Running a hotel isn’t easy. For starters, it requires a combination of marketing, customer service, design and customer relations skills. Mother-daughter duo Pamela and Jeanette Webber epitomize all of those qualities as managing partners of the Santa Barbara Hotel Group.
Their purchase of a single property has grown into a collection of five unique properties: the Best Western Pepper Tree Inn, Best Western Encina Lodge & Suites, Brisas del Mar Inn at the Beach, Inn By the Harbor and the Lavender Inn By the Sea.
Originally from England, Pamela Webber and husband David arrived in the United States in 1956 via the Queen Elizabeth. Taken by the region’s balmy year-round climate, stunning architecture and gracious living, they decided to plant roots and build a business.
Mother and daughter cite service as the most important element of success in hospitality.
“This is a home away from home, and while we can offer all the amenities in the world, greeting guests with a smile is much more important to their overall experience,” Jeanette Webber said.
She said she reads every guest evaluation that comes through and considers their opinions on price for the value to be critical. Additionally, occupancy is restricted to about 83 percent to allow for renovations and updates to the rooms in each hotel.
The Webbers say they have weathered the recession fairly well, noting that their occupancy has remained fairly steady the past two years. Jeanette Webber said she attributes it to the value they offer and to the relationships they’ve built with guests who return year after year.
“We offer guests a quality place to stay at a reasonable price,” Pamela Webber said. “We don’t nickel and dime — rather, we include numerous amenities for free.”
Their three beach hotels don’t have on-site restaurants, so the hotels provide complimentary expanded continental breakfast, wine and cheese in the afternoon, and milk and cookies at night. They also offer bike rentals, bottled water, coffee and tea service, WiFi, DVD rental and parking — at no cost. Guests can enjoy a massage, the sauna or use of the on-site exercise rooms.
Their hotels range in price from $123 to $250 per night, depending on the size and location. The higher-price rooms are two-bedroom, long-term living spaces and rented mostly by families of those at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Those units come with pots and pans and kitchens for guests to prepare their own meals.
Guests at their hotels are primarily tourists from Southern California, and secondarily business travelers. They see many repeat guests who come annually and partake in the diverse packages they have assembled with local vendors, including restaurants, vineyards, golf courses and the marina.
Their most popular package in winter is the Whales and Tales Package. Guests can spot migrating whales and an array of marine life. The package includes a half-day whale-watching tour for two, snacks for the trip, a pair of souvenir ball caps, a tube of sun block, and two nights of accommodations for two.
During the spring and summer, guests can taste their way through Santa Barbara’s scenic wine country with the Wine Package, which features a touring map to chart the best route to the 90-plus tasting rooms, a bottle of wine in a commemorative beach tote, discounts on wine country tours and accommodations for two. Golfers love the Tee and Sea Golf Package, which includes green fees for 18 holes at the world-class Glen Annie Golf Club, a golf cart, a bucket of golf balls, a personalized bag tag and two nights of accommodations for two.
As managing partner of the Santa Barbara Hotel Group, Jeanette Webber oversees all properties in addition to participating on numerous tourism and environmental boards (past and present), including the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission, the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce, Looking Good Santa Barbara and the California Offshore Oil, Gas, Energy Resources Study Steering Committee.
She says the majority of their business comes via referrals, so they can’t afford to overlook social media. Click here for the Santa Barbara Hotel Group’s Facebook page, or click here to follow them on Twitter.
— Noozhawk contributor Jenn Kennedy can be reached at jennkennedy@noozhawk.com. Click here to see more of her work. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews.