Calistoga Motor Lodge & Spa

The design for Calistoga Motor Lodge & Spa is truly inspired by the nostalgia surrounding the great American road trip. During the 50s, 60s & 70s, families & friends would pack up the car – or even better, camper van or motor home – and travel throughout the country to National Parks, amusement parks, summer camps, and everything in between.

Certainly this retro nod is evident through the color palette – full of navy & light blues, mustard yellow, shades of green – woven & striped fabric selections, and furniture & lighting styles ranging from mid-century through the 1970s.  The interiors, as well as the brand identity, gleaned inspiration from graphic moments one might encounter during mobile adventuring, such as gas stations and truck stops, faux wood paneled vehicles, sports uniforms, etc., while much of the guest experience and styling moments feature ‘analog’ leisure of decades past, such as hula hooping and jump rope.  
 
The lobby is the perfect balance between small town general store and 1970s living room lounge. In lieu of its mark or logo, the motor lodge announces itself with a large navy super brand graphic behind the reception deck. The reproduction vintage cooler houses a curated mix of snacks, imbibements & accoutrements for the pool, the room, or the road. A pair of green velvet sofas envelope the glass-blocked lounge area, serving as the spot to map out the day’s adventures or simply warm up by the fire after a windows-down outing.
 
The guest rooms harken back to mid-century motor lodges across the country, featuring bold carpet, vintage inspired fabrics, quirky retro art moments, camper van style bench seating (that doubles up by transforming into a double bed!) and graphic tiled bathrooms.
 
The pool area features a deck of blue & white striped umbrellas, pool loungers and double day beds, along with an abundance of cushions and pillows in blues, greens, stripes & patterned motifs.  Another six cabana beds are shaded under a trellis covered in blooming greenery, for those hot Napa afternoons. A large navy super graphic wraps the exterior of the Jacuzzi building for a punchy ‘Instagrammable’ moment, while an outdoor fire pit, bean bags, custom corn hole and a handful of hammocks round out the offerings.
 
The MoonAcre spa embodies the exploratory spirit of the era with a mash-up between modern quack apothecary and municipal pool from a fictitious Wes Anderson film. In keeping with the local vibe of Calistoga, amenities include a co-ed steam room, tub room with four mint green claw foots for medicinal salt soaks and an outdoor lounge for DIY mud bakes.

The reception and lounge areas have a light, airy white and gray palette with pops of pink, leaning more feminine, while the locker rooms, tub and steam rooms feature floor to ceiling tile mosaic datums of navy, green, mint and mustard, for the more masculine counterpoint. And of course, the final touch is an intentional overabundance of cheeky signage and wayfinding.

AvroKO