Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels

3.5 star property

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

1 bedroom, premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated
Coffee shop
1 bedroom, premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated
1 bedroom, premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated
View from room

Reviews

8.4 out of 10
Very good

Popular amenities

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

Explore the area

View map
524 State St, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101
  • Place, West Beach
    ‪11 min walk‬
  • Place, Santa Barbara County Courthouse
    ‪13 min walk‬
  • Place, Santa Barbara Harbor
    ‪15 min walk‬
  • Airport, Santa Barbara, CA (SBA-Santa Barbara Municipal)
    ‪14 min drive‬

Room options

Room, City View (Cozy)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Premium Tree House (State Street View)

  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Room (Cozy)

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

Premium Room, Mountain View

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

Premium Penthouse (Drift)

  • City view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Penthouse (Drift)

  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Room (Bunk Room)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Double Beds

Premium Room, Balcony, City View

  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Similar properties

About the area

Santa Barbara

With a stay at Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels in Santa Barbara (Downtown Santa Barbara), you'll be within a 5-minute drive of Santa Barbara Bowl and Santa Barbara Zoo. .This hotel is 1.7 mi (2.7 km) from Santa Barbara Harbor and 10.2 mi (16.5 km) from University of California, Santa Barbara.

What's nearby

  • West Beach - 11 min walk - 1.0 km
  • Santa Barbara County Courthouse - 13 min walk - 1.1 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

  • ‪Santa Barbara Craft Ramen - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Dune Coffee Roasters - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Joe's Cafe - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪The Cruisery - ‬2 min walk

About this property

Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels

Hotel with a bar, near Santa Barbara Harbor
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.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 46 air-conditioned rooms featuring 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. Conveniences include safes and complimentary bottled water, and housekeeping is provided on request.
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. Quench your thirst with your favorite 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.

Property amenities

Internet

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

Parking and transport

  • Uncovered parking on site (USD 25 per day)

Food and drink

  • Daily breakfast to-go 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

Conveniences

  • Luggage storage

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (on request)

Accessibility

  • If you have 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 (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible public bathroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

More

  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

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

Entertainment

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

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

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 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

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

Reviews

Drift Santa Barbara, a Member of Design Hotels Reviews

8.4

Very good

9.4/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness
Rating 10 - Excellent. 232 out of 390 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 58 out of 390 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 45 out of 390 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 31 out of 390 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 24 out of 390 reviews

Reviews

8/10 Good

RICKY

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Be wary, some rooms have very small or no windows
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Elyse

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Charissa

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

hazel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What is so special about the Drift are the people. Everyone from folks at the coffee shop, check in team, to the GM Jacqueline are so lovely and provide excellent customer service! So completely above and beyond to make my stay wonderful! I love the streamline design of the rooms, the yoga mat in every room, and the coffee every morning at Dawn! There are bikes and surf boards to borrow and enjoy in SB. Make sure you check out the yoga studio too! Also, the location is perfect for exploring, especially all of the vintage shops and The Funk Zone! I highly recommend staying at The Drift, and hope to check out their other properties.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mike

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

6/10 Okay

Andrea, North Las Vegas

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Youjin

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Drift Hotel was so amazing! It was the perfect location to walk around State St, and explore around Santa Barbara
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Maria

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Whit

Liked: Cleanliness
Fantastic location. No car needed!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mytsou

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

2/10 Terrible

Trasalia

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Very loud sexual noises every night, rooms were smaller than it appeared online.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Deborah

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Ma

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Cynthia

Travelled with family

Mom and Daughter getaway

Great location to restaurants and the beach.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Miguel

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Eleanor

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Room felt European in size
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Julia

Stayed 1 night in May 2025

4/10 Poor

Juan

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Iman

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ricardo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

8/10 Good

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The check-in/out is all done through text messages and very convenient and quick. The room felt uncomfortably small for two people, with limited privacy in the bathroom area. Although the ventilation system was running, it didn’t seem to circulate the air effectively. Even with all the lights on, the room remained quite dim, contributing to a confined and gloomy atmosphere. The layout was awkward, with the wash sink positioned unusually close to the bed — it felt more like a converted bathroom than a proper guest room. At times, the space felt so claustrophobic that I had to leave the room just to get some relief.
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

8/10 Good

William

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

10/10 Excellent

Gus

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

TIMOTHY

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very clean
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025