Reflecting the biodiversity of its desert surroundings, Palm Springs continues to blossom in all directions, from its center as a resort town to its external fringes as an outdoor paradise.
"You can have a very nice four-star dinner at a beautiful hotel resort property, do the spa and all those other things you would expect in the finest of destinations, and then get in a Jeep and go out into the natural canyons and oases and go horseback riding," says James Canfield, executive director of the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism. "You can sunbathe at the pool and then put on winter clothes and travel through three climate zones to the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and go snowshoeing at the top on the same day."
The tram is one of Palm Springs’ most requested group outings, according to Canfield, as attendees ascend nearly 10,000 feet to the top of San Jacinto Peak, with views of the entire Coachella Valley.
Golf also tops the list of group draws.
"Golf is the biggest driver in this market," says David Renker, senior vice president of the Palm Springs Desert Resort Communities Convention and Visitors Authority (CVA), which represents Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Cathedral City.
"Now special events have also become a big driver," Renker says.
Events include the annul BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the fifth-largest tennis tournament in the world, with over 350,000 spectators, and The Bob Hope Desert Classic, held at SilverRock Resort in La Quinta, among other golf courses.
"It’s a good time for groups to come," Renker says, adding that rooms are available and the CVA helps with transportation to events.
This year, the area played host to the U.S.A World Cup Pentathlon championships. Held in February, the competition was headquartered at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage. Aside from sports, the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival has become a fixture in Indio for music fans of all genres, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival draws an A-list of Oscar stars.
Canfield also emphasizes the diversity in Palm Springs’ hotel and resort product, ranging from boutique properties to the 400-room Renaissance Palm Springs Resort, which recently completed a $20 million transformation and offers 30,000 square feet of remodeled meeting space.
Attendees can also take advantage of the more than 700 vacation home properties in Palm Springs.
"We actually have attendees that have bought vacation properties or time shares and come out and stay," Canfield says. "We end up with families and spouses that come along and turn it into a mini vacation. It’s a new trend."
Mid-century modern estates of former stars are particularly popular for rental with groups, such as the Tony Curtis Estate and the Bing Crosby Estate. Opening to visitors this year is Sunnylands, which was the 200-acre Rancho Mirage estate built by Ambassador Walter and Leonore Annenberg. Though the estate will open only to high-level summits and government meetings, groups will be able to take tours of the historic house and grounds and spend time at the visitors center.
"There is a feeling it will be more available for groups as time goes by," Canfield says. "It may be used for a special event for a president’s club or executive group that comes ancillary to another event."
This year, the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism is introducing a new marketing campaign, Better, Bolder, Beautiful, spotlighting a $180 million investment in new hotels and property renovations.
"There has been a big outreach to do a lot more FAM events, bring in writers and planners," Canfield says.
The biggest win so far has been securing the return of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) for between 7,000 to 10,000 room nights in 2012.
"The event had met here previously and last time they were here they were one of the groups that said some of the product in town wasn’t up to standard," Canfield reveals. "You can see the direct impact the new investment has in bringing a piece of business back to the city."
In general, the cities of the Palm Springs Desert Resorts are seeing group business come back.
"We finished the calendar year about 40 percent ahead of booked room nights for future years than what we did in recent years and 25 percent ahead of room night contracts for 2011 over 2010," Renker says.
Over the course of the last two years, the desert communities have invested more than $2 billion in product, according Renker, though mostly in renovations of existing hotels. One of the most anticipated new openings is The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, slated for a 2012 debut.
"We’re excited about The Ritz-Carlton," Renker says. "It’s been on hold since the economy turned down, but has started back up again."
The $500 million, 40-acre property will include a new 244-room resort, a 24,000-square-foot spa, 18,000 square feet of indoor function space and more than 40,000 square feet of outdoor venues.
Also still on the table for downtown Palm Springs are a new Mondrian and a Hard Rock hotel. The Mondrian will include 200 guest rooms and 50 condo hotel units and will offer meeting space, while plans for the Hard Rock call for 494 guest rooms with over 25,000 square feet of meeting space.
"The more we have, the easier it is to book larger convention business that would use the convention center," Renker says. "Obviously it also brings attention to Palm Springs, since all three are well-known brand names."
There is also a Candlewood Suites Palm Desert proposed at 88 guest rooms but no specific date has been set for opening.
Hotels with recent renovations include the Hilton Palm Springs, Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs, Riviera Resort & Spa and Hotel Zoso. Other properties include the Ace Hotel & Swim Club and Spa Resort Casino.
The Palm Springs Convention Center is located less than two miles from Palm Springs International Airport. WestJet recently inaugurated a direct flight from Toronto, which runs through April.
Other venues for groups in Palm Springs include the Palm Springs Art Museum and the Palm Springs Air Museum. Also on Thursday nights, attendees can stroll through VillageFest for real local flavor, including wine tastings, local craft vendors and entertainment, or saunter the Walk of Stars on Palm Canyon Drive downtown.
In Palm Desert, the Desert Willow Golf Resort invested $4.8 million in its Club House, which was completed earlier this year. Palm Desert lures shoppers for its upscale boutiques along El Paseo. It is also home to Desert Adventures tour company, known for its desert Jeep rides. Groups can stay at Desert Springs, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa.
Golf mecca Indian Wells features four full-service resorts with more than 270,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including the Indian Wells Resort Hotel, Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa, Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas & Spa and Miramonte Resort & Spa. It is also home to the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, open to groups.
Many of the valley’s resort spas are concentrated in Desert Hot Springs, which utilizes its natural mineral waters in spa treatments. Resorts include Agua Caliente Hotel and Miracle Springs Resort & Spa.
Rancho Mirage is a high-end resort hub, with offerings like Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, featuring a 340-room luxury hotel and a 13,000-square-foot conference center, Westin Mission Hills Rancho Mirage and Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, along with the upcoming Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage.
Golf and the meetings-friendly La Quinta Resort & Club lure groups to La Quinta, while Indio is popular for its golf, shopping and gaming properties, such as the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Groups can use the Empire Polo Grounds as an off-site venue.
Off-site options in Cathedral City include the Desert IMAX Theatre and the Mary Pickford Stadium 14 Cinemas.
