Ojai Valley Inn and Spa - Ojai Press Releases

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Receives AAA Five Diamond Award for Second Consecutive Year

OJAI, CA (January 2008) - Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, the quintessential California resort and a favorite escape for Hollywood celebrities, has just been honored with the American Automobile Association's (AAA) Five Diamond Award for 2008. The resort is one of just 84 hotels and resorts nationwide and only 16 in California that have received the Five Diamond Award this year for their overall quality, facilities and distinctive level of service.

"It is a huge honor to be awarded the AAA Five Diamond award for the second year in a row," said Thad Hyland, Ojai Valley Inn & Spa's Managing Director. "It's a tremendous compliment to our dedicated employees and to their level of commitment to our guests."

AAA's Five Diamond Award is the highest level in its recognition program. Hotels and resorts in this category epitomize luxury and sophistication, provide meticulous service, exceed guest expectations and maintain impeccable standards of excellence. Each AAA-rated property is personally and rigorously inspected by an anonymous evaluator every year. Five Diamond Award winners comprise just .27 percent of the 60,000 properties AAA rates.

Since 1923, vacationing guests have sought the tranquil pleasures of the historic Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, a AAA Five Diamond property located on 220 tree-shaded acres 35 miles south of Santa Barbara. Affirmed by its many prestigious awards and fresh from a $90 million renovation, the legendary Inn is one of the nation's unique hidden treasures. For reservations: 1-800-422-6524, or on the Internet: www.ojairesort.com
###

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Redefines California Luxury

After a $90 million renovation completed in late 2006, Ojai Valley Inn & Spa now features 308 new rooms and suites, a new lobby and entrance, new golf shop, new restaurants, and new ballrooms and meeting spaces. The enhancements and upgrades completed during the renovation preserve the resort's original charming architecture and unique sense of place.

"During the span of this project, says Managing Director Thad Hyland, we've demolished a dozen buildings, laid 15 miles of cable, buried 5 miles of pipe, and installed 200,000 square feet of Saltillo tile and 20,000 pieces of decorative tile. Now, more than 5,000 gallons of paint, a half dozen new fountains and 125 trees later, we are finished and can really see the results of our labor."

New Guest Rooms and Suites
A total of 308 new guest rooms including 72 suites embody the romantic Spanish Colonial style with a terra cotta, persimmon, cream and blue color palette. Four-poster beds, Spanish style corner fireplaces, terra cotta tiles in the entrance foyers and bathrooms, and colorful hand-painted tiles and lanterns accent the rooms. Outdoor terraces have wicker seating, and some suites feature Moroccan-style banquettes with colorful pillows and gas fire pits. In the original 1923 Hacienda building, each room has been redecorated in the Spanish Colonial style with four-poster beds, Morris chairs, and carefully restored hardwood floors and decorative tile from the 1920s.

Four New Dining Options
Oak Cafe, the Inn's three-meal-a-day American Grill restaurant, has been completely redesigned inside, but has preserved the popular terrace for warm-weather dining with views of the golf course. Jimmy's offers an authentic pub experience with boutique beers on tap, California wines by the glass, and brick oven pizzas. The Cafe at the Spa serves lighter fare and exciting entrees with a distinctive Mediterranean influence. Maravilla, the Inn's elegant signature restaurant that features an innovative menu, welcomes diners to three intimate dining areas with fireplaces and cozy banquette seating. While each restaurant has its distinctive decor and atmosphere, each menu features locally-grown ingredients at their height of seasonal freshness.

New Conference Center and Wedding Venue
Two new ballrooms and extensive pre-function space have been designed in the Spanish Colonial style which imparts a very residential feel with warm colors, carpeting in a rich Mediterranean color palette, and fireplaces. Outdoor pre-function space resembles a paseo with arched entries, fountains and a cozy fireplace. Casa Elar, a stately Tuscan-style private residence bordering the golf course, is complete and available for group and private functions.

New Golf Shop, Caddy Program and Course Layout
George C. Thomas' classic 1923 course has been reconfigured to improve the golf experience by reversing the front and back nines and improving players access to the first hole. A new Pro Shop provides new lockers and expanded retail space, all designed in the Spanish Colonial style. A golf valet in the shop and a caddy program on the course provide guests with new levels of service.

