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Hotel Californian Santa Barbara is excellent for couples who want design, restaurants, rooftop drinks, spa time, and beach walks. The setting works well for romantic weekends because guests can move easily between the hotel, the waterfront, tasting rooms, and dinner.

What makes it special

Hotel Californian Santa Barbara is special because it combines beach access, Funk Zone energy, bold design, restaurants, spa facilities, and a rooftop pool. It feels more urban and social than a quiet Montecito resort, while still keeping the Pacific Ocean and Santa Barbara waterfront close.

Insider tip

Hotel Californian Santa Barbara is located at 36 State Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101. The hotel sits by the Funk Zone, close to the waterfront, Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara Amtrak Station, tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops.

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Hotel Californian Santa Barbara

Hotel Californian Santa Barbara pairs Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with the bold patterns of designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. Moroccan influences run through the custom furnishings and tiled interiors of its 121 rooms and suites.

The hotel spreads across the intersection of State and Mason streets. Reception is in the Mason Building, where an open-air paseo runs between its northern and southern sections. Across State Street, the Californian Building rises behind the original hotel's 1925 facade and houses the spa, fitness center, and rooftop pool. The State Building contains Goat Tree and the Alcazar Suite. Staying here involves courtyards, street crossings, and different entrances as well as indoor corridors; the buildings are woven into the neighborhood.

Rooms

  • 121 121

Hotel Style

  • Charming Charming

Leisure

  • Fitness Fitness
  • Pool Pool
  • Spa Spa
  • Sauna Sauna

Experiences

  • Wellness Wellness
  • Beach Beach

Facilities

  • Pet Friendly Pet Friendly
  • Wheelchair Accessible Wheelchair Accessible
  • Connecting Rooms Connecting Rooms

Rooms & Suites at Hotel Californian Santa Barbara

Almeria Room
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Almeria Room

450 ft2
From 929 USD

The Almeria Room with Mountain and City View features a blend of classic Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and Moroccan influences. There are unexpected custom furnishings...

Sevilla Room
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Sevilla Room

490 ft2
From 952 USD

The Sevilla Room allows you to embrace the coastal California lifestyle. Relish Juliet balcony views of picturesque courtyards or the city from your room. Room...

Granada City View Room
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Granada City View Room

550 ft2
From 1’123 USD

The Granada City View Room allows you to spread out and enjoy seating areas and/or balconies. These have views of Santa Barbara and Hotel Californian’s...

Sestina Ocean View Room
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Sestina Ocean View Room

490 ft2
From 1’186 USD

The Sestina Ocean View Room offers inviting ocean views. These invite you to share a cocktail or Santa Barbara wine al fresco on your private...

Cordova Room
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Cordova Room

640 ft2
From 1’414 USD

The Cordova Room is perfect for enjoying sea breezes and ocean views. Guests can enjoy these from oversized verandas and balconies. This inspires unhurried relaxation....

Tangerinn Room
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Tangerinn Room

670 ft2
From 1’500 USD

The Tangerinn Room with Mountain and City View is the largest accommodation. It features fireplaces. There are views of the Santa Ynez Mountains from Juliet...

Magellan Suite
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Magellan Suite

1280 ft2
From 2’369 USD

The Magellan Suite is a one-bedroom suite. It has a fireplace. There are views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The sitting room is adorned with...

Alcazar Ocean View Suite
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Alcazar Ocean View Suite

1705 ft2
From 4’145 USD

The Alcazar Ocean View Suite is the Hotel Californian’s “presidential suite”. It is the only guestroom in the State Building. It provides the ultimate Santa...

Almeria rooms reach 450 square feet, with king, queen, or two-queen layouts. Sevilla rooms have Juliet balconies and courtyard or city views. Sestina rooms, up to 490 square feet, have private patios with ocean views. Cordova rooms reach 640 square feet, with a king bed and an oversized veranda or balcony overlooking part of the ocean. Tangerinn rooms add fireplaces and reach 670 square feet.

The one-bedroom Magellan Suite measures 1,280 square feet, with a fireplace, sitting room, and Santa Ynez Mountain views. At 1,705 square feet, Alcazar has seating and dining areas for entertaining, plus a corner mirador with ocean views. It is the State Building's only accommodation.

Tan-Tan sits on the Mirador rooftop, looking across the coastline toward the Santa Ynez Mountains. Sun loungers and umbrellas line the pool deck, with the city and its palms visible below. Poolside food comes from Goat Tree: salads, sandwiches, and cocktails can accompany time beside the water. The rooftop provides an elevated view of the waterfront, while the beach remains a short walk outside the hotel.

From reception, the route to Tan-Tan crosses State Street into the Californian Building. Elevators lead to the rooftop, with an accessible route between the deck and pool area. A hot tub accompanies the pool, and both have accessible lifts for entering the water. Accessible accommodation is available in several categories, with features including roll-under sinks and lowered storage. Bathroom configurations vary, so the specific room's shower or bath arrangement is confirmed when reserving an accessible category.

