(Greater Palm Springs, CA) — April 5, 2017— Greater Palm Springs is Southern California’s premier resort, entertainment, golf and tennis destination. With nine very distinct cities – Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella, there’s always something new going on in the Oasis. Check out some of the latest developments.
For images, visit Barberstock.com/GreaterPalmSprings and search “What’s New”
Awards
Lonely Planet’s 10 Top Places in the US to Travel in 2017
2017 California’s Low Desert
Top 25 Small Hotels in the US, Travelers’ Choice Awards by TripAdvisor
2017 La Maison Hotel, #5 | Little Paradise Hotel, #11
Top 25 Best Service Hotels in the US, Travelers’ Choice Awards by TripAdvisor
2017 Hotel California, #1 | Desert Riviera Hotel, # 3
Top 25 Hotels for Romance in the US, Traveler’s Choice Awards by TripAdvisor
2017 La Maison Hotel, #2 | Desert Riviera Hotel #5
Top 25 Hotels for Romance in the World, Traveler’s Choice Awards by TripAdvisor
2017 La Maison Hotel, #20
Top 25 Best Service Hotels in the World, Travelers’ Choice Awards by TripAdvisor
2017 Hotel California, #12
Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the US for 2017
2017 TKB Bakery & Deli, #5 | Shabu Shabu Zen and Sake Bar, #78
Top 100 Hot Spots in America for 2017 by Open Table
2017 Eight4Nine, The Nest, Trio Restaurant, The Tropicale
Top Resorts in Southern California by Condé Nast Traveler
2016 L‘Horizon Resort & Spa, #1 | Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, #16 | The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, #21 | La Quinta Resort & Club (Waldorf Astoria) #24 | JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, #25
Festivals & Events
Desert X – February 25 – April 30, 2017
Desert X is a site-specific international contemporary art exhibition. This inaugural exhibition features specific commissions by select international contemporary artists utilizing the landscape across the Coachella Valley, Salton Sea and Joshua Tree as the backdrop. Desert X is free and open to the public. www.desertx.org
Coachella Festival Fashion Show – April 8, 2017
Forever 21 will host its first live outdoor fashion show to showcase their festival fashion wear. The Fashion Show will be curated by Palm Springs Life fashion editor and trend expert Susan Stein. www.theriveratranchomirage.com
City of Indio's Fantasia Comic Con – May 19 – 21, 2017
City of Indio's Fantasia Comic Con brings together some of the most talented people from the world of comic books and entertainment for an exciting new comic con event hosted at the Riverside County Fairgrounds. www.fantasiacon.com
The Jansen Cup: United Kingdom & United States – May 22-24, 2017
Ninety years after a competition for the Ryder Cup in golf was played for the very first time, the United Kingdom and the United States will commence a new event also staged on a golf course – FootGolf’s first Jansen Cup. The Jansen Cup will pit the top U.S. ranked players of 2016 against top-ranked players of the United Kingdom. www.footgolf.us
Splash House – June & August 2017
Splash House, the multi-venue pool party, will celebrate its fifth anniversary in 2017. Due to increasing demand, the Renaissance Palm Springs has been added as a third hotel venue joining the Saguaro Palm Springs and the Riviera Palm Springs. www.splashhouse.com
HOTEL UPGRADES
ARRIVE Hotel
The ARRIVE is currently building an outdoor event space, The Fan Club, and it is slated to open in April 2017. ARRIVE is a 32-room boutique hotel located in the Uptown Design District of Palm Springs. With a striking, landmark design that honors Palm Springs’ rich modernist legacy, ARRIVE immerses visitors and locals in the style, tastes, and lifestyle that define this desert playground. www.arrivehotels.com
Colony Palms Hotel
The Colony Palms Hotel, one of Palm Springs’ most historic properties, just underwent a complete remodel of its spa. The renovation included the addition of a couple’s suite, a new relaxation room, new locker rooms, and a VIP treatment room. www.colonypalmshotel.com
Colt’s Lodge
The former Alpine Gardens has undergone a complete renovation with interior upgrades and an exterior of a warm stucco, stone, timbers, shutters and tile roof to give the look of Old Palm Springs” architecture. Room motifs are highlighted by distinct art, furniture, and color that create a unique environment in each of the 11 rooms. www.coltslodgeps.com
La Serena Villas
Originally built in 1933, this historic hotel sits on more than an acre of beautifully landscaped grounds in the heart of downtown Palm Springs. The property was redeveloped as a luxury hotel in 2016 by award-winning architect, May Sung, with all the modern amenities of a five-star hotel. The property has 18 guest rooms, spa, restaurant, bar, and roof-top lounge. www.laserenavillas.com
L’Horizon Resort & Spa
