Ojai Valley Inn & Spa

If you haven’t ever been to Ojai, do I have the weekend getaway for you! Last weekend, in desperate need of a little time out from normal life, The Mister and I headed north, making our first stop at the incredible Ojai Valley Inn & Spa for one night. But one night was enough to re-center, refocus and ultimately feel like I had a mini vacation. Get yourself there immediately!

The lobby design is drool-worthy. Man, I love a pink rug.

And bookshelves that only hold like 5 books (I wish my life was that curated).

We arrived at noon to spend the day pampered at the spa. First up was a freshly-squeezed, frothy juice and a chopped chicken salad with pool views. The inside of the spa may not exactly be as high-tech as the Corinthia or as jaw-dropping as the Grove Park Inn, but they have a lovely facility with a Jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna.  After my perfect massage, my masseuse laid out my spa robe fresh out of the dryer so warm and cuddly, like sinking into a warm bath after being in the snow. Attention to detail = A+

With our bodies like noodles, we headed to our room, which was pretty huge with a gorgeous golf course view. We only had enough time to shower and get ready for “pink hour,” the time the hotel advertises as the perfect photo opp when the mountains turn a spectaular shade as the sun sets.

Magic hour. Ohh hiiii ;).

You really just had to be there for the pink mountain encounter (my camera just couldn’t capture it), but I do think you’ll appreciate this little outdoor sitting area. I’m on a pink high lately.

We had a little over an hour to kill before dinner, so we went on a little walking tour of the property.

So gorg!

What I love about this resort is that you really don’t have to leave, which is ideal if you only have a night. We stopped by Jimmy’s Pub for some pre-dinner drinks and their homemade chips. On Sundays, they have a Bloody Mary bar, and if we hadn’t had to board a plane to San Francisco after checking out, I would have been ALL over that.

We decided to go for the full experience, booking dinner reservations at their fine dining restaurant Olivella.

The service was exceptional, to the point we are sure they must be after an award. The Rigatoni Bolognese was described as “my grandmother’s recipe since 1896.” Um, SOLD. They even split it for us, so we could share everything, but have our own plates.

The next morning, we grabbed a coffee and headed to the adult pool, which is completely stunning.

Blue & white never gets old.

Neither does a private cabana.

Recharged, but not at all ready to head home, we said our goodbyes until next time, which will surely be soon. We had a quick hour and a half drive home before we had to quick repack and hop a plane to San Francisco. More of our journey north coming soon!

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa.  905 Country Club Road.  Ojai, CA 93023.  855-697-8780