Renovation Los Olivos, CA
The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern
A landmark reimagined
Felix Mattei built his tavern in Los Olivos in 1886 as a stagecoach stop, and for the next fifty years it served as the social center of the Santa Ynez Valley.
DAC Builds was hired to restore the landmarked Keenan-Hartley House, situated in the center of the Inn at Mattei's Tavern Resort. Several months into construction, as pandemic-era delays and contractor changes strained the resort's timeline, ownership asked DAC to expand their role. What began with small projects on site, turned into the task of completing all sixty-seven guest rooms, tavern, and public spaces. DAC Builds serving as the project's finish contractor.
Featured in The Montecito Journal | Read the Article
Architect // DMHA
Designer // Nicole Campion
Builder // DAC Builds
Photographer // Ingalls Photography
Completing work another team began is among the more demanding positions in this industry.
It calls for flexibility, and for a willingness to do whatever it takes to get it done right. That is the mentality we brought to all sixty-seven rooms: electrical, plumbing, drywall, millwork, carpentry, cabinetry, and paint, with a crew that grew past thirty craftsmen and subcontractors on site to uphold Auberge's five-star standard.
The ChallengeFour of the guest rooms occupy the original 1886 cottages, restored rather than rebuilt.
Preservation there meant restraint, original oak floors protected, materials salvaged wherever they could be, every new intervention weighed against whether it would dilute the character of the place. Working inside a landmark, every decision had to be discussed before it was made. The remaining rooms were new construction, built to sit alongside the historic structures without imitating them.
At sixty-seven rooms, the property reads less like a hotel than a small village. Each room is its own space with its own finishes, closer in scale and in detail to residential work than to conventional commercial hospitality, which is the work we know best.
FEATURED IN THE MONTECITO JOURNAL
Trusted to Finish a 100,000 Square Foot, 5-Star Resort Project
"I was in the process of trying to finish a 100,000 square foot hotel project at a 5-star quality. Daniel Allen Construction [DAC Builds] stepped in and helped guide the project to completion with precision and quality workmanship. Whenever a task needed a keen eye and a professional finish, Daniel Allen was the crew we asked to do the work. Exceptional leadership and easy to work with."
Brian Strange, Owner, Inn at Matteis Tavern
Your home could be next.
Imagine walking through your finished home the way our clients do: proud of every detail and ready to have people over. When you’re ready for that moment, connect with us, a Santa Barbara remodeling contractor who cares about your home and your family.