By Alex Wilson
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.
Ebbink told Ventana Monthly that they conducted a really deep, intensive restoration project, and fortunately the original plans from a century ago had been preserved in the archives of the University of San Diego.
“The bones of this building have always been great. And we were lucky enough to have a lot of the original architectural renderings and drawings and blueprints,” he said. “It really informed our decision-making process, what areas we wanted to restore and bring back, what areas we wanted to leave and what areas we wanted to update.”
Summer Debut
Hotel El Roblar hosted its first guests June 20, with nightly rates starting at around $500. So far, the response has been fantastic, Ebbink said.
“It feels really great to be open. And it feels really great to bring this back to the community in such a way that they can enjoy it and be part of it, and also to bring back the history of the architecture and really be true to those original intentions, and how it fits within the architectural landscape of Downtown Ojai.”
Ebbink said the city of Ojai required them to create a public artwork as part of the project, and that was accomplished through a historical mural in the hotel lobby. The work features some of Ojai’s most famous residents including Libbey, artist Beatrice Wood and philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, along with orange groves and scenes of nature dating back to the time when Chumash were the only people living in the Ojai Valley.
“It depicts species that are here now and have been extinct in the valley throughout time. It depicts the Sespe Wilderness and it depicts the downtown arcade. It depicts the historical museum next door. You know, it just depicts key elements of Ojai. And so, when you’re sitting there as you’re looking around, you’re like ‘Oh, look at that beautiful condor.’ You know, it just depicts life in the valley throughout different periods.”
Relaxed Luxury
General Manager Meredith Morgan told Ventana that she’s been in the hotel business for a long time, including working for hotel and nightclub impresario Ian Schrager at the beginning of what she called the “lifestyle-design hotel shift,” opening trendy properties in New York, London, Miami and Los Angeles.
Ojai was never on her radar as a destination until a few years ago, although she did recall it as the fictional home of Jaime Sommers, the main character in the 1970s TV series “The Bionic Woman,” who Morgan admired. Since moving to the town with a population of 7,500 people, Morgan has grown to love it.
“It feels like a privilege, really, to be part of it and to be part of this community is really special. And the building is really special,” Morgan said. “I feel very honored to be a part of it.”
Morgan called the property both “intimate” and “dynamic,” noting the lodge-like feeling in the main lobby. Despite being in the middle of town, just steps away from the Arcade and Libbey Park, the walled-off property feels like a far-away retreat. Morgan said they are trying to create a vibe of “relaxed luxury” at Hotel El Roblar.
“I think we’ve been really well received, not just by guests, but also by the town. I mean, we’ve had people just coming through on a daily basis just to check it out or walk through the lobby or see what’s happening,” Morgan said. “There’s really been a lot of curiosity and vested interest in it. And everybody’s been, so far, incredibly supportive and excited about it.”
