Ojai Valley Inn & Spa

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Ojai

Why: Just 83 miles north of L.A., this low-key artists’ enclave is an ideal spot to hit the links, lounge poolside or enjoy the famed Pink Moment sunset, named for the rosy glow it casts on the surrounding Topa Topa Mountains.

Stay: The 81-year-old Spanish Colonial Ojai Valley Inn & Spa (rooms, from $300; 905 Country Club Rd.; 805-646-1111; ojairesort.com) has 308 rooms ranging from spacious to sprawling, with most offering canopy beds, fireplaces and private balconies overlooking the resort’s stunning grounds (there’s a three-acre herb garden and George C. Thomas Jr.–designed golf course). The spa’s signature Kuyam treatment combines a desert clay mud mask with a dry-heat chamber.

Do: Grab apricot scones from the charming Knead Bakery (469 East Ojai Ave.; 310-770-3282; kneadbakingcompany.com) along Ojai Avenue, the town’s main drag, before hiking along the 1.8-mile Shelf Road Trail; buy Ojai’s signature Pixie tangerines, honey and other local fruit at the 75-acre Friend’s Ranch (15150 Maricopa Hwy.; 805-646-2871; friendsranches.com); or stroll the Mission Revival arcade, lined with pottery studios like Firehouse Pottery (109 S. Montgomery St.; 805-646-9453; firehouse-pottery.com). For dinner, dine on the wisteria-fringed porch at Suzanne’s Cuisine (dinner, $45; 502 W. Ojai Ave.; 805-640-1961; suzannescuisine.com), a farm-to-table restaurant opened by local Suzanne Roll and her daughter, Sandra, in 1992. Seasonal dishes include salmon with a roasted mango sauce and grilled mahimahi with chipotle beurre blanc.

http://www.departures.com/slideshows/10-perfect-weekends-outside-of-la/4
Ojai
Why: Just 83 miles north of L.A., this low-key artists’ enclave is an ideal spot to hit the links, lounge poolside or enjoy the famed Pink Moment sunset, named for the rosy glow it casts on the surrounding Topa Topa Mountains.
Stay: The 81-year-old Spanish Colonial Ojai Valley Inn & Spa (rooms, from $300; 905 Country Club Rd.; 805-646-1111; ojairesort.com) has 308 rooms ranging from spacious to sprawling, with most offering canopy beds, fireplaces and private balconies overlooking the resort’s stunning grounds (there’s a three-acre herb garden and George C. Thomas Jr.–designed golf course). The spa’s signature Kuyam treatment combines a desert clay mud mask with a dry-heat chamber.

OJAI, CA (January 2008) - Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, the quintessential California resort and a favorite escape for Hollywood celebrities, has just been honored with the American Automobile Association's (AAA) Five Diamond Award for 2008. The resort is one of just 84 hotels and resorts nationwide and only 16 in California that have received the Five Diamond Award this year for their overall quality, facilities and distinctive level of service.

"It is a huge honor to be awarded the AAA Five Diamond award for the second year in a row," said Thad Hyland, Ojai Valley Inn & Spa's Managing Director. "It's a tremendous compliment to our dedicated employees and to their level of commitment to our guests."

AAA's Five Diamond Award is the highest level in its recognition program. Hotels and resorts in this category epitomize luxury and sophistication, provide meticulous service, exceed guest expectations and maintain impeccable standards of excellence. Each AAA-rated property is personally and rigorously inspected by an anonymous evaluator every year. Five Diamond Award winners comprise just .27 percent of the 60,000 properties AAA rates.

Since 1923, vacationing guests have sought the tranquil pleasures of the historic Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, a AAA Five Diamond property located on 220 tree-shaded acres 35 miles south of Santa Barbara. Affirmed by its many prestigious awards and fresh from a $90 million renovation, the legendary Inn is one of the nation's unique hidden treasures. For reservations: 1-800-422-6524, or on the Internet: www.ojairesort.com

After a $90 million renovation completed in late 2006, Ojai Valley Inn & Spa now features 308 new rooms and suites, a new lobby and entrance, new golf shop, new restaurants, and new ballrooms and meeting spaces. The enhancements and upgrades completed during the renovation preserve the resort?s original charming architecture and unique sense of place.

?During the span of this project,? says Managing Director Thad Hyland, ?we?ve demolished a dozen buildings, laid 15 miles of cable, buried 5 miles of pipe, and installed 200,000 square feet of Saltillo tile and 20,000 pieces of decorative tile. Now, more than 5,000 gallons of paint, a half dozen new fountains and 125 trees later, we are finished and can really see the results of our labor.?

New Guest Rooms and Suites
A total of 308 new guest rooms including 72 suites embody the romantic Spanish Colonial style with a terra cotta, persimmon, cream and blue color palette. Four-poster beds, Spanish style corner fireplaces, terra cotta tiles in the entrance foyers and bathrooms, and colorful hand-painted tiles and lanterns accent the rooms. Outdoor terraces have wicker seating, and some suites feature Moroccan-style banquettes with colorful pillows and gas fire pits. In the original 1923 Hacienda building, each room has been redecorated in the Spanish Colonial style with four-poster beds, Morris chairs, and carefully restored hardwood floors and decorative tile from the 1920s.

Four New Dining Options
Oak Cafe, the Inn?s three-meal-a-day American Grill restaurant, has been completely redesigned inside, but has preserved the popular terrace for warm-weather dining with views of the golf course. Jimmy?s offers an authentic pub experience with boutique beers on tap, California wines by the glass, and brick oven pizzas. The Café at the Spa serves lighter fare and exciting entrees with a distinctive Mediterranean influence. Maravilla, the Inn?s elegant signature restaurant that features an innovative menu, welcomes diners to three intimate dining areas with fireplaces and cozy banquette seating. While each restaurant has its distinctive décor and atmosphere, each menu features locally-grown ingredients at their height of seasonal freshness.

New Conference Center and Wedding Venue
Two new ballrooms and extensive pre-function space have been designed in the Spanish Colonial style which imparts a very residential feel with warm colors, carpeting in a rich Mediterranean color palette, and fireplaces. Outdoor pre-function space resembles a paseo with arched entries, fountains and a cozy fireplace. Casa Elar, a stately Tuscan-style private residence bordering the golf course, is complete and available for group and private functions.

New Golf Shop, Caddy Program and Course Layout
George C. Thomas? classic 1923 course has been reconfigured to improve the golf experience by reversing the front and back nines and improving players? access to the first hole. A new Pro Shop provides new lockers and expanded retail space, all designed in the Spanish Colonial style. A golf valet in the shop and a caddy program on the course provide guests with new levels of service.

Preserving a Sense of Place
The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa is rich in history and is a landmark of the California Central Coast. Surrounded by the Topa Topa Mountains, the Inn offers panoramic views of the valley that was portrayed as the mythical paradise of Shangri-La by filmmaker Frank Capra in his 1937 classic, ?Lost Horizon.? The Inn?s original design by noted California architect Wallace Neff has been carefully preserved by ensuring that all new construction continued his original style. Today, the expanded resort still resembles a private estate with the residential feel and warmth of Old California.

Since 1923, vacationing guests have sought the tranquil pleasures of the historic Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, a AAA Five Diamond property located on 220 tree-shaded acres 35 miles south of Santa Barbara. Affirmed by its many prestigious awards and fresh from a $90 million renovation, the legendary Inn is one of the nation's unique hidden treasures. Reservations: 1-800-422-6524 (OJAI). Internet: http://www.ojairesort.com