The hotel is currently adding an additional 25 rooms that will double its capacity, yet retain the property’s intimate feel. The grounds also will see the construction of a new pool to welcome even more sun worshippers to this luxurious hideaway. www.lhorizonpalmsprings.com
Miramonte Indian Wells Resort & Spa
The Miramonte Indian Wells Resort & Spa is one of the newest additions to Curio – A Collection by Hilton, a global set of hand-picked upscale hotels. www.miramonteresort.com
Movie Colony Hotel
Under new ownership and famous for its movie star past, this modernist hotel designed by Albert Frey is currently undergoing a renovation. The Movie Colony plans to keep the midcentury modern feel and tribute to the original architect. www.moviecolonyhotel.com
The Ingleside Inn
The PlumpJack Group, founded by the former mayor of San Francisco and the Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, recently purchased the Ingleside Inn and Melvyn’s Restaurant. PlumpJack plans to polish the storied Melvyn’s Restaurant & Lounge while preserving its identity, ushering the celebrated Palm Springs establishment into the present day and paying homage to the longtime owner and one of the Coachella Valley’s most iconic personalities, the late Melvyn Haber. www.inglesideinn.com
The Lautner Compound
Famed architect John Lautner's iconic desert hideaway built in 1947 has been reimagined as The Lautner, an award-winning, stunning modern day vacation rental property, and event space. The Lautner Compound now has three properties – The Lautner, The Park and The Ranch House. www.thelautner.com
The Little Paradise Hotel
Built in the 1950s, this nine-room bungalow style hotel was recently entirely renovated and updated. Rooms include high-end linens and curved smart TV’s with an extensive entertainment menu. Most rooms are equipped with small kitchens. A light breakfast is included. www.littleparadisehotel.com
The Rossi Hotel
Formerly the San Giuliano Hotel, the Rossi Hotel Property in Palm Springs was renovated and reopened in February 2017. The all luxury suite property features private patios and private outdoor hot tubs and gorgeous sunny deck. www.therossihotel.com
The Saguaro Palm Springs
The Saguaro, the colorful Palm Springs landmark hotel located on East Palm Canyon Drive, has finished renovations to its event spaces which include a 1,175 –square- foot terrace overlooking the hotel’s lush courtyard, an exposed high ceiling in its Sago Ballroom and a neutral and warm color palette with new floor coverings in all event areas. www.thesaguaro.com
Palm Mountain Resort & Spa
Just steps from downtown Palm Springs, the Palm Mountain Resort & Spa is newly expanded, featuring an additional twenty guest rooms and an expanded welcoming lobby. www.palmmountainresort.com
Parker Palm Springs
The Parker Palm Springs has undergone a top-to-bottom renovation—an update from Jonathan Adler’s own design from 2004. Parts of the spa will remain under construction until April 2017. A brand new seven-foot-tall bronze banana sculpture by Jonathan Adler marks the designer’s first foray into sculpture art on the property. www.theparkerpalmsprings.com
Riviera Palm Springs
The Riviera Palm Springs, a Tribute Portfolio Resort, just completed a renovation that added a new pool bar, wedding pavilion, and enhanced lobby. The hotel opened in 1959 and now features 398 rooms and more than 52,000 square feet of both indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. www.rivierapalmsprings.com
V Hotel Palm Springs
V Palm Springs, a chic boutique hotel that opened in March 2016, will be opening its fourth building, bringing the property’s room total to 140 rooms. A new Solstice Bar and Restaurant, and outdoor Spa will open in summer 2017. www.vpalmsprings.com
HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS – On the Horizon
Andaz Palm Springs
Slated to open in 2018, the 150-room, 13-suite luxury lifestyle property will be located in downtown Palm Springs, adjacent to the vibrant Uptown Design District and within walking distance of the shops, restaurants, and galleries that line famed Palm Canyon Drive. www.andazpalmsprings.com
Holiday House Hotel
The owners of Sparrows Lodge recently purchased the Chase Hotel in downtown Palm Springs and just completed a full renovation and restoration of 1951 28-room hotel. Acclaimed interior designer Mark D. Sikes did the interior design, featuring his signature blue and white color palette. The Chase Hotel will also return to its original name – Holiday House Hotel. www.holidayhouseps.com
Hotel Paseo
Part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, the Hotel Paseo is expected to open in October 2017. The four-star, 150-room hotel is the first of its kind in the El Paseo Shopping District in Palm Desert. The property will feature a pool, spa, dining, and ballroom.
