Casetta Heads Southwest: Hotel Willa Brings Boutique Charm to Taos
Rooted in the Creative Soul of Taos, Hotel Willa Emerges as the Destination’s Newest Boutique Design-Forward Desert Retreat, Celebrating the Re...
BLLA Editorial Team
June 19, 2025 – 11 min read
Rooted in the Creative Soul of Taos, Hotel Willa Emerges as the Destination’s Newest Boutique Design-Forward Desert Retreat, Celebrating the Region’s Rich Cultural and Artistic Heritage
TAOS, NEW MEXICO – (May 22, 2025) – In the high desert of northern New Mexico, where the light has long lured painters and poets, a new kind of refuge quietly emerges. Meet Hotel Willa—the latest addition to Casetta’s growing constellation of design-forward boutique stays, and the brand’s first foray into the American Southwest. Tucked at the edge of the Downtown Taos Historic District and framed by views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the 50-room retreat reimagines a 1960s adobe-style motor lodge with a reverence for place and a contemporary sensibility. Earth-toned minimalism meets layered cultural storytelling here: from an Artist in Residency program and gallery activated in partnership with The Paseo Project, to Juliette, the hotel’s marquee dining concept helmed by celebrated chef Johnny Ortiz-Concha and Maida Branch of SIEMPRE Design, where each dish is a love letter to the local landscape. Part sanctuary, part salon, Willa is poised to become both a community hub and a destination unto itself—rooted in heritage, designed for now.
“Hotel Willa is our love letter to Taos—a town with a creative pulse and cultural depth unlike anywhere else,” says Santiago LaRoche, Hotel Willa’s General Manager. “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. Everything from the Artist in Residency program to the seasonal menu at Juliette is meant to reflect the slower pace, raw beauty, and creative spirit that make Taos so singular.”
A Distinct Design-Forward Boutique Getaway in the Heart of Taos’ Vibrant Art Scene
Hotel Willa reimagines a 1960s adobe-style motor lodge through the lens of contemporary design, marking a striking new addition to Casetta’s portfolio of adaptive reuse properties. Conceived in collaboration with Los Angeles–based architecture and interiors studio Electric Bowery, the property pays quiet homage to the vernacular architecture of the Southwest—think hand-troweled terracotta walls, original wood vigas, arched thresholds, and sculptural adobe details—while layering in a modern sensibility. A muted palette of sun-bleached neutrals, earth tones, and gemstone-inspired accents nods to the surrounding New Mexico landscape, creating a mood that is both grounded and luminous.
Public spaces include a gallery-style lobby dotted with foraged, flowering branches, a serene pool deck landscaped by local studio, Etvernal, and The Store at Willa, a retail destination curated in partnership with Santa Fe-based, SOTE. Each space is designed as invitations to linger, converse, and exchange ideas. Throughout, artisanal craftsmanship anchors the aesthetic: handwoven textiles, bespoke furnishings, and curated local artworks breathe texture and authenticity into every corner. Guest rooms continue the narrative, with layouts that prioritize both character and comfort—some featuring kiva-style fireplaces, others opening onto private patios with views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. An original adobe residence has been thoughtfully preserved and reimagined into a set of interconnected suites, marrying historic charm with understated luxury. The result is a hospitality experience that feels intimate, inherently place-driven, and utterly of the moment.
In line with Casetta’s deep commitment to sustainability, Hotel Willa partnered with Taos Initiative for Life Together (TiLT)—a local nonprofit focused on community development and environmental stewardship—and architect Doug Eichelberger on an inventive project to build its parking lot walls from 2,000 pounds of repurposed plastic waste. As part of TiLT’s Repurposing Plastic Project, which has diverted over 70,000 pounds of material from landfills since 2020, the walls are reinforced, finished with stucco, and demonstrate how discarded resources can become high-performance building materials: lightweight, waterproof, insulating, and long-lasting. This collaboration offers a compelling model for transforming local waste into meaningful infrastructure.
