The Genevieve (Formerly Santa Ynez Inn)

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Alan
4 months ago
Breakfast didn't meet my expectations at this room rate. Waitress was efficient and sweet. Public rooms are nice. Small yard is nice for kids to run around. Parking is good. Hotel has a fine restaurant on the neighboring lot and is a block away from another lovely restaurant, coffee shops and bakery. Streets are very quiet and calm. Los Olivos and Solvang are a few minutes drive away.Rooms: Spacious. Nice bed. Gas fireplace. Quiet. Elevator access. Walk in shower.Safety: Very quiet here. Seems safe to walk in the small town at night.

  Steven Silvers
3 months ago
More

  Yunah Hahn
3 months ago
Beautiful Bed and Breakfast!Was wowed by the photos on line and the actual place did not disappoint in terms of the property and room. Room is one of the most spacious rooms in this neighborhood. They offer social hour with wine and chutercurie board, dessert hours, breakfast, library, spa and wine passport with complementary drinks.What was disappointing was the service. Coming from another bed and breakfast in Santa Barbara, we were able to notice how the service was lacking. No heartfelt welcomes, tour of the place or little touches like the turn down service. Social hour drinks and chutecurie board was lacking. Cookies weren t very tasty. Breakfast wasn t memorable eaither. I would rather go dine at breakfast restaurants in Solvang.If you spend a lot of time in your rooms, this may be a great option. Lux room was beautiful and spacious! However without personal touch and quality food, I don t think I ll return.Also food delivery (door dash, Uber eats etc) doesn t work well here. There aren t a lot of options available. Neighborhood around the inn wasn t nice either.

  Rick Hochman
a week ago
More

  Dan Penkauskas
a year ago
The Genevieve is an absolutely charming place to stay. It's looks like a 100 year old Victorian mansion yet was built only a few years ago. This means that it has a modern elevator, modern amenities, modern heating (and presumably modern AC) in a building that will charm your socks off.Upon arrival we were met by a young lady who was genuinely concerned if we had a good trip and made sure we knew about all the stuff the hotel has to offer. (By the way, in addition to all the hotel amenities, we were given a wine tasting passport to many local wineries. Don't forget, the Genevieve is in the middle of one of California's great wine regions.) We were also warmly greeted by Christopher the hotel manager. He doubled down on making sure we had a pleasant stay.Our room was wonderful. We had a balcony that overlooks the garden area and a fireplace which we used that night because of the chilly weather. The bathroom was enormous (we said the place had modern amenities), complete with a shower and separate whirlpool tub. The d�cor was super posh and very romantic. There were a few books on the mantel above the fireplace, one of which was a guest book for signature. It was full of romantic notes from former guests talking about their honeymoon or travels across the United States. The earlier guests were pretty happy with their experience too.We had dinner that night at the adjacent restaurant, The Victor. We had a fine steak dinner and had fun with the folks at the table next to us who had been wine tasting that day and were pretty cheery.That night we slept like the dead in a room that was perfectly silent.The next morning we had breakfast in the big sitting area. In addition to a cold Continental breakfast available on the sideboard, we were able to get a gourmet hot breakfast in kind of a B&B style - a choice of waffles or Eggs Florentine. Yummy.If you want to get away from it all, the Genevieve is the perfect place to do it. Highly recommended.Food & drinks: Free gourmet breakfast and an excellent restaurant (The Victor) next door.

  Gordon M.
9 months ago
The second time we stayed here for a few nights (first time was previous ownership) and it was again fantastic. We book the same king couture honeymoon suite and it's beautiful, spacious and luxurious. For us it's all about the in room jet tub, incredible showers/bathroom, heated floors, and even the quirky French covers you can pipe directly in the rooms speakers are a delight. The bedding is also big, soft, and lovely and the rooms and site are immaculate. The only detraction I could say is the wifi, but most probably come out here to unplug and don't need to take an urgent business call or two. It worked good, but during a long call it got choppy (streaming may be hard too, but we never did). Three minutes from the casino, 6 from solvang is a great home base for a little escape. The gardens and ambiance are gorgeous and the vibe in the place is a little sexy and victorian. The service (what little we have asked of them) is always superb and friendly. Worth the money at any level room I imagine.