Infusion Beach & Hotel
Opening Spring of 2017, The Monroe Hotel is set to launch a full-scale renovation of its pool and spa area. The 62-room economy class hotel will be re-branded as the Infusion Beach & Hotel. The Monroe Hotel was formerly an America’s Best Value Inn property, built in 1985. www.themonroepalmsprings.com
Orchid Tree Resort & Spa
The former Community Church of Palm Springs is on a path that could take it to a luxury 52-room boutique resort & spa. The 3.1-acre site will become a five-story resort hotel and spa complex. Gwynne Pugh of Urban Studio in Santa Monica is the architect, and construction is anticipated to begin early 2017.
The Rowan Hotel
The six-story, 154-room Kimpton brand hotel is set to open in summer 2017 as part of the Downtown Palm Springs Project. Located on North Palm Canyon Drive, the property will include the city’s first rooftop pool. www.kimptonhotels.com
SilverRock Resort
Montage International and The Robert Green Company just reached an agreement to bring a five-star, 140-room luxury hotel, and spa, as well as a four-star, 200-room lifestyle hotel to La Quinta. The project is scheduled to break ground in the summer of 2017. www.silverrock.org
Staybridge Suites Cathedral City Golf Resort
Staybridge Suites Hotel, a new 200-room extended stay hotel overlooking Cimarron Golf Course in Cathedral City opened March 2017. The 133,000-square-foot hotel, which caters to extended-stay travelers, offers studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom suites. www.staybridge.com
Tova Hotel and Beach Club
The former Garden Vista Hotel in downtown Palm Springs will become the Tova Hotel and Beach Club, complete with a new 200-seat restaurant, fitness club, and spa. All 124 guest rooms will be gutted and renovated, and new construction will involve building a 3,700-square-foot building to house the fitness room, restrooms, and storage. And another 15,200-square-foot building will house the restaurant. The project is scheduled for completion in summer 2017.
