Matt French was working in urban development in Portland, Ore., 10 years ago when he took a trip to Joshua Tree, Calif., and realized he wanted to do something else with his life.

“I went to Pappy & Harriet’s,” a popular barbecue and music venue in Pioneertown, just west of Joshua Tree, said Mr. French, 41, “and had this magical night of music outdoors.”

Smitten with the natural beauty and creative atmosphere of the desert outpost, he noticed that the Pioneertown Motel, just a few rolls of the tumbleweed away, was for sale. With his brother, Mike French, he bought it at the end of 2014, with plans to improve the property over time.

“I was living in Portland, where I had a life and career, the whole thing,” Mr. French said. “So I was like, ‘Oh, I’m just going to do this cool little desert project.’”