Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / Ojai / Hotel El Roblar
Hotel El Roblar
Ojai, California, United States · Independent · Core Luxury
Hotel El Roblar is Ojai's oldest hotel, a 1919 Spanish Revival house by Frank Mead and Richard Requa that Eric Goode and Studio Shamshiri brought back after the Thomas Fire. Fifty rooms, Monterey furniture, and a pool in the gardens where Aldabra tortoises Abra and Cadabra wander. Condé Nast Traveler put it on the 2026 Hot List.
- 50 rooms
- Opened 2025
- Neighborhood: Downtown Ojai
- Architect: Frank Mead and Richard Requa
- Interiors: Studio Shamshiri (Ramin Shamshiri); Eric Goode
About Hotel El Roblar
- Mead and Requa built it in 1918-1919 for Edward Drummond Libbey's Spanish Colonial rebuilding of Ojai.
- Eric Goode, co-creator of Netflix's Tiger King and a tortoise conservationist, lets Aldabra giants Abra and Cadabra wander the gardens.
- From 1977 to 2017 it was The Oaks at Ojai, Sheila Cluff's fitness retreat, until Thomas Fire smoke closed the house.
- Pendleton blankets in the rooms are inscribed Hotel El Roblar Ojai California 1919.
History
Frank Mead and Richard Requa built Hotel El Roblar in 1918-1919 as part of glass magnate Edward Drummond Libbey's Spanish Colonial rebuilding of Ojai. From 1977 to 2017 the house operated as The Oaks at Ojai, Sheila Cluff's fitness retreat, until smoke from the Thomas Fire closed it. Eric Goode and Studio Shamshiri restored the Spanish Revival landmark over six years, reopening in 2025 with 50 rooms, Monterey furniture, and Aldabra giant tortoises Abra and Cadabra in the gardens.
The setting
Hotel El Roblar anchors Ojai Avenue with Topatopa Mountain views — the town's oldest hotel address, restored after the 2017 Thomas fire closed a wellness-retreat chapter.
Restaurants and bars
- El Roblar dining (two intimate restaurants) — Restaurant
Amenities
- Pool with showy landscaping
- Aldabra giant tortoises Abra and Cadabra in the gardens
- Spanish Revival architecture with Monterey furniture
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- Condé Nast Traveler Hot List (2026)
Open Hotel El Roblar in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
More hotels in Ojai
- Ojai Valley Inn — Independent · High Luxury