Preserving a Sense of Place
The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa is rich in history and is a landmark of the California Central Coast. Surrounded by the Topa Topa Mountains, the Inn offers panoramic views of the valley that was portrayed as the mythical paradise of Shangri-La by filmmaker Frank Capra in his 1937 classic, "Lost Horizon." The Inn's original design by noted California architect Wallace Neff has been carefully preserved by ensuring that all new construction continued his original style. Today, the expanded resort still resembles a private estate with the residential feel and warmth of Old California.

Since 1923, vacationing guests have sought the tranquil pleasures of the historic Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, a AAA Five Diamond property located on 220 tree-shaded acres 35 miles south of Santa Barbara. Affirmed by its many prestigious awards and fresh from a $90 million renovation, the legendary Inn is one of the nation's unique hidden treasures. Reservations: 1-800-422-6524 (OJAI). Internet: http://www.ojairesort.com

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Fact Sheet

AT A GLANCE
This AAA Five Diamond resort, a landmark of California's Central Coast and a favorite escape for Hollywood stars, recently completed a $90 million renovation and expansion. Amenities include a classic 1923 golf course and Spa Ojai, one of the top 10 spas in America.

LOCATION
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
905 Country Club Road
Ojai, CA 93023
Resort Telephone: 805-646-1111 or 800-422-6524
Resort Fax: 805-646-7969
Spa Ojai Telephone: 888-SPA-OJAI (888-772-6524)
Golf Shop Telephone: 805-646-2420
www.ojairesort.com, www.spaojai.com, www.golfojai.com

Located in the charming historic Spanish-style town of Ojai fourteen miles from the Pacific Ocean, 35 miles south of Santa Barbara and 73 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Ojai's unique east-west orientation attracted the Chumash Indians, the original inhabitants of this area who revered it as a place of healing, as well as contemporary spiritual seekers who ascribe mystical powers to this valley that is still called "The Nest." Today, the Ojai Valley is a haven for artists, writers and movie stars who find inspiration in Ojai's serene beauty.

HISTORY
In 1923, Edward Drummond Libbey, wealthy Ohio glass manufacturer and philanthropist, built a country club and golf course for residents and visitors. He commissioned famed architect Wallace Neff to design the clubhouse in the traditional Spanish Colonial style of Southern California.

Renowned golf course architect George C. Thomas, Jr. was commissioned to design a course from the natural terrain that was immediately hailed as "the cream of Southern California courses."

GUEST ROOMS
308 spacious rooms and suites, most with fireplaces and terraces with spectacular mountain and golf course views. All rooms have king or double beds with exclusive "Ojai Nest" bedding, LCD flat-screen televisions and high-speed internet access.

Room rates range from $400 to $600; suites from $700 to $6,000.

All guests have unlimited use of the driving range, and free valet parking.

ACTIVITIES
Year-round activities include golf on the George C. Thomas-designed 18-hole championship course, horseback riding, full service tennis center with four hard courts, three heated swimming pools and whirlpools.

Camp Ojai for children 5-12 offers supervised educational activities with a focus on learning about the Chumash Indians, and a daily visit to our Ranch's small animal farm.

Off-property excursions include guided hiking, bird watching tours, artist studio tours, ocean and lake fishing, surfing and kayak lessons in the Pacific Ocean or nearby Lake Casitas.

SPA OJAI
An award-winning 31,000-square-foot luxury spa with twenty-eight treatment areas, including massage rooms with fireplaces, Spa Ojai offers an unusual variety of therapies, plus whirlpools, steam rooms, saunas and sunbathing loggias for men and women.

The luxurious 3,500-square-foot spa penthouse has a private elevator, meditation loft and large terraces with private outdoor whirlpools and fireplaces for VIP guests.

Spa Ojai's gym is well equipped with a state-of-the-art cardio theatre, a full selection of weight machines and free weights.

A daily schedule of complimentary mind/body classes includes t'ai chi, yoga, qi gong, meditation, spinning, and water aerobics, plus more unusual offerings such as dancing and cardio-boxing. Power walks and nature hikes are offered daily.

Two pools are located at Spa Ojai, one of which offers guest cabanas for private outdoor treatments.

The Artist's Cottage and Apothecary at Spa Ojai offers classes in a variety of art mediums and custom blending of spa products.

RESTAURANTS
Maravilla: The Inn's elegant signature restaurant serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday.

