PHILADELPHIA—HHM has announced that the historic Hotel Oceana in Santa Barbara will re-brand as Hotel Milo Santa Barbara. The Independent Collection (IC) hotel’s new name honors the history of its location and the city of Santa Barbara itself, evoking a true beachside boutique experience. Shelley Stearns, the property’s general manager, helped the Collection re-launch and position Hotel Milo.
The 122-room Hotel Oceana is the 10th property in the Independent Collection and its first on the West Coast. The IC consists solely of design-conscious hotels in culturally-rich, niche neighborhoods of the iconic cities in which they are located. The hotel will officially become Hotel Milo Santa Barbara on May 1, but a new website showcasing the name has already launched.
“This new name really speaks to the essence of the Independent Collection, which at its heart, is all about the neighborhoods in which our hotels are located. Hotel Milo guests will have essential Santa Barbara experiences at their fingertips, such as the Urban Wine Trail, the Funk Zone, and those beautiful white sand beaches,” said Foiz Ahmed, vice president of the Independent Collection. “What has impressed me most about Hotel Oceana, and now Hotel Milo, is both the richness of the history and the vibrancy of the community.”
In the spirit of the IC, the hotel’s new name is drawn from Santa Barbara history. Milo Potter was not only the city’s first true hotelier, but was pivotal to the development of Santa Barbara as a city. In 1903, just two years after his arrival in what is now Santa Barbara, he opened Hotel Potter in the very same spot where the IC’s newest hotel now sits. This large beachside resort attracted visitors from all over; especially those coming from L.A. Guests would check in for month-long stays and soon began to take a serious interest in the city of Santa Barbara. By the 1920s, guests started to permanently reside and create a real community where there was not one previously.
Dedicated to honoring the aspects that made each of the IC hotels a unique and classic staple to their respective locales, Hotel Milo is a nod to the elements of Santa Barbara that make it such a coveted travel destination. Tapping into the local nostalgia for simpler times, Hotel Milo will be the embodiment of the city’s luxurious, beach-friendly community. Guests are invited to explore the courtyard gardens, cycle along the beach, or simply enjoy a glass of wine from a local winery. Hotel Milo will receive additional streamlined enhancements to emphasize the more classic qualities of the property, similar to other hotels in the Collection, such as The Graham Georgetown or The Boxer Boston. The IC seeks to uphold the qualities that made Hotel Oceana a classic, and Hotel Milo will do exactly that: bring back personality, charm, and whimsy to the hotel experience.
“With hotels in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Miami, it’s fantastic to be able to add a bit of West Coast flair to the Collection,” Ahmed added.