Rooted in Ritual, Raised in Taos: Juliette Makes It’s Dining Debut at Hotel Willa Tucked within the newly opened Hotel Willa, Juliette isn’t just one of the most anticipated new dining destinations in Northern New Mexico—it’s a soulful expression of land, lineage, and deeply personal cooking. Helmed by chef and artist Johnny Ortiz-Concha in collaboration with his partner, Maida Branch of SIEMPRE Design, Juliette celebrates the extraordinary beauty and nurturing energy of the matriarch, and is named in homage to Ortiz-Concha’s mother, who lived just beyond the hotel for much of her life. Bread for the table is home-baked by Ortiz-Concha’s younger sister, Allysa Ortiz. Food is served and plated on ceramics made by Taos-based, Logan Wannamaker. The space—earth-toned, inviting, quietly reverent—feels more like an ancestral kitchen than a conventional dining room. And that’s exactly the point.
A rising force in the new American culinary landscape, James Beard Award–nominated Chef Ortiz-Concha shapes a profoundly expressive culinary vision that is as much about memory as it is about terroir. Born and raised in Taos Pueblo—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the U.S.—Ortiz-Concha brings a reverent intimacy to the plate, one informed by generational tradition, seasonal intuition, and a lifelong connection to the destination, channeling a culinary philosophy steeped in ceremony, sustainability, and Indigenous traditions with fine-dining finesse.
The menu unfolds like a conversation between inheritance and modernity—wild-foraged herbs steep into broths with the cadence of ritual. Coal-roasted vegetables, pulled from the hotel’s edible garden, share space with nose-to-tail preparations that reflect a deep respect for the entirety of the animal. Heirloom staples—many sourced from nearby farms and ranches—anchor the kitchen’s ethos of place and season. Communal by design, meals are meant to be shared: delicate small plates of calabacitasand chile-honey glazed proteins give way to heartier fare—perhaps a cast-iron skillet of braised rabbit or blue corn atole spooned warm. Desserts lean rustic and ingredient-driven, while the beverage program offers low-intervention wines, small-batch spirits, local brews, and an elegant array of non-alcoholic options, from herbal remedio teas to house-fermented sodas infused with medicinal plants.
Juliette’s cuisine is less about spectacle and more about spirit—rooted in place, wrapped in story, and crafted with extraordinary care and intention. Juliette doesn’t try to reinvent Northern New Mexico cuisine—it honors it, refines it, and makes it unforgettable.
“Opening Juliette is deeply personal for me—it’s a way of honoring the land, my ancestors, and especially my mother, whose warmth and strength inspired so much of what we’ve created here,” said Chef Johnny. “Every dish reflects the soul of Northern New Mexico—its bold flavors, its history, and the generosity of its people. We wanted to build more than a restaurant—we wanted to create a space where community is nourished, stories are shared, and the spirit of Taos lives on through great food and drink.”
At Hotel Willa, leisure is reimagined as a form of communion—with nature, with self, with the layered cultural rhythms of Taos. The property invites guests to slow down and sink in, offering a curated array of experiences that feel less like amenities and more like rituals: a serene pool and hot tub edged by desert flora; a contrast therapy circuit of sauna and cold plunge; fire pits that flicker to life at dusk, setting the stage for storytelling steeped in local lore. Evenings unfold beneath the town’s storied dark skies on a stargazing deck designed for quiet contemplation.
