The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa****, Ojai, California, USA

This lovely 206 room resort with its 18 hole world class golf course, its Spa Ojai and its own 800 acre ranch is a destination in itself. The fact that it is located in the Ojai valley with its charming village, enfolding mountains, miles of trails, citrus groves and spreading oak trees only enhances its already impressive appeal.

We are very pleased to report that the massive construction project at the Inn is largely finished and the Inn has been transformed! Sadly, the administration has not responded to our requests to be able to update this coverage, so all we can tell you at this time is that the new facilities and the worked over facilities are very lovely indeed. They have succeeded in bringing the disparate architectural styles into one smooth Moorish look.

This re-build has brought the Ojai Valley Inn to the luxury, five star resort level to which they have aspired for a long time but which the collection of various architectural styles, old rooms and not quite making it food prevented them from attaining. All those elements have been bulldozed and in their place a shiny new white set of buildings have taken their place with the ambience of the southern Mediterranean; white wash, giant terra cotta pots, little courytyards with tables and chairs or benches, Portugese style chimbney pots, lavander, rosemary plantings etc. Even the buildings from the last major renovation in the 1980's with Orange Country stucco have been refaced to blend into the new style.

© 2001 photos Peter D'Aprix

Rooms in both the new suites have a Mediterranean flair and rooms in those buildings from the 1980's have been stripped and replaced with all new fixtures and decore and are very comfortable and charming. Many of the new suites have been created into little "hacienda" groupings. There are at least 3 such groupings with the buildings set in a horse-shoe around a central courtyard one side if which is 2 stories. The 4th side is walled with an entrance. They are perfect of groups whether family, wedding or business seminar, providing privacy as well as some sound distance from neighbors.

We had had great hopes that finally the cuisine of the Inn would live up to the quality of the hotel itself with the new executive chef Michael Otsuka who arrived for a short time and transformed the cuisine at all the restaurants at the Inn and upgraded the menus. But he left even before we could photograph some of the marvelous dishes we enjoyed during our meal there. Today there is yet abouth chef but we have not received any co-operation from the Inn to update our food coverages. All we can say is that we have heard good and bad things about the food in both the "Maravilla Restaurant" and the "Oak Café" However, we enjoy doing down to the Spa restaurant which serves open for light meals mainly salads, soups and sandwiches as well as some good full entrés. In fact, it is one of our favorite restaurants in Ojai either eating inside or outdoors in the shade of an umbrella with a view of the spa pool.. The "Pub" is only useful as a bar and for finger food.

The pool area has received a makeover but it looked like the pool itself is the same.

There are 2 swimming pools and two outdoor jacuzzis between the hotel and spa. Championship golf course, driving range and putting greens. Complete tennis center with eight hard courts and full service pro shop. Trail riding at the ranch and pony riding for kids as well as a petting zoo. Speaking of kids, there are so many activities for them that parents can really relax. "L.A. Parent" magazine voted them as the most kid-friendly resort around.

The facilities at the inn are sufficiently spaced that the extensive 11,000 sq.ft. banquet and seminar facilities are hardly noticeable to the holiday visitor. One parent can be combining business with pleasure, while the rest of the family can enjoy all pleasure. Actually both parents can be combining business with pleasure and feel confident that their children are being looked after.

Thoughtfully, at the main hotel there is a full sized 60' lap pool for those wanting a serious swimming workout and a second pool for fun and games. As well as a plethora of chaises and umbrellas, a whole terrace of tables and chairs with an accompanying bar and snack restaurant lets enthusiasts stay pool-side all day long. But if you feel like splurging, you can stay in one of the suites at the spa with two story mezzanine living room and fire place, bedroom with fire place and spacious bathroom with jacuzzi tub and separate shower. Then to catch the sun while hot tubing, the private outdoor jacuzzi tiled tub sits out on the balcony with a view of the links below.

The Spa Ojai at the inn is a very lovely creation. It does not come cheap. Set at the end of the property, it shimmers white in the sun with multilevel Spanish tile roofs, an enclosed courtyard with fountain, pool and jacuzzi, 28 well-appointed treatment areas, gym and luxurious changing rooms. For more go to the Spa page - click here.

As well as the golf, tennis, riding and spa, the inn provides other activities. A leisurely stroll through the terraced herb garden at sun set is lovely. Japanese tea houses dot the garden giving shade for reading or just enjoying the peace and the scents of a world of herbs. There are guided hikes along the miles of trails in the valley, bird watching tours and bike riding both around the 220-acre resort and on the bike trail that extends from Ojai village to Ventura and then along the sea coast in both directions,

Off property activities include wine tours (Ojai has a superb winery), garden tours, art tours according to the calendar, ocean and lake fishing, surfing and kayak lessons on the California Gold Coast or on the Casitas lake, whale watching, music festivals at Ojai's Libbey Park Bowl or just wandering around the village, poking into the shops, tea rooms and galleries.

While the new style is now complete throughout, the original complex began life in 1922 the brain child of Edward Libbey, a wealthy Ohio glass manufacturer and philanthropist. He wished to give this lovely valley its own country club and golf course for Ojai Valley residents and visitors alike. He commissioned architect Wallace Neff to design and build a clubhouse in the traditional Spanish Colonial style of southern California. In time, due to its success and the demands for lodging for out of towners, the owners built rooms and cottages around the estate using a simple architectural style reminiscent of a ranch with bat and board siding. Not exactly in keeping with the Spanish Colonial but certainly in keeping with the simple, country style of Ojai at the time. In the 1980's Hilton took over the running of the inn, adding many buildings, cutting down the majestic Eucalyptus avenue of trees and using what might be called "Orange County blown stucco" style. The Hilton no longer runs the inn, and the current owners have created the lovely white washed Spanish Colonial style of the original buildings and the new Spa.

For More Photos click here

GOLF:

"Los Angeles Magazine" has voted the Ojai Valley Inn's golf course "The Best 18 Holes in the West" 16 times. "Golf Magazine" has awarded it "Silver Medal Resort". "Golf Digest" rates it 4 Star. Over its 80 year + life pros like Jimmy Demaret and doug Sanders plus a host of Hollywood stars have played here. Originally designed in the 1920's by George C. Thomas, Jr. (also architect of the Riviera, Bel Air and Los Angeles Country Club courses. He wanted every tee, fairway and green to offer a different panorama both beautiful to the eye and challenging to the golfer. In 1988 Jay Moorish remodeled the course making it considerably tougher. It is now a 6,235 yard course, par 70. It has hosted seven Senior PGA Tour events and the EMC Golf Skills Challenge televised by NBC Sports. So you won't be bored either by the challenges of the course of the views you enjoy while waiting for your opponent to chip out of the trap.

In 1999, golf historians were delighted when the inn brought back two signature holes that had been "lost" for over a half-century. During World War II, the U.S. Army took over the resort as a training camp (not golf!) stationing 1,000 troops here until 1944. The next year the Navy occupied the resort and an R&R facility for officers. Lucky them. To give the government credit they did try to restore the links as they left, but they did not rebuilt it according to Thomas' original design. Holes 2 and 5 were lost. They had been Thomas' favorite holes built to resemble the famous #3 at Pine Valley golf Club. Today, more than 50 years since these holes were lost and forgotten, careful research has brought them once again into play. The terrain of these two holes is so spectacular that noted golf historian Ben Crenshaw commented, "this shot is going to be once again one of the best shots in golf."

Link to more info, rates and fee: http://www.golfojai.com/