Ojai Valley Inn and Spa has been on my #SpaBucketList for a while, although in all fairness, what spa isn’t. But seriously, Ojai Valley Inn piqued my interest early, and I just hadn’t made it to California in a while. Thus, I was very excited when I was finally able to plan a trip out there. All the better because I got to meet up with a good friend who lives out on the West coast and it turn the trip into a little Girl’s Spa Trip. Of course, then I watched in horror last year as the fires of Southern California burned in Ojai. The map of the fires seemed to surround the Ojai Valley Inn and yet somehow the property appeared in the center of the maps, untouched, and thus beckoned to me as a bit of a blessed oasis.
Given the broader resort of the Ojai Valley Inn and all the activities they offer, the combination of the resort and the spa, led to some serious activity planning comparable to the destinations spas that I have done. First, they have the Artist Cottage, which is an open studio whereby guests can just walk in and work on creative projects like Mandala Spirit Stone painting, paper marbling, candle-making, apothecary room mists, and terrarium building. They also offer weekly classes (scheduled times) for things like custom blended apothecary, artisan soap-making and silk-scarf printing.
Second, they have a number of activities for adults (and kids) which can rotate through the seasons. There are also some year-round activities such as: bee-keeping and honey tasting, winery tours, food tours, wine and food pairings, deep-sea fishing, sailing and surfing and stand-up paddle boarding. Like I said, it can result in some serious planning, because then you still have your usual spa time and the services you want to book.
We arrived Thursday afternoon and spent some leisurely time handing out by the live oak tree. Here I was able to indulge in one of my other hobbies of people-watching. Friday morning we had a full day of Stand-Up Paddle-boarding with Mary Osborne. If you have the opportunity to take surfing or SUP lessons with her, or take one of her retreats, I highly recommend it. After SUP, we walked around Ventura to do a little shopping before heading back to the town of Ojai and doing some of our own winery touring.
Saturday morning we had the silk-scarf painting class, which I have to say was a lot of fun! I didn’t go for any elaborate designs, and opted for the simplicity of just 50 shades of Pink. (of course). That left us with some pool time ahead of some late afternoon spa time.
The spa was very busy that afternoon. I mean very busy, almost too busy. The locker room area seemed really too small for the number of people coming through at any given time, people were sort of in each other’s way as they tried to change. And off the locker room area there is a little whirlpool area and a small lounge area, both of which were fully occupied.
Ahead of your treatment time you proceed upstairs (which is where you can join any male guests you may be spa-ing with) and wait for your therapists. Here too this area was standing room only. At the top of the hour the line of therapists backed up trying to connect with their appointed guest. It just seemed congested to me. And while the woman’s facilities may have some lounge chairs where you could relax and lounge the day away if you wanted to, it didn’t feel that way because of just how crowded it was. Now it was a Saturday afternoon during a peak vacation period, so I do get the increased volume, but I do just feel for a spa of the caliber of the Ojai Valley Inn that there would be a little better guest ratio, but that’s just me. We did the Kuyam, which is a signature experience at the Ojai Spa, and then I followed that with a Himalayan Hot Stone Massage and then the next day we went back for Facials.
Ojai is a beautiful area and definitely worth visiting. And the Ojai Valley Inn is an impressive resort with impeccable views. There are plenty of activities to accommodate different guests and like Destinations Spas, you can be as active or relaxing as you would like. The spa is definitely worth a visit given the unique experiences like the Kuyam, as well as some of the product lines they feature for their facials. I think in a non-peak time both the spa and the resort would be at their best.
August 2018
Rating: 
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
905 Country Club Road Ojai, CA 93023
Phone: (855) 591-1802
Email: info@ojaivalleyinn.com
Website: https://www.ojaivalleyinn.com/spa-ojai
Leave a Reply