Ojai Valley Inn and Spa
One of my top priorities as far as an eco-friendly vacation is concerned, is to travel as close to home as possible. If I can avoid getting on a plane, I certainly will and I’m so lucky because I live in Southern California, where there’s fantastic road trips to be had in almost every direction. On a recent “business” trip, I had the great fortune to find an oasis that has made its way very swiftly onto my “Top Ten Greenest Spa’s “ list.
The trip in question was to visit another organic farm in San Luis Obispo (my obsession with organic farming is enormous fun!), so I dropped in for the night at The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. I had heard that the resort was very eco-friendly and Ojai itself is home to the original, crunchy, lentil soup-sipping hippie – so it bode well.
The resort has also just undergone a massive ninety million dollar renovation, so I was interested to see what they had done. Renovations typically worry me – they stir up visions of wall- to- wall carpeting, overly shiny wood paneling and pretentious paintings, but I was in for a surprise with this one.
Set in the serene and stunningly beautiful Ojai Valley, I discovered that this very area was home to the Chumash Indians and early Spanish settlers. The resort is set on two hundred and twenty acres of ancient woodlands – the like of which I had only seen in California Landscape paintings. Originally built in 1923 in a traditional Spanish style, the new resort has retained and carefully built on to this gorgeous aesthetic. Every room boasts a balcony looking out either onto the golf course or groves of ancient oak and Eucalyptus. Every detail has been lovingly restored, from the hand painted wood beam ceilings to the ornate tile floors.
The rooms are elegant and deliciously comfy. Sitting in front of a flickering fire, sipping organic green tea and flicking through a magazine was balm to my soul and after a good night’s sleep in a bed that can only be described as a cloud, I was ready to float off and face my work day in very good spirits.
What inspired me beyond the comfort and beauty of the resort is how green they are. They have switched over 7,000 incandescent light bulbs over to the energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, which is equivalent to taking 24 cars off the road. They use a co-generator for heating and cooling and have just built a new family complex, which boasts solar light tubes, solar heating and which is surrounded by a massive organic herb garden. They also plan to grow most of their produce in the very near future. The food served in the excellent restaurants is locally sourced and organic where possible. The most eco-friendly aspect, however, is how just being at this resort fosters a deep connection to the earth. After just twenty-four hours at the inn, I felt centered and alive again. It’s the kind of place where you just want to sit underneath a massive oak tree and put your thoughts in order, or take a gentle walk through the rustling Eucalyptus groves. The spa itself is unusually cozy with large squishy sofas and warm fireplaces in the waiting areas and many of the treatments are sublime. I was treated to the “Shangri-la” where I was scrubbed, kneaded, massaged, wrapped and even had hot honey poured over me. I’m a big steam room girl (I’m always cold) and there’s nothing better than a good steam room and nothing worse than a bad one – this was the former, so I stayed in there until I almost passed out.
The icing on the cake of this resort is The Artist’s Cottage & Apothecary. The warm California light floods through the large windows of this exquisite Spanish Cottage. It’s a safe haven where guests are encouraged to explore their creativity – not, I may add, by sitting in a group chanting session, but by being guided by the artist-in-residence, Renata, who offers classes in every art medium from glass painting to silver point drawing. She even offers a personal Mandala session, where you get to journey within through drawing and have revealed to you a map of your life. Can’t wait to try it! As if this wasn’t enough, for the green girl like me, who eschews synthetic perfumes and scents, I learned that I can learn how to blend my own essential oils and even have a demonstration of the oils being distilled – a process I have always wanted to see.
The Ojai Inn and Spa experience showed me that I don’t need to get on a plane, or spend days at an expensive and often not-to-green hotel, to have an unbelievingly rejuvenating experience. Twenty four hours at a resort that nourishes their guests and the earth can hit the spot very nicely thank you!