Back in 1923, an Ohio glass magnate named Edward Drummond Libbey was sick of playing golf in subpar conditions in the sleepy mountain town of Ojai, California. So he gave a legendary golf architect from LA a simple directive: “Go ahead and build me the finest course that can be built on my property. Give me the best. Money will be no object.” Once that goal was achieved, he needed a place for his friends to drink and dine and talk about all their money, so he commissioned another famed architect to build him a Spanish Colonial Revival clubhouse.
Thus began the Ojai Valley Inn, a now sprawling 220-acre, 303-room resort that just completed a $10 million renovation of every guest room. Tucked below the scenic Topatopa Mountains, the Inn is more of a village within a village, with four distinct pools, seven restaurants, a championship golf course, eight tennis courts, and a Forbes Five-Star spa.
This is the same property that attracted celebrities like Clark Gable and Jimmy Kimmel, who invited 300 people to his wedding in 2013. Frank Capra filmed Lost Horizon here. So did Jack Nicholson for The Two Jakes. TV’s The Bachelorette even shot poolside makeout scenes at the hotel during one season.
But despite its Hollywood bonafides, the Ojai Valley Inn still has a sort of quaint old-school charm. The staff here is super friendly, not snobby. There is something for everyone. If you want fancy, you dine at Olivella. If you want a burger and pizza, you go to Jimmy’s Pub (named after Jimmy Demaret, the three-time Masters champion who was the club’s resident pro).
The most popular hangout is The Oak, which serves delicious steaks and California comfort food with indoor-outdoor seating overlooking the golf course and century-old oak trees strung with hanging lanterns.
A fleet of golf carts shuttles you around the property, where numerous activities await. For golfers, there’s that “give me the best” championship course—6,292 yards of par-70 perfection that hosted seven Senior PGA Tour events and legends like Arnold Palmer, and Lee Trevino. If you don’t want to commit to a day of golfing, there is also the driving range. Grab a $10 bag of 50 balls and fire away.
For glammers, there is Spa Ojai, which spans 31,000 square feet with 24 treatment rooms. The signature treatment is the Kuyam—a Chumash-inspired ritual where you slather yourself in desert clay, sit in dry heat, and emerge feeling like you absolutely Chumashed it.
When it’s time to chill in your room, there are all sorts of options. Entry-level Ojai Luxury Rooms start around $700/night and give you 425 square feet, marble bathrooms with soaking tubs, and a private terrace. Need fire? Upgrade to the Fireplace Shangri-La Rooms (550 sq ft) where you can watch the flames from bed.
At the top end, there are penthouses with 16-foot ceilings and mountain-view terraces. The crown jewel is Casa Elar, a private 5-bedroom estate with its own pool where you’ll never see another guest. Price: around $5,500 per night.
While it may be tempting to never leave the property, we strongly recommend you jump on a complimentary Linus bike and take a five-minute tree-lined path to town. Downtown Ojai is refreshingly un-Californian—no Starbucks, no chains, just a one-street village that strictly enforces a no-corporate-bullshit policy. The Spanish Colonial arcade that Edward Libbey built in 1917 still anchors the main drag. Have lunch at The Dutchess (yes, with a T) for Burmese-Californian cuisine from Chef Saw Naing, who used to front a metal band in Myanmar.
Just be sure to head back to the resort around sunset for the “Pink Moment,” This is when the light reflects off the east-facing Topatopa Mountains and bathes the entire valley in pink and lavender for about 15 minutes. It’s one of the reasons old Edward Drummond Libbey built his dream golf course here.
