Of course you can't actually make reservations yet. But soon. Pretty soon, in fact. Stay tuned.
Interestingly enough, the sizzle factor of this new hotel is raising expectations for other remodels and updates.
The Desert Sunrecently reported that renovations for the Palm Springs Travelodge were rejected by the Palm Springs Architectural Advisory Committee because they were too boring. Awesome, right? Who knew there were other crusaders out there marching for our cause?
[Committee member Doug] Hudson said the hotel is a good example of 1950s and 1960s motor hotel architecture and the owners need to educate themselves about the style, which is "hot and trendy" right now.
"Use some creativity," Hudson said. "Get into the vintage groove and have fun with it."
We guess that The Ace, formerly a HoJo, got in the "vintage groove."
The swanky Parker Palm Springs has received its fair share of flack from us because of that horrendous reality television slip-up of which we will no longer speak, but we're pretty sure they've redeemed themselves in our eyes with the Lushette package.
Instead of wasting our time with some Girlfriend Getaway mess, they're keeping it real by offering us $200 of on-property alcohol credit plus an estate room for just $199 per night Sunday-Thursday (on weekends, the same package is $299).
You can book the package online here. Dudes are welcome too, we suppose.
We have to admit, we're kind of in love with the funky Parker Palm Springs, despite last year's Bravo Reality Show which showed the hotel in a very unflattering light. But now the hotel is winning our affection with some super sweet, nearly FREE deals. You heard us right, we said FREE.
The deets: You stay in a room, you get a $200 voucher. With rates starting at $199 on week nights, they are literally paying you $1. Score! The hotel has three ways for you to take advantage of them:
Spa Junkie gets you $200 worth of goods at the PSYC (Palms Springs Yacht Club) spa. In fact, their "Motley Mix" spa package rings up at $210 and includes a 30-minute Quintessential Rubdown, 30-minute Nuts and Bolts Facial, and a 30-minute Classic Manicure.
Glutton's Delight So maybe the spa isn't your thing. Parker still wants to give you free stuff, so dine anywhere on site. Yes, this even includes room service and by the pool.
Lushette's Okay, we saved the best for last. There's nothing worse than budgeting a certain amount for a vacation, throwing it out the window when you've had too much to drink, and then trying to pay the bill at checkout. Ouch. The Parker's got you covered. $200 of free booze should show you a good time and make checkout painless.
Can't make it out on a weekday? Offer is still good on weekends, with rooms starting at $299 a night.
Some Like It Hot at the Colony Palms Scene $99 a night
If a few high temperatures don't stress you out, we've just found that there are some truly good deals to be had at the Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs. They're putting on a bunch of specials under a "Some Like It Hot" banner and the room rates are dirt cheap.
The best looking deal is a weekend stay starting at only $99 per night (Colony or Superior King rooms)--that's less than half the average rack rate.
Now that gay marriage has been legalized in California, Ellen Degeneres and longtime girlfriend Portia de Rossi are planning to wed -- and likely in a major, major way.
An insider tells Page Six they plan to hold the nuptials at the Riviera Resort and Spa in Palm Springs. "They didn't sign the contract yet, but they're working out final details and security," said the source.
"The hotel is doing $70 million in renovations that will be done in October. They said they wanted to have the ceremony in the tropical gardens by the pool and the reception in the grand ballroom. They will also close a significant portion of the hotel, so it looks big."
And they mean big: the function space in the hotel, upon its Fall 2008 reopening, is second only in size to the Palm Springs convention center and can accommodate events with guest lists up to 1,000.
We love us some Ellen, so we're happy to hear this thing will be huge and we certainly hope our invitations don't get lost in the mail.
While it's definitely the off-season for Palm Springs right now, it's also the best time to take advantage of cheap room rates at some of the desert's best hotels. We'll be rounding up some of the Palm Springs area's (including Palm Desert) most notable hotels this month. Got any suggestions or questions? Let us know.
This is Palm Springs where roadside motels and inns have just as much appeal as the designer boutique hotels and luxurious five-stars, so we aren't surprised to hear that the Holiday Inn here gets killer reviews. But thankfully, it's not because the hotel is old and kitschy. It's actually a nice new hotel.
While it's definitely the off-season for Palm Springs right now, it's also the best time to take advantage of cheap room rates at some of the desert's best hotels. We'll be rounding up some of the Palm Springs area's (including Palm Desert) most notable hotels this week. Got any suggestions or questions? Let us know.
While La Quinta is far removed from the downtown Palm Springs party scene and the Hyatt smack down in the middle of it, the Hotel Zoso is just a touch removed from the nightlife.
Located behind Palm Canyon Drive on South Indian Canyon, the Zoso has a boutique hotel feel with a dash of zen. Rooms are tricked out with modern decor ("plush textures beside cool stainless steel"), 42-inch flat screen TVs, luxury sheets (although these could be fake) and faux fur throws. Uh...it's the desert. You might not need those fur throws this summer.
Entitled "It's Fun to Vacation at Clothing-Optional and Nudist Resorts," the blog is written by owners Tom and Mary Clare and covers all sorts of topics ranging from current issues that affect the nudist community to last-minute cancellations and availability at the Inn.
Since the Inn prides itself on being a friendly, welcoming and supportive place for first-time clothing-optional vacationers, the blog features a ton of content focused on giving first-timers the kind of comfort and encouragement they may need to debut their goodies with confidence.
