The charming little town of Ojai was built by the Ohio magnate and art patron Edward Drummond Libbey who raised money from his wealthy friends to build its cohesive Italian town center complete with an arcade and a belltower. Today, Ojai preserves its classy charm by being franchise-free.
Nestled in the mountains of the Los Padres National Forest in the lush Ojai Valley just 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, the town offers plenty of outdoors activity: hiking, biking, water sports, kayaking.
Its peace and serenity began attracting spiritualists like Annie Besant, Krishnamurti, and artists like Beatrice Woods who laid the foundation for its reputation as an artsy, spiritual, healing destination full of art galleries, spas and all sorts of body workers and healers.
The Oaks at Ojai is an all-inclusive boutique destination spa with only 40 rooms, some of which come as spacious bungalows with spa bathtubs and large private patios.
The spa is conveniently located in the heart of the town, with shopping, galleries, restaurants, the Sunday farmers market, as well as the Ojai Museum featuring local historical artefacts and prominent citizens, all within a convenient block or two.
As a fitness retreat, its calendar is chock full of classes that run the full gamut – Pilates, chair and mat sessions, yoga, breathwork, meditation, as well as aquatic workouts. You can also enjoy the facilities – pool, saunas and machines, on your own or sign up for guided hikes on nearby picturesque trails.
As an American Plan Spa, The Oaks provides a well-rounded 1,200 calorie a day spread over three meals, snacks and beverages. Chef Christine Denny walks a tightrope balancing the healthy with the flavorful. Menus are varied and feature natural, fresh fish and poultry, as well as locally-grown fruits and vegetables. No additional salt or refined sugar is used either in the preparation of meals or offered on the table; all seasoning comes from herbs from the spa’s gardens.
The Chef routinely gives cooking demos offering tips, and techniques; she patiently fields questions, and gladly shares recipes for dishes served in her kitchen.
A full menu of spa and salon services are available to indulge and pamper. They include massages, body composition analysis, body treatments, skin care treatments, as well as custom consultations. The facial I recieved lasted 90 minutess; as a bonus, it also included treatment for hands and arms, feet and calves.
Many weeks and weekends focus on specific themes such as dance, meditation, cycling, yoga, or breathwork. I chose the poetry life awareness coaching weekend in which Annat Provo, a graduate of Santa Monica College of Spritual Psychology, made extensive use of poetry to get her inspirational and motivational messages break through conscious resistance and barriers of participants.
The spa appeals heavily to women who need a break. They use the time to relax, rejuvenate, develop healthy lifestyles, and perhaps even lose some weight in the process. It is easy to make friends with other visitors as well as the courteous, caring staff; they keep in touch and the visitors keep coming back.
I chatted up an elderly lady who has been coming here all the way from British Columbia every year since her travel agent first hooked her up with Oaks Spa three years ago. She was envying my 90 minute breezing into town from Santa Monica, while she had to spend four hours just from LAX alone – because of all the pick ups and drop offs. She couldn’t find anything like this closer to home – in beautiful British Columbia of all places – I wondered in amazement. That’s got to be some testimony for The Oaks!