Hotel El Roblar

Historic Hotels Are Reopening Across California - AFAR

"Built in 1919 and later reborn as the Oaks at Ojai, this storied Mission Revival hotel sat dark on Ojai Avenue after the Thomas Fire in 2017 until hotelier Eric Goode and designer Ramin Shamshiri bought it in 2019 and spent six years restoring Mission Revival details — stucco exteriors, Mediterranean fountains, hand-painted tiles, and red-tiled roofs — while reshaping courtyards into gardens and walking paths. Reopening this summer, the property now has 50 rooms split between the main building, garden bungalows, and the eight-room Sycamore House, and offers lively food and drink venues: Condor Bar with wood-fire Santa Maria barbecue and a Mexican-influenced menu plus craft cocktails, La Cocina serving all-day brunch, Snug Bar shifting from morning coffee to late-night cocktails, and a moody lobby bar where you can cool off with a classic margarita; walk by on a Friday night and you can hear voices carrying down Ojai Avenue again." - Jackie Bryant