The Capri: Retro, after a renovation

FOLKS posting comments on travel websites didn’t have much praise for the Capri motel: The TV remotes were broken, the toilets were dirty and the sheets seemed to be stained.

If the Capri is the only place in Ojai with a vacancy, one disgruntled guest advised, “sleep in your car.”

But that was 11 months ago. Since then, the 30-room motel has changed ownership and undergone a considerable renovation aimed at recapturing a retro-California feel with modern conveniences. Billed as a limited-luxury boutique hotel, the Capri is family-friendly and moderately priced, but not without some shortcomings.

Bunking down: As part of the renovation, which is still underway in some rooms, the owners have installed 42-inch plasma TV screens and offer wireless Internet connections. But it was the other amenities, such as a DVD player, iPod docking station/clock-radio, refrigerator and microwave oven, that my wife and I particularly enjoyed when traveling with our two young boys.

Some of the upgrades, unfortunately, appeared as though they were done on a tight budget. The orangy interior paint job was a tad sloppy in places, electrical cords from the TV and light fixtures draped down the walls and the bathroom shower curtain was flimsy. The TV required two remotes to change channels and adjust the volume. None of that mattered, however, when we went to sleep on the Capri’s comfortable beds with new linens and pillows.

Hanging around: The motel’s neon sign, covered carport, tropical foliage and stone facade hark back to the 1950s. The motel’s lobby has decidedly modern decor, where guests lounge on white leather sofas, resting coffee mugs on low-profile glass coffee tables, while reading newspapers or munching on the free continental breakfast of bagels, cereal, fruits and yogurt. The Capri has a swimming pool, a wading pool for children and a Jacuzzi.

Going out: The motel is set against the backdrop of the Topa Topa Mountains and across the street from Soule Park Golf Course -- a fun, reasonably priced public course. Less than a mile’s walk away is Ojai’s main shopping and tourist district. For the active set, hiking trails and fishing at Lake Casitas are nearby.

Perks and peeves: The motel has a library of more than 500 videos, and golf clubs and bicycles are available for guests to use for free. In the missed opportunity category, the first-floor rooms have private patios, but unlike the rest of the nicely landscaped grounds, they are overgrown with weeds and odd vegetation.

The Capri, 1180 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai; (805) 646-4305, www.hotelojai.com. Doubles $129- $149 on weekends; winter rates start at $99; holiday rates may be higher.

matt.lait@latimes.com