In Ojai, an understated bohemian town about 90 minutes from Los Angeles, you’ll find El Roblar – a 1919 Spanish Revival property recently reopened as a 50-room hotel after half a century largely closed to the public.
The project brings together an interesting cast of collaborators, among them Eric Goode, the entrepreneur behind New York's Bowery Hotel, and Ramin Shamshiri of Studio Shamshiri. Together with restaurateur Warner Ebbink (LA's Little Dom's) and filmmaker Jeremy McBride (Tiger King, Chimp Crazy), they've set about returning one of Ojai's oldest landmarks to its former role in the town.
‘We didn't want to do another designer hotel,’ explains Goode. ‘We found the original 1919 drawings early on, and we worked from those with a lot of collaborators on everything from the entry arch to the stone fireplace. More than anything, we wanted the town to feel like it was theirs again.’
What’s on your doorstep?
El Roblar is located on Ojai’s main street of independent shops, but the centre is all incredibly walkable. Opposite, you’ll find beloved local restaurants Rory’s Place and Rory’s Other Place, the latter of which has drawn a TikTok crowd for its famed matcha affogato. If you’re keen to swing by, do so early; on both days we visited, they’d sold out of sandwiches and salads by lunchtime.
Adjacent is the recently revamped Ojai Playhouse, a 1914 single-screen movie theatre which still offers select films on 35mm. Fun fact: David Lynch’s personal espresso machine resides in the lobby.
A short walk away is Libbey Bowl, an outdoor music venue with impressive programming (Cat Power and Big Thief were scheduled during our stay). And you’re just a quick drive from hiking trails, creeks and even a turtle conservancy, run by the hotel’s co-owner, Eric Goode: reception can arrange a visit.
Who is behind the design?
Ramin Shamshiri has worked alongside Goode and McBride on the interiors, filling the hotel with an extraordinary collection of art, antiques and objects. More than 1,000 pieces have been assembled across the property, much of it sourced from local estate sales and dealers.
The walls are a particular delight, hung with Western landscapes, wildlife studies and all manner of curiosities. Goode has contributed pieces from his own collection, amassed over several decades, while the owners spent months tracking down condor-related prints, stamps and other ephemera for the hotel's restaurant. More on that later.
Elsewhere, an informal 'Ojai Hall of Fame' pays tribute to the town's more illustrious residents and regulars, from outdoor pioneers Yvon Chouinard and Rick Ridgeway to the late actress Diane Ladd. It's a reminder of the rather eclectic crowd this small Californian town has attracted over the years.
The lobby features a distinctive mural by 1980s artist Stefano Castronovo – a contemporary of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat – depicting the natural history of the Ojai Valley (spot the friendly T. Rex). Elsewhere, the Mariposa Ballroom houses an elaborate hand-carved wall relief of the region's flora and fauna, restored by local craftspeople.
The details extend beyond the artwork: Mexican artisans in Guadalajara supplied the clay pots, ironwork and hand-painted animal tiles that decorate each bungalow.
The lighting is equally considered, lending the interiors a moody atmosphere. 'Most hotels are overlit. We wanted it to feel like being in someone's house at night, warm and low,’ explains Goode. ‘We brought in Sean O'Connor to help us dial in the lighting plan. It's mostly lamps, sconces and picture lights, all on dimmers.’
The room to book
Accommodation is divided between 31 rooms in the main building, 11 bungalows and eight in the newly built Sycamore House, which is available to hire in its entirety. The bungalows, with their generous private patios and kitchenettes, are probably the most appealing choice for anyone looking for a little seclusion (Bungalow 11 has its own Koi pond) while many of the main building's rooms also open onto garden terraces.
It's the little design details that make El Roblar unique, from the cowboy-hat brass key fob to the Monterey-style furnishings. Each room features a custom-embroidered Pendleton blanket and unique hand-carved birds that perch above the bed.
Lather products are found in the bathroom, alongside cosy organic striped robes from Autumn Sonata.
Staying for drinks and dinner?
The Condor Bar is the hotel’s main restaurant (La Cocina is the more relaxed space for breakfast and lunch). A continental breakfast of bread, jams and cold meats and cheeses is included with each room and hot breakfast is available at an extra charge.
In the Condor Bar, where umpteen condor-related artworks adorn the walls, the fare is Mexican-inspired, grouped into a seafood and raw menu (tuna tostada is a winner), salads, and grilled dishes. The restaurant takes its name from the endangered California condor, whose recovery efforts have centred partly on the nearby Sespe wilderness. 'We filled the room with condor images, old banknotes and bird skulls in shadowboxes,' explains Goode. 'Kind of like an old natural history museum.'
Chef Brandon Boudet oversees a menu that makes good use of local produce and a Santa Maria-style wood-fired grill. I choose the miso salmon, with a subtle sweetness that plays beautifully against the natural richness of the fish. Summer corn is an elevated take on Mexican street corn, and be sure to save room for tres leches cake or churros y chocolate for dessert.
The Snug lobby bar is a cosy spot for a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap.
Where to switch off
By the pool, with the Topatopa mountains in the distance and soundtracked by a fitting playlist of modern indie and Americana (Pavement, David Allan Coe, Warren Zevon…). Six cabanas and sage-green umbrellas surround the water, while the nearby mountains turn pink in the late afternoon light. A modest on-site gym has space for one or two guests to work out and the hotel has plans to open a spa in 2027.
Elsewhere in the grounds, you'll find local heroes Abra and Cadabra: two giant Aldabra tortoises visiting from Goode's Turtle Conservancy. They make for rather unusual hotel residents, but seem perfectly at home.
The Verdict
El Roblar is the crown jewel in Ojai’s sleepy creative scene, with a sense of character that owes as much to the personalities behind it as to the building's history. With a carefully curated collection of objets that pay homage to the local area and community, El Roblar is a manifestation of Ojai's individualist spirit, with all the little luxuries that allow some welcome R&R from the big city.