The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa: A Priceless Gem in Our Own Backyard

When I started graduate school, my children were three and five years old, so each semester I would escape to The Ojai Valley Inn for two nights as a “Am I Crazy, What the Hell Was I thinking” reset.

Last week, I went back with my daughter after a seven-year absence and driving up the beautifully landscaped entry felt like a warm hug from an old friend.

While we had a rocky start, being sent to a room that had not been cleaned yet, the trip gained momentum with each passing hour. Our room had a gorgeous view of the golf course and mountains and our firepit whispered promises of s’mores after dark.

There is something magical about the light in Ojai that anyone who has been fortunate enough to experience at sunset will understand. And the grounds of the Inn make it all the more sublime. With every twist and turn through the property, we found another majestic oak tree or a grove of lavender sharing its intoxicating scent with us all. 

The Inn itself has a long history. Originally opening in 1923, its over 200 acres have evolved and grown but always managed to stay in balance and harmony with its surroundings. 

Known as a “spiritual vortex,” healers have been drawn to the area for longer than any of us have been on the planet, and the Inn’s spa menu now reflects those origins. Yes, you can get a Swedish massage, but why stop there when according to Marie Gillcrist, the PR account supervisor, you can get a Kuyam: 

“A signature treatment experienced as a group. Kuyam is a Chumash word meaning ‘A Place to Rest Together.’ It begins in a beautifully tiled room, heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Lemongrass is steamed for clearing inhalation therapy and the guests are led through a process to self-apply a set of healing clays to the body and neck. Then, a guided meditation recorded by a Chumash elder is played before the cooldown process begins. The treatment is an incredible blend of intensive detox and inspiring and uplifting mindful practice. After the Kuyam, the group is led to a private patio to enjoy herbal tea and allow for their body temperatures to cool.”

I opted for a CBD Flower Essence Scrub and Massage. Having never been a “scrub person,” always feeling the scrub to be nothing but abrasive foreplay before the main event, I was pleasantly surprised to become a convert. My joints were feeling my morning Pilates more than I cared to admit, and after 75 minutes of this heavenly treatment I was renewed, reborn and ready to conquer another day of relaxation by the pool. I must offer a warning though. Following my CBD massage, I must have been really relaxed because I went into the 175-degree infrared sauna with my flip flops on. They are made of rubber. Hmmmm. What could go wrong? Who knew they would actually melt?

But the highlight for us both was The Artist’s Cottage; a serene little house tucked away in its own little cul-de-sac where you can wander in at will and choose a craft du jour. Both of us chose to make our own aromatherapy scents. The wonderful girl who helped us, who we found out is an elementary school teacher most of the year, was so very kind, knowledgeable, and helpful that we found ourselves happily chatting and scenting away for nearly 90 minutes. We came away with our own signature scents and warm memories of our shared experience. 

It was after The Artist’s Cottage that I realized that the grounds of the property are not the only spiritual vortex phenomenon of the Inn. The people are what make it so very special. Ethan at Libbey’s (the on-site market, coffee shop and ice creamery) was so engaging, helpful and welcoming that he and the girls that work there became our habitual stop on the way back to our room each night. And Jazmin by the Indigo Pool, with her warm smiles and seemingly psychic intuition as to when someone might need a refill of their watermelon refresher (yes, that is a thing), made each and every guest feel like a VIP.

While there are so many activities on offer, from golf and tennis to hiking and bike riding, we found a nice balance between doing and being; that perfect state to which the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa so nicely lends itself. The air is so still and calm there, it dares you not to relax. Challenge accepted. 

I will have to go back to experience the rest of the many adventures on offer. But who said being a journalist was easy?