  Dean Grohs
a year ago
This place is like staying at the haunted mansion at Disneyland; which happens to be my favorite. The rooms are so choice and antiquated. Great location with wine tasting close by and a local tavern within walking distance. They even had wine tasting in the evening in the common area and library. The jacuzzi was secluded and hot. The best thing is the playful entity in room 210. I've been around bad lingering energy before, and this is nothing like that. This had to be a child; fun, attention seeking, and playful. Other than lights flickering and going on and off by themselves. We were woken up at 3am by the bathroom jacuzzi tub being turned on on its own. Once I went into the bathroom to investigate, it turned off on its own. We will be back; this place is really cool and just outside of Solvange. Great breakfast: One of the best omelets we have ever had!

  Renata R
a year ago
Victorian style place conveniently located for wine tasting in the neighboring Los Olivos, Solvang, Santa Barbara, etc. Wine tasting passport to about 20 wineries was included in the room price. They also hosted every day happy hour, wines and various appetizers. At 8 pm they served cookies or other sweets. Breakfast in the morning was cooked to order and was fantastic. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. The garden had fire pits and nice fireplace which we used every night. Will definitely return. The Victor restaurant is right next door. We had a lovely dinner. Next time will explore Ellie and the Barn, highly recommended by other guests.Rooms: The rooms are spacious, had fireplace and small balcony, bathroom had a large tub, large shower and unscented shampoo, conditioner, etc. Which was great because who wants to smell like an herb garden Nearby activities: Lots of wineries, ostrich farm, lavender farm, hiking.

  Reuven Fridmar
2 years ago
This hotel was AMAZING! Elegant, luxurious, and offered a cool feeling of old London mixed with contemporary. The whiskey room was awesome! We sipped whiskey and played chess next to a fireplace. Breakfast was included and it was restaurant style. So delicious. The outside area with the grass and fireplace was really nice - we want to stay again!

  LAIrisha
2 years ago
We had an amazing wedding weekend at the Santa Ynez Inn. We've stayed here many times and it was wonderful every time, but the wedding weekend was completely magical. Beautiful grounds, beautiful space, amazing food. Planning with John was as stress-free and awesome as planning a wedding could be. Everyone at the hotel - EVERYONE - was sweet, helpful, happy for us and made us feel like family. John and the staff at the Inn worked with us to allow us to add many personal touches, they were patient with all of our requests and suggestions, and everything was absolutely perfect. It was just exactly the way we wanted it to be, and it was due to the wonderful people who worked tirelessly at SY Inn to make it happen for us. We are very grateful!

  Maddy
2 years ago
I totally loved this place. My boyfriend booked this hotel for Thanksgiving holidays. We both felt it was such a soothing and relaxing environment. Rooms are upgraded, nicely done and feel so luxury. They offer wine and cheese tasting which we truly enjoyed. The hotel manger Cesar was such a lovely person. He truly took care of us.

  Oliver Emsallem
3 years ago
A very charming and whimsical experience. When approaching the Victorian estate you are greater with a lush garden and a truly perfect entry. Opening the door to the property Julio and the team great you with welcoming smiles. The property has a historic Victorian feel on the outside and a more sophisticated contemporary feel on the inside. The room had high ceilings and an awesome patio for our dog! The bed was super cozy and comfortable and the oversized tub was perfect after a long drive! The shower doubles as a steam room which is great! The amenities are out of this world! They include a jacuzzi tub, full service spa, 5pm wine hour at the fire pits, dessert every night at 8:30. My absolute favorite part was the morning. I was awoken by the haunting smell of a delicious breakfast filling the hallway. It was delightful. The breakfast and the other amenities were included. I felt so pampered. Thank you to Julio and the team for such an unforgettable stay.

  Jeff O
a year ago
This place is actually ideal, very clean, well managed, excellent amenities that will keep you busy, and close to everything you want to do. Lacks a pool but has a nice private jacuzzi area or you can go to the lake and do laps.Every morning you get a to order breakfast menu. Every evening you get a social hour that includes wine and very decent charcuterie treats. At night starting at 8pm they offer dessert hour with treats that vary and hot refreshments. Did I mention the whisky tasting?The rooms are spacious and cozy. Plenty of items like soaps, towels, and tissue one needs. In room coffee maker and fridge. TV was huge but used PlutoTV streaming service which sucked. So we didn't bother with it but too bad.I attempted to use a CABBI gift card at this location, which is how I found out about it, but the reception said they don't participate. So beware of the fine print before coming here through CABBI. Probably should just remove this location from CABBI's search if it's not really going to accept gift cards from this association. It is kind of misleading consumers when the details are not well stated during the process but this might be another review on CABBI.Overall, we really enjoyed this location and would love to come back one day. Make sure to take advantage of the partner wineries for free tastings and get recommendations to restaurants in the area.Have fun!

