Manola Studio Revives 1940s Motel as Desert Boutique Hotel

LA-based Manola Studio has transformed a 1940s roadside motel into a 12-room boutique retreat near the north entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. The adults-only Hotel Wren sits on the outskirts of Twentynine Palms, a High Desert town that acts as a gateway to the national park.

Led by founder Jessica Pell, the studio retained the original lodge layout while introducing a contemporary material palette informed by the surrounding desert.

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“Hotel Wren is my love letter to the desert,” Pell said, describing the landscape’s ancient rock formations, expansive horizons and shifting light as central to the design narrative.

Organised around a central courtyard, the property places communal life at its core. Loungers flank a swimming pool and hot tub, while dining tables are nestled among desert plantings. At the rear, a shaded lounge with deep sofas offers respite from the heat. A former porte cochere has been repurposed as a covered outdoor dining area, encouraging shared meals and informal gatherings. “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,” Manola Studio said.

The lobby is conceived as a living room anchored by a brick fireplace and custom timber built-ins featuring hand-carved motifs by artist Nik Gelormino. Cream walls are adorned with a mural by Kim Swift that recreates local flora, while furnishings comprise a curated mix of vintage, custom and locally sourced pieces.

Across the suites, a colour palette drawn from the desert combines hand-trowelled plaster, custom terracotta floors, carved woodwork and hand-painted tiles. Tones of cream, sand, sage, adobe pink and deep ochre shift with the changing light. Each room includes a kitchenette, supported by an on-site pantry store named Windsong, which supplies provisions and gifts. “The interiors mirror the desert’s shifting hues — cream, sand, sage, adobe pink, rust, and deep ochre — colours that evolve with the changing light,” said Manola Studio.

Guest rooms are airy, with lofted ceilings and no televisions to preserve the quiet of the setting. Western-facing rooms open directly onto the desert via private patios, while others feature enclosed courtyards with outdoor showers, built-in banquettes and gas fireplaces. “It quiets the noise and makes you listen,” she continued. “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”, explains Pell.
The result is a considered adaptive reuse project that positions hospitality, landscape and architecture in quiet dialogue within California’s High Desert.

Images by Ethan Jones via Dezeen