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    Photos Show El Encanto, Luxury Hotel LVMH Sold to Tinder Cofounder

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    • Justin and Tyler Mateen, along with Culver Capital, acquired El Encanto Hotel from LVMH.
    • El Encanto, located in the hills of Santa Barbara, was LVMH’s only US hotel.
    • See inside the hotel, which sold for $82.2 million, or around $900,000 per room.

    A historic, luxury hotel in the hills of Santa Barbara, California, is under new ownership.

    Brothers Justin and Tyler Mateen and Culver Capital purchased the El Encanto Hotel, a 90-room property that originally opened in 1918, for $82.2 million from LVMH, the French luxury giant, the buyers said this week.

    “The beauty of the American Riviera rivals the best coastlines in Europe but is less than 90 minutes from Los Angeles and just a direct flight from many major US cities,” Justin Mateen, who cofounded the dating app Tinder, said in a statement.

    “El Encanto has an authentic heart and soul unlike any property I’ve visited in California,” Tyler Mateen said. “We will bring its rich history and timeless allure to the forefront of every aspect of the guest experience.”

    LVMH bought Belmond, the hotel company that owned the El Encanto, in 2018. The property was LVMH’s only hotel in the US, though the company’s Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts collection plans to open a hotel in Miami Beach in 2028.

    The buyers said they plan to make changes to the property and that it will remain open during the transition.

    See inside the historic hotel.

    El Encanto sits in the Santa Barbara hills overlooking the Pacific


    Hotel pool lined with chairs overlooking the city in the distance.

    The hotel originally opened in the early 1900s.


    Mike Kelley

    Santa Barbara, located about 95 miles from LA, has been nicknamed the “American Riviera” due to its desirable weather and gorgeous coastline.

    The hotel sold for $900,000 per room


    An exterior view of the white hotel building surrounded by greenery.

    Weekend nights in August are currently going for around $1,500.


    Mike Kelley

    There are 90 rooms at the hotel, which sold for $82 million, putting the per-room price at around $900,000. A weekend stay at the hotel in August is currently going for around $1,500 per night, according to the booking site.

    El Encanto spans seven acres


    Spa with open doors leading onto a stone terrace with lounge chairs.

    The buyer said they plan to make changes to the spa offerings.


    Mike Kelley

    The hotel includes more than 30 buildings, lush landscaping, a spa, and a pool that overlooks Santa Barbara.

    Plenty of celebrities have stayed at El Encanto over the years


    Hotel room with white bedding and some blue and yellow accents.

    El Encanto has hosted celebrities throughout its long history.


    Mike Kelley

    El Encanto was popular with the elite of Hollywood’s Golden Age, welcoming guests such as Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. Modern celebrities who have stayed there include Gwen Stefani and Leonardo DiCaprio. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy Jr. also stayed at the hotel.

    The hotel is known for its Spanish-Colonial architecture and California bungalows


    Hotel balcony looking out over greenery.

    The hotel features architecture styles from the early 1900s.


    Mike Kelley

    “This property embodies the essence of California living and offers an experience like no other hotel on the Central Coast,” Garrett Cayton of Culver Capital said in a statement.

    The bathrooms have heated stone floors


    White hotel bathroom.

    The hotel rooms have luxury finishes, like heated floors.


    Mike Kelley

    Rooms on the property include marble bathrooms with heated stone floors.

    The pool overlooks Santa Barbara and has views of the Pacific


    Umbrella next to a hotel pool that looks out over greenery.

    The property has a zero-edge pool.


    Mike Kelley

    The outdoor pool is open year-round.

    The hotel has several levels of suites


    Interior hotel room with neutral colored furniture.

    The Vista suite, pictured here, has a king bed and sleeps three.


    Mike Kelley

    The largest suite, the Oak Tree Suite, is 1,650 square feet and sleeps five.

    The buyer said any upgrades would reflect the property’s history


    An exterior view of a hotel path between white buildings with shingled roofs.

    The property includes more than 30 buildings.


    Mike Kelley

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