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How to book The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern

The rooms and cottages blend cowboy culture with enduring elegance

There are many ways a hotel set in the middle of cowboy country and the land of endless vineyards could veer kitschy — fast. But with its architecture and interior design, The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern manages to not only avoid feeling like a cliche but also create an authentic ambience that is as elegant as they come.

We were led down a dirt path lined by appropriate dry-climate shrubs and plants, plus white clapboard guesthouses, to our ground-floor room, complete with a covered outdoor mudroom in front — perfect for parking our baby’s stroller.

My first impression stepping into the high-ceilinged room was that it felt crisp but also cozy, with woven textiles and four-poster beds, petite landscape paintings, wainscoting, exposed beams and woolen rugs. All rooms have a place to sit out in the fresh air — such as a terrace, patio or porch swing — as well as some fire element, whether a fire pit or fireplace, the mantels of which are made from rustic railroad ties from the original train tracks aside the hotel.

Our room, a Garden Terrace Two Queen Studio, featured both, with the private outdoor space proving super entertaining to our 3-year-old daughter, who loved playing with the pebbles between pavers. For me the highlight was a little more sophisticated: the fire pit, which was super easy to turn on with a timer knob — and the hands-down greatest s’more I made there one evening after texting Guest Services to request the fixings. Upon arrival I’d learned the hotel offers s’mores kits gratis, and trust me, you do not want to miss out on this perk. About 25 minutes later the setup — including a long wooden stick, the classic Hershey’s milk chocolate rectangles, two marshmallows and crispy crunchy homemade graham cookies — was hand-delivered by a young man with a smile. My only regret was that I didn’t ask for more. (For those without a private fire pit, there are communal ones dotted around the property.)

As I’ve come to expect at Auberge properties, there were plenty of thoughtful touches, such as an Audio Pro speaker, wireless phone charger, cool bathrobes, a cute tote bag and a Pendleton wool blanket with leather strap carrier for use during our stay. The latter felt like an invitation to cozy up outside on an Adirondack chair as the temperature dropped. The minibar shelves featured not only a tempting curation of savory and sweet snacks and libations but also coffee table books, interesting glassware and, of course, a Nespresso machine and electric kettle.

The lovely tiled bathroom was unique with its long farmhouse sink and fantastic-smelling custom toiletries.

Even better than that were the beds, the definition of dreamy. I don’t think I moved at all once I laid down and sank into the layers of bedding simultaneously so silky and cozy. The turndown treats made it even sweeter. There were melt-in-your-mouth bourbon caramels by Jessica Foster Confections the first night — a take on the tradition of bourbon after a day of travel — and the next, fragrant sachets of soothing lavender to tuck underneath our pillows.

Beautiful as the room was, we experienced just a few issues with the coffee maker and also air conditioning; however, when I called about the latter a technician came within five minutes and got it working immediately. The little keycard scanner where we swiped our leather fringed key fobs fell off (maybe even melted off as there was a bit of a heat wave). It wasn’t repaired during our stay, but the lock operated just fine. And housekeeping oddly left our used, seemingly rinsed but not washed wine glasses and coffee cups upside down on the bathroom vanity and didn’t replace them.

The Tavern is the star of the show

Across the board, all dining outlets source from the bountiful Central Coast’s farmers, fishers and ranchers, so I felt confident we would be eating well. But even with “tavern” in the very name of the hotel, I didn’t expect to savor so many standout dishes in one meal. My family — including my husband, toddler and 6-month-old baby — snagged an early-bird special reservation (we were in good company with two other young families) at The Tavern and sat aside the long open kitchen since the weather was too hot to enjoy the large outdoor patio with a vine-wrapped trellis.

From a look around The Tavern’s bar and lounge full of antiques and artifacts, plus a hallway of vintage photography, there’s no mistaking this is a restaurant with provenance and patina, plus a connection to horses. The warm atmosphere was made even more so by the congenial staff and a friendly fellow who brought by a yummy welcome splash of Bordiga Vermouth di Torino Bianco over ice, describing it as being made with more than 30 botanicals.

The wine list naturally highlights California vintages and includes many wines by the glass, but we opted to try some of the ultraoriginal cocktails on the list, namely the Greenshine with mezcal, green chartreuse, acidified celery and agave ($18) and Strange Ol’ Gus, named for Felix Mattei’s former right-hand man, Gus Berg, and featuring Three Chord bourbon, pinot noir and house bitters ($22).

Dinner was a prettily plated procession of memorable flavors, including scallops with roasted maitake, yuzu kosho and pickled mushrooms ($55) that my husband deemed the best he’d ever had; fabulously hickory-smoked Okinawan sweet potatoes with black garlic vinaigrette, yuzu aioli and crispy shallots ($14); and my juicy sweet-and-sour pork chop with garlic rice, pineapple and sweet peppers ($54). The generous portions somehow seemed true to the age and history of the place. This ranch fare with a surprising twist was courtesy of the opening Filipino chef, Rhoda Magbitang; however, a new chef, Auberge alum Joe Humphrey (most recently at Hotel Jerome), had just started but not yet revealed his new menu.

Dessert was also a divine hit: a souffle with vanilla creme anglaise and homemade butterscotch sauce dolloped liberally into the center. It was simply to die for, so rich, sweet and delicious. Our server had popped by during our meal to recommend we order it ahead of time.

At breakfast on the patio we had a very personable server whom I wisely trusted to help me decide between the epic-sounding sourdough French toast ($23) and blue corn hotcakes ($23).

