For the better part of its nearly 80-year history, Palm Springs has been a fashionable desert resort: a retreat and a refuge, as acclaimed for its relaxed lifestyle as for its natural beauty. An oasis of modernist architecture, Palm Springs has become a center of desert style and design. With over a dozen hotel openings in the past two years, and more projects launching in 2015, Palm Springs is experiencing a cultural renaissance. Here’s a preview of what’s new for 2015 in the heart of “Desert Modern.”
Built in the 1920s as a private residence, Triada has transformed into one of Marriott’s Autograph hotels, part of the hotelier’s collection of upscale and luxury independent properties located in dynamic cities. During its previous incarnations as The Ambassador Hotel and Alan Ladd’s Spanish Inn, the property played host to Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner, Esther Williams, and Tyrone Power. Fittingly located in Palm Springs’ Movie Colony district, the 56-room Triada features three distinct wings infused with a Mediterranean palette.
Slated to open in the summer of 2015, Arrive is a 32-room contemporary hotel and restaurant owned by the sixth Facebook employee, a “techie” who is now investing in the desert oasis.
©Marriott Autograph
Equally anticipated by locals and visitors is the ongoing redevelopment and renovation of the Desert Fashion Plaza Mall in downtown Palm Springs. More than 85% of the existing mall will be demolished to create a more pedestrian-friendly urban village that will also include a Kimpton Palomar Hotel.
In November 2014, Palm Springs Art Museum opened its new Architecture and Design Center. The 13,000-square-foot glass and steel building was restored by the same Los Angeles architectural firm that rescued the famed Kaufmann House designed by Richard Neutra. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the cityscape and the surrounding San Jacinto Mountains.
In keeping with the city’s reputation as one of the nation’s premier destinations for midcentury modern architecture, PS Architecture Tours offers a guided tour that focuses on the remarkable architects, builders, and celebrity clients that helped to make Palm Springs an open-air museum of desert modernism.
©Festival Fashion Week
On the 13th of March 2015, more than 40 fashion brands will inaugurate Palm Springs’ first annual Festival Fashion Week, inspired by the desert valley’s global music festival culture. Musical performances and fashion shows will be held at locations throughout Palm Springs.
As for nightlife, more than 25 new dining and drinking establishments have opened since 2012, including a retro1950s supper club and the new Ernest Coffee coffee bar and tiki lounge at the site of the original Don the Beachcomber from 1953.
Given all that’s new and buzz-worthy in Palm Springs, what could be more valued than a fast and free trolley service for residents and visitors. The BUZZ runs four trolleys every 15 minutes from Thursday through Sunday, making it easier than ever to partake of the many pleasures of Palm Springs.
