Hotel San José

The Hotel San José features long, low-slung buildings painted in deep, earthy stucco tones, shielded from the street by dense rows of bamboo and desert landscaping. Originally built in nineteen thirty-nine as a motor court for travelers, the property spent decades as a transient lodging before Liz Lambert bought it in the mid-nineties. She transformed the site into a retreat for musicians and artists, trading the motel aesthetic for a design focused on shaded courtyards and private, minimalist guest rooms.