Oak Cafe: Three-meal-a-day casual restaurant offers an American Grill menu. Dining is outside on the Oak Terrace overlooking the golf course or inside by the fireplace.

Jimmy's: A casual pub features thin-crust New York-style pizzas and a wide selection of beers and wines by the glass.

Cafe at the Spa: Serves lighter Mediterranean fare for lunch. Take-out salads, smoothies, sandwiches and desserts are available all day.

AFFILIATIONS
Associated Luxury Hotels International
Prestige Resorts & Destinations
International Spa Association
AAA-Five Diamond Property

�

Spa Ojai - The Unique Spa Village

Award-winning Spa Ojai is known by consumers and industry experts as a benchmark facility for its architecture and design, its art program, its unique mud treatment inspired by indigenous traditions, and its seasonal body scrubs that use locally-grown ingredients. Spa Ojai, first opened in late 1997, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. With the greatly anticipated addition of a dedicated art studio for an expanded arts program, we now offer a separate work space for blending fresh herbs and essential oils to create customized creams, scrubs and lotions.

The Artist's Cottage and Apothecary
Spa Ojai's newest addition is a 1,200-square-foot Artist's Cottage and Apothecary where our guests learn from resident artists to work creatively in a variety of media: pottery, painting, drawing, wreath-making, and soap and paper making. The new Artist's Cottage, bathed in natural light from huge windows overlooking the mature oak trees of the golf course, is an open venue in which to create. The cottage features old-fashioned artist's easels, looms for various fiber art classes, and tons of raw materials to work with: string, charcoal, paper, plant materials, buttons, and fabric. Throughout the week, classes in batik printing, paper making, watercolor and collage provide ways for our guests to unleash their creativity and have fun with paints, colored pencils or pastels.

The Apothecary at the Artist's Cottage is a working "lab" where guests blend fresh herbs and essential oils, grown and distilled on the Inn's own grounds, into cream and lotion bases to create their own personalized spa products they can take home with them.

Wide Variety of Treatments
Guests booking spa appointments can choose from a wide variety of treatments, including facials, massages, and body treatments. Spa Ojai carefully selects only the finest product lines to use in its treatments; guests are pampered with product from Arcona, Carita, and Decleor during their spa experience. The Salon at Spa Ojai offers guests a full selection of manicure and pedicure services, as well as makeup and hair styling.

Honoring Chumash Tradition
Spa Ojai honors the sacred traditions of the Chumash Indians, the Ojai Valley?s first inhabitants. The signature mud treatment at Spa Ojai is the Kuyam (koo-yahm), a Chumash word meaning "a place to rest together." Taking its inspiration from traditional healing methods of many cultures, the Kuyam combines mud therapy, wet and dry heat therapy, inhalation therapy and a guided meditation for groups of up to eight men or women, and is the first of its kind to be offered in the United States.

The Elderberry & Ginger Detoxification Wrap draws its inspiration from the Chumash tradition of using elderberries to hydrate the skin. Petals, a signature body treatment, uses rose powder to exfoliate and sensuous rose oil to nourish the skin and is based on a Chumash practice of using the dried petals of wild roses to smooth on their babies.

"Edible" Ingredients
A number of our spa treatments use the bounty of Ojai's farms, orchards and ranches. Locally-grown lavender is used in the Ojai Lavender Sugar Scrub, and pure organic honey from local farms is enjoyed in the Pomegranate Honey Pearl Body Polish. Our seasonal body treatments also contain organic ingredients from local farms: Pixie Tangerine Body Scrub in the spring, Avocado Oat Body Mask in the summer, Pumpkin Melon Body Scrub for autumn and Grapefruit Body Scrub during the winter months.

Fitness Classes and Activities
Because the natural beauty of the Ojai Valley is so inspiring, we encourage our guests to spend as much time as possible outdoors. They can gather fresh herbs in the garden for a wreath making class, join a morning hike, or embark on a meditative walk. Golf, tennis, horseback riding, bird watching, water aerobic classes and biking are also an important part of the experience. T'ai Chi classes are often held on the lawn, while art studio classes move outdoors for plein air painting classes. Indoors, the 1,600-square-foot Mind/Body Gym includes a fully-equipped weight room with brand-new state-of-the-art equipment, cardiovascular workout area plus a studio for classes in Tai Chi, yoga, dance, traditional aerobics and meditation.

