With their growing constellation of updated roadside motels, husband and wife team, Kenny Osehan and Chris Sewell of hospitality group Shelter Social Club, are making the case that even when the journey exceeds the destination, there are still plenty of reasons to make pit stops along the way. Their noted project, Ojai Rancho Inn, at the foot of the Southern Californian Topatopa Mountains, quickly became a gathering spot for stylish wanderers and local artisans. Similarly infused with the designs of talented friends, their latest venture, Alamo Motel, is no different: the makeover of a 1940s motel located in Los Alamos - a small Californian town along Highway 101 with fewer than 2,000 residents - Osehan explains that the property is inspired by the ‘soft and dramatic desert landscape and the western agricultural setting’. Mindful of that, details include plywood furniture, brass sconces by lighting studio Atelier de Troupe and bed throws by textile artist Marissa Macias, whom Osehan and Sewell met when she stayed at another Shelter Social Club property with her mother. ‘We’ve been coming through Los Alamos for years,’ says Osehan. ‘Everyone is super-friendly with a good wine buzz,’ she adds. ‘It’s exciting to take a property with good bones in a cool environment and tie everything together, including the community.’
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
425 Bell Street
Los Alamos
California
-
At Bar Etoile, Scandi-chic meets leisurely Los AngelesThis new Melrose Park joint mixes art-world references, French bistro vibes and an out-of-this-world martini
-
The world's most heavenly destinations for astrotourism in 2025We're in for a big year for celestial events. These are the world's best hotels to see the cosmos as you've never seen it before
-
Printemps' New York outpost blooms with possibility – and enchanting designThanks to designer Laura Gonzalez, this new retail mecca blooms colour, atmosphere and narrative
-
At Bar Siesta in Los Angeles, meals linger and moods perk upThis new Silver Lake hotspot showcases Spain's design, culture, and delectable tinned fish
-
New York’s only revolving restaurant is back in actionLocated inside the New York Marriott Marquis, The View Restaurant and Lounge reopens following a 360 refresh courtesy of The Rockwell Group
-
An Upper East Side townhouse is transformed into a chic French bistroAt Chez Fifi, Sweden’s Joyn Studio has created an elevated setting that transports diners to 1930s Paris
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Granger Hotel: an intimate, maximalist charmer in San DiegoSet in the historic Gaslamp Quarter, Granger Hotel is an oasis of design blending history with modernity
-
West Hollywood restaurant Somni is as comforting as it is whimsicalChef Aitor Zabala relaunches Somni, orchestrating an artful blend of textures, flavours, and techniques for dreamlike dining
