Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / Santa Barbara / Hotel Californian
Hotel Californian
Santa Barbara, California, United States · Independent · High Luxury
Santa Barbara's first Hotel Californian had been open just eleven days when the 1925 earthquake twisted doors shut and sent guests escaping on ropes of knotted bedsheets. The present 121-room hotel opened in 2017 around a meticulously restored piece of the old State Street façade, with Moroccan-patterned interiors by Martyn Lawrence Bullard and a rooftop pool looking from the Pacific to the Santa Ynez Mountains. It is one block from both the beach and the train station.
- 121 rooms
- Opened 2017
- Neighborhood: The Funk Zone
- Rooms from 450 sq ft (42 m²)
- Interiors: Martyn Lawrence Bullard
About Hotel Californian
- The 1925 original charged from $2.50 a night and was one of only two Pacific Coast hotels advertising both fresh-water and salt-water baths.
- The earthquake-damaged hotel reopened in 1926, but most of that structure was finally demolished in 2012 after decades of concern over its unreinforced masonry.
- Forbes Travel Guide awarded the current Hotel Californian Four Stars for 2026.
- Entry-level rooms start at 450 sq ft (42 m²).
History
The original 100-room Hotel Californian opened on June 18, 1925, and was devastated by the Santa Barbara earthquake eleven days later. It reopened in April 1926, but most of the unsafe old structure came down in 2012. A new 121-room hotel opened in 2017, incorporating a restored portion of the 1925 State Street façade.
The setting
The hotel occupies the corner of State and Mason streets in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone, one block from the beach and train station and a short walk from Stearns Wharf.
Restaurants and bars
- The Knock Kitchen + Cocktails — Restaurant · Cinematic coastal gastropub
Experiences
- Rooftop weddings and cocktail receptions — Rooftop 'I do's' at sunset with views of the mountains and ocean, and rooftop cocktail receptions.
- The Knock holiday brunch or lunch — Festive three-course brunch or lunch at The Knock for team and group celebrations, with complimentary welcome bubbles.
Amenities
- Spa
- Pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026)
Open Hotel Californian in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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