Hotel Wren
- There are no other hotels in this area that can compare to the quality of the hotel.
- With its natural colors, minimal furniture, and lush landscaping, the design promotes rest and relaxation in high desert.
- Kitchenettes are included in the rooms, so guests can prepare meals using ingredients from Windsong’s fantastic shop.
- The Hotel Wren is only a 10 minute drive away from the north entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, which has fewer people. It also features a visitor center where guests can purchase park tickets in advance.
California’s Twentynine Palms Long known as the military town that is less crowded than other entryways to Joshua Tree National Park. This high desert community, however, is undergoing a major rebranding, with a vibrant art scene, eclectic shops and restaurants, and its first boutique-style hotel.
The park is only a short drive away from the main business district of the town. Hotel Wren The hotel is surrounded by nature and feels like a private escape. Jessica Pell, founder of Manola Studio in Los Angeles, has transformed the 1940s motel into an intimate 12-room design retreat.
“The sound is silence, which is so rare in the city.” Pell said that it was important to let the nature sounds and silence come through. Travel + Leisure. She spent three years transforming the fire engine–red Americana-style motor lodge into a desert-modern escape, incorporating Santa Barbara-style plaster walls, textured wood and rattan accents, and a desert-inspired color scheme of sand, sage, adobe pink, and ochre.
The hotel’s unofficial slogan is “no time to rush,” and from the moment my husband and I walked into the lobby living room—with its crackling fireplace and custom circular windows framing the mountains of Joshua Tree—we started to shake off the drive and let go of the week’s stresses. With Madre tequila cocktails and hibiscus-flavored sodas in hand, we soon found ourselves embracing a laid-back desert atmosphere. We put on our bathing suits and settled into lounge chairs outside to listen to the meditative palm rustling.
In the morning, we enjoyed our complimentary breakfast—local Canyon Coffee, 29 Loaves bagels, and steamed eggs—while listening to birdsongs, and watching the hotel’s namesake wren guarding its nest.
My full review of Hotel Wren at Twentynine Palms in California is below.
The Rooms
Hotel Wren
The Hotel Wren offers four King Standard Rooms, two Queen Double Rooms, and six King Deluxe Rooms. The Wren House in midcentury, a two bedroom, two bathroom retreat with artisanal finish, is an excellent choice for groups of friends. You can also book it for special events, artist residencies, or for group bookings.
Each room has a slightly different style of furnishings, including cherry wood beds with custom vanities. Other features include vintage accent pieces as well as Noguchi-style pendant lighting, Pell’s collection of artworks and a Richard Neutra Joshua Forest drawing.
Suites have a homey feel with enclosed patios, gas fireplaces and fully equipped kitchenettes.
Michelle Blade of L.A. painted the beautiful tiles in the bathroom and bathtubs. Parachute bedding, plush bathrobes, and Wonder Valley products complete the luxurious experience.
Some patios are open to the outdoors and feature built-in banquettes for catching the sunset or fire pits in the winter.
Food and Drink
Hotel Wren
There is no bar, but a daily complimentary breakfast is provided in the lobby. The on-site Windsong store sells gourmet pantry essentials such as frozen pizzas and dumplings, pancake mixes, eggs, butter, pasta, local cheeses and charcuterie. Mini-bars and in-room snacks are delicious, with products from local and independent brands.
Activities and Experiences
Hotel Wren
The hotel can organize guided hikes through a local outfitter. Jared, Jared’s general manger, had recommended an easy-going, but incredibly photogenic, park hike at Arch Rock and Heart Rock.
The hotel does not have a gym on site, but the rooms come with yoga mats. The hot tub and saltwater swimming pools are popular among guests. The outdoor garden is lush with native California plants. There are plenty of seats. The communal fire pit and bubbling features of water provide a quiet place for reflection, or a social setting.
Spa
Hotel Wren
The Hotel Wren does not have a spa but it offers massages in the rooms. Windsong offers wellness books, essential oil, and beauty products from brands such as Ten Thousand Waves or Mojave Desert Skin Shield.
Accessibility and sustainability
One ADA-compliant double queen guest room is available, as well as one ADA compliant parking spot. The hotel offers electric car chargers, and a portion of the proceeds are donated to local charities and organizations.
Location
Twentynine Palms offers a number of interesting attractions, such as a vibrant Saturday farmers’ markets, the Old Schoolhouse Museum that chronicles the homesteading history in the area, and an assortment of cool shops.
One evening we went to the local gastropub for a fun meal. Grnd SqrlWe sampled the local beer and took in the cool murals that adorned the buildings. Also, 29 Palms Beer Co. It is a smashburger that is good. Campbell Hill Bakery People are lining up to get its pastries and their pizzas. La Copine This is one of the best daytime restaurants in town.
Another motel converted. Kitchen in the Desert, a Caribbean themed restaurant with a sexy party indoors or outdoors, also has a Desert General shop selling books and locally-made Mojave Mercantile hats made of tie-dyed cotton canvas.
It’s also worth visiting Noah Purifoy’s “junk” art installation, as he calls it. Pioneertown’s Old Hollywood history is fascinating, and it can be found in the area of Pioneertown. Pappy and Harriets The saloon is home to some of the world’s best musical acts, including Paul McCartney and the Arctic Monkeys.
The Best Value for Your Stay
Hotel Wren does NOT participate in any loyalty programs. Rates at Hotel Wren Starting at $330 per night.
Each hotel reviewed by T+L is chosen based on its alignment with our values. core values.
