Virginia Hotel
Also known as: Traveler's Hotel
Why it's listed
Located on the south side of West Haley Street in Santa Barbara, this three-story hotel combines two earlier buildings: a two-story hotel built in 1916 and a three-story hotel built in 1922. The 1925 earthquake damaged both. The owners hired Los Angeles architect and engineer C. K. Denman to repair them and give the front a Spanish Colonial Revival design, as the city's architectural ordinance required. Denman also added a third story to the 1916 building. The facade features arched openings, ceramic tile, wrought iron balconies, recessed storefronts and a restored pressed metal marquee. The hotel was one of the first commercial buildings rebuilt under the city's Architectural Advisory Committee, which promoted a Spanish-style look for the rebuilt town. It later declined, operating much like a residential hotel before being vacated by 1997. A rehabilitation completed in early 1999 reopened it as a hotel with 61 rooms, retaining original lobby details and the street facade.
Significance in brief: The hotel is significant at the local level under Criterion C as an example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style adopted for Santa Barbara's rebuilding after the 1925 earthquake. It was one of the first commercial buildings rebuilt under the city's Architectural Advisory Committee guidelines. This helped pave the way for the wider reconstruction of the city in Mission Revival, Spanish Colonial and Mediterranean styles.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 00000295, listed March 31, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 17 and 23 W. Haley St., Santa Barbara |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Barbara County |
| Listed | March 31, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000295 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925 |
| Architect / builder | Denman, C.K., architect |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Mission / Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in 1998-1999 and reopened as the Holiday Inn Express Virginia Hotel, after being vacated by 1997; guest rooms reduced from 96 to 61. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.41625, -119.69568 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 00000295.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7934318
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.