Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara Opens in the Heart of Santa Barbara’s Vibrant Art Scene

150 150 Daniel Fountain
  • 0

Hotel Indigo yesterday announced the February opening of the Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara. The hotel, located at 121 State Street in downtown Santa Barbara, offers guests a unique hotel experience with the modern design and intimate service associated with boutique hotels, along with the peace of mind and consistency guests expect from staying with a large hotel group. Opening after a multi-million dollar renovation, Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara combines the historic Santa Barbara splendour with the architectural sophistication of modern design. The forty-one room boutique hotel has thirteen guest rooms featuring private outdoor gardens and fourteen guest rooms with views of the Riviera and mountains or urban scenes dotted by palm trees. The hotel houses the CAF Satellite @ Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara, curated by the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, which provides exhibitions of thought-provoking artworks and site-specific, commissioned installations by local artists.

Local architecture firm AB Design Studios Inc, designed the hotel with a sleek interior inside a deceptively traditional exterior. When guests enter the main lobby of the new hotel, they step into a space of modern elegance and sophistication couched in a timeless and familiar setting.

Interior design by Level 3 Design Group in Los Angeles complements the contemporary architecture with clean lines and a modern aesthetic. Innovative touches include a plant-filled living wall and green space and energy efficient elements, including double-pane windows, on-demand water heaters, ionized water cleaning system, filtered water bottle refilling station and European-style bathrooms with collapsible glass-wall showers.

Colourful murals of artist implements, such as brushes, film, paints, pastels and welding torches by local artist Elizabeth Harper grace the common areas and guest rooms. Guests can browse the collection of exhibition catalogues and publications, including those by area art luminaries, in the hotel’s Art Library and rub elbows with artists during talks and openings provided in conjunction with exhibitions.

Daniel Fountain / 03.02.2012

Editor, Hotel Designs

Share

  • 0

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Work highlights: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher atSPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.
Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.