Reset Hotel
Location
Twentynine Palms, California, US
Client
Reset Hotel, LLC
Typology
Hospitality, Prefab & Modular
Status
Completed
Size
65 Rooms | 180 Acres
Architects
M-Rad Inc.
Design Team: Matthew Rosenberg; James Hughes, AIA, LEED GA, NCARB; Roberto Ortiz de Landazuri; Etienne Serveau
collaborators
Consultant: Rowan Kelshaw, The Luxury Network
Civil Engineers: NV5
Structural Engineers: PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.
MEP Engineers: Pro Engineering Consulting, Inc.
Interior Design: Gry Space
Hospitality Consultant: Sightline Hospitality
General Contractor: Doug Wahl Construction
Manufacturer: BECC
Photographs: © Gry Space Photography, © Deceres Studio
RESET Hotel is a modular, steel-frame retreat located on 180 acres of desert terrain near Joshua Tree National Park. The project reflects M-Rad’s commitment to site-responsive design, with a layout and material palette that respond directly to the arid landscape. The hotel is composed of low-slung volumes that nestle into the terrain, preserving expansive views while maintaining a minimal footprint. With 65 rooms and a dispersed site strategy, the architecture promotes silence and immersion in nature.
The spatial composition draws from the horizontality and openness of the desert. The clubhouse is arranged in clusters to encourage both privacy and community, with internal courtyards, shaded walkways, and view corridors woven throughout the site. Every room is oriented to capture natural light and frame uninterrupted views of the surrounding mountains and sky, creating a seamless connection between architecture and the environment. The overall layout strikes a balance between openness and intimacy, allowing guests to feel both grounded and unencumbered.
To meet the challenges of building in a remote and environmentally sensitive location, M-Rad employed a modular, prefabricated construction system. Each room was fabricated off-site by BECC using precision steel-frame technology, then transported and assembled on location. This approach significantly reduced on-site construction time, minimized environmental disruption, and ensured a high degree of quality control. Prefabrication also allowed for consistent detailing and a clean, efficient execution of the design vision.
Materiality plays a central role in anchoring the project to its context. Exterior finishes are selected for their ability to patina naturally over time, blending further with the desert palette. The use of metal, wood, and sand-toned cement panels reinforces a sense of understated elegance. Interiors follow a similarly restrained language, emphasizing tactile finishes, exposed structural elements, and framed views that turn nature into the hotel’s primary ornamentation.
Communal amenities are integrated into the master plan through architecture that feels deliberately light on the land. The mountain-view pool is bordered by custom cabanas, low-profile structures that echo the horizontality of the main buildings. An all-day restaurant and poolside bar are open-air and shaded, merging social activity with climatic sensitivity. Co-working lounges and flexible event spaces are housed in modular pavilions that can open to the landscape, encouraging fluid transitions between interior and exterior.
Private hiking trails weave across the site, connecting built elements with untouched land. These paths and the surrounding natural topography are treated as architectural elements: framing circulation, creating spatial pause points, and reinforcing a slow, meditative rhythm. Guest rooms offer a range of experiences, from tech-enabled to tech-free, allowing users to control their level of immersion. Each room features a private patio, positioned for stargazing and evening relaxation, subtly reinforcing the project’s intention to offer restorative retreats.
RESET Hotel is more than a hospitality project: it is a model for how architecture can support ecological sensitivity, modular efficiency, and experiential richness simultaneously. By merging prefabrication with site-specific planning and minimal intervention, M-Rad has created a built environment that fosters both comfort and contemplation. The result is a hospitality experience that is spatially refined, materially honest, and profoundly rooted in place.
