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  5. Reviews of Drift Santa Barbara

Reviews of Drift Santa Barbara 4 stars

524 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, United States

#40 of 64 hotels in Santa Barbara

Guests' Choice

Review score

Based on 81 hotel reviews

7.8

Score breakdown

  • Cleanliness

    8.6

  • Comfort

    8.8

  • Location

    9.2

  • Facilities

    8.3

  • Staff

    8.5

  • Value for money

    7.2

  • Free WiFi

    9.4

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Showing 1 – 25

  • Reviewed: 26 May 2024

    8.0
    Very good
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Double or Twin Room with City View
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Rooms are very small but do have what you need.

    Excellent location, and very modern yet chic interior.

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: 16 May 2024

    8.0
    Short & Sweet
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Small Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night

    I would probably opt for a room with a bed, instead of a bunk bed next time

    You are able to walk out onto State St. Easy check-in and parking nearby

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 1 May 2024

    7.0
    Great place great bar great coffee
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Garden Level Cozy
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    Tight squeeze getting into bed

    Location staff cleanliness

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: 23 April 2024

    7.0
    Cool, hip, very convenient, great service. Noisy if you want a good nights sleep.
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Double or Twin Room with City View
    • Stayed 1 night

    We weren't told about the very loud noise from state street, lots of bars right under our window. We were only told the next day, after I complained, that ear plugs and a white noise machine was available. Whats the point of telling us the day we are checking out?

    Check in process is all digital/over phone and amazing and smooth. So easy. Room is comfortable/bed very comfortable. Staff very responsive to requests over the phone!

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: 8 April 2024

    7.0
    Good
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Double or Twin Room with City View
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    No safe (what hotel these days doesn’t have a safe?), tiny rooms (way too much money for such small rooms, also not as advertised

    Clean, modern, well located, excellent service.

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: 2 April 2024

    8.0
    Very good
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Double or Twin Room with City View
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    contactless check in process made stay feel a bit impersonal.

    amazing location!

    Stayed in March 2024

  • Reviewed: 16 March 2024

    7.0
    Good
    • Business trip
    • Couple
    • Suite with Mountain View
    • Stayed 3 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    There is no reception. Check in after 6pm is complicated

    Stayed in February 2024

  • Reviewed: 16 March 2024

    9.0
    Beach town zen
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Garden Level Cozy
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Room is small but well organized and comfortable

    Very cool/hip/zen vibes

    Stayed in March 2024

  • Reviewed: 3 January 2024

    9.0
    Very nice stay
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Garden Level Cozy
    • Stayed 3 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    The basic rooms are quite small. It was fine but I would book a larger room the next time.

    Very good location and very nice staff. Great coffee!

    Stayed in January 2024

  • Reviewed: 23 October 2023

    9.0
    Great stay, very well located
    • Business trip
    • Solo traveller
    • Double or Twin Room with City View
    • Stayed 2 nights

    Challenge getting the app. install for check-in

    confort, quiet, beautiful

    Stayed in October 2023

  • Reviewed: 15 October 2023

    9.0
    Pleasant trendy and different hotel than your normal
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Small Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Didn’t take cash

    Central location and trendy property

    Stayed in October 2023

  • Reviewed: 27 September 2023

    9.0
    Cosy, modern, clean, quiet boutique hotel in the middle of all the action of Santa Barbara
    • Leisure trip
    • Solo traveller
    • Small Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    I chose Drift because it looked a bit different to regular hotels. I love the modern, boutique style. It’s right in the centre of restaurants and shops, but the hotel is quiet and has a relaxed feel. I emailed before arrival and the staff were great to communicate with. On arrival it is a self check in, but I met some of the staff who are lovely and helpful. I appreciated the small touches like a hand held clothes steamer in the room!

    Stayed in September 2023

  • Reviewed: 6 September 2023

    7.0
    Design is nice. But shortfall is location and size
    • Business trip
    • Solo traveller
    • Suite with Mountain View
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    Very loud couldn’t sleep well due to high volume music and 5 am garbage trucks

    Rooms were pretty but too small for price

    Stayed in September 2023

  • Reviewed: 5 August 2023

    9.0
    Superb
    • Leisure trip
    • Group
    • Garden Level Cozy
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    It doesn’t include water or coffe

    The location was pretty good, the decoration of the hotel really like it

    Stayed in August 2023

  • Reviewed: 29 July 2023

    8.0
    Really loved it and would stay again for 1 or 2 nights on a fly drive…room we stayed in wasn’t quite big enough for a lo
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Double or Twin Room with City View
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Bar food very limited but great concept of dawn ( for breakfast) and dusk bars.

