The desert resort cities of the Coachella Valley are best known as playgrounds for grownups, with nonstop sun and plentiful golf. The region’s first claim to fame was as a health destination in the early 20th century. The hot, dry climate of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta and the other desert resort communities was perfect for those recuperating from respiratory ailments, and the mineral springs of Desert Hot Springs were hailed as a cure for a wide variety of illnesses. Film stars soon discovered the area, and it became the fashionable place to retreat from Hollywood to focus on health and beauty.
Today, plentiful outdoor recreation, spa offerings and an overall focus on health unite to make the region a center of well-being. Meeting groups can reap the benefits of these opportunities and emerge refreshed, rejuvenated and inspired.
“First and foremost, when meeting planners look at a destination for their events, they want to be assured it can provide the right facilities to meet their needs, and this area certainly does that,” says Rick Blackburn, vice president of convention sales and services at the Greater Palm Springs CVB. “But what’s most appealing about Greater Palm Springs is the diverse attractions offered and the focus on healthy living throughout the valley, with a backdrop that’s simply breathtaking.”
REJUVENATING RESORTS
Apart from providing plentiful meeting space, the resort properties of Greater Palm Springs incorporate spa activities, fitness options, wholesome spa cuisine and breathtaking scenery. Health-oriented programming is a natural fit.
Terri Allen founded her business MeetWell in order to help planners find ways to incorporate wellness, community service and sustainability into events at the larger desert resorts.
“When people come here, they talk about how good they feel when they’re here,” Allen says. “The natural desert environment is all around us. You don’t really get to experience the nature aspects in conventions in most big cities.”
Spa resorts in Palm Springs can use their plentiful and pretty outdoor event lawns to host large group yoga or tai chi classes, or a boot camp led by a former Army officer. Groups can also get a start on the day with a pre-agenda sunrise stretch and hike. A 5K walk or run is suitable for even the largest groups. In addition, a wellness expo in the resort foyer can provide a convenient opportunity to take advantage of health services. Stations might include osteoporosis testing, stroke risk assessment, body composition analysis and posture checks. PageBreak
Allen also suggests bringing spa activities out of the treatment rooms and into the breakout rooms. She has coordinated spa events with various stations such as a meditation room, chair massages and tables where participants can blend their own aromatherapy scents and make their own facial products.
Meanwhile, Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Indian Wells offers a unique group activity called Aqua Box, a cross between kick boxing and water aerobics held in the outdoor pool. Private group classes are suitable for as many as 30.
Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells offers a Hydro Yo-Chi classes for a maximum of 12. The classes, which take place in the resort’s 98-degree Aqua Well pool, integrate flexibility and balance exercises.
Groups can also head to Desert Hot Springs to reap the health benefits of natural mineral waters. Properties with mineral spring baths include Two Bunch Palms Spa Resort, El Morocco Inn and The Spring.
Other standout spa properties in the region include La Quinta Resort and Club, Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa, Riviera Palm Springs and Viceroy Palm Springs.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
If our bodies are temples, healthful meals are the building blocks. As a bountiful agricultural region with a year-round growing season, the Coachella Valley yields wonderful local produce in every season. It is also the country’s largest producer of dates, and date shakes are a local specialty.
Groups can enjoy fabulous farm-to-table dining at a number of restaurants.
Workshop Kitchen + Bar in Palm Springs serves American food with a twist, made from ingredients sourced from local farms. Planners can book the entire 98-seat restaurant, the 60-person courtyard or a 16-seat private dining room. PageBreak
La Spiga Ristorante Italiano in Palm Desert focuses on organic ingredients, including line-caught wild fish and free-range eggs. Everything from sausage to flavored oils are made by hand, in-house. There is a private dining room for 32 and two smaller garden gazebos available for events.
Grove Artisan, located at the Miramonte Resort & Spa, offers farm-to-table California cuisine and can host groups as large as 16.
Meanwhile, Renaissance Esmeralda can arrange a farm-to-table tour and dinner for as many as 50. After touring the local farms where the ingredients are grown, the group can either participate in a cooking class or view a cooking demonstration where the ingredients are prepared into a delicious meal.
Groups can also learn about nutrition and healthy cooking via Cooking with Class in La Quinta. The firm welcomes groups as large as 16 for hands-on cooking classes and a maximum of 24 for demonstrations.
Allen of MeetWell can organize a farm-to-table cooking challenge at local resorts wherein each team receives a basket full of local produce and must work together to create a meal. Participants receive aprons and local cookbooks as souvenirs. This event is suitable for up to 75.
In addition, the chefs at many resort hotels offer cooking demonstrations for groups and can focus on nutrition and health upon request.
IN ON THE ACTION
Groups can get active in the outdoors with hikes, bike tours, yoga classes and other activities in scenic locations.
The Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert invites groups as large as 100 to book private yoga classes in its Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden. The four-acre garden is home to more than 10 important sculptural works. The museum can host receptions as large as 500. The picturesque Empire Polo Grounds can host yoga classes of almost any size in its exquisite 10 acres of gardens.
Big Wheel Tours offers guided bike tours of some of the area’s most splendid terrain. Groups as large as 100 can enjoy the Earthquake Canyon Express tour. This safe, 20-mile tour gently descends through the San Andreas Fault zone through box canyons to take in views of the Salton Sea and Mt. San Jacinto. It ends with a refreshing date shake at Oasis Date Gardens.
For those who prefer to see nature at a slower pace, Trail Discovery offers a variety of guided tours, from easy one-mile hikes to moderate treks all the way up to adventurous expeditions. Groups can also take a tram to a mountaintop, explore canyons where Native Americans lived for more than 1,000 years, or enjoy a day trip to the hauntingly beautiful Joshua Tree National Park.
