Holiday digs don’t get much cooler than this. En route from a few awesome but parching days of hiking and meteor-gazing in the desert, we continued our roadtrip onwards to Ojai Rancho Inn and boy was it a sight for sore feet and days-old hairdos. In an act of amazing foresight, Jinn had booked us a room with a spa just big enough for two bottoms where we dusted off our tired muscles and tumbled soon after into one of their beautiful giant wooden beds.

Set in sunny, rustic California, Ojai Rancho Inn is a refurbished motor lodge that keeps its old charm but has also had a major update in style. The vintage Americana vibe and healthy dosages of cacti and succulents in small pots had us sighing at every turn and their shibori-dyed curtains had me dreaming of shibori-ing the bejeebers out of everything when I got home.

There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy a bevvy or two on your private mini “porch”, at their onsite bar Chief’s Peak, or even poolside. Also nearby is the cheery town centre and the friendly hotel staff were more than happy to fill us in on their local favourites.

Although not yet on most people’s “to-do” list, we would heartily recommend including Ojai in your Californian itinerary, there was so much to like about the laid-back town. To find out more about our other Ojai highlights, read about Summer Camp (oh-so instagrammable store) and Four Leaf Wood Shop (covetable and functional wooden objects for the home).

Ojai Rancho Inn / 615 W. Ojai Ave, Ojai / hello@ojairanchoinn.com