Deep Moroccan blue gives Majorelle its name and much of its visual character, drawing on the tiles and doorways of Marrakesh. Appointments begin with a consultation and aroma selection. The menu covers massage, facials, and body treatments, with private steam forming part of the spa experience. At the Aroma Design Bar, staff guide guests in creating a blend of essential oils. Couples' treatments are arranged directly with the spa. Men's and women's changing rooms have showers, and the accessible facilities include lockers and a steam room with seats that can be lowered.

The fitness center occupies 800 square feet in the Californian Building and is accessible around the clock. It provides an indoor exercise space alongside the hotel's more outdoor-focused facilities. Bicycles are available on a first-come basis, and reception also has beach chairs and umbrellas for trips to the waterfront.

The Knock Kitchen + Cocktails is the hotel's evening restaurant, a coastal gastropub drawing on California's land and sea. Local rockfish fish and chips and steak frites sit within a menu that also includes vegetable dishes. The room has red-and-black floor tiles, a black ceiling, contemporary chandeliers, and a long bar, continuing Bullard's strong graphic approach. Cocktails are a substantial part of the menu, with zero-proof drinks and local beer also available. Dinner can be a full meal at a table or food alongside a drink at the bar.

Goat Tree brings coffee, house-made pastries, and outdoor tables to the State Building. Croissants are baked daily, and brunch ranges from familiar breakfast dishes to shakshuka with poached eggs, peppers, chickpeas, and feta. Its patio faces the surrounding street life, while the marketplace has food to take away. A picnic basket carries lunch toward the beach; an espresso and pastry keep breakfast closer to the hotel. Children have their own menu, including pancakes and pasta. Afternoon service and evening grab-and-go options extend its role beyond the morning coffee stop.

At the corner of State and Mason, The Society: State & Mason focuses on wine. The list draws from the Foley Family portfolio as well as local producers, reaching beyond Santa Barbara into other California wine regions. Flights allow several pours to be tasted together, while wines are also available by the glass and bottle. Cheese, charcuterie, and other small plates accompany the selection. Tastings can be reserved, and the street-corner setting keeps this hotel wine bar connected to the surrounding tasting-room neighborhood.

Djinn is the library bar beside reception, with Moroccan tilework, lounge seating, and cocktails. Tables continue outside onto the paseo. Its position makes it an easy place to meet within the Mason Building before dinner, with seating indoors and outdoors rather than a rooftop outlook.

The hotel welcomes children, with cribs available and rollaway beds offered for an additional charge. Reception lends board games and game consoles, and in-room dining provides an alternative to eating in the restaurants. Dogs of all sizes are accepted with a cleaning fee. These arrangements accompany a city hotel whose public spaces open onto streets and courtyards, rather than enclosed resort grounds.

The Funk Zone extends north and east of the hotel. Former warehouse streets now hold tasting rooms, murals, boutiques, and galleries. Margerum's tasting room is on East Mason Street near the entrance, while Melville has a tasting room in the State Building. The Urban Wine Trail passes through this part of Santa Barbara, so wine tasting need not involve a drive into the vineyards. The concierge can also organize winery excursions farther afield.

The address is 36 State Street, with the main arrival entrance on East Mason Street. Santa Barbara's Amtrak station is one block away, served by the Pacific Surfliner. Santa Barbara Airport and Los Angeles International Airport provide air-arrival options, followed by ground transport. On-site parking includes valet service and a public self-parking garage. For short trips around the neighborhood, the hotel operates an open-air cart within a two-mile radius, subject to availability.

Location of Hotel Californian Santa Barbara

36 STATE STREET

Weather at Hotel Californian Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

What to Know About Hotel Californian Santa Barbara

Is Hotel Californian Santa Barbara worth it?

Yes. Hotel Californian Santa Barbara is worth it for travelers who want a stylish luxury hotel near the beach, Funk Zone, State Street, and wine tasting. It is especially strong for guests who want design, dining, a rooftop pool, spa time, and a walkable Santa Barbara base.

Where is Hotel Californian Santa Barbara located?

Hotel Californian Santa Barbara is located at 36 State Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101. The hotel sits by the Funk Zone, close to the waterfront, Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara Amtrak Station, tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops.

How many rooms does Hotel Californian Santa Barbara have?

Hotel Californian Santa Barbara has 121 rooms and suites. The rooms blend Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with Moroccan-influenced design and custom furnishings by Martyn Lawrence Bullard.

What makes Hotel Californian Santa Barbara special?

Hotel Californian Santa Barbara is special because it combines beach access, Funk Zone energy, bold design, restaurants, spa facilities, and a rooftop pool. It feels more urban and social than a quiet Montecito resort, while still keeping the Pacific Ocean and Santa Barbara waterfront close.

Is Hotel Californian Santa Barbara on the beach?

Hotel Californian Santa Barbara is steps from the beach, but guests should not expect every room to be directly beachfront. The appeal is the walkable position between the waterfront, Funk Zone, State Street, and Santa Barbara's food and wine scene.

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