Boutique hotel opens up in Ranchos de Taos
Desert Flower, a new boutique hotel opened by husband and wife Jody and Xochitl Wodrich in Ranchos de Taos, underwent what the owners called a “soft opening” two weeks ago in the building that used to host Casa de Taos Motel on NM 68. The new hotel offers guests creative accommodations in a welcoming space featuring local art and exterior murals painted by the Wodriches themselves.
The owners have had plenty of ideas for their lodging, including home-grown vegetables and domesticated chickens, so that guests can enjoy farm-to-table salsas and breakfasts to start their day. In the courtyard, they planted fruit trees, which they hope will someday grow large enough for guests to pick from them. In warmer months, they hope travelers will enjoy wine and charcuterie boards in the courtyard.
Desert Flower also sources local products, such as hygienical products from Taos Pueblo and Taos-roasted coffee. They even hired local contractors for initial renovations. The couple said they drew from their own experiences as hotel guests to build Desert Flower.
According to Jody, 53, “it was a very natural progression for us, just based on our own wants and desires when we travel. We didn’t want to miss out on anything,” he said, “so we tried to think through everything that we could. I’ve traveled a whole lot for work. I’ve seen so many hotels, the five-stars to the smaller hotels, and there are things that you would stop and notice, and we wanted to make sure those types of things were in our hotel, whether it’s the high-quality bedding, pillows and sheets, to the high-quality big, puffy towels. You know, things that make you go, ‘Oh, this is nice. This feels good.’”
Desert Flower only has seven rooms, but each one is uniquely decorated. According to Xochitl, 42, having seven rooms worked for them, as “seven is the number of completion.” The seventh room, named “Room Seven” on their website, is very different from the other, more colorful rooms: It’s all white and black. She hopes guests staying in room seven will be immersed in a place of wholeness, the blackand-white color scheme symbolizing balance.
Another room, called “Encanto,” pays homage to local
artist Anita Rodriguez, whose paintings can also be viewed on-site. Each room’s distinct aesthetic is accompanied by an hour-and-a-half playlist, all seven of which were curated by California-based DJ Joe Villasenor, and seeks to capture the essence of the rooms they’re attached to.
“They’re not what you would consider popular music,” Jody said. “A lot of the music you may have never heard before, which is part of what we wanted. Like, imagine listening to stuff that’s completely different as you soak in your tub, and you didn’t have to come with that playlist.”
Two rooms even include large, copper bathtubs, which some guests have been enjoying.
“We had a guest here that was over 6 feet, and he said, ‘Oh, man, I can’t wait to get in that tub.’ He said, ‘I can’t fit in a normal tub, and I can’t wait to try out your tubs.’ That next morning, he was like, ‘not only did I fit, I literally sank down into it.’”
In the future, Jody and Xochitl plan to use the space to host pop-ups and different events featuring local storytellers and musicians in order to execute their goal of immersing their guests in the spirit of Taos.
“I think, for me, I just really wanted to create a space that celebrates Taos, so we wanted to have local art, local coffee, local bath and body products, like as much as we can bring in from the community,” Xochitl said. “We want to have local storytellers, musicians, all of that just to kind of be a place where you don’t just visit the town, but you get an experience of the people.”
Desert Flower began as a dream as the couple drove by the vacant property almost two years ago.
“It started off with us driving by — and my background is event design, so I sort of went off without telling [Xochitl] and I drew up some plans … in terms of how people would park, the entrance, the look and feel of it and all that type of stuff,” Jody said. “And then I never did anything with it. I just tucked it away. And we drove back by it another time, and my wife said, ‘What about that hotel? What if we did something with that?’ And I said, ‘Well, funny you say that…’”
After heavy renovations and many brainstorming sessions, Desert Flower became what it is today: an old adobe building with traditional thick walls and a viga ceiling, but with a new look. Now, customers can enjoy the space and experience Taos almost entirely under one roof.
Most of all, the couple hopes guests come and feel inspired by the local influence of the hotel, saying they “love the peace that you feel coming into Taos.”
As a boutique hotel, Desert Flower is very focused on guest experience and aesthetics. A few miles north, another lodge billed as “boutique,” Hotel Willa, remains under construction in the building that once housed Indian Hills Inn.
“I think it’s just a different experience,” Xochitl said. “There are a lot of amazing places to stay [in Taos], and we’re not necessarily trying to compete with them. I think it’s just offering a different type of experience, drawing in maybe a younger crowd.”
She says their hotel is familyowned and -operated; their three sons helped prepare the space for renovations.
“I think the pandemic really made us think of what’s important and what matters, and for us, it was our family …,” Xochitl said. “We wanted to do something we could do together. We have three boys, and they all helped us with the demo, with the painting, with the building, and they’re just so excited. So, it’s been a really fun family process.”
“We felt like so many places nowadays are just about in-andout, just here’s a place to sleep — get in, get out, move on,” Jody said. “We really wanted to create a place that gives people an experience.”
'I think it’s just a different experience,’ Xochitl said. ‘There are a lot of amazing places to stay [in Taos], and we’re not necessarily trying to compete with them. I think it’s just offering a different type of experience, drawing in maybe a younger crowd.'
XOCHITL WODRICH
Co-owner of the new Desert Flower Hotel in Ranchos de Taos
Desert Flower is located at 4035 NM 68 in Ranchos de Taos. Call 818-398-7799 or visit desertflowerhotel.com for more information.