Santa Barbara’s oldest hotel remains open amid COVID-19 pandemic
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Hotels throughout the country have closed because of the coronavirus.
Despite hosting fewer guests than ever before, the Upham Hotel in downtown Santa Barbara has remained open for business.
“The virus has definitely affected not only us but the entire community,” Upham Hotel director of sales and marketing Diana Wickline said. “Today it’s pretty quiet at our hotel.”
“We have so many loyal guests that we see on a regular basis,” Upham Hotel general manager Denise Spain said. “It’s hard not seeing their faces as they come in and out of the hotel.”
The Upham maintains a historical legacy within the community.
“We are the oldest running hotel in Santa Barbara, we were built by Abraham Lincoln’s cousin,” Wickline said.
Established in 1871, the hotel has never closed its doors and it doesn’t plan on letting this pandemic affect that.
“We have been open for 149 years,” Wickline said. “God-willing, we will be celebrating our 150th anniversary next year with our community. That is our dream.”
Right now there are only two guests at the hotel, which is ordinarily jam-packed with people during this time of year.
“They’ve decided to stay with us because they feel safe during this epidemic that we’re going through,” Wickline said. “This has been their home away from home.”
The hotel is offering a 40% discount to first responders who are helping fight the battle against COVID-19.
“We want to ensure them that they would have a safe, quiet place to land to get a little bit of rest from all the stress that they’re enduring right now,” Spain said.
While businesses continue to close throughout the town, the Upham staff remains focused on providing hospitality.
“In these uncertain times, having something that you can rely on and that’s been here for a long time is such an important thing,” Spain said.
“Although there’s a lot of hotels in our town here closing their doors, our doors are open and they will continue to stay open,” Wickline concluded.
