Hotel Feature: Ojai Valley Inn

Plans with my sister’s family were canceled last minute. We felt sad and frustrated. I had been dying to meet my nephew, 10 weeks old now! We’re constantly searching for places ‘in the middle’. She lives in Carmel Valley and I live in Costa Mesa. There’s about 7 hours between us and the central coast (Santa Barbara county) usually makes the most sense.

We’d stayed in the quaint town of Ojai (inland of Ventura) a few times and really wanted to stay at the Ojai Valley Inn. We’d been for meals and to enjoy the spa, but not overnight.

There are so many dogs and kids, but the property is expansive enough to feel like you’re roaming alone. It even smells like fresh Valencia oranges and rosemary. The grounds are gorgeous! I think we’ve said “I love it here” 20 times in under 24 hours.

I always thought of the property as a romantic couples getaway. Turns out it’s perfect for kids of all ages! The kids pool area is huge, and even offers a 1.5 foot deep pool for toddlers. My sister’s son and mine played for such a long time in here splashing and we loved not having to hold them in a big pool the whole time. The tiny gift shop by the pool has lots of fun toys and pool gear. The food was incredible! We had fish tacos, an avocado turkey club, cobb salad and each dish was amazing.

The artisans cottage offers adult classes like candle making, but they had a seasonal pumpkin painting class and wagon outside the for the kids. Our littles loved this!

There are also Linus bikes available to guests -with trailers and Thule bike seats for kids. On the kids putting green they gave us golf balls and mini putters to try out a new sport! Take a look at the activities & events.

We stayed in newly renovated junior suites in the historic Wallace Neff building. Our room led to an outdoor patio. You can choose from suites with fireplaces, vista views, or proximity to the spa. They also have Casa Elar, an exclusive private home that is fully staffed.