The Newest Hotel in Ojai Is Also Its Oldest — a 1919 Landmark Reborn
Ojai · California
The Newest Hotel in Ojai Is Also Its Oldest — a 1919 Landmark Reborn
First opened in 1919 and lovingly restored over five years, Ojai’s oldest hotel has reawakened as a 50-room Spanish Revival retreat — stone fireplaces, a walled garden, and a chef worth the drive from Los Angeles.
Downtown Ojai’s newest hotel is also, improbably, its oldest. Hotel El Roblar first opened its doors in 1919, and for more than a century it has stood along Ojai Avenue like a fixture of the valley itself — through civic dramas, closures, and four decades as a fitness retreat. After a painstaking five-year restoration, it reopened in 2025 transformed but unmistakably itself: a 50-room Spanish Colonial Revival landmark that, as its owners like to say, is meant to feel as though it has always been there. In a town famously short on places to stay, it has quickly become the most talked-about address in the Ojai Valley.
The history here is not a marketing conceit — it is the whole point. The property began life as The Ojai Tavern, later became The Ojai Valley Inn, and eventually took the name El Roblar, Spanish for “oak grove,” a nod to the white oaks that shade the valley floor. Its restoration was guided by genuine archival research, conducted at the Ojai Valley Museum and beyond, and the result wears that history openly: the Mission-style entry archway echoing the arches of Ojai’s downtown arcade, the roaring stone fireplace anchoring a character-filled lobby, El Roblar memorabilia displayed near the check-in desk. Four owners — Eric Goode, Ramin Shamshiri, Warner Ebbink and Jeremy McBride — shepherded the revival, and their reverence shows.
It is meant to feel as though it has always been there — because it has.
Fifty rooms, three ways to stay
The hotel’s 50 rooms are divided among three distinct settings, each with its own character. The Main House holds 31 rooms, many opening onto spacious garden terraces; eleven private bungalows come with their own outdoor garden patios; and the newly built Sycamore House adds eight cabin-style, board-and-batten rooms that feel tucked into the landscape. Throughout, the design nods to the unspoiled valley beyond — warm, earthy shades, layers of natural wood, Monterey-style furnishings and locally sourced artwork — while custom Pendleton blankets woven with the hotel’s name lie at the foot of every bed.
It is a hotel that rewards lingering. Rates lift El Roblar out of the old inn-and-tavern category and into a genuine splurge, but the trade is a property that feels rooted, personal and quietly luxurious rather than corporate — the rare boutique hotel where the history is load-bearing.
Condor Bar, La Cocina, and Chef Brandon Boudet
Much of El Roblar’s buzz flows from its two dining venues, both helmed by Chef Brandon Boudet, whose menus draw on Ojai’s long-standing links with Mexico. The Condor Bar is the moody dinner destination — California and Mexican cuisine built on Santa Maria-style wood-fire cooking, with must-order plates like duck-leg carnitas, a menu shaped by local farms and coastal seafood, and a bar deep in California wines, agave spirits and seasonal cocktails. By day, La Cocina is the sunny cafe counterpart, serving breakfast and lunch on an outdoor patio.
The setting does as much as the food. The stone-clad fireplace in the lobby sets a gracious tone that carries through the eating and drinking spaces, and how vividly the past is still present here plainly shaped Boudet’s approach — rooted, regional, and unmistakably of this place.
Gardens, a ballroom, and two giant tortoises
Beyond the rooms and restaurants, El Roblar’s two acres hold genuine surprises. A lush Spanish walled garden brims with soaring palm and dragon trees, charming fountains and vibrant potted color, and the pool — bedecked with sage-green umbrellas and yellow-striped loungers — sits against a backdrop of the Topa Topa mountains and the Los Padres forest. The historic Mariposa Ballroom, restored with its extraordinary hand-carved wall relief depicting the agricultural roots and natural wonders of Ojai, hosts events for up to 150 guests.
And then there are the tortoises. El Roblar is temporary home to Abra and Cadabra, two female Aldabra giant tortoises visiting from the Turtle Conservancy — a delightfully unexpected touch that says much about the spirit of the place.
A base for the Ojai Valley
Location is part of the appeal. El Roblar sits right on Ojai’s main street, steps from the town’s Spanish-arcade shops, galleries, tasting rooms and farm stands, in a walkable downtown that has drawn artists and seekers for a century. The Ojai Valley itself — all citrus groves, pink-hued “Pink Moment” sunsets over the Topa Topas, and trails into the Los Padres National Forest — is one of Southern California’s most beloved escapes, about ninety minutes from Los Angeles and a short drive inland from Santa Barbara and the coast.
For travelers deciding where to stay in Ojai, Hotel El Roblar offers something singular: a genuinely historic, beautifully restored Spanish Revival hotel with a destination restaurant, a walled garden and a century of stories — in the heart of a town that trades in timelessness. It is easy to reach, and hard to leave.
Hotel El Roblar — At a Glance
- Location
- 122 E. Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA — Ojai Valley
- History
- Opened 1919; Ojai’s oldest hotel; restored & reopened 2025
- Style
- Spanish Colonial Revival; Mission-style archway
- Rooms
- 50 — Main House (31), 11 bungalows, Sycamore House (8)
- Dining
- Condor Bar & La Cocina (Chef Brandon Boudet)
- Also
- Pool, Spanish walled garden, Mariposa Ballroom, resident giant tortoises
- From LA
- About 90 minutes
Plan Your Stay
Hotel El Roblar offers 50 rooms across its historic Main House, private bungalows and the new Sycamore House, with the Condor Bar, a walled garden and a pool beneath the Topa Topas. Check current dates, rooms and rates to plan your stay in Ojai.
Check Rates & ReserveFrequently Asked Questions
Where is Hotel El Roblar located?
Hotel El Roblar is at 122 E. Ojai Avenue in downtown Ojai, California, in the Ojai Valley about 90 minutes northwest of Los Angeles and a short drive inland from Santa Barbara and the coast. The two-acre property sits on the town’s main street beneath the Topa Topa mountains.
How old is Hotel El Roblar?
Hotel El Roblar originally opened in 1919 and is Ojai’s oldest, longest-standing hotel — more than a century old. It began life as The Ojai Tavern, later became The Ojai Valley Inn, and eventually took the name El Roblar, Spanish for “oak grove,” after the white oaks of the valley. It was restored over roughly five years and reopened in 2025.
What restaurants are at Hotel El Roblar?
Hotel El Roblar has two dining venues led by Chef Brandon Boudet: the Condor Bar, a dinner spot centered on California and Mexican cuisine with Santa Maria-style wood-fire cooking, local wines, agave spirits and seasonal cocktails; and La Cocina, a sunny daytime cafe serving breakfast and lunch. Both have outdoor patio seating.
What is there to do at Hotel El Roblar?
Guests can swim in the garden pool, explore the Spanish walled garden with its palm and dragon trees and fountains, visit the resident Aldabra giant tortoises, and hold events in the historic Mariposa Ballroom with its hand-carved wall relief. Downtown Ojai’s arcade shops, galleries, wineries and the Los Padres National Forest trails are all close by.
Is Hotel El Roblar dog-friendly?
Yes. Hotel El Roblar welcomes well-trained dogs; a pet fee applies. The walkable downtown Ojai setting and the hotel’s gardens make it a comfortable base for travelers bringing a dog along.
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