Name: Hotel Californian
Address: 36 State Street, Santa Barbara, California, 93101, UNITED STATES
Rating: 8.3

The stay, in detail

Wellness & relaxation

Hotel Californian continues to redefine luxury in the celebrated American Riviera. The 121-room hotel in Santa Barbara is a magnet for the Hollywood elite, international visitors, and locals alike. Featuring dazzling spaces from celebrity designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, the iconoclastic enclave - part history, part imagination, and all Californian - continues to drive the revitalization of Santa Barbara's Funk Zone while upending conventional expectations. Nestled in the Funk Zone, Hotel Californian offers stylish environs framing picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. Comprised of three buildings and breezy outdoor courts, the architecture is a nod to the iconic Spanish Colonial Revival style with a distinctive Moroccan twist, with interiors elevated by the work of Martyn Lawrence Bullard. Each guestroom intertwines classic Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with Moroccan influences and rare custom furnishings, and each is distinctly unique in its design. Room and suite names honor the Moorish Troubadours of medieval Spain: Almeria, Sevilla, Granada and Cordova honor the royal cities of Moorish-controlled Medieval Spain, while Sestina pays homage to the song style of these illustrious bards, and Tangerinn memorializes the famous bar in Tangier.

The hotel is dog-friendly and ADA compliant.

Live guest feedback

Guest reviews

Mixed experiences

62% of 13 recent stays rated 8+

8.3410 reviews

Nice Hotel in very good location.
10/10
Milan · couple · 2026-10-13
“We felt very good. Bed was very comfortable, Minibar full, seating in yard very nice. Clean and romantic.”
Great location in Santa Barbara. Would stay again.
9/10
Vanessa · extended group · 2026-09-07
“Great location, good sized rooms and amenities.”
Guest review
9/10
Rudy · family with children · 2026-09-07
“The rooms were nicer than on the hotel pictures. They were large and recently renovated. The location is great. The hotel itself is very charming.”
Wspaniały miejsce!
10/10
Magdalena · solo traveller · 2026-09-03
“Wszystko! Wspaniały pokój! P Basen! Obsługa”
Santa Barbara is dead. Depressing experience with a 5star price tag
7/10
Annie · couple · 2026-09-01
“The room itself was genuinely beautiful: stylish, comfortable, well designed and absolutely in line with what I expected from a hotel in this category. Unfortunately, that was by far the best part of the stay.”
Wonderful Stay at Hotel Californian
10/10
zoen754 · Friends getaway · 2026-08-26
“We had such a wonderful stay at Hotel Californian. From the moment we arrived, the staff was incredibly warm, attentive, and helpful, and we truly felt accommodated throughout our visit. Stephen at the front desk was especially incredible — he went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and taken care of. The room was gorgeous, and the location was amazing and so convenient for enjoying Santa Barbara. We also treated my mom to a massage at the spa, which she said was absolutely delightful. We were even able to book it the same day, which was such a nice touch and made the experience feel effortless. Overall, a beautiful hotel with wonderful service. We would absolutely stay here again!”
Very cool hotel in the center of everything in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone and pier area.
10/10
donnatS9159ZL · NONE · 2026-08-25
“The Hotel Californian is a well-located, beautiful property in the heart of coastal Santa Barbara. It has a very cool, laid-back vibe, and very stylish. I loved the Moorish/Spanish influences. The rooms were well-appointed and very comfortable. The food was great, the best fish and chips we have ever had, and we just got back from London, so that's saying something! We would definitely recommend and would love to come back!”
Never ever again
2/10
hamid · couple · 2026-08-21
“O booked with you the highest rate room with views of ocean and i got court yard room”
Well Worth the Splurge for a Special Santa Barbara Experience!
10/10
Happiness59743357340 · NONE · 2026-08-19
“This beautiful hotel is ideally located near the Funk Zone, the wharf and the beach. The 4 buildings affiliated with the hotel have been renovated and maintained to a top-notch standard. The design is chic, modern, and the guest rooms are extremely clean, comfortable and quiet. While we did not have an ocean view, we did have a lovely little patio. Best of all here is the service, which is very high level from the front desk to housekeeping to the bars/dining establishments. Not a cheap place to stay, but well worth the splurge if your budget permits!”
A night in the club?
4/10
Mark_in_Mass · NONE · 2026-08-11
“Room was comfortable, but our premium category room was right under the rooftop, where loud club music played for four hours on a Sunday night. Others may love that, but not at all what I am looking for.”
Overrated
2/10
briannV3629BS · NONE · 2026-08-10
“Only positives -- near the beach and Funk Zone. Insanely loud with trains, traffic and deliveries at all hours. The pool is meant for about 20 people and looks NOTHING like the pics. Rooms are ok but not remarkable. If you want a quiet, luxurious getaway, avoid it. Not what you would want or expect from a supposed 4/5 star hotel.”
No air conditioning
4/10
341tanyaa · NONE · 2026-08-05
“From the start this was a less than luxurious welcome - I called on our way to see if my room might be ready an hour early and was told that nothing could be guaranteed. I had to request that the person check my specific room. In my experience usually someone will do this first and even say they would check in with housekeeping, prior to saying no. We were warmly welcomed by Lorenzo and Emily at the front desk who were the only staff we interacted with the entire stay. They were lovely. On arriving to our $2000 suite we found the air conditioning to be broken – on a hot weekend in August. We left the room to cool off and enjoy our welcome drink and requested to have someone come look at it. On our return we were told that the air conditioning could not be repaired but they left three fans in the room and the window opened. It was very hot. I had to then go to the front desk who kindly offered the room complementary. It was still rather hot. Although Lorenzo and Emily were absolutely wonderful to work with, I am surprised that there was no further outreach. I would have let this go entirely but found out that I was still charged a resort fee which seems inapparopriate given the situation. I filled out my survey on-line and haven’t heard back so I am wondering if a more public survey might result in some outreach from the hotel.”
Brilliant location
9/10
Heike · family with children · 2026-08-04
“location was amazing, probably best about the hotel room and bathroom were both lovely staff was very nice”

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Hotel Californian

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Guest reviews

Nice Hotel in very good location.

Great location in Santa Barbara. Would stay again.

Guest review

Wspaniały miejsce!

Santa Barbara is dead. Depressing experience with a 5star price tag

Wonderful Stay at Hotel Californian

Very cool hotel in the center of everything in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone and pier area.

Never ever again

Well Worth the Splurge for a Special Santa Barbara Experience!

A night in the club?

Overrated

No air conditioning

Brilliant location

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