Winnedumah Hotel

Project: Winnedumah Hotel
Status: Under Renovation 
Architecture: Stayner Architects 
Interiors: Stayner Architects
Identity: Stayner Architects

Winnedumah Hotel was built in 1927 to accommodate the movie crews of Hollywood Westerns being filmed nearby in the Alabama Hills. Located in the heart of the Eastern Sierra three hours north of Los Angeles, Independence, California was also the birthplace of the American West’s environmental awakening.

Geographically, the hotel is situated within the Inyo National Forest at the midpoint in extremes: Death Valley and the Mojave Desert to the east, while Mount Whitney and the “backcountry” are only a few miles to the west. Due to its position in the heart of the Eastern Sierra, the hotel continues to naturally accommodate climbers, skiers, hikers, bikers, endurance athletes, geologists, photographers, writers, historians, naturalists, geographers, off-roaders and outdoor enthusiasts, in addition to commercial shoots and motion picture filming, as well as higher education groups in search of the geological contrasts. Winnedumah Hotel is located equidistant from Los Angeles, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, and summer travel from San Francisco, positioned between Death Valley, Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks and just south of Mammoth Mountain.

Capitalizing on the range of guests and diverse demand generators, the repositioning focuses on a “naturalist” and interpretive approach, both literal and abstract, think National Parks visitor center - to introduce birds, flora, hydrology, etc. as a way to make place - but also in terms of the palette and materials - hues taken from the surrounding landscape, natural woods, local rocks, woven textiles, handmade ceramic fixtures, and unlacquered brass products that all have strong connections to the land and surrounding area.