There’s still no reopening date announced for Montecito’s Coral Casino — or the nearby Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara — but when there is, there will be some changes.
The second-floor Tydes restaurant will be open to the public, and the management will limit the rest of the facilities — the pools, the fitness center, the café and others — to private club members and their guests.
Ty Warner owns both properties, and he took over Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club management in 2021 from the Four Seasons, said Bill Medel, a representative of Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts.
Medel and other representatives went to the Montecito Planning Commission this week and got approval to open the restaurant to the public and stop allowing Coral Casino access to hotel guests from The Biltmore (other than the restaurant open to the public).
“Members haven’t supported the second-floor restaurant; that’s why we’re here asking for the amendment,” Medel said.
The Coral Casino and Biltmore hotel have been closed since March 2020, and when Commissioner Bob Kupiec pointedly asked when they’ll reopen, Medel didn’t have a specific answer.
The Coral Casino would “ideally” open this summer, Medel said.
“We want to finish construction, get this amendment approved, and get our staff hired so we can start getting our training.”
Construction happening now includes a new rooftop lounge for members, enlarging the children’s pool and upgrading the private dining room, Medel said.
The Biltmore is combining some guest rooms and doing other construction, and Medel didn’t have an estimated reopening for the hotel.
There’s a “deep skepticism that goes on in Montecito with the Biltmore,” Kupiec said.
The closure represents the loss of millions of dollars in county taxes (the hotel was the largest payer of transient-occupancy taxes) and the loss of a significant community amenity, he said.
“It’s been years, and there’s a tremendous amount of impatience,” he said.
Planning commissioners said they field a lot of questions about these properties and their reopening plans.
“We feel like the community’s been completely ignored in the past couple of years,” Kupiec said.
“We’re trying to get the Coral Casino open. We’ve separated from operations of the hotel so we could make it open,” Medel said.
The previous rules allowed the Coral Casino access to the 600 permanent members, reciprocal club members and Biltmore hotel guests.
The ballroom has hosted nonprofit events and community award ceremonies, and that access wouldn’t change, according to the applicants.
Members have been requesting this, for the club to become private, for probably the last 20 years, Medel told the commission.
Coral Casino representatives said nonmember restaurant users aren’t allowed to use the front doors, unless they need elevator access, and cannot use the rest of the club facilities.
Commissioner Marshall Miller used the metaphor of an airplane’s first class cabin and economy class cabin, and said it seemed like the development plan changes were essentially adding a curtain between the classes.
During public comment at Wednesday’s meeting, one member asked the commission to block the “horrible invasion” of opening the restaurant to the public.
Club member Doug Large said he supports the changes if the club does become more private, “as alleged,” and members’ rights are protected.
There’s no reason the Coral Casino reopening should be connected to this application, he added.
“The only reason that’s been given is to pressure members to support this application,” Large said.
John Wilczak, another longtime member, also supported the changes. He said he and his family would visit the club and couldn’t find a place to sit because of the number of hotel guests there.
Only three commissioners deliberated and voted on this item. They voted 2-1 to approve the development plan amendments, with Bob Kupiec and Marshall Miller in favor and Sandy Stahl against.
Stahl voted against it after voicing concerns about members getting enough say in how restaurant seating is allocated.
Commissioner Ron Pulice recused himself, and Donna Senauer was absent.
Miller and Stahl said they are members of the Montecito Club (also owned by Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts), did a conflict review and determined they didn’t have to recuse themselves.
Ongoing Legal Action
The Biltmore furloughed several hundred employees when it closed in 2020, and later, when it announced it was canceling all events through 2022, employees filed legal action against the company.
Attorney Barry Cappello, who represented Warner’s company for the development plan amendments, referenced the ongoing litigation between Warner and the Four Seasons over management of the Biltmore.
“I’m sure you’re aware hotels like the Biltmore have two-part control, the owner and then on top of the owner a management contract with a flag,” he said.
“That flag is the Four Seasons. They have been in unbelievable massive litigation with Mr. Warner, not only in Santa Barbara but in New York as well over that contract and the control the contract has.”
Cappello added that he is not representing Warner in that litigation.