Architecture and Design
Designed in the Andalusian Spanish style of architecture, Spa Ojai, the Ojai Valley Inn?s 31,000-square-foot spa, has the charm and ambience of a thriving Mediterranean village. Curving outdoor staircases, trickling fountains, terraces and loggias surprise and delight at every turn. A bell tower rises 50 feet over the Courtyard, the gathering place for guests in this unique village. The Spa Village Boutique, Salon, Mind/Body studio, and Cafe surround this area. Two adult-only pools, one of which has private cabanas for outdoor treatments, are located on either side of the spa.

The elegant interiors found in Spa Ojai reflect the Moorish influence on Spanish Colonial architecture. Sculpted and plastered Andalusian ceilings are complimented by custom-designed tile floors and mosaics of hand-painted tile. All of the twenty-eight treatment areas feature decorative tile and hand-stenciled walls painted in warm shades, and the massage rooms have corner fireplaces.

Luxury Penthouse Suites
Another feature unique to Spa Ojai is its 3,500-square-foot penthouse with four private guest rooms, two living areas, large balconies and a meditation loft. Accessed by private elevator, the penthouse features its own treatment room, sauna and Sunrise and Sunset terraces with outdoor whirlpools. It's the suite of choice for the many celebrities from nearby Hollywood who visit Spa Ojai.

Since 1923, vacationing guests have sought the tranquil pleasures of the historic Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, a AAA Five Diamond property located on 220 tree-shaded acres 35 miles south of Santa Barbara. Affirmed by its many prestigious awards and fresh from a $90 million renovation, the legendary Inn is one of the nation's unique hidden treasures. Reservations: 1-800-422-6524 (OJAI) or 1-888-SPA-OJAI. Internet: http://www.ojairesort.com

The Classic Golf Experience at the Inn's Historic Course

Golf at Ojai, an experience enjoyed by players of all levels since 1923, has been enhanced by a $90 million renovation of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. A new pro shop, an improved layout of the classic George Thomas-designed course, expanded instruction and new programs have enhanced players' enjoyment of the historic and treasured course.

"The enhancements won't eliminate the things that players have always cherished most about this classic course," said Mark Greenslit, the resort's Director of Golf. "These long-awaited changes only add to the experience by improving the pace of play, the finish, and the service levels in the shop."

New Layout for the Links
The front and back nines of the historic course, designed by George C. Thomas in 1923, have been switched, a change that brings the course more into alignment with Thomas' original intent. The first nine holes is less demanding on the player compared to what awaits him further into his round, while the back nine holes build in difficulty to a dramatic finish. At 571 yards, hole #15 is the course's most challenging par 5, and leads the player to the "Lost Holes," #16 and #17, offering the course's most spectacular views and daunting barrancas. Number 18, with its sharp angle, uphill green and bunkers, is the toughest hole of all to par. True to Thomas' goal, the course requires the player to "use every club in his bag."

New Pro Shop and Caddie Program
The new two-story, 1,645-square-foot pro shop is designed in the Spanish Colonial style of architecture with a red tile roof and white plaster walls, arches and terra cotta floor tiles. New lockers for men and women offer amenities such as chilled or heated aromatherapy towels. A Golf Valet, a service no longer available at most golf shops, offers club rentals, shoe polishing, bag storage, and on-demand club repair to all players.

Other amenities offered include a new Caddie Program that allows players to request caddie services on an advanced reservation basis. A tradition that has been long absent in many areas of the country, this program offers the service of specially trained caddies, an amenity that will enhance the playing experience for players who enjoy this level of service.

Declared a cell phone-free zone, and with the deliberate absence of GPS devices, our classic course delivers a golfing experience "the way the game was meant to be played."

Golf Instruction Expanded
The golf instruction program has been expanded to offer two courses that may be taken in succession, or enjoyed separately. The Golf Academy focuses on the fundamentals of the golf swing and the short game, followed by nine holes of play on the course. The Player?s Academy emphasizes course strategies and mental techniques. Additionally, resident instructor Dr. Joseph Parent, author of Zen Golf and an expert on the mental game of golf, is available for one-on-one or group instruction.

