If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.
Casetta – the innovative hospitality brand behind some of California’s most coveted boutique hotels (think Surfrider Malibu, Palm Springs’ Casa Cody and the Pearl Hotel in San Diego) – introduces its loyal community to the magic of Taos, New Mexico. The Willa Hotel, Casetta’s first property outside of the Golden State, is, simply put, the definition of cool.
Like all properties in the group, Willa has given new life to an existing building. In this case, the 50-room hotel was formerly the Indian Hills Inn, built in the 1960s, expanded in the 1990s and closed in 2018.
The Willa Hotel preserves the inn’s history and charm while inviting guests to experience impeccable design, rotating art exhibits (the hotel serves as a living gallery), and the crème de la crème of in-room amenities (think Aesop bath products, Parachute Home linens, custom Dandy Del Mar robes, and a unique collection of local art). Every detail seems intentional.
Patrick Chin
The on-site restaurant, Juliette, is reason enough to visit Willa. Led by James Beard Award-nominated chef and artist Johnny Ortiz-Concha in collaboration with his partner, Maida Branch of Siempre Design, Juliette is a masterclass in food as an art form.
The duo’s first large-scale restaurant concept is intimate, experimental and deeply personal. The ceremony’s inspired meals feel like a love letter to Taos, where sustainability and native traditions meet gastronomic finesse.
Juliette at the Willa Hotel.
Patrick Chin
“As Casetta’s first outpost beyond California, Hotel Willa is both a haven for design-minded travelers and a cultural touchpoint for the local community,” says Santiago LaRoche, general manager of Hotel Willa. “Everything from the artist-in-residence program to Juliette’s seasonal menu is meant to reflect the slower pace, raw beauty and creative spirit that makes Taos so singular.” »
Semi-private jet air carrier JSX helps these “design-conscious travelers” experience Taos, allowing those traveling from Burbank (BUR), Carlsbad (CLD), Dallas (DAL), Austin (EDC) and Denver (APA) to fly directly to Taos Regional Airport (TSM). Beyond the JSX’s unparalleled convenience, non-stop, hop-on hop-off jet service makes time in the air as luxurious as the getaway itself, like an extension of the vacation.
Beyond the Willa Hotel (and a reservation at Juliette), a perfect Taos itinerary would include lunch at Manzanita Market (the all-in-one meals are divine) and dinner at ACEQ, where highlights include mushroom and lion’s mane cakes (trust us), “wangus” steak (wagyu and black angus cross), and butternut squash gnocchi. For art and culture, visit the Couse-Sharp Historic Site, the Willa Hotel’s on-site art gallery (with its Artist in Residence program enabled by The Paseo Project), and, of course, the Taos Pueblo.
What makes the Willa Hotel so special is that it truly feels like an extension of Taos. It captures the essence of the city, rooted in history, creativity and a sense of indescribable magic.
In California, other new openings for Casetta include the Marina Riviera Hotel in Big Bear Lake and the upcoming Lucile Hotel in Silver Lake. A property in Hudson, NY is also on the horizon in 2026. Learn more about Willa Hotel and Casetta’s rapidly expanding portfolio at casetta.com.
Willa Hotel, Taos, New Mexico.
Patrick Chin
