigation -

The gardens and landscaping at El Encanto are a highlight of the property, and the numerous trees keep you naturally shaded from much of the California sunshine. I was so pleased to meet with James who is the hotel’s director of engineering who told me about their efforts to plant only native plants to help with the biodynamics and natural water retention of the property. He also said they had installed eco-friendly underground irrigation which works with natural rainwater, doesn’t lose anything to evaporation, and uses significantly less of California’s precious water resources than conventional hose watering. 

Locally sourced food -

I was so happy to get to speak to El Encanto’s food and beverage director personally and to learn about his connection to local, sustainable food sources was incredible. The hotel is working with a nearby regenerative farm called Ojai Roots that he had been to personally and could tell us stories about. If every hotel could show this level of local sourcing and support for sustainable farms the impact would be HUGE.

Biodynamic and minimal intervention wine -

I couldn’t believe it when I opened the wine list and saw items classified by biodynamic, sustainable agriculture and minimal intervention next to each glass and bottle. I had never seen that sort of identification before outside a natural wine bar and the majority of the list had some sort of certification. It made ordering sustainable wine easy, and is thought provoking for guests who might not otherwise consider making that choice. I wish this was a practice every hotel would enlist!

Plastic and waste reduction -

As someone who really notices when hotels aren’t making an effort on single use and plastic pollution, I was so happy to see El Encanto’s efforts in this space…I hardly think I saw any! The water all comes in aluminum cans or glass water bottles. Their coffee cups are compostable and mainly everything comes in glass. James also told me that they have even invested in trash compacting to minimize the inevitable waste from the guests which has resulted in less of a carbon footprint from garbage trucks. These things might not be as sexy as regenerative agriculture on the menu, but they are hugely important in a warming world. 

Plant based options -

Their prix fixe menu was all plant based which I love to see! It’s so refreshing to have a luxury hotel make plant forward eating seem like the focal point it should be. I personally tried everything from their quinoa salad with tofu to a tomato, burrata dish and crudités that were completely lovely. The menu itself was incredibly plant forward, with simple dishes that reflected seasonal and local eating to their area in Santa Barbara, California. Eating vegetarian food was easy and delicious for the entire time of our stay. 

Earth Check certification -

Earth Check is an external auditing company that helps devise a Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Policy for hotels to implement. They identify any critical issues and benchmark hotels across:

• Energy use
• Water use
• Carbon Emissions
• Chemicals
• Community and employee impact
• Paper use
• Waste

Their stringent policies help hotels really move toward sustainable practices across all areas of business, and I was thrilled to learn that El Encanto uses them to constantly plan on and improve their sustainability efforts. 

What to pack -

Solgaard – Luggage

Christy Dawn – Women’s Clothing 

Onda Wellness – Hemp Oils

NARU STUDIOS – Leather Bag