Barlow Hotel FAQs to date
Q: Is this a new site for the other hotel proposed for downtown, or a different project? A: The Barlow Hotel is a different project on a different site about a block away from the already-approved Sebastopol Hotel. Both hotels were anticipated in the Sebastopol General Plan and studied in the General Plan EIR. The market analyses and environmental documentation related to the Barlow Hotel project assume that both hotels will be built and operational.
Q: Why do we need a hotel?
A: Sebastopol currently has no hotel within walking distance of the downtown. Visitors to Sebastopol currently stop, have lunch and shop briefly, and then leave. A hotel, especially within the downtown core, allows visitors to extend their time spent in Sebastopol and benefits our local businesses.
Q: How much local revenue is anticipated as a result of increased tourism? A: A number of studies have been conducted to estimate the fiscal benefits that the Barlow Hotel will bring to the City. Estimates range from $980,000 to over $2,000,000 in new tax revenues annually, including hotel taxes, sales taxes, and property taxes.
Q: What will happen to Guayakí?
A: Guayaki has notified Barlow that they will not be renewing their lease. A January 13, 2025 press release indicates that Guayaki has moved to a predominately third-party transition model. As a result, the Sebastopol headquarters is no longer needed. Guayaki has already moved most of their operations out of the existing building and intends to vacate it completely by the end of 2025.
Q: Will the hotel flood? Are there any mitigation measures? A: The Barlow Hotel is designed to have roughly 80% of the ground floor out of the 100 year flood plain. This leaves only the front floor entry courtyard and adjacent spaces within the floodplain. All guestrooms are out of the floodplain and have emergency exits that allow guests out of the building and into a safe area (towards Highway 12). The hotel’s foundation and waterproofing details will also mitigate water intrusion.
The Batch Plant Parking lot will have properly selected landscaping plants and features that allow for the seasonal flooding that can occur within the Laguna environs.
Q: What's changing in the Barlow to be able to build and support the hotel? A: The existing Guayaki building will be removed and replaced by the Barlow Hotel. The existing parking lot between Guayaki and the Community Market will be re-configured to provide parking for the market and for a limited number of hotel users. The majority of hotel guests will have their cars valet parked at a new parking lot to be constructed at 385 Morris Street (formerly the “batch plant”), where other Barlow employees and guests will also be able to park. The addition of the new parking lot for employees is expected to expand the available visitor parking within The Barlow District.
Q: What's the anticipated construction timeline?
A: If the Development Agreement is fully processed and approved this Spring, the hotel could begin construction in early 2026 and be ready for occupancy in 2027.