"Unlike most Marfa establishments, the Thunderbird has no movie posters on the walls from Giant, the western saga filmed in this small West Texas town in 1955. Instead, walls are hung with works by up-and-coming artists and those in residence at the Chinati Foundation, a modern-art museum established by the innovative installation artist Donald Judd, who called Marfa home. A 24-room oasis with a quirky minimalism, it has interiors that are sparse but striking, with low platform beds covered in vivid Peruvian blankets. The oblong pool is encircled by a curtain of spindly ocotillo cactuses, jasmine climbs screens made from drill pipe used in Texas oil fields, and a massive slab of mesquite serves as a tabletop. A musics and events space near the outdoor fire pit is perfect for smaller, catered parties."
