Stay | Hotel Wren

What was your vision for creating a boutique hotel experience in the desert, and how does the landscape influence that vision?

This project started with context. A small 1940s roadside motel sitting quietly at the edge of a national park. The setting already had atmosphere. What drew me in was the chance to build something that felt both intimate and transporting, a place that shifts your rhythm the moment you arrive.

I thought a lot about the feeling of arrival. Leaving the city behind, turning off the main road, and then landing somewhere that feels like you’re being welcomed into someone’s home. That intimacy became the intention of the project and bringing it back to connection. I wanted Wren to feel like a place that holds you, in both its hospitality and its design.

Every detail was shaped by the landscape. We matched paint colors to plant matter gathered on-site in both summer and winter. Tiles were hand-painted with native flora like cholla, yucca, and ocotillo. The materials are tactile and unpolished: sun-warmed terracotta, carved wood, natural fibers. The rooms were composed not just to celebrate beauty, but to also call in presence. The goal was never to create something precious. It was to build something that feels real, elemental, and quietly generous.

There’s a sense of intimacy and calm that sets The Wren apart—what kind of experience did you hope guests would take away with them?

I wanted Wren to offer a different pace, a downshift. A place where people could slow down and drop in. The desert naturally invites that and the hotel just mirrors it. The architecture, the flow, the textures, it’s all designed to support that kind of soft landing.

One of the things I like to say, and try to live by, is the idea that there’s no time to rush. It’s simple, but surprisingly hard to practice in real life. As the project evolved, that phrase kept resurfacing. Over time, it felt like the project itself wanted to carry it and it became a sort of mantra for the hotel and a quiet invitation to slow down and feel the spaciousness.

My hope is that guests leave feeling more grounded than when they came. Like they landed somewhere they didn’t realize they needed.

Can you tell us about some of the local makers, artists, or elements that are part of The Wren’s story or space?

We worked with an incredible group of artists and makers, many of them local or connected to the desert in meaningful ways. Kim Swift painted the mural in the lobby, inspired by a blooming San Pedro cactus we were marveling at during a visit. Michelle Blade created custom ceramic tiles for each guestroom, honoring all my favorite native desert plants and animals. Anthony Angelicola from Fire on the Mesa built our custom millwork, and Ethan Primason contributed beautiful custom metalwork throughout the property. Tony Bayevich led the landscape and rock work with a quiet sensitivity to the land. Grant Earl Lavalley did beautiful millwork for us, and Aidan Koch created custom floral illustrations that carry a quiet, emotional quality.

What do you love most about being based in 29 Palms, and what are a few favorite places you recommend to guests while visiting?

There’s something incredibly humbling about the high desert. It holds silence, space, and time differently. I love the contrast out there- the soft light against sharp rock, wildflowers blooming through dry earth. Twentynine Palms has a raw, soulful energy that’s completely its own. There’s a quiet kind of magic here.

Downtown 29 Palms has really transformed in recent years. So many wonderful shops and small businesses have opened up over the last few years. There’s this sweet momentum building that’s creative, welcoming, a little off the radar in the best way.

A few places I always recommend: Mas o Menos for a perfect matcha latte by day and the most delicious cocktails by night. It has a great vibe. My friend Farhad’s pop-up Friendo Burger is truly delicious. I Fall for Pizza is also a favorite. The Integratron is a special experience if you can catch a sound bath, Tin Town shops are great and La Copine forever. And of course the magical park, my favorite is to drive in at sunset and watch the day turn to night at Split Rock.

What’s next for The Wren—are there any new plans or offerings you’re excited to share?

We’ve been open about six months now and after many years of building, I finally feel like I’ve been able to step back and really see what we created here. To get some perspective, to take it in. And from that place, I’m excited to keep shaping it and refining what’s here and opening the door to more connection and community.

I’m interested in exploring offerings that reflect the values at the heart of Wren- art, creativity, nature, care, belonging. Artist residencies, pop-up dinners, small gatherings, talks, or fundraisers for causes we care about.

I’m really proud of what we’ve built and I feel lucky to do it with the team I have. So grateful and looking forward to so much more.