At Hotel Wren, Find an Oasis of Calm
Issue 014 Hotel Review: Every desert needs an oasis, and this boutique spot in Twentynine Palms, CA, provides a secluded respite from both the heat and the crowds.
Wandering the desert in search of inner peace is all well and good—but if that serenity is shattered by a noisy, chaotic environment the moment you return to your lodgings, the whole exercise becomes pointless. During my trip to California’s High Desert in September 2025, when the goal was to clear my head, I needed somewhere calm and quiet to stay after long stretches of driving and hiking around Joshua Tree National Park. The newly opened Hotel Wren in Twentynine Palms proved to be the perfect oasis and remained, for the most part, almost monastically quiet during my two-night stay—which only heightened the experience.
The lack of on-site amenities actually worked in its favor: no clattering dishes in a restaurant, no music drifting from a bar, no late-night chatter. Those things are available nearby if you want them. Even better, the adults-only policy meant no screaming kids or splashing around the pool. Instead, lowered voices, quiet reading, sunbathing, midday siestas, and early nights were the rhythm for both me and my fellow guests—allowing the silence of the surrounding desert to settle over the property. An hour’s drive from Palm Springs through barren landscapes and quirky desert towns—and just 10 minutes from the park’s North Entrance—this boutique hideaway felt like a world unto itself. Keep reading for the details.