    It’s modern industrial feel was really cool

    Stayed in July 2023

  • Reviewed: 26 June 2023

    8.0
    Very good
    • Couple
    • Garden Level Cozy
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Very very small. No reception but you can text Eve and they will attend to your need. Parking bad paid 37$ for 28 hours of parking

    Very clean. No reception. You just text Eve and they will attend to what you need. Room very very small 129sq feet. We barely could move with my boyfriend. But very clean.

    Stayed in June 2023

  • Reviewed: 19 June 2023

    9.0
    really lovely quality hotel, amazing location. just be prepared for late night noise.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • King Suite
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    it was right in the thick of state street - which was awesome until we wanted to go to sleep. it was insanely loud until bars closed at 2am. the windows didn’t do much to cancel out sound and walls were pretty thin.

    amazing location, beautiful details, and awesome amenities (free bikes, free yoga mats, good cafe)

    Stayed in June 2023

  • Reviewed: 26 May 2023

    7.0
    beautiful compact accommodation in the hub of SB!
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Small Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    the only thing I would say is the rooms should be advertised as ultra compact. we had booked a room with 2 double beds and were surprised to find them as bunk beds. the shower was in the middle of the room and the sink at the end of the bed. this wasn’t a problem at all for us and was actually quite a fun and interesting experience, but I do think it should be more clearly advertised because if I had booked the room as a small family with kids, it would have been pretty uncomfortable.

    it’s in the most amazing location - walking distance to main shops and bars and also the beach. the staff were super helpful and keen to do anything for you. the rooms are beautifully decorated and super clean.

    Stayed in May 2023

  • Reviewed: 21 May 2023

    8.0
    great location, boutique hotel, attentive staff
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Small Double Room
    • Stayed 3 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    the pour over coffee machine was not functional but they gave us coffee at their cafe

    NA great location. Staff v responsive and attentive.

    Stayed in April 2023

  • Reviewed: 28 April 2023

    7.0
    I’m always looking for an aesthetically pleasing hotel with a coffee shop, which is always a plus
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Double or Twin Room with City View
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    The rooms are really small, like NYC small.

    The property was right in the middle of everything and I was able to walk everywhere. The bed was so comfortable.

    Stayed in April 2023

  • Reviewed: 19 April 2023

    8.0
    I would stay here again in Santa Barbara.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Double or Twin Room with City View
    • Stayed 1 night

    Parking was confusing, lighting in room wasn't great for applying make-up.

    Good location, upscale vibe, not having a front desk wasn't an issue at all, nice to be connected to a bar, comfortable bed.

    Stayed in April 2023

  • Reviewed: 5 April 2023

    9.0
    Great location, cool place, exceptional staff.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Double or Twin Room with City View
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    The window in our room was small, but that’s more to do with the design of the original building, not a big deal.

    Slick modern design. I like use of concrete and wood.

    Stayed in April 2023

  • Reviewed: 21 February 2023

    7.0
    We really enjoyed our stay. I would stay again but would request a room further away from the bar.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Small Double Room
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    I wasn’t prepared for how tiny the rooms are and there was no door to the toilet. You really have to be comfortable with the person you’re traveling with for the lack of privacy. Our room was right off of the bar therefore, very loud.

    amazing location

    Stayed in February 2023

  • Reviewed: 6 June 2024

    3.0
    Beautiful decor, that’s about it.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • King Suite
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Paper thin walls. We could hear everything from the hallway, room next door, and of course the noisy bar pumping music until all hours. (We had been out drinking ourselves, and even our festive mood upon arrival wasn’t enough to help us get past it.) Terrible lighting - nowhere enough for applying makeup, and only one mirror over dark sink/vanity area. Bathroom “barn door” did not fully close- leaving a gap and little privacy. Window to shower (and toilet, unless you close the shower curtain) visible 2’ from bed (great…for a minute, then you want optional privacy but it’s not there.) Contactless check in, combined with dark, lonely hallways felt a little cold. Fortunately, we were only there for one night. I made the reservation and spent the whole time convincing my husband it wasn’t so bad, but eventually had to admit how bad it was. REALLY wanted to like this place, but would not stay again. :(

    Beautiful decor. Croissants and coffee were very good.

    Stayed in June 2024

Showing 1 – 25

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