I am overdue with this review but better late than never. We have family in Ojai, including an elderly aunt that is in her 90's that went went with previously to the restaurant here and loved every aspect of it, from the food, to the atmosphere and service, all really great, so we wanted to do it again but with even more family. They have a limit of 14 so that's what we booked with a pre set menu of our choosing. We arrived on time but with a couple of extra family stragglers,bringing our total number to 16. Amanda, the hostess that night, didn't even bat an eye when I let her know, she said,"if they can squeeze in, they are welcome!" and that's precisely what we did. Our server, Emma, was unbelievable. I have dined out a lot, many times with large parties, and there are usually a few servers to handle the crowd so I had a moment of concern when I realised it was only going to be her but it only took about 3 seconds of talking to her to realise that not only could she handle this motley crew,but was going to actually blow our minds with how professional and absolutely capable she was. They are lucky to have to have someone of her caliber, and at her age, with such grace, poise, and beauty, the world is her oyster to take, no doubt. Now back to the important stuff. This all started with Kirsten, the event director,whom I dealt with via email as this gathering had us coming from Hawaii, other family coming from Maine, LA, etc. and she did a stellar job of making it all happen. Communication was great, the dinner went off without any issues, they even accommodated a few dietary requests,brought some extras, kept the drinks full and flowing, and just made it a spectacular night out. Honestly, probably one of the best I've ever had and will have. So from Amanda, Emma, Sarah, and the manager on duty that night (I am so sorry I forget her name) this was a 100 on a scale of 1 to 10! Can't wait to go back! By the way, the food was Michelin star great! Very creative, perfectly prepared, cooked, and served, along with the drinks, this was epic! Thank you all,from the busboys to the bartenders to the chefs to the servers and planners, a class act that is probably impossible to top. read more

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A little behind on this review but this place was easily the best we hotel we stayed at for year end 2025. The staff was top notch: Jessica, Zachery, Fernando, Steven, Anna & the bartendar from T.O. (Sorry I can't remember everyone!). All of you made the stay pleasant! The bungalow was great, it was so quiet with beautiful sunsets behind us. The fresh oranges made for great cocktails in our room! La Cocina for dinner was excellent! Food and drinks were top notch. The staff everytime we left or returned always offered pleasant hello's and to contact them if we needed anything. It truly was the getaway we needed. Please make arrangements for a stay, you will be in good hands! read more

Matt B. and I celebrated our 12th anniversary last month with a weekend getaway to Ojai. I hadn't been since I was a child, but Matt went a few years ago, for a conference at the Ojai Valley Inn. I feel like that's the hotel I always hear about from people in L.A., but we decided to stay at Hotel El Roblar. It was the right choice. Not a cheap spot, but significantly less pricey than the Inn. Smaller, too, with a more central location. El Roblar offers an appealing combination of old and new. Established in 1919, it lay dormant for decades before its current iteration, which involved a team of talented people with a strong vision and boatloads of money. The hotel retains much of its original architecture after what had to be a painstaking restoration. Everything else is new but exactingly curated, every detail thought out and likely expensive. It's a beautiful hotel with a ton of character. Not a generic square foot in the place. There are 50 rooms on the property, and we lucked into a bungalow. Matt had booked a mid-tier room and we found out about the upgrade when we checked in. Our bungalow--Bungalow 3--was perfect. Spacious and relaxing, with a comfortable king bed and large, immaculate bathroom. A little courtyard with a burbling fountain, a sunny enclosed patio full of potted plants. The shared areas were uniformly nice. We got breakfast at La Cocina and drinks at Snug Bar in the lobby, lovely spots with great food and cocktails. We hung out at the pool, which was serene and pretty--the hotel is not legally allowed to bar children from the premises, but everyone seems to have gotten the adults-only messaging. (Our own kids spent part of this weekend at the Long Beach Hyatt Regency with my wonderful parents.) Poolside drinks were great: the Best Friend with La Tierre de Acre mezcal espadin, Campari, lime, pineapple, and cinnamon; El Roblar Margarita with G4 Blanco tequila, lime, smoked orange, and hibiscus chile salt; and a fantastic Michelada with Donna's Pickle Beer, bloody mary mix, and smoked olives. And of course, there were Abra and Cadabra, the two resident tortoises. (Desk clerk: "We have two tortoises on the property." Young woman checking in: "Thank God." My favorite overheard exchange of September 2025.) I guess one of the hotel's owners is a conservationist and also the director of Tiger King, and he's also the founder of the Turtle Conservancy. We enjoyed meeting the tortoises, who were large and quite dignified in their own tortoisey way. Service was outstanding throughout our stay. I don't know if it's because the hotel just opened or what, but it felt like every staff member was eager to make sure we had an amazing time. At the front desk, at the pool, everyone we interacted with was effusively hospitable. The only thing that could have been better was the housekeeping, and not the service itself, but the timing. We'd vacate the room for hours, with the request for service up, and come back to find it as we'd left it. Thankfully, it was not hard to wait at the pool, but there should probably be a better system in place. If you're a gym person, it is worth noting that Hotel El Roblar doesn't have a gym. I didn't mind this, as I never look at a hotel gym, and I did appreciate the complimentary bike rentals, complete with surprisingly cute helmets. The hotel is right in the thick of Ojai's main downtown stretch, so you can get most places you might want to go to on foot. The bikes were great, though, for breezy rides along the Ojai Valley Trail, as well as seeing some of the more residential parts of town. We loved Hotel El Roblar. It was an exceptionally attractive hotel, a luxurious home base for an idyllic trip to Ojai. I hope we get to back sometime, for another child-free weekend. read more

