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Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels

3.5 star property
3.5-star hotel near Santa Barbara Harbor

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

Relax in this serene bedroom with a large bed, city and mountain views, and a bench.
1 bedroom, premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated
Indulge in specialty coffee and baked goods at this urban coffee shop, where a menu of options is always available.
View from room
Enjoy a restful night's sleep in this stylish bedroom with a large bed and cityscape views.

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
  • Santa Barbara County Courthouse
    ‪13 min walk‬
  • Santa Barbara Harbor
    ‪15 min walk‬
  • Stearns Wharf
    ‪16 min walk‬
  • Santa Barbara, CA (SBA-Santa Barbara Municipal)
    ‪13 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Room, City View (Cozy)

Relax in a serene space with a large bed, bedside table, and comfortable seating area.

Room, City View (Cozy)

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

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

Relax in a serene bedroom with a large bed, bedside table, and comfortable chair.

Premium Tree House, View (State Street View)

  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Room (Cozy)

City view

Room (Cozy)

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(2 reviews)
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Premium Room, Mountain View

Mountain view

Premium Room, Mountain View

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(2 reviews)
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Premium Penthouse (Drift)

1 bedroom, premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated

Premium Penthouse (Drift)

  • City view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

View all photos for Penthouse (Drift)

1 bedroom, premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated

Penthouse (Drift)

  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Room (Bunk Room)

Property amenity

Room (Bunk Room)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Double Beds

View all photos for Premium Room, Balcony, City View

Cozy retreat with a large bed, bedside table, and patterned rug.

Premium Room, Balcony, City View

  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

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About the area

Santa Barbara

Downtown Santa Barbara stay.A stay at this Downtown Santa Barbara hotel places you steps from Antioch University and within a 5-minute walk of Paseo Nuevo Mall. El Capitan Lake and Cabrillo Bikeway are also within half a mile (1 km).

What's nearby

  • Santa Barbara County Courthouse - 13 min walk - 1.1 km
  • Santa Barbara City College - 13 min walk - 1.2 km
  • Santa Barbara Harbor - 15 min walk - 1.3 km
  • Stearns Wharf - 16 min walk - 1.4 km
  • Santa Barbara Bowl - 4 min drive - 2.3 km

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

3.5-star hotel near Santa Barbara Harbor
There's a coffee shop/cafe on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. WiFi is free in public spaces. Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels also features concierge services, express check-in, and express check-out. Parking is available for a fee.

This 3.5-star Santa Barbara hotel is smoke free.

  • 46 guestrooms or units
  • Breakfast available (surcharge)
  • Express check-in
  • Express check-out
  • Storage area for luggage
  • Concierge
  • Elevator
  • No smoking on site
  • Bar or lounge
  • Coffee shop
Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels offers 46 air-conditioned accommodations with safes and complimentary bottled water. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. Beds feature premium bedding. 43-inch Smart televisions come with digital channels and Netflix.

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

Languages

English, Spanish

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  • Free WiFi
  • Air conditioning
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Property amenities

Internet

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

Parking and transportation

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

Food and drink

  • Daily on-the-go breakfast available 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM for a fee: USD 5 to 15 per person
  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe

Things to do

  • Bicycle rentals

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Elevator
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible public washroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

Room amenities

Entertainment

  • 43-inch smart TV with digital channels
  • Hulu
  • Netflix
  • Streaming services

Bedroom

  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Bathrobes
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Free bottled water

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Safe

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 within 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

  • No pets allowed, but service animals are welcome

Children and extra beds

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

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

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

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

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 carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and window guards
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children. If you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. Cash is not accepted. For guests' safety, the property includes a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and window guards in each accommodation. Cashless payment methods are available for all transactions.

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. 214 out of 366 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 57 out of 366 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 43 out of 366 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 28 out of 366 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 24 out of 366 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

Amanda

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
The hotel room we got was small.. especially for the price but the manager was really sweet and refunded it for us due to the pictures being misleading. I for sure rate the customer service a 10/10 though! The aesthetic is really cute too.
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Edwin

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Love everything
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2025

6/10 Okay

Ludovic, Newport Beach

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Rooms are deceiving in the photos. It’s much smaller than I would have deemed acceptable. Can’t walk around the bed since the queen bed is the full width of the room.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Amanda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

2/10 Terrible

David

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Noise was insanely loud, keeping me up most of the night
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Reece

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very boutique chic
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tlazolteotl

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

6/10 Okay

NANCY

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Junus

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Drift - highly recommend

Super easy check in. Great aesthetic. People seem to complain on reviews about the cozy room size but it's definitely enough space if you're not planning to spend all day on your room. I found Drift on Design Hotel's website. They never disappoint. Location is great but you'll have to be okay with some noise if you're there towards the end of the week/weekends.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kristy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Overall great experience, great location and the hospitality was amazing
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Geneviève

Liked: Cleanliness
Super friendly, easy check in and out and beautiful deco
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2025

6/10 Okay

Darcy

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

design & great team let down by operation choices

We had a number of SB options and I chose Drift based on the aesthetic which does not disappoint. Unfortunately the views and size are quite significantly different than the pictures. It is my responsibility to check sq footage. I did not. The views etc are sadly not as represented and linens, towels were in very rough shape, frayed and worn, etc. On the other hand, staff was extraordinary and would have done anything in their power to help. Would definitely encourage the team to return to coffee in the room. Doesn’t make for a relaxing stay when you need to dress to coffee. For the price and excellent staff, some things are not meeting the level they should.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jose

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

6/10 Okay

Clara

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Ken

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

4/10 Poor

sheri

Business traveller
Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort

Cute Concept - Needs Improvements

Cute concept but rooms too small/dark and dusty/musty. No signage/hard to find at night, no parking:valet-public parking lot $3/hr, no coffee makers or vending machines for after hours
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

2/10 Terrible

Alma

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was extremely noise, neither my husband and I couldnt sleep, drunk people screemeing on the halway, not safe
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Room too small, not organized efficiently. No place to unpack and put things. One person should not have to crawl over another to get in or out of bed.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2025

4/10 Poor

Robin

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort

Uncomfortable but good location

If you are looking for a location on State Street, then it's worth taking a look at this property but rooms are very dark, cold, and small. The bed /pillows uncomfortable, no parking, no place to put your suitcase, no closet. It was clean. But you have to request maid service via text if you need towels or trash removed etc.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Claudia E

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Excellent location and great environment. Totally recommended!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kendra

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kazuya

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

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Travelled with family
Great place and location
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie

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

2/10 Terrible

Samantha

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Terrible communication. Canceled reservations without warning. Do not recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024