Checking In: El Encanto's next chapter

New owners Tyler and Justin Mateen have exciting plans in store for El Encanto hotel 

By Ottocina Ryan

Photography Ryan Mayo

The iconic El Encanto hotel perched on the Riviera has found new owners—and they’re not your typical hoteliers. In a $82.2 million deal, tech entrepreneur Justin Mateen, co-founder of Tinder and founder of JAM Fund, and his brother Tyler Mateen, CEO of Cannon Commercial, in partnership with the Cayton family’s Culver Capital, have purchased the property from LVMH. Yet for the Mateen brothers, this isn’t just another real estate acquisition, it’s sentimental.

Justin Mateen

The 90-room property has been a fixture in Santa Barbara for over a century, as well as a meaningful place in the Mateen brothers' lives. Justin mentions that ten years ago on his first vacation in the U.S. with his now-wife, they stayed at El Encanto and he joked about what he’d improve if he owned the hotel. A decade later, the joke has become reality, and their plans for El Encanto are both ambitious and thoughtful.

From the moment our conversation begins, it’s clear that the Mateen brothers are passionate about El Encanto. Their vision balances reverence for the hotel’s storied past with a fresh, inspired energy aimed at restoring its place as a social and cultural anchor in the Santa Barbara community. “We want to emphasize the charm we fell in love with, while elevating the experience so guests and locals know they're going to be met with excellent service and attention to detail,” Tyler says. There’s no doubt that the 30-something-year-old brothers’ stewardship will usher in an exciting next chapter. 

The Mateens had been eyeing the property long before it came on the market. “Even before we found out that the property was for sale, Tyler was trying to find a way to buy it,” Justin says. “For the past two years, we've been proactively approaching the seller,” Tyler adds. “Not to sound cheesy, but we admire and love the hotel. Economically speaking, it probably didn't make sense for us to buy it, but we believe in what it can be.” To further the sentiment, Justin shares, “It’s personal for me. With just my family, we recently did a gender reveal [for our third child] at El Encanto. The point is, this hotel is going to stay in our family forever. So the child that my wife is pregnant with will one day own the hotel.”

Despite their packed calendars—when we speak Justin is en route to personal training in Los Angeles and Tyler has just landed in London—the pair plans to be hands-on throughout the transition. Tyler will relocate to Santa Barbara temporarily, while Justin will make weekly visits from LA. “In the short term, we're going to do our best with the current systems in place, but longer term, we’re excited about making it a cohesive, well-rounded property,” Justin explains.

Though this is their first time operating a hotel themselves, the brothers are no strangers to hospitality. They are majority shareholders in several hotels and venues, and their niche is creating spaces that evoke emotion. “In real estate, we've focused on properties where we can create unique experiences. We own a couple of entertainment centers and we want people to feel a certain way when they come on to our properties. And, this is the next evolution of that,” Tyler says. One of the first enhancements to impart that transportive feeling? “We're going to be adding a lot of hedging so that guests have a sense of arrival, and that while you’re there, the rest of the world doesn't matter,” Justin shares. I have an inkling many of their updates will have us wondering why they weren’t always a part of the enchanting and nuanced property.

While some changes will be immediate, like adding more pool seating to accommodate the Indian summer demand, others will be introduced gradually over the next few years. A second pool and kid’s club will be added, the fitness center will be expanded, the gardens restored with indigenous plants, some of the conference rooms will be transitioned to vibey bars and dining establishments—think a sushi restaurant, or a bar made of surfboards, serving Mexican food. “We're going to do some surprises here and there and make certain parts of the property a little destination with a new fire pit, an area with orange trees, or even a padel court,” Justin shares. It’s always the little things—the fine details, scents and thoughtful touches—that are most important to them. “I love going to hotels where they have bedside mats with nice slippers next to it. When you get out of the bed, you immediately feel pampered. It’s the tiny details like that,” Justin says. The brothers plan to involve the Santa Barbara community as much as possible in future programming and renovations, from partnering with bakeries, coffee shops and artisans, to enlisting a local interior designer to help reimagine the guestrooms. 

As wellness is a major focus for them, the spa, too, will be transformed into a sanctuary for locals as much as visitors. “We’d like the spa to be part of Santa Barbara’s natural rhythm,” Justin says. “A space for locals to relax, feel calm and nourished, then maybe grab a drink on the rooftop after.” 

Their plans are anything but cookie cutter. Under the Mateens’ leadership El Encanto will be a place for creatives. “It'll be the edgy [hotel in town]. We want artists and writers and people who would be inspired by being there,” Tyler shares. Their ethos includes eliminating anything that feels replicable or corporate. “We'll do weddings sometimes, but, for example, a wedding that's done in a unique way that feels like you're in a forest somewhere,” Tyler says. 

The brothers are eager to hear feedback from the community and guests. “As new owners, we would love for locals and people who stay at the hotel to give us feedback on what they would love to see happen,” Justin says. After all, they’re going to rethink everything and want to curate the best experience possible. 

For me, El Encanto already holds so many personal memories. I grew up within walking distance. My grandmother came to visit just for their floating island dessert. My baby shower was there. Like so many Santa Barbara locals, I see El Encanto not just as a hotel or spot for afternoon tea with a view, but as a special part of our community. The Mateens understand that. “It has a rich history. FDR went there a couple times during World War II. Clark Gable went there. There's obviously something magical about it,” Tyler says. As for what the future holds, trust that El Encanto is in good hands, and its heyday is yet to come.