Often referred to as the American Riviera, Santa Barbara does recall Europe’s most chi-chi coastline with its whitewashed Spanish Colonial buildings draped in bougainvillea, blue waters and balmy temperatures. But while its playground of Hollywood A-listers provides Gilded Age glamour, the city isn’t stuck in the past. Over the last five years, the best hotels in Santa Barbara have added to its roster with the exciting arrivals of Rosewood Miramar Beach and Palihouse Santa Barbara, as well as the revival of the famed San Ysidro Ranch, which did a nearly complete rebuild following a mudslide in 2018.