Full transparency- I haven't stayed yet but off to a good start. 10/10 service from Stewart on the phone who accommodated our requests so quickly and well. Appreciate good customer service. Heard great things about this hotel and the cocktails! Driven by on our last trip to Ojai and it's so cute and charming. Typically stay at OVI but looking forward to checking out this spot at our stay next month and will update this review! read more

Food we ordered was great !!! Prices were good.We were served pretty quickly considering the busyness.Restaurant was pretty noisy ,Servers were polite but very busy very Rushed.. Desk person had to jump in and help servers.Looked like they were short handed on Severs was a Sunday night about 6pm.Valet was polite also.We are locals so we will try again soon!!! read more

Hotel El Roblar - Artist Mark Tovar - Hotels Near Me - Ojai, California

Beautiful exterior, interior and bar area. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Food was delicious and craft cocktails were amazing.

Hotel El Roblar is an excellent addition to Ojai! Everything is exquisite - the service really exceeds expectations, the design is lovely, the location is perfect if you want to take advantage of all the fun in downtown Ojai, the 2 restaurants and bar on property are excellent & you can pet the tortoises, Abra and Cadabra! As an example of the fabulous service - after leaving our car with the valet, I went straight to the restaurant and later realized I must had left my phone on the floor of the car. I went out to the valet and... he had noticed it and had already brought the phone up to our room and given it to my husband. Above and beyond. One note - the walls are VERY thin in the main hotel building. Our room was lovely, but we could hear people talking at a regular level like they were in our room. Next time I'll stay in one of the outside rooms or casitas. read more

While the drinks were fantastic in the Condor, we were seated near to a computer terminal used by lots of employees and all we could hear was all of them complaining about how much working there "sucked". Going to certain bars and restaurants, it's apparent when the employees love their jobs. El Roblar certainly isn't one of them. On our way out, we told one of the servers, "Hang in there, it will get better!" She said, "I'm looking for signs...not seeing any! So many people are quitting." read more

El Roblar Hotel, The Condor Room I was fortunate to go check out the new Hotel and they were having their soft opening. What a great job they have done to the hotel I am old enough to have seen it when it was the original El Roblar and the Oaks and now. They spared no expense in the upgrades, I did not see the rooms but I have never stayed there at any time. We were greeted by the nicest Managment Very welcoming! We were Seated at a booth, it was a warm evening and we looked out through the open doors to the patio where people were eating and they had their dogs. The room is covered with nothing less than Condors, paintings and photos. The Bar is full of whatever you desire and I had what was called a Wild Condor, bourbon with bitters over big ice, $18. We sampled the menu as there were 3 of us. Large Shrimp cocktail, reminiscent of the ones that Los Corrales used to serve. Large succulent shrimp in a tomato sauce that was made fresh (not canned) with diced cucumber and avocado. Served with Freshly made warm three different color corn, tortilla tostadas to dip. $18 Next, we had the Caesar salad beautifully made real Caesar dressing on Romain Hearts with just the right amount of cheese sprinkled on top. Bright and perfectly seasoned and dressed. $18 Next we shared the Duck leg with a Rojo sauce The duck was confit, the sauce was rich with flavor, memorable. $39 We also shared the Sea bass, with a creamed corn sauce had crenels of corn and chunks. Blue Crab, fish was perfectly cooked! The sauce was another winner! $39 Then we finished with the Creamed Corn ice cream, soft serve with a toasted sweet and salty crumble on top. Wow! Delish.... Highly recommend, and I will surely be going back, even if to just have a cocktail and sit around the beautiful big fireplace at the bar. They have an outdoor bar near the pool. They redid the whole pool area and It is beautifully landscaped. They spared no expense on the grounds putting in beautiful, pottery and plants. Also a tribute wall in a hallway to most of all who came to Ojai that made it into the calling card it is today. From Krishnamurti to Sheila Cluff and Beatriz Woods and others you will know. What a great evening we had, will do it again. We ordered probably the priciest entrees Definitely a $50 meal or more, For the Ceaser 2 drinks 2 entrees and dessert my bill was $120, I paid 150, so worth it! The new Gem of Ojai. This photo of the Hotel is what it was, nothing like it is today. read more

