The Hotel Willa has opened in Taos, N.M., representing the latest addition to the Casetta portfolio and the boutique hotel brand’s first foray into the southwest.
The 50-room adaptive-reuse project reimagines a 1960s adobe-style motor lodge at the edge of the Downtown Taos Historic District and framed by views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
“Hotel Willa is our love letter to Taos—a town with a creative pulse and cultural depth unlike anywhere else,” General Manager Santiago LaRoche said in a statement. “This project gave us the rare opportunity to breathe new life into a historic property while channeling the layered identity of the region—from its modern art legacy to its ancestral roots. As Casetta’s first outpost beyond California, Hotel Willa is both a retreat for design-minded travelers and a cultural touchpoint for the local community.”
Developed in collaboration with Los Angeles–based architecture and interiors studio Electric Bowery, the property pays homage to the architecture of the Southwest with hand-troweled terracotta walls, original wood vigas, arched thresholds and sculptural adobe details. A muted palette of sun-bleached neutrals, earth tones and gemstone-inspired accents nods to the surrounding New Mexico landscape.
Design and Decor
Public spaces include a gallery-style lobby decorated with foraged branches, a pool deck landscaped by local studio Etvernal and The Store at Willa, a retail destination curated in partnership with Santa Fe-based SOTE.
The design incorporates handwoven textiles, bespoke furnishings and curated local artworks. Guestrooms continue the narrative with kiva-style fireplaces while others have private patios with views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
With properties throughout California—including The Pearl Hotel in San Diego, Casa Cody in Palm Springs and The Surfrider Malibu—the brand has established a presence across Southern California. In addition, two new openings are slated for Q2 2025— Hotel Marina Riviera in Big Bear Lake and Hotel Lucile in Silver Lake—with a new hotel in Hudson, New York expected to open in 2026.