New 16-room boutique hotel blends the property’s Danish character with completely renovated accommodations and a modern guest experience.
SOLVANG, Calif. (Nov 06): Long before it was the Mirabelle Inn, the property at 409 First Street had a storybook beginning.
Built as a bed and breakfast in the early 1990s, the Storybook Inn welcomed guests to rooms inspired by the fairy tales of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Over the decades the inn evolved along with Solvang itself, becoming the Mirabelle Inn, later serving as the guest house for Coquelicot Estate Vineyard, and earning a place on the Santa Ynez Valley dining scene as home to First & Oak.
This November, another chapter begins. ZenStay will open Solvang Hus, a completely reimagined 16-room boutique hotel that brings a modern approach to hospitality while preserving the character and Danish-inspired architecture that have defined the property for more than 30 years. “Hus” is Danish for house, a fitting name for a property designed to feel connected to the town around it.
“When we first saw the property, we saw more than a hotel. We saw a place that already meant something to Solvang,” said Arvand Sabetian, founder of ZenStay. “Our goal was never to erase that history, but to build on it. We wanted to preserve the character people remember while creating a fresh, comfortable and easy experience that gives guests a real sense of being at home here.”
Behind the familiar half-timbered facade and steeply pitched rooflines, nearly everything is new. Each of the 16 studios and suites has a brand new kitchen or kitchenette with a Nespresso coffee maker, a brand new bathroom stocked with high-end bath and vanity products, custom furnishings and premium bedding. Every room has its own private Wi-Fi network and a smart TV with casting, so guests can stream straight from their own phone or laptop. Enhanced soundproofing has been added throughout, and an elevator serves some of the rooms. Select rooms also have a fireplace. The former dining room, which once housed the inn’s restaurants, has been transformed into additional studio guest rooms.
The stay is designed to be high-end, boutique and contactless. Guests check in from their phone and let themselves in on their own schedule, and the ZenStay team is on the phone and chat from 5:00 am to 1:00 am every day, with a 24-hour emergency line. Shared amenities include a Brio water dispenser and a guest laundry machine paid by app, and secure on-site parking, with EV charging to be added in the future.
The result pairs the independence and ease of a modern stay with a location that invites guests to experience Solvang on foot. Wine tasting rooms, Danish bakeries, restaurants and boutique shops are steps away, while the vineyards and scenic roads of the Santa Ynez Valley extend beyond the village.
The transformation follows a long and colorful hospitality history. The Storybook Inn became the Mirabelle Inn in 2009. In 2015 the property was acquired by the family behind Coquelicot Estate Vineyard and became the winery’s guest house. Its restaurant, First & Oak, received a Michelin Plate in 2019 and remained part of the local dining scene until serving its final dinner in October 2025. The property then changed ownership, and ZenStay closed the inn for a comprehensive renovation. The exterior was refreshed while retaining its Danish Provincial character, and the interiors were completely redesigned for the way people travel today.
Now, more than three decades after guests first arrived at 409 First Street, the doors are opening once again. Only this time, the name on the door is Solvang Hus.
Solvang Hus is scheduled to open in November 2026. For reservations and more information, visit solvanghus.com.
Members of the media are invited to stay or visit in the hotel’s opening weeks.