Palm Springs integrates its retro Hollywood glamour into an ever-changing landscape of uber-hip modern.
Swank bistros, trendy poolside cafes, celebrity golf, contemporary art galleries and a growing assortment of upscale resorts and spas stand in lockstep with the throwback Mid-Century Modern architecture and Rat Pack-era estates that have made up the fabric of the community for decades.
Defying the current economy, the eight distinct communities comprising the Palm Springs Desert Resorts—Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Cathedral City—are in the midst of a $2 billion hospitality investment that began in 2007 and will continue through 2011 and beyond.
Star-studded top brands are still planning to take up residence in the desert, including a Ritz-Carlton slated to open in Rancho Mirage and a Mondrian and Hard Rock that will each open adjacent to the Palm Springs Convention Center, all within the next couple of years. Currently attached to the convention center, the Renaissance Palm Springs opened this year after a rebranding from the former Wyndham Palm Springs.
"What we’ve done is try to find new options to offer to groups," says Mark Graves, executive director of marketing and communications for the Palm Springs Desert Resort Communities CVA. "Some people who have never been here before think it’s just palm trees and sun in the middle of the desert. Once they come and see what we have to offer, they are amazed. Our eight cities linked together all have different personalities. We have hotels from budget to high luxury and great venues. The mountain areas provide nice settings for outdoor adventures or group outings. People always say, ‘I never knew it was like this. ’"
There are also a number of new hotel projects already open in Palm Springs, including the Ace Hotel & Swim Club and the stylish Riviera Resort & Spa, which debuted last October after an estimated $70 million rejuvenation.
"One of the amenities we have is vintage Palm Springs," Graves says. "The Riviera reintroduced the ’50s feel, what people picture as historic Palm Springs—a fun resort with a lot of the Hollywood vibe. The pool area is vast, and it feels like you’re back in the ’50s and ’60s."
Another feature of the hotel is the restaurant Circa 59, which also summons the Mid-Century Modern vibe with ’60s-inspired classic red leather upholstered booths and oversized crystal chandeliers. Groups can also host parties in the pool area, featuring signature cocktails, bikini-clad servers and popular Los Angeles DJs.
"Some other properties that have a retro feel are the Orbit In, Del Marcos Hotel and Chase Hotel at Palm Springs," Graves says. "Then there is a property like the Ace Hotel, which really has a Bohemian feel some groups like."
For variety, add to that the Le Parker Meridien Palm Springs, with its quirky Hollywood vibe, and a new era of chic at the Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs, which emerged from a $15 million transformation this January. To round out the offerings, The Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells last summer introduced Dive In Movie nights, featuring retro classics like Some Like It Hot screened poolside.
Groups can take advantage of Palm Springs’ Rat Pack heyday at a number of villas, mostly concentrated in two areas, the Movie Colony east of Palm Springs and the exclusive Las Palmas district, dubbed the Beverly Hills of Palm Springs.
In the Movie Colony, the Twin Palms, built in the 1940s for Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy Barbato, is open to groups. The 4,500-square-foot home, with a piano-shaped pool, was host to some of the valley’s most glamorous parties with the likes of Bob Hope, Joan Crawford, George Burns, Gracie Allen and Greta Garbo. The villa is located around the corner from residences once owned by Al Jolson, Jack Benny and Cary Grant. Sand Acre is a Spanish hacienda-style estate that Marilyn Monroe reportedly used to frequent and is open to groups.
Most recently, The Lucy House, one of the oldest Hollywood celebrity getaway homes of Palm Springs and the home for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, opened for events and overnight stays.
Elvis’ two estates, the Mid-Century Modern Honeymoon Hideaway in Las Palmas and The Elvis Presley Estate in Palm Springs, are available for receptions. The Phillips Estate, once home to John Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas, is located at one of the highest points in the exclusive Vista Las Palmas.
Groups can take bus tours of the celebrity homes. Mid-Century Modern tours are also becoming more popular, according to Graves, taking in famous spots like the Elrod/Lautner House, which was used for the 1971 James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever.
For a taste of Hollywood today, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, started by Sonny Bono and a team of local businessmen in 1989, draws the likes of Sean Penn and Clint Eastwood and is now considered one of the leading film festivals in the world.
Celebrity-philes can also stroll the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, located on the sidewalks of Palm Canyon Drive, Tahquitz Canyon Way and Museum Drive.