A 1923 Course Rich in History
In the early 1920s, Edward Drummond Libbey, millionaire glass manufacturer and driving force behind the Ojai Valley Inn, commissioned George C. Thomas, Jr. (also architect of the Riviera, Bel Air and Los Angeles Country Club courses) to design one of the country's premier golf courses. Like a sculptor working in marble, Thomas maximized the natural contours of the Inn's 220 acres of softly rolling hills to make a course praised then and now.

In the eighty years since it opened, the golf course has become legendary. Pros Jimmy Demaret and Doug Sanders represented the links on the tour during the 1950s and '60s. A remodeling of the course by Jay Morrish in 1988 considerably toughened the course and still retained the challenges that have made Ojai golfing guests return year after year.

Ojai's "Lost Holes"
In 1999, the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa delighted golf historians with a renovation of our historic golf course that brought back two signature holes that had been "lost" for over a half-century. During World War II, the U.S. military occupied the grounds for a training base and R&R facility. When the government retuned the resort to private ownership, they did not rebuild it according to Thomas' original design. Two holes, including one of Thomas' favorites, were left out of the layout. More than 50 years after these holes were lost, they were rediscovered and restored. The terrain of these two holes is so spectacular that noted golf historian Ben Crenshaw commented, "This is going to be once again one of the best shots in golf."

The Ojai course has hosted seven Senior PGA Tour events, the EMC Golf Skills Challenge televised by NBC Sports, and the Michael Douglas & Friends Celebrity Tournament. It is repeatedly rated a silver medal resort by GOLF Magazine, whose editors also named Ojai's hole #2 among the "World's Greatest Holes." Long-awaited changes only add to the experience by improving the pace of play, the finish, and the service levels in the shop.

Activities Galore at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa

California's breathtaking Ojai Valley has long been a gathering place for the health and fitness minded. An important part of Ojai's history includes the 220-acre Ojai Valley Inn that was originally created as a world-class golf destination, but has developed over the past eight decades into a full-service resort with endless activities for all ages. In fact, Conde Nast Traveler readers consistently rank the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in their annual Gold List among the top resorts in California.

At Spa Ojai, guests choose from a wide variety of spa treatments, including facials, massage, and body treatments. A salon is located in the Spa Village for manicures, pedicures, and makeup and hair services. A full program of Mind/Body classes for adults is available including yoga, spinning, dance, and t'ai chi, as well as nature walks and power hikes. At the spa's Artist's Cottage and Apothecary, classes in a wide variety of mediums - including collage, papermaking, herbal wreath making, and pastels - are taught by artists from the local community on a daily basis.

Guests at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa can recapture the serenity and natural beauty that the Oak Grove, Chumash and early Spanish settlers discovered in the Ojai Valley along the horseback riding trails of the Inn's own 800-acre ranch, and on the hiking and biking trails of the Los Padres National Forest. Hikers will enjoy guided excursions through the surrounding National Forest into areas that have, for millennia, been seen only by the hawks, raccoons, squirrels, coyotes and bobcats living there.

Camp Ojai, our acclaimed children's program, provides fun and educational activities for children 5-12 under the watchful eye of trained counselors. The children enjoy daily trips to our ranch for pony rides and our petting farm, swimming, outdoor games, and art projects and plays. A highlight and important part of Camp Ojai is its focus on the Chumash Indians- counselors lead the kids in craft projects that teach the traditions of the Chumash Indians, and take a walk to the Inn's "Ap" -a Chumash Indian hut- for stories and games. Camp Ojai is available for children to attend half or full-day sessions 365 days a year. Largely because of Camp Ojai, the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa was named one of Child Magazine's Top Ten Family Friendly Resorts in 2006.

In addition to golf on our renowned George Thomas-designed 18-hole course, the Inn boasts a complete tennis center, with four hard courts and a full service pro shop.

Other activities include guided lake fishing and kayaking, plus - just minutes away - a variety of beach activities such as sailing, deep-sea fishing and surfing lessons. Excursions to the Santa Barbara wine country, Santa Barbara Zoo, or local Los Angeles-area amusement parks and museums are easily booked through the Concierge.

Since 1923, vacationing guests have sought the tranquil pleasures of the historic Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, a AAA Five Diamond property located on 220 tree-shaded acres 35 miles south of Santa Barbara. Affirmed by its many prestigious awards and fresh from a $90 million renovation, the legendary Inn is one of the nation's unique hidden treasures. Reservations: 1-800-422-6524 (OJAI). Internet: http://www.ojairesort.com