Los Angeles-based Manola Studio has reimagined a 1940s roadside motel in Joshua Tree as Hotel Wren, a 12-room hideaway that blends historic motel culture with modern craftsmanship, embracing the rugged beauty of the Californian desert.
The transformation involved the preservation of the motel’s original layout, restoring steel casement windows and architectural character, while introducing timeless materials and custom craftsmanship. The 12-room property balances rustic warmth with refined simplicity – where hand-trowelled plaster meets custom terracotta floors, carved woodwork, and hand-painted tiles inspired by the high desert’s flora and fauna.
The interiors mirror the desert’s shifting hues – cream, sand, sage, adobe pink, rust and deep ochre – colours that evolve with the changing light. Santa Barbara-style plaster coats the walls inside and out, while Saltillo tile and fossilised flagstone ground the space in a distinctly Californian vernacular.
At the heart of the hotel, the lobby serves as both a welcome space and a living room, with a fireplace, framed by warm custom millwork with hand-carved motifs by Nik Gelormino. Above, a mural by artist Kim Swift stretches across the walls in homage to the surrounding landscape. Custom metal and glass doors frame the view, while vaulted ceilings create an airiness that lets the desert light in. The space is layered with a curated mix of vintage, custom and locally sourced pieces, and bookshelves hold volumes on astronomy, geology, hiking, birding, philosophy and nature.
Each suite-style guestroom is designed to feel like a private residence, a space to unwind, reset, and take in the stillness of the desert. King or Queen beds are dressed in Parachute linens, and rooms are stocked with Wonder Valley bath products, a yoga mat, a meditation blanket, and a pantry of artisanal teas and Canyon Coffee – small luxuries designed to encourage ritual and rest.
Half of the rooms face the western desert, with bathtubs and private patios that open directly to the vast landscape. The remaining rooms offer enclosed patios and showers, creating a more secluded, intimate retreat. All feature built-in banquettes and gas fireplaces, inviting guests to sink in and stay awhile.
In keeping with the hotel’s commitment to reflection and presence, rooms are designed without televisions, offering a rare chance to unplug. Hotel Wren is also a 21+ property, fostering an environment of quiet connection to nature, to self, and to one another.
Windsong is an extension of Hotel Wren’s ethos, offering provisions, handcrafted wares and objects that deepen a connection to place. Located just off the lobby, this carefully curated bodega blends desert essentials with keepsakes that carry the feeling of this landscape beyond the stay. Shelves are stocked with ceramics, textiles, natural apothecary, rare books, and handcrafted goods from independent makers, alongside a well-edited mix of pantry staples, wine, and provisions meant to be enjoyed under the desert sky.
At Hotel Wren, luxury is about intention, not excess. It’s felt in the warmth of a welcome, the ease of a well-considered space, and the quiet details that make a place feel personal. The hotel was designed to feel like stepping into a home—where every element has been chosen with care, and hospitality is rooted in connection.
Guests are welcomed with a cocktail, invited to linger in the courtyard, and encouraged to settle into the rhythm of the desert. Evenings unfold naturally, with impromptu gatherings, shared conversations, and moments of stillness by the fire. Hotel Wren was created to foster a sense of belonging – where design, experience, and hospitality come together with thoughtfulness and ease.
As part of its commitment to environmental stewardship, Hotel Wren embraces and contributes to this evolving landscape, pledging a portion of proceeds to local organisations focused on land conservation, habitat restoration, and ecological preservation.
“Hotel Wren is my love letter to the desert, a place that still recentres me every time I return,” says Jessica Pell, founder of Manola Studio. “Joshua Tree has a way of making you feel both small and completely at home – its ancient rock formations shaped by time, the endless horizon, the sky burning gold before deepening into a field of stars. It quiets the noise and makes you listen. I wanted Wren to reflect that stillness, a space where architecture and landscape exist in quiet conversation, where every material and every detail is chosen with care and intention.”
