Two More Desert Resorts

We chose to travel home a different way and headed east. There had been a lot of mention of Lucille Ball this week and I wanted to visit the resort she and Desi built.

The Southern California Desert is absolutely plentiful in chic hotels, beautiful architecture, Hollywood legends… and a story to tell. This hotel's story began in 1957. That was the year founders Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz designed and built what was then the Desi Arnaz Western Hills Hotel which attracted a roster of A-list guests from the get-go. Designed as an exclusive winter getaway, the resort gave celebrities a chance to golf, play tennis, and lounge poolside in the glorious desert sun.
As Hollywood royalty began flocking to the area in the 1950s and 60s, for the temperate weather and tucked-away feel, Indian Wells grew into a celebrity destination in its own right. Desi Arnaz was also one of the developers of the adjoining Indian Wells Country Club which earned the spot as the original home to the PGA’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
The hotel was indeed luxurious with “every thought given to the comfort and enjoyment of the guests” with separate air-conditioning units in each room, it was advertised as “one of the hotels in the Palm Springs area to be fully air-conditioned. Private patios assure complete privacy for either sunbathing or dining, and each one overlooks the 70-foot swimming pool. There is a movable television set in every room." Whoa, a movable TV!
The Western Hills Hotel preceded the incorporation of the city of Indian Wells by a decade, but the fashionable crowd had already moved in, with Desi and Lucy leading the way, as they had done in television, with their celebrity friends in tow.

Ever the promoter, Desi had his hotel 'star' in various advertisements. Wow.

Sadly, it has been drastically renovated over the years with the purpose of giving "discerning guests the modern amenities they expect from a once celebrity-owned retreat". The now-named Indian Wells Resort Hotel features a collection of historic photos that line the walls to tell its unique story. There is a kitschy, retro vibe here that is trying to embrace the essence of how things used to be. I'm not certain it is succeeding but as one of the most affordable hotels in the valley, I would definitely stay here if not just to say, "I slept in Lucy's place!



Even the bathroom pays homage. I 🩷 Lucy!
Lunch was at the La Quinta Resort, a place I blogged extensively about when we were here two years ago (link).
La Quinta Resort’s rich history is full of colorful characters and stories. In the early 1920s, Walter H. Morgan, son of a wealthy San Francisco businessman, purchased 1,400 acres to create what he envisioned as a private, self-contained getaway. In 1925, he hired Pasadena architect Gordon Kaufman to design six adobe casitas, an office, lobby, and dining room. Total construction cost — which included more than 100,000 handcrafted adobe bricks, 60,000 roof tiles, and 5,000 floor tiles — ran about $150,000.
The then-named La Quinta Hotel opened in December of 1926. Inaugural guests included prominent San Francisco banker William Crocker and President Taft’s son, Charles. Soon thereafter, Morgan set about to strategically promote the resort as a hideaway for the Hollywood elite.
We dined in glorious sunshine and then strolled the property. As we drove home, Steve asked me to search what it would cost to spend a week here with one set of grands... $15,000. I think we could have more economical fun elsewhere but lunch was worth every penny.

We always dream of owning a place in Palm Springs. The town comes alive at the same time Lake Tahoe begins to close for the winter. It's an unattainable dream so we continue to embark on daytrips and occasional overnights and pretend!

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1 comments:

Mark & Carol said...

La Quinta Hotel- one of our favorite places to visit . It really has a wonderful history and great art shows.

December 15, 2024 at 10:21 PM

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