True to its setting, Hotel Willa leans into Taos’ creative heritage with an Artist-in-Residence program in collaboration with The Paseo Project, a celebrated platform for site-specific, immersive art. The hotel’s on-site, 2,000-square-foot gallery rotates with exhibitions from both rising and established talents, creating a living dialogue between guest and place—where inspiration is both the backdrop and the invitation. Activated and managed by The Paseo Project, the gallery serves as a platform for local creatives, beginning with its inaugural exhibition: ON SITE: The Artisans of Hotel Willa—a dynamic group show that brings together a diverse roster of artists whose work is deeply rooted in material, place, and craft. The exhibition celebrates the many hands behind the hotel’s transformation, from visual artists to the artisans who contributed to Hotel Willa’s plumbing, security, and construction. Featured artists include Paulina Ho, Mark Kemper, Afton Love, Debbie Long, Randy Martinez & Todd Wynward of TILT, Johnny Ortiz-Concha, Dean Pulver, Sean Ratliff, Abby Salsbury, Boramie Sao, Dawning Pollen Shorty, Ky Sturges, Aron John Dubous, Johnny DeFeo, and Izumi Yokoyama. A comprehensive overview of the artists and their work may be found here.
A Place to Gather, With Intention At Hotel Willa, community is more than a concept—it’s a carefully composed atmosphere. Designed with the modern aesthete and mindful traveler in mind, the property’s gathering spaces invite connection, creativity, and a certain Taos-bred ease for all who visit. Under the vast New Mexico sky, events unfold on a sweeping outdoor terrace framed by views of the Couse pasture and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains—ideal for star-lit soirées, artist salons, or group retreats with a cinematic backdrop.
For more intimate occasions, The Gallery and the Adobe House offer bespoke environments layered with texture, art, and soul. The latter—a preserved 1960s adobe residence—features a private patio and grilling station for personalized culinary experiences curated by the hotel’s in-house team. Whether hosting a 200-guest celebration or a quietly luxe dinner among friends, Hotel Willa’s spaces are less about convention and more about creating moments that feel grounded, beautiful, and entirely of place.
An Exciting Year Abounds for the Casetta Hotels Brand As part of the Casetta Hotels portfolio—a collection of boutique properties celebrated for breathing new life into historic spaces through modern design, elevated hospitality and a deep commitment to sustainability—Hotel Willa exemplifies the brand’s purposeful approach to placemaking. Its opening marks Casetta’s continued dedication to preserving the character of architecturally significant buildings while reimagining them for today’s discerning traveler. Known for transforming storied structures into intimate, design-forward destinations, Casetta blends preservation with innovation—infusing each project with sustainable practices that honor both place and planet. With acclaimed properties throughout California including The Pearl Hotel in San Diego, Casa Cody in Palm Springs and The Surfrider Malibu, the brand has established a strong presence across Southern California and is expanding beyond. 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 on the horizon in 2026. Casetta will further foster a sense of community and guest loyalty through the introduction of an exclusive members’ club, offering privileged access and bespoke perks across its entire portfolio, including Hotel Willa.
Italian for “Little House” or “Lodge,” Casetta is a hospitality brand led by boutique hotel lovers dedicated to creating effortlessly unique stays and dining. Driven by a passion to embrace the past and connect to the present, Casetta’s hotels are architecturally significant, each offering a distinctive history and personality, which the brand honors in order to create timeless, culturally rich spaces refreshed with modern amenities. Casetta is passionate about investing in community engagement, actively partnering with the surrounding neighborhood and its leaders to design warm, inviting spaces that speak to each property’s locale, fostering a strong sense of place while developing one-of-a-kind experiences that resonate with both locals and guests alike. Visit us at Hotel Willa in Taos, New Mexico, The Pearl Hotel in San Diego, Calif., Casa Cody in Palm Springs, Calif., and The Surfrider in Malibu, Calif. Hotel Lucile coming soon to Los Angeles and Hotel Marina Riviera coming soon to Big Bear Lake, Calif.
About CLUB
CLUB is an art and design studio in Los Angeles, California, founded by Noah Love and A.J. Mercer. Together they practice celebrating the classics in the modern era, devoid of any passing trends. Their focus is in graphic identities and art direction, allowing them to create a wide range of executions. They take pride in embedding integrity into their work through clear, articulate communication across all mediums. CLUB designed a visual identity refresh and collateral suite around the existing Hotel Willa logo.
