Dear Valued Guests,

It is such a wonderful gift for me and my family to be "home" in this beautiful area once again. Having been in the Santa Barbara area for over 15 years, and just recently back from Hawaii, I now find myself in the most gorgeous and heartfelt environment of all - The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa.

All of us at the Ojai Valley Inn are surrounded by this sensational Valley that envelopes each and every one of us with unobstructed mountain views, clean air and at the end of the day, the "Pink Moment" that settles over the Topa Topa Mountain Range to highlight the end of another spectacular day in Ojai.

Our refurbished resort is bustling with new activity, exciting events and the ability to invite you to relax almost immediately upon arrival; a necessity we all crave given the difficult times we face in this present day and age.

When you can escape for whatever the desire or reason, please do allow us to assist you in creating that perfect getaway.

In the meantime, have a very happy and healthy holiday season and a wonderful New Year!

Sincerely,

Janis Clapoff
Managing Director

FROM ANNA OLSON’S DESK
General Manager

After 14 years of being a part of this team at the Ojai Valley Inn, I am always excited at what lies ahead for us and our incredible guests.

This January will see the start of our new Arts and Leisure Series, which is a lifestyle program dedicated to the art of living, Ojai style.

Our series will comprise three separate initiatives, outlined as: The Masters of Perfection, featuring guest speakers in the arenas of literature, art, music- The Art of Well-Being, an initiative that speaks to wellness; mind, body and creativity and finally, the Gourmand Within series, dedicated to the art of cuisine.

The series starts off the New Year , under the GOURMAND WITHIN initiative featuring mixologist DAVID NEPOVE from San Francisco.

Our Masters of Perfection series brings us our first literary luncheon on January 22, where invited travel expert celebrity Peter Greenberg will speak about his newest book “Don’t Go There," a book centered on all of the places YOU MAY WANT TO MISS.

February, we celebrate the art of chocolate all month long, with Oaxcan celebrity chef Susanna Trilling who will create a culinary event around cooking with chocolate, co-hosted by our own Jamie West and his pastry chef, Sal Martone.

Our Wellness event on February 27-28, speaks to a weekend of yoga and chocolate featuring Dave Rominelli of YEAAH DAVE YOGA.

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, Organic Chef Carolyn Robb (former organic chef for Prince Charles and Lady Di) will be our featured guest, preparing a delectable dinner with Chef Jamie West, paired with bio-dynamic wines from Casa Baranca, a local Ojai Vineyard.

On behalf of all of our associates, we look forward to serving you take part in our new Arts & Leisure Series or just relaxing around the resort.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season, from our family to yours.


Anna Olson
General Manager

For more information visit our website

CHEF'S NOTES
From our Executive Chef: Jamie West

December is the time of year that many traditions and memories are created. Here at the Inn, we take great pride in our holiday traditions. Winter brings in cooler weather and with the change in season; we transition to our new menu in the Oak Grill restaurant featuring exciting appetizers, incredible beef, the freshest seafood and creative pasta presentation. It is sure to warm your soul and fill your stomach.

We will soon be harvesting some of the best ingredients that California has to offer right here in the Ojai Valley. From Pixie Tangerines, avocadoes and winter squash, to fragrant lavender and rosemary; it is time to rejuvenate with our freshest bounty of seasonal offerings. Allow us to take the work out of the holidays, so you may enjoy the culinary delights of the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa.

As our Gingerbread House takes shape, the familiar, warm smells fill the air. Salvatore Martone, our new Pastry Chef and his staff, are creating a delightful Gingerbread House, good enough to eat, but awesome to see- 150 pounds of gingerbread, candy and other delectable goodies make this spectacular holiday offering a must to visit while at the Inn.

In the kitchen we are preparing for our special holiday: Celebrating years of tradition, the Inn offers two venues, Christmas Eve dinner in our signature Maravilla restaurant, or the Christmas Grand Buffet.

Our New Year’s Eve celebration will feature an exciting seven-course meal with specially chosen wine selections. Enjoy the evening dancing into the midnight hour and ring in the New Year with a traditional balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight.

We look forward to starting the New Year with the first of a series of special dinners and events. January, we invite you to our first “Mixologist dinner”, which will encompass unique pairings with a featured mixologist, while our culinary team prepares a gourmet event to remember. February, we celebrate the inspirations of chocolate and dedicate an entire month to it. Featuring such celebrity guests as Oaxan Chef Susana Trilling on February 12th and celebrity Yoga specialist, Dave Rominelli on February 27-28th!

Jamie West
Chef

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CREATIVE EXPLORATIONS
From Our Artist in Residence: Renate Collins

We are thrilled to welcome you to the Artist Cottage and Apothecary at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. Subtlety known as the “Heart and Soul” of the Inn, our beautiful cottage with its 180 degree views of the Inn and Ojai offer an experience unlike any other. Our classes range from watercolor lessons to fine jewelry design.

Our signature Personal Mandala encourages your creativity while delving into your psyche to help you better understand yourself in the most unobtrusive ways possible.

In our Apothecary, we will show you how to blend your own personal essence and then help you interpret the meaning behind your choices.

However, the true beauty of our existence here at the cottage is to allow you to explore your artistic talents in ways that are designed by you and for you.

Please call me directly to secure a personal session or to join one of our group lessons. We can assist in any way you desire.

Watch for our destination Artist Cottage weeks coming up, online at www.ojairesort.com.

I am so looking forward to meeting with you.

Happy Holidays,

Renate Collins
Artist in Residence

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FEATURED PACKAGE

This winter we are featuring our most popular package: The Best of Ojai. The beauty of this package is that it allows flexibility and the freedom of choice to design your perfect vacation. Choose from nine different activity options to customize your ideal experience:

• Round of golf, including cart on our Championship golf course
• 50-minute classic spa treatment (Facial, Massage, or Body Treatment)
• Golf lesson with one of our PGA certified professionals
• Tennis lesson with our USTA certified instructor
• Guided Fishing on Lake Casitas
• Surfing Lesson
• Full Day of Camp Ojai
• Dinner in the Oak Grill Restaurant
• Kayaking
  

We invite you to experience the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa on our most popular package and enjoy the flexibility to program your unique vacation. Decide on the activities yourself or feel free to have one of our resort specialists program your ideal experience.

The Best of Ojai Package includes a luxurious room and one activity per adult, per night stayed. Rates begin at $535.00* per night (based on double occupancy).

*Nightly rate applies to double occupancy, mid-week and is subject to availability at the time of reservation. Activity choices require advanced reservation and are subject to availability at the time of booking. Taxes extra.

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GREEN INITIATIVES

The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa has made a renewed commitment to the environment over the past year. We are currently working on a list of over 135 "Green Initiatives" from as simple as environmentally friendly cleaning solutions to more complex building automation systems that will help our resort and community in drastic ways.

The Building Automation System, with daily gas monitoring, reduced the consumption of natural gas by 76,000 therms from 2007 to 2008, which is equivalent to removing 66 cars from the highways or planting 380 new trees.

This month we are also pleased to announce the completion of a property wide lighting retrofit. During this project, we removed over 7000 incandesecnt bulbs and replaced then with higher efficient compact flourescent bulbs. This nets an annual savings of over 525,000 kilo watts which is equivalent to an additional 24 cars taken off of the road or another 152 trees planted.

We are always researching new methods or technologies to help us continue to reduce our eco-footprint. We look forward to striving towards an even greener future with you.

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For more information visit our website

Brian Skaggs
Director of Engineering

Renate Collins
Artist in Residence