The former, she said, uses Bob’s Well bread — which people are obsessed with — however, the latter reminds her of Jiffy, a staple back home in Louisiana. As a Southerner myself, I opted for those and was treated to perhaps the best pancakes of my life, with fantastic texture, especially in combination with the toasted granola, blueberries and sweet maple-tinged creme fraiche on top. My husband’s huevos rancheros ($24) were perfectly composed, too.

The other dining outlets

Felix Feed & Coffee offers a completely different vibe from any coffee shop I’ve been in before, with velvety walls, antique paintings, original stained glass and that happy California light beaming in through a sunroom dining area dubbed the Wicker Room. Sophisticated but not pretentious, it seemed a favorite of locals; I overheard an older couple with a dog calling the barista by name and reminding her that she makes their favorite coffee in the area. Delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice ($8) and from-scratch spinach feta croissants ($7) taken to the room were my personal favorites, though we could have sat down for a variety of toasts — mushroom ($24), ricotta with strawberry jam ($19), house-smoked salmon ($19) — or a breakfast sandwich on a buttermilk biscuit ($18).

Gin’s Tap Bar, with entirely outdoor seating, is an ode to the inn’s longtime head chef (beginning in 1910), Gin Lung Gin, and pays homage to his Chinese heritage with casual Asian-influenced small plates such as pork belly bao buns ($21), soy braised eggplant ($14) and Sake Bloom cocktails with elderflower and absinthe ($18).

On one end of the aquamarine pool sits The Shed, serving frozen La Paloma cocktails ($18) and aloe margaritas ($18) plus zero-proof slushy Coco Coladas ($14) to sunbathers alongside Mediterranean mezze, light nibbles like fattoush ($19) and more significant fare such as a lamb burger with tzatziki and roasted onion jam ($28).

The pool is the center of activity

One of my biggest gripes with hotel pools is that there are often so few lounge chairs that the idea of finding a place to sit causes anxiety. That was far from the case at this large, bright azure pool, which had two rows of sunbeds on each side and also cushy cabanas with curtains to draw for privacy. I also love when SPF is provided, and there were two strengths of Project Reef sunscreen on the towel cart.

The pool is open from sunup to sundown, though I was told that technically guests can linger well into the night as there is also a hot tub with a long fire pit (for more s’mores making) that makes a starlit dip quite appealing. I noticed several couples who seemed to be on their babymoon, and while there were quite a few kids and babies at the pool, somehow it still felt mellow and quiet, never loud or obnoxious.

The fitness center is so pretty it might make you want to work out

If you have time between feasting and wine tasting, the well-equipped gym with a pool view from the treadmills is a great place to spend some time working off the guilt. There are complimentary movement classes offered daily, which include different styles of yoga flows and strength training classes. For an outdoor option there are e-bikes to borrow, trail rides on horseback and the multiday Cowboy Camp.

The Lavender Barn spa

Though it was not yet open during my late summer 2024 stay, the Lavender Barn spa has six treatment rooms plus a cold plunge pool; it offers a full menu of body and facial remedies ranging from an 80-minute Los Olivos Scrub ($390.40, including a 22% gratuity) to Reiki ($274.50) and an Oak Essentials Signature Soothing Facial ($244 for 50 minutes) using designer Jenni Kayne’s botanical products grown in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Reasons The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern might not be for you

The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern has an expensive nightly rate, which makes it a steeply priced vacation. This might not be appropriate or possible for those with modest budgets in the market for a wine country escape. For those who are looking at it as a special romantic destination, there could be a few too many young children and babies (mine were two of them) for their liking. In that case, I’d advise avoiding The Tavern before 6:30 p.m. as an entire section was taken up by families like my own trying to dine before their kids melted down.

Much of the staff, however genial, was fairly young, and it didn’t always seem quite as buttoned up as at other Auberge properties. For instance, there never seemed to be a host manning the front of The Tavern, and the front desk staffer who walked us to our room didn’t know some basic history of the property, such as the year it was built.

Accessibility

While pushing a stroller around I noticed the crushed-stone paths and ramps were wide enough for a wheelchair (but maybe not the front porch of the lobby farmhouse, due to the large rocking chairs).

Only ground-floor rooms are accessible since the small two-story guest buildings don’t have elevators, and there are several Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant rooms.

The pool and hot tub both have lifts, and there is an accessible toilet stall in each of the women’s and men’s locker rooms for the pool and gym. The bar and Tavern have an accessible entrance and there is Braille signage throughout.

Alternatives to The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern

Checking out

Between my happy slumbers and a happy stomach, I wouldn’t hesitate to check in to The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern again — and again. The hotel provided a truly 360-degree experience, with all the little touches I’d expect to discover for the price point but that oftentimes aren’t delivered. Having moved away from Los Angeles a couple of years ago, I found myself looking at other guests and a little concerned I wasn’t cool enough to be there, yet everyone was friendly and sociable — especially the staff members who donned the kind of Cali-cool uniforms I wouldn’t mind wearing as my actual clothes.

From the original windows in The Tavern to the yarn-wrapped “Do Not Disturb” horseshoes, the property felt wonderfully authentic without trying too hard. Nothing was contrived and it was not too modern, just contemporary enough. I truly savored the clear azure sky that darkened into a backdrop for twinkling stars, and I am still drooling at the memory of my s’more paired with a large glass of local pinot noir.

As someone who now travels with small children, I appreciated that they felt very welcomed, too. Aside from the sweet Mattei’s Tavern coloring book and pencils in the room when we arrived, staff members routinely asked our kids’ names and used them in conversation, which lent a familial and inclusive feeling to our stay. The ambience somehow toes the line between elevated and down to earth, making it a perfect getaway for couples, especially those seeking an absolutely singular outing in a truly one-of-a-kind hotel.