Celebrity chefs are also bringing name recognition to Palm Springs. Award-winning chef Andrew Manion Copley focuses on contemporary American cuisine in the former Cary Grant Estate on Palm Canyon in his Copley’s Palm Springs. Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant in La Quinta is a local hot spot. Celebrated chef and restaurateur Jimmy Schmidt spearheaded the recent opening of Morgan’s at the legendary La Quinta Resort & Club, evoking the glamour and history of the original 1926 venue.
Also hot on the dining scene are bluEmber at the Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage, Lantana at the Hyatt Grand and the new Jackalope Ranch restaurant in Indio.
"We’re proud of our dining scene," Graves says, noting the area’s annual restaurant week in June, now extended to two weeks and held valley-wide. "It’s like a valley dine-around."
Restaurants also participate in the weekly Palm Springs Villagefest, which closes down five blocks of Palm Canyon Drive every Thursday for outdoor music, food and crafts.
Aside from the hotel venues in Palm Springs, off-site options include the Palm Springs Art Museum, which was recently refurbished, Annenberg Theater and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which heads to the top of San Jacinto Peak, where temperatures can dip 10 degrees or more from the desert floor. Once there, groups can dine at the Pines Cafe, The Lookout Lounge or Peaks Restaurant, surrounded by mountain views. Groups can also hold meetings at the top or host team-building activities on the mountains.
Outside Palm Springs proper, Palm Desert’s El Paseo, long dubbed the Rodeo Drive of Palm Springs, is an attraction all its own. The art and sculpture galleries along El Paseo are open for receptions and some can host sit-down dinners. The community is also home to more than 25 golf courses and the group-friendly Living Desert Reserve & Botanical Gardens, whose mission is to preserve a portion of the Colorado Desert in its natural state. The McCallum Theatre presents the Desert Symphony and other performing arts.
Main resorts include the Courtyard by Marriott Palm Desert and Desert Springs, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa, known for its network of gondolas and sophisticated Lobby Bar.
In the foothills of Joshua Tree National Park, Desert Hot Springs utilize its location atop one of the world’s best natural hot mineral water aquifers. The region is home to twice as many spa resorts than any of the other Coachella Valley cities, which utilize the geothermal mineral waters. Spa resorts and hotels include Tuscan Springs, Agua Caliente and the recently refurbished Bella Monte Hot Springs Resort and Spa.
Affluent Indian Wells, featuring a backdrop of the Santa Rosa Mountains, attracts well-heeled clientele with its premier cultural, golf and tennis events, country clubs and four destination resorts. This long-time Hollywood hangout is also home to the Indian Wells Golf Resort and Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Aside from the Miramonte, resorts include Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas and Spa; Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa; and Indian Wells Resort Hotel.
Also hosting views of the Santa Rosa Mountains, La Quinta, nicknamed the Gem of the Desert, is a golfer’s paradise, featuring over 20 courses, including the SilverRock Resort—one of the courses that will host the annual Bob Hope Classic next January. Other highlights include biking along the Bear Creek Trail, hiking in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains and cultural outlets such as the La Quinta Playhouse and La Quinta Arts Festival, produced in part by the La Quinta Arts Foundation. The 45-acre La Quinta Resort & Club is one of the largest in the Coachella Valley.
Nearby are the estates of Rancho Mirage, site of the world-renowned Eisenhower Medical Center and Betty Ford Center. The Rancho Mirage Tourism Advisory Committee recently announced a medical meetings initiative that targets medical associations and hospitals. Resorts that comprise the Rancho Mirage meeting collection include The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa, Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, The Hilton Garden Inn and Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa. An additional 16,400 square feet of medical meeting space can be found at the Annenberg Center for Health Science at the Eisenhower Medical Center.
Cathedral City features the Desert IMAX Theatre and the Mary Pickford Stadium 14 Cinemas. It also is home to the Big League Dreams Sports Park, with nostalgic replicas of Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. Resort getaways include Westin Mission Hills Resort and the Doral Desert Princess Resort.
Dubbed the City of Festivals, Indio, the oldest and largest city in the Coachella Valley, is also the country’s date-growing capital. Indio’s most renowned festivals are the National Date Festival and the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field. This year’s Frank Sinatra Starkey Hearing Foundation Celebrity Invitational was held at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.