  Christine Murray
2 years ago
We discovered the Santa Ynes Inn last October and loved the spaciousness of the place and of the rooms, and the serenity of Santa Ynes. We highly recommended it to friends and relatives. My son and his wife spent one there last March and loved it and we have friends staying in it right now. All is good, except the service. I just called to make another reservation for this summer and the employee was so brisk and so rude that I am now reconsidering my stay.

  Victory Bicycle Studio
2 years ago
This is our new spot. We've stayed at several in the area, and this place has been THE BEST! The rooms are awesome, the grounds are beautiful, and the location is walking distance to our favorite spots, SY Kitchen and Grappollo! The breakfast each morning is just easy and simple, the coffee is ready early (we got up early for bike rides) and the staff is aching to make it the best experience. Internet was super fast, the free wine in the afternoons was a treat, and the campfires each evening in the Courtyard made each night even more special. Stay here.

  Fleur Perry Lang
a year ago
Let me start off by saying that the place is beautiful and very well maintained.I have been in the hospitality business for over 25 years, but I am writing this review as a patron, and I have never written a bad review in my life.The reason for my one star is that the staff was patronizing, dismissive, and sometimes plain rude. The rest of the time we were ignored all together (we actually spent very little time in the hotel because of how unwelcomed we felt). The day of our departure we passed the front desk 4 times, nobody said hello or even offered to help us with our bags. When you are being charged over $600 a night, the price of what is considered a 5 star establishment anywhere in the world, service is the number one expectation.I actually just hung up with one of the managers because my card has been charged twice. When I told her that I was very disappointed with the service, once again I was given the "I am so sorry to hear that" she did not ask any questions as to how things could have been better (rule 101 of hospitality). I will not give you her name, because I do not wish for anybody's job to be jeopardized.I usually give places a second chance, but considering how I was just spoken to on the phone that will not be happening.I hope this does helps raise the bar for future guests, but I can't ignore how upsetting this experience was.

  Fred Fardoost
2 years ago
Wonderful hotel.We have stayed there a dozen times in the past 15 years.It was more of a European experience during the original ownership but still a pleasant stay.The facility is in desperate need of some love and care.Furniture, bedding and bathroom fixtures are due for an upgrade.

  Roxanne K Shumaker
2 years ago
We had our wedding at the SY Inn last month and it was truly perfect. We knew the second we a the venue that it was perfect for us. We knew we wanted the venue to be intimate and for everything to be at one venue (no separate locations for ceremony/reception). Our only concern was outside music/party having to end by 10 pm which was quickly solved w us renting out all rooms at the inn. We booked all 20 rooms at the Inn so that we could have full use of the venue, all of our wedding party and family members stayed at the inn. Once the 10 pm curfew hit we were able to move inside to the 'parlor room' and continue the dancing until around 1 am. It felt like the perfect after party yet all at the same location. John and Julio were both amazing. John was our main contact for all our planning needs and Julio was there for anything on site, both of them were very accommodating and easy to work with. Wedding planning was made insanely easy, the Inn provides the food/bar/tables/chairs/etc, we still had a day-of wedding planner to push things along but besides that I took care of everything with the help of John.As far as the actual wedding, everything went PERFECTLY. The food was so good, our guests told us that it was the best wedding food they've ever had. The coachhouse perfectly fit our 2 long table and about 90 guests. The dance floor was exactly the right size so that everyone wanted to dance. And the fire pits were a great touch for anyone wanting to just chill. I can't say enough amazing things about this venue and all the staff, highly recommend booking for a weekend away or your wedding!

  Frank
4 years ago
My wife and I fell in love with this place!!!! Staff is very nice and accommodating. We love that 50s feel with music of Frank Sinatra and that era all over the building. We love the decorations, the fireplace in our room. We love the breakfast and late night tea and cookie time. We didn't get a chance to experience the wine tasting set in the afternoon. In the evening this place just shine. The outdoor firepit in the garden area is priceless. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with our renewals at the garden. We will definitely be back and truly recommend this to anyone visiting the Santa Ynez Valley for the 1st time. Also the Chumash Casino is nearby.

