Presidio Motel

Retro-fantasy boutique motel with individually themed rooms and free beach-cruiser bikes, on Santa Barbara’s main shopping street

Kenny Osehan grew up in a Santa Barbara motel her parents still own. Aged 9 she was registering guests, and vowing, “I’ll never work in a motel again!” Yet, less than two decades later, she and her fiancé Chris Sewell were sketching their vision for a sleek, yet comfortable lodging experience - “something with personality and soul” - on a dinner napkin. Weeks after that, they were operating The Presidio Motel.

From the street, it’s a classic 60s “motor-hotel”: a two-storey L with rooms opening onto the parking lot. But step inside. Themed murals made of vinyl appliqués sprawl across the walls and ceilings of all 16 once-soulless rooms. A tiger crouches where a headboard should be. Circus performers swing by. Origami mobiles dangle overhead. There are cool extras, like complimentary beach-cruiser bikes and a second-storey deck with stylish plastic loungers. It’s a cinematic dream snapped into a memory-rush from the family road-trips you took as a kid.

Highs

• Fresh and completely original: retro-motel meets IKEA inside your talented college roommate’s art project
• Hip, yet unpretentious. “We put a lot of energy into the feel of the place,” say Chris and Kenny
• Plum location on State Street: steps from SB’s shops, restaurants and cultural venues; 3 blocks from the electric shuttle to the beach
• Mod cons and boutique amenities include iPod dock and double-sheeted beds with down comforters
• A personal guide to Chris and Kenny’s favourite places for breakfast, lunch and dinner in your room

Lows

• Minimalist, organic design is not for everybody
• The walls are thin; louvered glass (screened) windows let in street and parking lot sounds (along with the sweet hourly chime of church bells)
• Room lighting is spotty and my TV reception was a bit fuzzy
• No meals on offer, but you're within easy striking distance of many eateries in Santa Barbara