Ojai’s Hotel El Roblar was built in the California Mission Revival style in 1919 by the same architects responsible for Ojai’s adjacent downtown arcade, pergola and U.S. Post Office, with its recognizable tower. Ojai’s founding father, Edward Libbey, hired Frank Mead and Richard Requa to redesign Downtown Ojai in a cohesive style following a 1917 wildfire that burned much of the rustic town. Previously known as Nordhoff, it was at that time more of a dusty agricultural area rather than an internationally famous tourist destination.
For over a century, the historic two-acre hotel property first owned by glass-magnate Libbey has served as an anchor of downtown. It was more recently known as The Oaks, formerly a fitness-oriented spa resort envisioned in the 1970s as a place for guests seeking peaceful respite, exercise and the possibility of shedding a few pounds. The Oaks closed when the 2017 Thomas Fire encircled Ojai and the property was later put up for sale. The doors stayed shut for more than seven years, partly due to planning and construction delays related to the pandemic.
Now the property at 122 East Ojai Avenue, Ojai’s longest-standing hotel, has been completely reimagined as Hotel El Roblar following an extensive renovation by co-owners Eric Goode, Ramin Shamshiri, Jeremy McBride and Warner Ebbink. The 50-room hotel includes a new restaurant, Condor Bar, serving modern Mexican cuisine, as well as the Mariposa Ballroom, a historic event space with a hand-carved wall relief depicting the natural wonders of the Ojai Valley.
Rebuilt and reimagined pool and garden areas include soaring palms and dragon trees and colorful fountains, all with stunning views of the Topatopa Mountains…