The Canary Hotel

I had a perfect wedding experience at the Canary. Alison was my contact, and she totally took care of me. The food was great, the staff was friendly and attentive and the day went off without a hitch. A wonderful choice if you are looking for a beach wedding in a stunning location, without having to deal with sand and the public eye. The rooftop deck is breathtaking (you can see the ocean, the mountains, downtown Santa Barbara), and the hotel interior is decorated with a upscale/Meditteranean vibe). I even prefer Canary to their sister property, Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. I would strongly encourage anyone to seek out getting married at the Canary. Grade: A

The positives- The venue itself is great! The view from the roof is beautiful and the hotel is nicely decorated. The rooms are really comfy and it is located in the middle of downtown- walking distance to a lot of great places.
The food is fantastic,not your typical wedding food at all.
The not-so-positives- I am disappointed with the entire process of planning our wedding there with the catering and hotel management staff. We were treated like we were "lucky" to be having our wedding there and as if we were an annoyance. The communication was poor- hard to get a call back, and everything was always so inconsistent. I am very lucky to have hired a wonderful Day-of-Coordinator who smoothed out a lot of things that happened that day- including a tray of raw hamburgers being passed out to guests. Overall, very disappointed with this vendor.

This is such a fun place to have a wedding. Their rooftop has a 360 degree view of downtown Santa Barbara and at sunset it is a spectacular spot for a ceremony or reception dinner. They also boast a ballroom at the bottom of a gold-railed staircase, a photographer's heaven.

Just when you thought Santa Barbara weddings were all about vineyards and beaches, you find the Canary Hotel, and a sophisticated city rooftop wedding emerges!

From the minute you walk in, the style of the hotel grabs you...it's stucco and Spanish tile, it's wrought iron and polished wood - it's eye candy architecture and old world charm. You may find yourself wondering if the hotel's channeling Casa Del Mar - it is (Santa Monica's Casa del Mar and Shutters are sister properties)...and then you go to the Rooftop.

Forgetting the details for a moment -- gazing out over the city toward the mountains, you imagination conjures images of swanky guests sipping mojitos, the maid of honor flirting with the best man near the fireplace, a slow dance in the moonlit breeze, and the bride and groom stealing a kiss on the staircase.

Then the question arises - can they make it happen? This is where the sales and catering staff comes in, of course, and having spent a lovely lunch with Alison Manna (associate director of catering), I'd say the Canary Hotel is up to the task! Alison was not only knowledgeable about the hotel and its history, but also about the Santa Barbara wedding industry, the restaurant's lunch menu (take her advice, the tortilla soup is superb), and the details that need a little TLC to ensure a fantastic event.

With new ownership, they've revamped the look of the hotel (in particular the restaurant) and the quality of the food, trained the service staff and road-tested the changes. And (importantly from my perspective), the catering manager is experienced, youthful, open to creative ideas, and excited about making your imagined event a reality.

I have fallen in love with the Canary Hotel, and you just might too. Don't miss this gem during your wedding venue search!