The Ojai Retreat

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the Balcony Room. The room is small, but it was very clean and nicely air conditioned. We were especially impressed by the furniture and fixtures--all high quality wood and granite, nothing plastic or flimsy. The view from the balcony is wonderful, although the outdoor furniture does not match the indoor furniture in quality. The management rightly stresses the fact that guests should keep the noise level down in this retreat setting. The housekeeping crew does not seem to be held to the same standard, talking to each other very loudly as they clean. Our only real disappointment was the breakfast. It is described as a healthy breakfast; unfortunately, many of the selections of bread and yogurt had little flavor. Guests can toast bread and bagels, but there are no other hot items. We have paid comparable rates at several other B&Bs that provided a hot casserole, eggs made to order (the only eggs here were hard boiled), pancakes, or the like. The breakfast could still be healthy--why not include something like whole wheat pancakes and bagels that are fresh, not thawed from the freezer? Still, the overall experience at the Ojai Retreat was lovely, and we would happily return.

Lovely place, a great value! Nice location, great breakfast and amazing setting. Close to excellent restaurants!

Lovely, peaceful, relaxing... A great place to rest and rejuvenate. My husband and I made a last-minute decision to get out of town, and we're so glad we chose to stay at The Ojai Retreat. There are no televisions, phones, pets or young children, just nature and quiet. We stayed in their largest room which is separate from the other rooms, the Ojai Suite, which is actually two rooms - a bedroom and a livingroom with a mini-kitchen with fridge and microwave. There is also a full bathroom with tub & shower. It has an incredible view from the bedroom and from its own large patio. It's private and so peaceful. There is also a nearby main house with a great room with comfy seating and lots of spiritual (not religious) reading material and beautiful views of the property. This is where they serve a morning buffet of fresh fruit, pastries, eggs and coffee. There is a lovely fountain and several great walking trails on the property with perfectly placed benches to rest and meditate. This place is all about rejuvenating, and the staff is friendly and supportive of your goals to find peace. Although the rooms are a bit pricey, there is no 10% tax because this is a non-profit, and that saves you money over a traditional hotel. We booked our room the day we were arriving so we also got a 20% discount. That saved us money to use for food at several restaurants, such as The Ranch House just down the road. It’s expensive but lovely with lush gardens and flowing fountains. And the food is fabulous! Also there is Suzanne's Cuisine in downtown Ojai. Expensive but the food was yummy! Both restaurants were worth the cost. For breakfast the Ojai Cafe Emporium on Montgomery Street is absolutely the best. It's worth the wait to get a table. We'll be better prepared the next time we're in Ojai so we can find the hiking and biking trails in the area. And we definitely look forward to staying at the Ojai Retreat again! Peace and quiet - just what we all need!

A wonderful place to restore and renew. The rooms are super clean, relaxing, and quiet. The grounds and views are just beautiful. I'll be back as soon as possible.