I have been to the Mexican restaurant with the beautiful views three times for lunch and never again. The food is beyond subpar for such an exclusive and prestigious venue. A friend wanted to treat me to lunch and I picked El Roblar for the beautiful view. There was hardly anyone there and the service took 1 hour and 40 minutes. Just awful on all counts. The coffee was lukewarm, the breakfast burrito was dry as a bone and sad looking with nothing on the side like pico de gallo or something crispy to offset the dryness of the burrito. For $17 you would think it would come with a little rice and beans. In the past, I had the sweet potato taco and it was also tiny and not very good at all and the Jicama salad should be paired with a citrusy Japanese style of dressing, not the flavorless watery avocado dressing it comes with. I really love the ambiance and may have a latte to enjoy the view with, but I will never eat there again. Get a real chef. I am the worst cook and I make a better burrito. read more

The room with patio was spacious. The staff were very nice and accommodating. The lobby was so lively at night. We enjoyed our stay. read more

Hotel El Roblar - The patio fountain - Hotels Near Me - Ojai, California

My wife and I were very excited to come to El Roblar, we have had a home in Ojai for many years. I wish the had waited a little longer to open. They are obviously still working out the details but service was slow and lacking the personal touch. The restaurants would benefit from a more varied menu, and the two turtles on loan from the turtle conservancy in Ojai should be returned to their natural habitat. They do not seem happy with rolling trucks rolling close by their new location. We loved the rooms and attention to detail. The hotel has been beautifully restored. But they need better management. The pool staff and front desk staff were lovely and kind (Ruby) but the managements response to our issues was lackluster. Also the pool turned into a "party pool" in the later part of our stay. Not the vibe that was promised. We had to wear ear buds just to read our books. read more

We recently stayed at the Roblar Hotel in Ojai to celebrate my husband's birthday, and while there's so much to appreciate about the property, I wanted to share an honest review of our experience. The hotel itself is beautiful--thoughtfully designed with a serene, welcoming atmosphere. The hotel staff was lovely throughout our stay, and the on-site restaurant is definitely a highlight. The food was delicious and worth a visit on its own, though service can run a bit slow. One of the sweet touches we really enjoyed was the turtle habitat--our daughter absolutely loved it and it added such a unique charm to the stay. Unfortunately, the biggest issue--and what ultimately cut our trip short having to check out earlier than we anticipated --was the bed. It was extremely uncomfortable, and none of us (my husband, daughter, or I) were able to get a good night's rest the entire weekend. We were genuinely looking forward to a relaxing stay but ended up leaving early because we were so exhausted with the cot-like bed and terrible pillow. We left exhausted and sore. It's such a disappointment, because everything else was so well done. Overall, I would still recommend visiting the Roblar Hotel in Ojai for dinner, but I wouldn't suggest staying overnight. We typically stay at the Ojai Valley Inn during our visits to the area and will continue to do so in the future, as comfort and rest are an essential part of our travel experience. read more

I love this hotel. The style. The design. The pool. The tortoises. The breakfast pastries. Such a special place. The staff including the amazing Ruby are really sweet kids. They are still working some things out, but they are trying and you can tell. A couple of issues: we asked for an extra duvet and instead they put the duvet under the sheets so we only had a sheet to cover us. Then they flipped it the second night. No big deal. We called to place an order for room service and then we got a call back saying the kitchen closed early and that we should consider ordering dominos pizza. Very funny but maybe not the best advice for this kind of hotel vibe. But these are growing pains. We loved it so much we are spending the Christmas holiday there. If you are looking for the Ojai Valley Inn vibe, this isn't it. There are no screaming kids or families crowding the pool. It's paradise. Sure you sacrifice a bit of service but the privacy and then attention to detail make up for it. read more

really hate to write this review because I had such high hopes for this hotel. My husband and I stayed for 2 nights during the week to celebrate our anniversary, and we also brought our dog (FYI: the pet fee is $250!). Before arriving, we let the hotel know it was our anniversary. They emailed us saying they were excited to have us and even offered a complimentary dessert if we dined at their restaurant. We agreed and ordered drinks and appetizers, but instead of dessert we were given two cheap glasses of champagne we never asked for. While we were still grateful, it felt misleading. Our room itself was spacious but underwhelming. The bed was stiff and uncomfortable, and to make matters worse, we found ants crawling all over the bathroom floor and shower. The next morning, ants had completely invaded my dog's food, toys, and bowls--absolutely disgusting. When we raised the issue with the front desk, we were told the problem was because we weren't in a "pet-friendly" room... yet they still charged us $250 for bringing our dog and knowingly placed us there. Their solution was to offer us a limited free lunch, which we declined. They did take some charges off our bill, but not much. Only after we said we might cut our trip short did they finally agree to move us--but not before telling us we had 1.5 hours to pack up and leave, even though we had another night booked. We ended up leaving early, extremely disappointed. The manager seemed apologetic, but that didn't change the situation. Since leaving, I've emailed twice requesting a final statement of our stay and have received no response. Overall, between the ants, the poor handling of our concerns, and the lack of follow-through, this was a very frustrating experience. Definitely not what we expected for our anniversary trip. read more

My wife and I went to lunch there with some friends. The service and the food were awesome. The restoration of the building is off the charts, every detail looked perfect. We look forward to a return visit. read more

absolutely charming! wonderful service. beautifully detailed rooms. one of the most lovely hotel lobbies i've ever been in. beautiful lighting. read more