29 Oct Western Landmark: Hotel Willa, Taos, NM

So, this happened. I was in charge of booking lodging for a spur-of-the-moment road trip to New Mexico. Let’s just say, this isn’t my strong suit. My guy, Rob, and I decided on Taos, the quaint arty town an hour north of Santa Fe, and an easy four-and-a-half-hour drive from Denver. I started out on task, scouring the internet for hotels and cute bed-and-breakfasts. I found the perfect B&B, filled out the requisite form, got distracted (funny dog videos), and forgot to click “confirm.”

The glorious willow stands guard over the hotel and the hotel and its new pool with plenty of comfy lounge chairs.

The next day, when Rob asked where we were staying, I lied. Or more accurately, I stretched the truth. I told him all the good places were booked, which, by then, they were. “But, no worries,” I said with so much false confidence I didn’t even believe myself, “everyone recommended the same place: the Hotel Willa.”

The photos on the Hotel Willa’s website looked great, and though I’d never heard of it, something seemed familiar. It’d been years since I drove through Taos and even longer since I stayed there, but if everyone suggested Hotel Willa, well, what could go wrong?

Dine in at the Willa and experience their farm-to-table cuisine.

Fast-forward a few days and we’re following GPS to the hotel. We round the corner on the main drag through Taos and I suck in a sharp breath. Just blocks away is the creepy motel that I thought had been condemned years ago. Rob says, “Is that where we’re staying?” And before I can stop myself, I mutter, “God, I hope not.”

It was. But, once again, I was wrong. Well, I was right and I was wrong.

The Willa boasts a gallery where they exhibit and sell work by local artists.

The Hotel Willa was, in its past life, the Indian Hills Inn. A massive dive, the inn had both a politically incorrect name and, before it was shut down, a reputation as a place to score drugs. It had been sealed off for a decade until it caught the eye of someone from the Casetta Group, a boutique hotelier whose mission is to find places like Indian Hills Inn and give them a second chance. Hotel Willa inhabits the same footprint — two stories, balconies, exterior room access, and a drive-up entrance off Paseo del Pueblo Norte — but as soon as we parked and walked into the lobby, the experience was nothing short of surreal.

The Willa’s well-appointed bar is a delightful place to kick off the evening. Photos: Patrick Chin, courtesy of Hotel Willa

From the fashionable polished concrete floors to the vigas and plastered, whitewashed walls, the place looked like it was a high-end version of what the Indian Hills Inn might have been if it ever had a heyday. We got our keys, pulled around the side of the building, and found our room on the second floor. Despite the warm greeting from the folks at the front desk, however, I was starting to feel annoyed again. I am, basically, a princess-and-the-pea kind of sleeper: everything has to be perfect, which is nearly impossible to achieve in my own home, much less a hotel — but a motel? Forget it.

The designers for the Willa didn’t miss a detail: each room features custom woodwork, platform beds, dressers, and cabinetry.

I shoved my bag through the door, scowled down at the busy street where a pack of motorcyclists revved their engines. But as soon as the door closed, I couldn’t hear a sound. Door open: beyond annoyed. Door closed: tranquility. Across the room was a picture window overlooking the back courtyard. Filled with neatly tended desert plantings, secluded seating areas each with its own firepit, and a swimming pool surrounded by wide decking, lounge chairs, a towel desk, spa, and yoga/workout facility, the space left me utterly charmed. And though most of the landscaping is new, the Casetta architects and planners kept some of the gorgeous old trees, including a massive willow, which stands like a sentinel over the estate.

Unique features such as glass block windows let in light and echo the Willa’s past design.

The Casetta Group has a total of six revitalized properties, with all but the Willa in California. To a person, the staff at the Willa was genuinely enthusiastic about the management and grateful that they hired locals, served farm-to-table meals using traditional northern New Mexican recipes, and respected their culture. In other words, Casetta didn’t force a national chain with a set playbook onto a community with a heritage that goes back centuries.

Casetta also works with environmentally conscious, US-based companies for everything from bathrobes to candles, dishes to art, coffee, and linens. In a time when it is far easier and undoubtedly more cost-effective to bulldoze old buildings, Casetta finds ways to buck the trend. Much to my surprise, my guy and I spent the rest of the weekend, except for a quick afternoon trip to Santa Fe, hanging out in and around the Willa. We tried their bar (excellent selection of spirits and cocktails) and ate at their restaurant (lots of Southwestern standards with a fresh twist). The one night we ate elsewhere, it was at the Love Apple, a semi-secluded, 13-table restaurant fitted into an old adobe church. I still dream about their menu of locally sourced fare and the truly quirky but oh-so-yummy pairings. Do put in a reservation for the Love Apple if you’re headed to Taos, and bring cash because they don’t take cards.

Suites include a sitting room and fireplace. Photos: Patrick Chin, courtesy of Hotel Willa

So, yes, mistakes were made, but honestly, no lessons were learned. My bad behavior was rewarded with an experience I never would have had otherwise, and Rob has not once since asked me to book the hotel. Most importantly, we will definitely stay at the Hotel Willa next time we’re in Taos. Maybe we’ll see you there.