  Eric The Coach Bryant
8 years ago
What a "Treat" this turned out to be =) Last minute trip, last minute reservations, & thought we were talking a chance. Turned out great!Spacious & Comfortable rooms. Wonderful amenities. Great breakfast (included), Wine & Cheese hour (included), Deserts (included). Hell, they even have, 2 Tesla charging stations!Wonderful location. Hospitable Staff. Don't hesitate to book a room =)Have Fun

  Laura Jewell
5 years ago
Absolutely gorgeous little gem of a hotel. My boyfriend and I stayed in a Premium King room and were impressed with how clean, well-appointed and luxurious the hotel was. Free wine tastings with 10+ local wineries and tasting rooms, free made-to-order breakfast, free wine and cheese hour and a terrific restaurant next door add incredible value for the price. Can t wait to come back!

  Richard Johnston
5 months ago
More

  Imabeautifulmesss Wi
a year ago
More

  Brittany Keating
4 years ago
Beautiful place to stay! Clean rooms and great customer service. Beautiful courtyard with fire pits to relax. Made to order breakfast was delish! Wine tasting passport was key to helping choose where to start the day!

  Al M
4 years ago
What's to tell ? If you like small, quite, calm, comfortable, relaxing locations, then this place is for you.It's a Four Diamond Rated location, so the prices are of what a high end stay would entail, but well worth the experience.Breakfast offers a small menu selection, but all delicious. You can order off the menu, and the staff will accommodate within reason of the kitchen's fresh supply. Although if contacted 48 hours in advance the hotel will accommodate.There is an afternoon wine tasting, a few local bottles of wine are placed for you to try along with a small amount of cheeses, meats, and other items to accompany the selections of wine.An early evening window of time is also offered for guests to gather for a nice cup of coffee, tea, and sweets. I feel it's a nice way to end your day after a busy travels through and around the local towns, missions, and shops.If it's not too cold out, perhaps you can take your coffee or tea a few steps out through the front doors with your sweet. Enjoy sitting along side a warm fire. The hotel has several firepits along with a nice out door chimney to sit by to discuss the wonderful treasures and discoveries from your adventuresome day.This location is away from the main highway so it offers a wonderful, peaceful time to read outside in the warm sun.This location was our first visit but not our last.Thank You,Mendezinc

  Paul Bender
5 years ago
My wife loves it here. The property is maintained at a very high level, and the staff is professional and courteous. I'd describe it as a boutique hotel somewhere between the Four Seasons and a high quality Bed & Breakfast. Prices going up recently... so don't overlook the Four Friends B&B as well. It's a matter of preference perhaps.

  Seth Ruff
3 years ago
More

  Annie LoVerde (Californiacroatian)
3 years ago
We stayed at the Santa Ynez Inn for our Anniversary and it was the perfect place for a romantic getaway.Santa Ynez is in Santa Barbara County and is also home to some well known wineries. It s also very close to Solvang and Los Olivos.Breakfast is served daily, whiskey tasting and dessert nightly, as well as a pass to 12 wine tastings at nearby wineries.

  Rick Bakas
10 years ago
Words cannot convey how much I like this place. Nestled into the patchwork of small towns that make up Santa Barbara wine country, Santa Ynez Inn anchors the quaint setting known as Santa Ynez. Coming from Santa Barbara is a 25-minute straight shot to a very chill, easy going town.Santa Ynez Inn could give the Four Seasons a run for its money in terms of luxury, but not the price. Maybe it was having our own private patio with a fountain. Maybe it was the heated tiles in the bathroom and shower/steam room. Or maybe it was the super comfy king sized bed set next to a fire place and large flat screen TV. I can't name one thing I really like because I liked every attention to detail. And the people who work there are really easy going, not uppity at all. And the included breakfast isn't the same old continental breakfast every other hotel has. Today I had a fresh salmon frittata with some yummy chive cream spread.As if it couldn't be any better, the sitting area outside in the garden surrounded by giant old trees provide a peaceful setting to get that R&R you always wish you could get on vacation.Yep, Santa Ynez Inn has 5-star reviews across the board from myself and other reviewers for a reason. It's a destination that's easy to get to, and even easier to enjoy once you're here.

  Sachin Patel
6 years ago
Great experience! Was there for an outdoor wedding that was moved indoors due the weather's. The grounds and tavern were beautiful and well-appointed. They're able to make and serve food on site and plenty of space for all 150 or so guests.