Rolling Thunder Ranch

This is one of the best, well organized, amazingly managed vacation experiences my family and I have ever experienced!  We stayed at The Rolling Thunder Ranch!  The pool was heated with hammocks all around it.  The fireplace in the living room had fish ponds on each side.  The property was well maintained.. beds felt like clouds!  The rock finishing in the bathrooms made me feel like I was at a fancy room at the Madonna Inn.  On top of all that the host Lisa told us we could have a private chef come over. We could simply enjoy our stay without the need to cook or find a place to eat.  Who would leave here anyway Right? it's heaven! The chef was amazing! She brought so many fresh local produce AMAZING! I believe they have other properties we will definitely check them out too. Highly recommended and get the chef it's worth it! One last thing Lisa even set up massages for us right at the house it was super luxurious.

The Rolling Thunder Ranch was the perfect place to celebrate my sister's upcoming wedding with family and friends. Walking the grounds is such an experience as you always find something new and exciting around the corner; for example the vegetable garden we found towards the back of the property and all the inviting sitting areas scattered throughout. You can have a fun gathering at the pool or take a stroll and find a place to be alone; maybe read or meditate. This place has it all! One evening we had dinner on the patio and the setting could not have been any better: the string lights, the cool stone table that could seat our large party and the amazing tall trees. It felt like we were at a tropical island. Many of us traveled from out of state and the hours it took to get to Rolling Thunder Ranch was well worth it! The only negative is....wish we stayed longer.

This home is owned by Jerry and Lisa Kenton and managed by Dave Navarro (the 7th property manager the Kentons have employed in under 2 years). The business is called Enchanted Vacation Rentals. The Kentons own many other vacation properties in the Ojai area and list them under the EVR name. They also own the Deer Lodge, which has tasty food with awful service (kind of like the vacation homes...beautiful settings with dreadful owners).Frankly, I don't know how anyone ever books with them because they don't keep their appointments and they don't return phone calls. My fiance and I attempted to book the Rolling Thunder Ranch for a week leading up to our Ojai wedding as a place for us to stay with our immediate families. When I first contacted Dave Navarro about the property, he told me it was booked over the weekend of my wedding, but since we wanted a week long rental, the owner would force an "upgrade" on the listed guests to another property so EVR could get 2 rentals. Seemed very unfair to the renters, but I went along with it...until Dave started flaking on every single phone call I made. I scheduled a visit up to Ojai just so my fiance and I could meet the owner and sign a contract for Rolling Thunder. EVR was even going to put us up at the property for free. When we got to Ojai we learned we could not stay at the property because the current guests decided to stay an extra day. We had to pay for a hotel unexpectedly. The next morning Jerry Kenton did not come to our scheduled appointment. When we finally tracked Dave Navarro down at another EVR property, he didn't even remember we wanted Rolling Thunder for a week and gave us a quote for 2 days only. We also learned no one had been staying at the Ranch the night before, it was just a case of the owners not wanting to be inconvenienced with a cleaning fee. It was sad to let go of my dream of staying at the lovely ranch, but who can risk the possibility that the house you rent for a week is going to become strangely "unavailable" at the 11th hour? Especially during the week of a wedding!Basically the Kentons are very wealthy, extremely flaky, terrible business owners, and have a bit of a monopoly on the vacay rental industry in Ojai. Too bad for the people who have to deal with them on a regular basis. They certainly make Ojai seem like an unpleasant place to visit.

Stayed here for a wonderful weekend with 10 other friends and had a lovely time. Not only is there interesting decor and art everywhere you look, the outdoor areas become secondary entertaining and lounging areas, with great night lighting and comfortable seating. The bedrooms were spacious and comfortable and we felt spoiled by the two jacuzzis and having two kitchens. Can't wait to stay here again.

This place is amazing! It's like no other property I've ever seen. Every inch of the huge outdoors is packed with different little spots to enjoy. There's a garden, a large grassy area to play lawn games on, 2 hot tubs, a really beautiful pool, two giant grills, tons of fireplaces, and so much more. We came here for a writers' retreat and everyone had an amazing time. Every stop along the way, the management team was very informative and helpful. Great spot for a relaxing vacation. Would definitely stay here again!

We stayed a weekend with friends that came down from the Northwest for a early Feb break of rain/snow... It was good to have a large group stay here as opposed to a hotel. The grounds were very spacious and because of inclement weather we found ourselves huddled around the fire place which was cool. Only draw back was that it was kind of dirty and I couldn't pay with a VISA.. not that we are clean freaks or broke but the place was a bit tired and the cob webs in the shower was sketch and I could have used the VISA rewards points since I dolled out over $3500 +/- for the event stay... All in all I think everyone enjoyed themselves as a large group in a private setting so it worked out well. As for all the negative remarks in the prior posts I did address these as a concern of mine with Lisa and she was pretty cool explaining what happened and that was that...

I cannot say enough good things about my experience at Rolling Thunder Ranch and working with Lisa. The property was spectacular - the grounds are truly magical, and it was hard for my friends and I to leave them :(. This was the most special place I've ever rented.

Highly recommended for a weekend getaway that will make you think you travelled a lot further from home than you really did!Just finished an amazing Labor Day Weekend stay at the Rolling Thunder Ranch. We had a fantastic time at the ranch and were shocked at how much the property felt like a tropical resort.The perfect weather made it very easy to enjoy the 2 fire pits, the ample outdoor cooking, dining, and general hang out spots. Sleeping was a little tight for the 15 people we had, but with the great weather we were able to put inflatable mattresses pool side and make use of the hammocks.We will be back!

This is an interesting place. The home is clean, that's the good news and that means lots. However... some issues here. The main one is the "stone" walkways, paths, seating, bar etc. They are dangerous! There is not a smooth walking surface in sight. If you have toddlers or seniors or even women in heels, it's scary. In general, just about anyone can easily trip and hurt themselves on the uneven walkways. At night, stay indoors. Lighting is poor and literally, it's scary to walk. The other issue is the pool. It's freezing and again there is not any easy entry or exit. Will not be back and cannot recommend.

Rolling Thunder Ranch WAS the BEST!!!!!We recently celebrated my husband's 40th birthday at Rolling Thunder Ranch and had the MOST amazing experience! Not only was the property stunning and the perfect setting for our event, but the Kenton's were INCREDIBLE to work with in planning his special day! We highly recommend spending time at Rolling Thunder Ranch, it's truly a magical place!!!!!