By Mike Nelson
Large, powerful and unexpected. That’s the definition of a rogue wave which, at 10:45 a.m. on December 28, 2023, became frighteningly real for those strolling along Ventura Beach and South Seaward Avenue.
Within seconds, streets, buildings and people had been pummeled by the force of thousands of gallons of seawater, seaweed and sand. There were, thankfully, no deaths, though some suffered cuts and broken bones. But buildings in the way of the wave took a significant hit.
And none more so than the Inn on the Beach, a popular vacation lodge for several decades which, as its name implies, rests right next to the sand, just 300 yards from the Pacific Ocean. Much of that sand ended up covering the inn’s ground floor, along with water and all manner of debris.
All in less than a single minute.
“Initially, I was in shock,” said Judy Thomas, Inn on the Beach owner, still in awe of how quickly the wave appeared. “It was so unreal, because people had been gathered where Seaward ends, saying, ‘Wow, look at that big wave,’ and then, boom, this huge flood. We were lucky no one was killed, although some were swept down the road. We were also fortunate that it happened after breakfast and people were out of their rooms, so no one was hurt in the hotel.”
But the hotel took a hit — big time.
“The wave ripped armoires off the walls, broke windows and sliding glass doors, and poured into the lobby and all eight rooms on the first floor,” said Thomas. “There was, like, four or five inches of sand throughout the entire first floor — which, within maybe five or 10 seconds, had become basically uninhabitable.”
But not unfixable.
‘It seemed overwhelming’
A year and a half later, the Inn on the Beach is fully habitable and operational, a remarkable achievement considering the extent of the damage wrought by the rogue wave. It is a tribute to the skills and especially the determination and spirit of local government, businesses and individuals — most of all, the hotel’s owner.
Judy Thomas and her husband Ron had purchased the Inn on the Beach on New Year’s Eve 1998, having previously built and operated the Seaward Inn (now Comfort Inn) in Ventura.
The 24-room Inn on the Beach served a loyal clientele of customers, staffed by an equally loyal cadre of employees, many of whom had worked at the Inn for 20 years or more when the big wave struck, just two years after Ron’s death in 2021.
“It seemed very overwhelming,” Thomas said of the immediate aftermath. “I was looking at a huge cleanup, as well as having to close the hotel for a while. And we had employees who counted on us to be open, as did a lot of our longtime customers.”
But Thomas never doubted that the hotel would, in fact, reopen.
“Before he died,” she recalled, “Ron said, ‘Make sure you keep the Inn going, because our staff is like family.’ So I told myself, ‘I have to fix this, I have to bring it back up and running.’”
Romantic getaway returns
It helped immensely, Thomas said, that Total Restoration of Ventura was quickly on site to remove damaged furniture, carpeting, walls, wallpaper. “They worked so fast that we didn’t have any mold or mildew issues,” she said of the company’s efforts. “The city of Ventura also worked with us to get us operational as quickly as possible.”
The second and third floors of the 24-room inn were spared the effects of the wave. “But we needed the first floor functioning,” said Thomas. “Total Restoration helped us get the first floor lobby opened within three months, so we could function at two-thirds capacity.”
All the while, Thomas kept her staff employed and paid. Longtime customers called regularly to check on restoration progress and offer whatever help they could.
“They encouraged us to stay open,” said Thomas. “We hung in there, and our customers hung with us. And the contracting crews that worked to rebuild were wonderful.”
Some wood furniture was actually salvageable, but it took time for the first floor rooms to be restored. “The first floor now has a different look, maybe more modern than before,” said Thomas. “But we tried to keep the same feel as before the wave hit — a unique, romantic getaway hotel on the beach — and I think that’s still what we offer. There’s no other place like this in Ventura.”
In March 2025 — 15 months after the wave wreaked its havoc — the Inn on the Beach reopened to full capacity, to a grateful community and clientele. The accommodations remain comfortable, the location is still a huge draw for anyone who loves coastal charm, and the stunning beach and ocean views speak for themselves.
“I wish it could have been sooner,” said Thomas with a smile, “but we worked as quickly as we could. Through it all, we’ve been able to maintain a feeling of camaraderie amongst ourselves and with the community that supports us. And our customers are happy.”
The Inn on the Beach
1175 South Seaward Avenue, Ventura
805.652.2000
innonthebeachventura@gmail.com
