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Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels

3.5 star property
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels

Premium bedding, minibar, individually decorated, individually furnished
Coffee shop
Premium bedding, minibar, individually decorated, individually furnished
Private kitchen
Coffee shop

Reviews

8.4 out of 10

Very good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Breakfast available
  • Parking available
  • Air conditioning
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

Map
524 State St, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101
  • Paseo Nuevo Mall
    3 min walk
  • Lobero Theater
    8 min walk
  • MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation
    8 min walk
  • Santa Barbara, CA (SBA-Santa Barbara Municipal)
    12 min drive

Room options

View all photos for Room, City View (Cozy)

Premium bedding, minibar, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room, City View (Cozy)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Premium Tree House, View (State Street View)

Premium bedding, minibar, individually decorated, individually furnished

Premium Tree House, View (State Street View)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Room (Cozy)

Premium bedding, minibar, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room (Cozy)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Premium Room, Mountain View

Premium bedding, minibar, individually decorated, individually furnished

Premium Room, Mountain View

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Premium Penthouse (Drift)

Premium bedding, minibar, individually decorated, individually furnished

Premium Penthouse (Drift)

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

View all photos for Penthouse (Drift)

Premium bedding, minibar, individually decorated, individually furnished

Penthouse (Drift)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Room (Bunk Room)

Premium bedding, minibar, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room (Bunk Room)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Double Beds

View all photos for Premium Room, Balcony, City View

Premium bedding, minibar, individually decorated, individually furnished

Premium Room, Balcony, City View

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

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About the area

Santa Barbara

With a stay at Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels in Santa Barbara (Historic Downtown Santa Barbara), you'll be within a 5-minute drive of Santa Barbara Zoo and Antioch University. .This hotel is 0.3 mi (0.5 km) from Paseo Nuevo Mall and 0.4 mi (0.7 km) from El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park.

What's nearby

  • Santa Barbara County Courthouse - 14 min walk
  • Stearns Wharf - 14 min walk
  • Santa Barbara Harbor - 17 min walk
  • Santa Barbara Bowl - 5 min drive
  • Santa Barbara Zoo - 5 min drive

Getting around

  • Santa Barbara Station - 8 min walk
  • Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) - 12 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Joe's Cafe - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Dune Coffee Roasters - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪EOS Lounge - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Sandbar - ‬1 min walk

About this property

Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels

Santa Barbara hotel in Historic Downtown Santa Barbara with a coffee shop and a bar
Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels offers 46 air-conditioned accommodations with minibars and bathrobes. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. Beds feature premium bedding. 43-inch Smart televisions come with digital channels and Netflix.

Bathrooms include showers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. This Santa Barbara hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is provided on request.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 46 individually decorated guestrooms, featuring minibars and Smart televisions. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms feature showers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers.
Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as bicycles to rent, or other amenities including complimentary wireless internet access and concierge services.
Satisfy your appetite at the hotel's coffee shop/cafe. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. To-go breakfasts are available daily from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM for a fee.
Featured amenities include express check-in, express check-out, and luggage storage. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.
To-go breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and public transport

  • Uncovered self parking on site (USD 25 per day)

Food and drink

  • To-go breakfast available for a fee daily 8:00 AM–1:00 PM: USD 5-15 per person
  • 1 coffee shop/cafe
  • 1 bar

Things to do

  • Bike rentals

Conveniences

  • Lift

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (on request)
  • Luggage storage

Accessibility

  • If you have any requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Lift
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible public bathroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

More

  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Air conditioning
  • Bed sheets
  • Heating
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Dressing gowns
  • Free toiletries
  • Hairdryer
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels

Entertainment

  • 43-inch smart TV
  • Digital channels
  • Hulu
  • Netflix
  • Streaming services

Food and drink

  • Minibar

More

  • Connecting rooms available
  • Individually decorated
  • Individually furnished

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Contactless check-in available
Express check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 21

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

An adult age 18 or older must assume all liability for the booking
There is no front desk at this property
Guests will receive an email 48 hours before arrival with check-in instructions and an access code; your host will greet you
Prior to arrival, you must complete online registration via a secure link

Access methods

Access code, host will greet you

Pets

Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Fee for to-go breakfast: approximately USD 5 to 15 per person
  • Uncovered self parking fee: USD 25 per day

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system, a first aid kit, and window guards

We should mention

The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation

Property is also known as

Drift Santa Barbara
Drift Santa Barbara a Member of Design Hotels
Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels Hotel
Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels Santa Barbara

Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels Reviews

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 190 out of 321 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 48 out of 321 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 38 out of 321 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 25 out of 321 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 20 out of 321 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Harry

Travelled with partner
Great location; staff was very nice and accomodating. The room was small, dimly lit with little space for hanging clothes and luggage. The bed was very comfortable but hard to get in and out of since it was up against a wall.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

4/10 Poor

Nicolas

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
Centrally located that a the good point , otherwise Room small and badly arranged, noisy (one understands why ds earplugs provided) awakes at 6h by the dustbin truck...no employees except in line thus not really friendly...sorry for the report...otherwise Santa Barbara is splendid!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Malaya

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Donn

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Li-Ann

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Internet kept cutting out and the surrounding area was noisy - even after 12am.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Gerardo

Travelled with pets, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great hotel, easy and reliable.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Alexandria

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Manuel

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My stay at the drift hotel was great. Very easy check in/out, the room was great, clean and good looking. The bar and coffee shop downstairs were very good. Definitely a place to stay at again. I loved it.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Triana

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best stay!
I stayed at Drift for my best friend’s wedding weekend and I had the best stay! The staff is very quick to answer any questions you may have through their texting service and the location is perfect for downtown SB!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

2/10 Terrible

John

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
This hotel has a great location, with easy walk to the beach, the Funk Zone and State Street restaurants and shops. But there is no front desk, or true hotel staff, you just get an access code to the hotel and room and overnight parking is a block away, But the biggest shock is the tiny, I mean tiny size of the room. There is no room to put your luggage. There is a separate toilet and shower, but no real bathroom with a counter and a sink. There is a standalone sink but it is right next to the bed. And the bed is not only small but up against a wall so you are climbing over your partner to get up at night. Big pass on this place,
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Overall, Drift had some pros and cons. Location is very good, walkable to a ton and right on state st. The vibe of the hotel is way different than the pictures represent. The biggest shock was how small the rooms are vs. the images on the booking site. If you don’t read the fine print, you wouldn’t know there is no where to store your clothes, assuming you booked a more economical option. Even the larger rooms don’t have much of a closet. On top of being so much smaller than expected, many of the bottom floor rooms are super dark and give off a cold atmosphere. There is so much noise on the bottom floor, they provide ear plugs in every room. The bar and coffee shop within the bottom floor have great food, drinks and staff. If you’re traveling light, and like a black / cement feel, this is the hotel for you. The service level is minimal as they provide you a key code to get in the building and your room so there is no front desk but a help line you can text for any issues or needs.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful modern rooms. Perfect for two people. Location is absolutely wonderful. The Coffee shop and bar in the hotel are perfect. Will definitely be staying here again.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Ray

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Drift is located perfectly downtown. Literally walking distance to the Main Street with multiple restaurants and bars. The bar (Dusk) is so good and make some of the best drinks I’ve ever had.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Romy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
t service!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Juliette

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Modern and easy
Location is perfect! It's a newer hotel so it's clean and modern. There is no traditional front desk so everything is done via email and text (including check-in with entry keypad codes) but we loved it. It all couldn't be easier and this is definitely our go-to hotel whenever we go to Santa Barbara.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

john

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The room was very aesthetic and clean. Will definitely stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Joseph

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The rooms are very well-designed and makes great use of the space available. The staff is extremely kind and helpful. Cozy and calm ambiance throughout.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Jeff

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The check-in and text communication process was very convenient. I used to live in Santa Barbara and was pleasantly surprised to find out this property had been renovated. Also, a good stretch of State Street has been converted into a walking street, and this hotel is conveniently right in the middle of that section. True to the reviews, the room was very small, But, in a town where I would be spending most of my time outdoors, this was perfect. I always feel it’s such a waste to have a large room only to sleep and shower in it for one night. The staff were all extremely courteous and friendly, and text responses to questions and room requests were immediate. I would stay here again.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kristen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location and very clean
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Susan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Christina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We upgraded to a premium room (which is just a normal size room) and it was great! I had some friends stay at the same hotel who did not realize how small the standard room is and they were quite disappointed. Overall happy with the room but they need to make it more clear just how small the rooms are.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Dennis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We enjoyed Drift Santa Barbara very much. Our unit wasn't large by any means, but efficiently and modernly designed with high quality. The downstairs coffee shop and bar establishments are excellent. The convenience is great and the staff checks in periodically on text to ensure your stay is going well. Thank you Drift Santa Barbara!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jose

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great place
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024