Hotel Review • North America • United States • California • Ojai

Hotel El Roblar: The Oldest Hotel in Ojai Has Two Tortoises in Residence

Explore Hotel El Roblar, Ojai's historic 50-room hotel restored by Eric Goode. Discover California Spanish Revival design, Condor Bar, and resident tortoises.

Credit: Waverly Middleton

BY WAVERLY MIDDLETON

Why it works

Hotel Snapshot

Hotel El Roblar, Ojai's oldest hotel, reopened last year following a six-year restoration. Rather than reinventing the century-old property, the team focused on preserving its character while thoughtfully adapting it for a new generation of travelers. The result is a hotel that feels inseparable from Ojai.

The restoration was led by Eric Goode, of The Bowery Hotel and Tiger King, alongside filmmaker Jeremy McBride and LA designer Ramin Shamshiri. The hotel also features the culinary team behind Little Dom’s, an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles.

The 50 rooms span a main building, private bungalows, and the newly added Sycamore House. Most rooms are California Spanish Revival, with stucco walls and red and yellow accents, while Sycamore House leans rustic, with wood paneling and animal-skin rugs. Also in residence: two tortoises, Abra and Cadabra.

Design & Character

The hotel’s design preserves original architectural details, including the Mission-style entry archway, the lobby’s stone fireplace, and heavy wood pieces with rustic, hand-carved detailing. Most of the artwork was sourced locally through estate sales at Ojai’s own California Auctioneers and Early California Antiques.

The signature restaurant, Condor Bar, is a full-throated tribute to the California condor. Condor paraphernalia covers nearly every inch of the space, anchored by a life-sized sculpture presiding over the dining room. The lobby is dark and moody, with a wraparound mural littered with historical Easter eggs: Jane Fonda mid-yoga pose (a nod to the property’s past life as a private wellness retreat), references to the indigenous Chumash, and even the owners’ dog and native wildlife worked in.

Hallways and staircases are lined with bespoke photos and art, including a tribute hallway honoring local Ojai celebrities and historical figures. One stretch is devoted entirely to artifacts from the hotel's era as The Oaks wellness center. The design is captivating, with pieces sourced from local artists, eBay, and antique shows, each deserving the same admiration you’d give art in a gallery. I’m a sucker for a real room key, so the cowboy-hat key charmed me – as did the welcome poem from the hotel’s poet in residence.

The Rooms

El Roblar’s fifty rooms are spread across three settings. The Main House holds 31 rooms, many opening onto spacious garden terraces. Eleven private bungalows come with their own garden patio, soaking tubs, separate seating areas, and a bit more privacy. The newly added Sycamore House offers eight cabin-style, board-and-batten rooms, ideal if you want something a bit more unique.

The Main House rooms – ours, at least – felt distinctly New York-sized, tight, efficient, maybe a nod to Goode's roots opening hotels there. Several also have open-concept bathrooms. For a special stay, the bungalow suites are over 600 square feet and are the perfect place to hide away for the weekend.

The Food & Drink

Breakfast at La Cocina covers breakfast burritos, chilaquiles, and blue corn pancakes, alongside a complimentary European-style spread of pastries, yogurts, and fruit. The café stays open for lunch and extends poolside, so there’s no need to leave your lounge chair to get a decent meal.

Dinner shifts to Condor Bar, the hotel’s California cuisine restaurant and full tribute to the California condor. This summer, happy hour runs Monday through Wednesday with $10 margaritas and glasses of wine, $5 beers, and $14 tavern-style pizzas. The cornerstone of the hotel’s programming, though, is Wednesday Night Supper, a three-course menu for around $40, helmed by a rotating lineup of guest chefs. We caught the inaugural dinner with Chef Brian Bornemann of Crudo e Nudo in Santa Monica, who offered a sneak peek of a new restaurant he's opening in LA. The menu was entirely fish-focused, which, as a pescatarian, worked perfectly for me.

The Snug Bar, meanwhile, was packed within moments of opening – proof that El Roblar is being embraced as part of Ojai's local DNA.

Amenities

The pool has an easy, laid-back energy, where you can spend an afternoon under sage-green umbrellas against a backdrop of the Topatopa Mountains. The poolside cocktail menu is wine and pre-made canned drinks, though the full bar means nothing's stopping you from ordering an Aperol spritz or a Hugo instead.

There's a small gym near Sycamore House with a weight rack, a Peloton bike, and a treadmill. A spa is reportedly a few years out, but for now the hotel partners with a local spa within walking distance, or guests can spend the day at Ojai Valley Inn's spa through El Roblar's relationship with the property. In-room massages are also available.

The standout amenity, though, is two Aldabra giant tortoises on loan from the Turtle Conservancy. Abra and Cadabra, fifteen and twenty years old, are clearly best friends. Guests can gently pet them – they love a shell scratch – and book a visit to the Turtle Conservancy through the front desk. Go in the morning or midday, when they're active and eating. Afternoons are nap time.

Location & Neighborhood Recs

El Roblar sits in the middle of downtown Ojai, which makes it the most convenient hotel in town. Across the street are two Ojai landmarks: Rory’s Place, a must for dinner, and Rory’s Other Place, great for lunch, coffee, or a matcha affogato. A few steps away are FiG and Sunday’s, with curated inventory that feels handpicked by an AD100 designer, and Ali Golden, an eccentric store organized entirely by color. When you need a break between shops, pop into Topa Topa Brewing Company or the Ojai Vineyard Tasting Room.

Fast Facts

Address: 122 E Ojai Ave, Ojai, CA 93023

Neighborhood: Ojai, California

Nearest Airport: For longer flights, Los Angeles International (LAX) is the best option, but Santa Barbara and Hollywood Burbank offer regional connections.

Star Rating: 5-star

Starting Rate: $550

Room Count: 50

Vibe: Equal parts art-history exhibit on Ojai and lobby bar where a band would land after playing a show.

Best For: Couples, several seemingly on babymoons during our stay, though the property's central location, walkability, and easy, low-key energy make it just as suited to a solo trip.

Amenities: Valet parking, gym, pool, concierge, pet-friendly (certain rooms), European-style breakfast.

Nearby: Many restaurants and shops are steps outside the hotel. Phenomenal hiking nearby, including the Ventura River Reserve and Shelf Road Trail. Beaches are close by in Ventura, about 30 minutes away.

Our Favorite Thing: The tortoises, of course, and every one-of-a-kind design detail throughout

the property.

Gallery

A closer look

Credit: Waverly Middleton

Credit: Waverly Middleton

Credit: Waverly Middleton

Credit: Waverly Middleton

Credit: Waverly Middleton

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