Halcyon Hideaway Exterior Sunset
Photo Credit: Tomoko Matsubayashi
“I drove to Joshua Tree the night this land came up for sale and slept in my car under the stars,” says Nate Benedetto, co-owner of Halcyon Hideaway, Joshua Tree’s latest spa-inspired retreat. Even if Nate’s name doesn’t sound familiar, you probably know the restaurants that looked to him to secure their locations.
A well-established pillar of San Diego’s commercial real estate community, he knows a thing or two about hospitality, having brokered deals for the likes of Kingfisher and CH Projects. He’s also the founder of Urbanist, a local zine-like brochure that documents the best of San Diego’s food and drink scene.
Halcyon Hideaway Interior Day
Photo Credit: Tomoko Matsubayashi
Nate combined forces with his wife Kristi, an interior designer and owner of the design firm Jooj Projects, to create a getaway with wellness in mind. Their niche space sits on 50 acres of quiet desert land and lets you unplug and realign. “Truly getting away from it all, including other people, is the best way to block out all of the distractions of city life in order to reconnect with nature and yourself,” Nate says.
Inspired by the couple’s many backpacking expeditions and Nate’s memorable trip to a Scandinavian-style spa in Whistler, Halcyon Hideaway is an amalgam of ease, comfort, and seclusion. “Halcyon Hideaway was built with the intention to provide benefits [similar to] backpacking in a remote setting but in a warm, luxurious, and comfortable setting,” Nate explains.
Halcyon Hideaway Sauna
Photo Credit: Tomoko Matsubayashi
To get the feeling just right, the couple teamed up with architect Andrew Hall of AHA to craft the 1,700-square-foot house and its adjoining 600-square-foot yoga studio. The edifice itself is a solar-powered, modern adobe structure with clean lines and a wide berth, running parallel to views of the national park. With four bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, the vacation abode accommodates as many as eight guests. “We want to market this space as a place where a small company or a group of friends or family members could do a small retreat,” Kristi says.
Halycon’s Hideaway Yoga Studio
Photo Credit: Tomoko Matsubayashi
Halcyon’s soothing energy comes from its amenities. It’s a laundry list of leisure, with a custom sauna, cold plunge pool, hot tub that seats eight, a sun deck, separate yoga and dining facilities, an outdoor shower, and plenty more. Of the compound-like feel, Kristi says, “You can make [it] what you want, [get] whatever you want to gather from it.” Feel like heading into Pioneertown for a show? Go for it. Want to cook dinner on a Miele range and never glance at a screen? There are all these possibilities waiting for you.
When it came to the design, Kristi says, “We wanted to embrace the natural landscape.” Channeling her own tastes and expectations for this kind of getaway, she brought in “organic, soothing, textural” elements to the space, like raw stone and linen paired with boucle and warm wood, she says. In terms of the color palette, don’t think Millennial beige (remember the “stick of butter” trend?); think ecru with an attitude, as there is colorful commissioned art and wallpaper that welcomes. It’s the finer details, like complimentary Ouai toiletries, that seal the relaxing deal.
Halcyon Hideaway Exterior Night Hot Tub
Tomoko Matsubayashi
If Nate slept in his car for you—well, for the love of cold plunges and the magic of an arid breeze under a starlit canopy—the least you can do is return the favor and sleep inside this top-tier home away from home. As Kristi says, “We just want everybody to have a memorable, relaxing experience where they can really tune into nature.” Okay, I guess you could sleep outside, too.
