CA Spa Resort - The Oaks at Ojai
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Finding inner bliss and like-minded spa fans at The Oaks in California
I had to be seduced into trying The Oaks at Ojai.
For years, I’d gone to its sister spa, The Palms of Palm Springs, Calif. I was peeved when the owners, the Cluff family, decided after 25 years to close the place in 2003 and focus on their other property, The Oaks, which is in a valley town about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Loving the desert as I did, I’d never been tempted to switch to the more moderate climate in Ojai. But the Cluffs offered longtime Palms’ visitors a free night to try it, so I acquiesced.
I fell in love with it. I’ve been there two more times since.
The Oaks had all the things I loved about The Palms. It was affordable for a destination spa (about $250 a night for a single room, instead of close to $1,000 a night at well-known places like Canyon Ranch); it offered the same healthful, delicious, organic meals; and it had similar aerobics, pool, dance and yoga classes.
Even better, because the sun and heat are not as extreme in Ojai, I could have more strenuous outdoor workouts. The valley location provided for stupendous views on the optional daily mountain hikes, which were between four and 12 miles long.
The flashy, touristy aspects of Palm Springs got old after a while. Ojai, on the other hand, is a charming historic community, its quaintness enhanced by the number of artists who live here and show their work in the myriad galleries in town.
To be sure, The Oaks, while attractive, isn’t luxurious. (The Palms wasn’t either.) It has only a small exercise area with a treadmill, step machines, an elliptical and a few weight machines. Guests looking for a harder workout can get a $5-a-day pass to the nearby Ojai Athletic Club. I’ve found that all the classes and hikes offered at The Oaks make that unnecessary.
Luxury spas such as Canyon Ranch or Miraval include a variety of services (massages, facials and wraps) in their all-inclusive fee. You pay separately for such services at The Oaks, which add up if you feel you need a massage every day ($80 for 50 minutes). I prefer to pay as I go, and order and pay for only the services I feel like getting.
Typical days at The Oaks start at 6 or 7 a.m. (depending on the hike or walk). Or you can sleep in until breakfast at 8; no demerits given.
You can choose from oatmeal, low-cal muffins, hard-boiled eggs, fruit and cottage cheese at a breakfast buffet. Next up are classes - there are dozens, ranging from kick-boxing, to cardio-pump, to belly dancing or in-line skating - or you can just read or doze under the palm trees by the pool.
There’s a midmorning veggie “broth break,” which you’ll need if you’ve been working out. Then there are more classes, lunch by the pool, more classes and a relaxing yoga session. There are two more snacks: huge amounts of cut-up fresh vegetables in early afternoon and, later, a fruit smoothie, followed by dinner. (No alcohol is served here.)
After dinner, there are lectures or a DVD movie at the resort. Or, on your own, you can shop, see a movie at the theater across the street or take an evening walk.
The Oaks’ rooms are very clean and have been freshened up in a recent renovation.
About 90 percent of the guests are women; the few men are usually accompanying wives. Some of the guests (they can range from 16 to 80-plus in age) are looking to develop more healthful habits, while others - already fit - are looking for a challenge in the mountain hikes or bike rides to the ocean about 16 miles away. Some women just come to dine on California cuisine that someone else - a gifted chef, actually - has prepared, and get massages and facials to rejuvenate.
Staff members are pros. Some have worked at the spa for decades, their love for a healthful lifestyle apparent in their appearance and encouraging demeanor.
Eleanor Brown, in her 80s and a master swimmer, has taught yoga here for more than 30 years. One look at her posture and skin tone is enough to spur anyone to make well-balanced choices in food and exercise.
Women guests I’ve met at The Oaks are generally professionals seeking a break, or moms who needed to get away for a while. “Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman visited the month before I was there.
Spas inspire camaraderie. Maybe because you’re so relaxed (or because you’re often wearing a robe), you’ll confide and hear amazing things in a short amount of time. I call it “spa intimacy.”
Some friendships endure; others last only as long as the visit, but remain memorable for what you learned about a fascinating woman whose path you’d otherwise never have crossed.
If you want chatty discussions, you can find them - usually starting on the morning walk. But if you just want to hang out and read, just put on your sunglasses and find a chair, lie back under one of the palms, and sigh.
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