Less than a two-hour drive up the California coast from Los Angeles, you arrive at what the 8,000-odd locals refer to—for good reason—as “Shangri-La.” It was the setting for Frank Capra’s 1937 film adaptation of James Hilton’s Lost Horizon.
The crown of this Californian jewel is the Hotel El Roblar—the oldest hotel in Ojai. And now, following years of civil negotiations and meticulous renovations, it has been restored to its former glory by the new owners, Eric Goode, Jeremy McBride, Ramin Shamshiri, and Warner Ebbink. Goode, a transplant from New York, is the co-creator of all sorts of downtown fixtures, like the 1980s nightclub Area and the Bowery Hotel.
That sensibility carries through the property. From the custom murals in the lobby by artist Stefano Castronovo—depicting wildlife native to the area—to a stuffed toy condor placed in every room, to the local artwork lining the walls, the owners (all longtime Ojai residents) were deliberate in honoring the hotel’s heritage in every detail.
The El Roblar sits on Ojai Avenue, in the heart of town, directly across from the Michelin-recommended Rory’s Place and the newly reopened Ojai Playhouse. Down the road are Taco Roma and Radio Roma, a taqueria with an adjoining mezcal bar, and just a few blocks further, there’s Bart’s Books, a charming semi-open-air shop stocked with both new and vintage editions.
For guests new to Ojai, the El Roblar staff is incredibly helpful in suggesting things to do and, if you ask, will make the appropriate reservations for you. Each room also includes a thoughtfully compiled booklet of local events for the week, from movie screenings at the Ojai Playhouse to farmers’-market hours.
Despite the hotel’s central location, the grounds offer guests a serene escape, all centered around a pool with surrounding cabanas set against the Topa Topa Mountains. The property features 50 rooms in total: 31 in the main building, 11 private bungalows, and eight rooms in the Craftsman-style Sycamore House at the rear of the property.
Most importantly, however, the hotel is home to two giant turtles, Abra and Cadabra. (Goode is a renowned conservationist and the founder of the 90-acre Turtle Conservatory, an Ojai-based global nonprofit dedicated to protecting habitats for turtles and tortoises.)
The two restaurants on site—La Cocina, open to guests for breakfast and lunch, and the Condor Bar, for everything after that—are run by the team behind Los Angeles’s famed restaurant Little Dom’s: chef Brandon Boudet and Roblar co-owner Warner Ebbink. The Condor Bar menu celebrates the area’s Mexican heritage. Everything was delicious, but as an unadventurous eater, I am shocked to say that the melon-and-tomato salad topped with ants was the standout. The ants added a subtle smokiness to the dish. Who knew?
Bronwen Carter is an Editor at Large at AIR MAIL