The first time we went to Santa Barbara was in the Spring of 2005. It was a middle stop for our trip from Los Angles to San Jose so we were only stayed there one night. We didn’t have a reservation and were lucky enough to have a room in a B & B called The Upham Hotel. That was our very first B&B experience and it was very different than what we were used to through the chain hotels. So when we planned to return to Santa Barbara for a 5-day vacation in December this year, I wanted to stay in a B&B again.
I found the James House on TripAdvisor when I was doing my Santa Barbara B&B research. There are 27 B&Bs on TripAdvisor and James House was the number one. 76 people who had stayed in the James House gave it five stars rating which caught my attention. So I decide to make my reservation after I check their website and hoped to have a wonderful yet special experience.
Soon after I made my reservation I got an email from Marie who is the owner of James House to confirm my reservation and give me detailed local attractions and list of restaurants. The night before our trip she called me to ask me my travel plan. When she knew that we are going to stop at Hearst Castle for a tour, she gave me detail self-checkin instructions on how to open the front door, where she will put our room key, what’s the password for the WiFi, where to park, etc and let me know that she will leave the lights on for us. From the conversation, I realized that we are the only guests during our stay.
James House was build in 1894 by the James family who were originally from the East Coast. It is a two story Victorian-style house. It has five bedrooms plus a small maid room and 5 and a half bathroom. Marie kept the historical name “James House” when she bought this house for her B&B in 2004.
James House has three rooms on the first floor and two rooms on the second floor. It only takes adults who are at least 18 years or older. Marie will make different gourmet breakfasts daily with orange juice, coffee and tea in the morning and she will also make hors d’oeuvres pairing with local wine in the afternoon during the social hour.
The first night when we arrived, the lights were all lit for us, our room door is open and there was a bottle of red wine with two beautiful crystal wine glasses waiting for us. There was a hand written welcome note from Marie to let us know she made the hors d’oeuvres for us waiting in the mini fridge.
We stayed in the Chapala Room (photos above) that is on the second floor. The room is clean and homey; the bathroom is sizable with a huge tub; there is a balcony from the bathroom to look out on the street. There are old photos framed and hanging on the wall to show you the changes on State St and the history about James House. I am so glad that there is no rose printed wallpaper all over the room with flowers and laced bedding. That will drive me crazy!
Marie loves cooking and baking, and you know she is very good at what she does because each breakfast was fantastic! Every day was different which was a great surprise for us. Since we were the only guests for that week, Marie can sit down and chat with us after the breakfast were served. We learned about her and her family, about the B&B, and about Santa Barbara every morning. She will ask us about our plan for the day, do we need her help, and she will give us suggestions on routes, and recommendations on restaurants. If she knows we are unable to make it back for the social hour, she will still make us something and leave it in our mini fridge so we can have it for later.
The morning on our last day, after breakfast, Marie showed us the other guest rooms. She told us that each room has its selling point because they are somehow different from each other. The State room (photos above) is the biggest with a fireplace in the room; Valerio room has the best view; Garden room is the smallest and yet independent because you enter from the back patio not the front door so young couples love it; Carrillo room is the brightest room with all the natural lights from the windows; and the Chapala Room has a huge tub and a balcony which is always booked first.
We stayed in James House for 4 nights and it made me feel more comfortable than home, actually. We received more than expected – the personal attention and caring, wonderful breakfast and interesting conversations. In the end, we felt that Marie is like an old friend that we know for a long time, and we didn’t want to leave. Marie loves her job, and James House is like one of her children that she has put almost five years of her heart and soul into. The fifth anniversary is coming soon and it’s hard for Marie to think about the fact she is going to put the house on market due to some family changes she needs to look after.
If you are interested in becoming a B&B owner, this is a great opportunity that you can’t miss because James House is number one on TripAdvisor so it already has a fantastic reputation; moreover, it has its own clientele as well with a lot of repeat visitors. The best part is that Marie is willing to share her experience with you, which is one thing she didn’t get when she bought the James House.
Want to see more photos? Please go to My Flickr- James House.
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