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.
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.
Hotel Willa
233 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur
Taos, NM 87571
United States
+1 575-305-7711