Virgin Hotels Palm Springs
In downtown Palm Springs, the new Virgin Hotels Palm Springs will feature 150-rooms and suites, multiple dining and drinking outlets, including The Commons Club, meetings spaces and a rooftop terrace and pool overlooking the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains. The new-build is being designed by local architect Chris Pardo and is expected to open in 2019. www.virginhotels.com
Vision Caliente – Spa Hotel
The property was once the home of Spa Hotel, closed for renovation in July 2014, and is anchored by the Agua Caliente tribe's culturally significant ancient Hot Mineral Spring. The site has operated since the late 1800s, providing access to the healing water for hundreds of thousands of people for more than 100 years. It has been estimated that the hotel will have up to 350 rooms on its Palm Springs property. www.visionaguacaliente.com
750 Lofts Hotel
The 750 Lofts Hotel is planned for the Uptown Design District and will be developed as a four-story, 38-room hotel with eight two-story lofts along with retail and a restaurant on the ground floor. www.soma.us/PALM-SPRINGS-HOTEl
NEW RESTAURANTS
Ace Hotel & Swim Club
As of February 2017, James Beard Best Chef West Award-semifinalist Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria took over food and beverage operations for the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs. Salgado and his team are changing the menus at Kings Highway, the hotel’s on-site restaurant, as well as the Amigo Room. www.acehotel.com/palmsprings
Bernie's Lounge and Supper Club
After relocating from Palm Springs to Rancho Mirage, Bernie's Lounge and Supper Club just opened in January 2017 and is bringing with it an old-school supper club approach to the dining experience. Stop in for martinis, supper or a swinging lounge act. www.bernies.club
Counter-Reformation
Hidden down a secret pathway, behind the main building, this charming new wine bar at The Parker opened in February 2017 and offers a unique European flavor to The Parker’s eccentric, eclectic ambiance. www.theparkerpalmsprings.com
Draughtsman Restaurant
The Draughtsman, a gastropub, opened in December 2016 at the corner of Palm Canyon Drive and Stevens Road. Part of the ARRIVE Hotel complex, the 144-seat restaurant and bar has roll-up garage doors leading to an outdoor patio opening the space for an easy indoor-outdoor flow. www.draughtsmanpalmsprings.com
Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar
The Seattle-based restaurant just opened its newest location in Rancho Mirage in December 2016. They offer a wide selection of fresh seafood, steak, prime rib, chicken, burgers, ribs, dinner specials and a great happy hour. www.thefishermansrestaurant.com
Fox and Fiddle
Fox and Fiddle, a signature Canadian establishment focused on mixing the social experience of a British style pub with upscale cuisine, just opened its first California location at The River in Rancho Mirage in February 2017. www.foxandfiddlecalifornia.com
Joey Palm Springs
Joey Palm Springs is Greater Palm Springs’ newest California-style bistro serving the finest in specialty coffee from Equator Coffee and Teas, and a fresh, seasonal menu. Vince Calcagno, former co-owner of San Francisco's fabled Zuni Café, opened it along with his partner Joe Lucero who runs the kitchen.
Justin – Food & Drink
Justin is a fresh, new, chef-driven concept in the heart of Cathedral City. Discover delicious food, great wine, and craft beers. www.justineatdrink.com
Moxie Palm Springs
Moxie Palm Springs, located in the middle of downtown Palm Springs, is the newest rooftop bar and lounge to open in January 2017. The owners also run the popular Broken Yolk Cafe in La Quinta and Palm Springs. www.moxiepalmsprings.com
The Gray Café
The Gray Cafe is a holistic café and health food store. The company is CBD-friendly and making strides to illuminate the community and visitors of various health benefits of all plant foods. www.thegraycafe.com
Truss & Twine
Truss & Twine is a new hot spot by Workshop Kitchen owner, Michael Beckman, in the historic El Paseo Building in the Uptown Design District. Truss & Twine is serving “small plates,” with a focus on the foods from this region. www.trussandtwine.com
RESTAURANT DEVELOPMENTS – On the Horizon
AC3 Restaurant + Bar
Award-winning Chef Andrew Copley and Juliana Manion Copley of Copley's on Palm Canyon and TRIO Restaurant owner, Tony Marchese, are teaming up to pair the distinctive style of TRIO’s, hip local vibe with Chef Andrew’s vibrant progressive cooking. The new American restaurant will be located in the new Hotel El Paseo, slated to open in October 2017. www.ac3palmdesert.com
Acqua California Bistro
The Keller family, owners of Lulu’s American Bistro, is launching their newest restaurant venture, Acqua California Bistro at the River in Rancho Mirage. www.acquaranchomirage.com
Grand Central Palm Springs
Located on the site of Palm Springs’ original department store, Desmond’s, which opened in 1936, Grand Central Palm Springs will offer Contemporary American cuisine. Grand Central will open in late 2017. www.grandcentralpalmsprings.com
Grafton's Steakhouse
Grafton's Steakhouse is a new state-of-the-art $6 million steakhouses that will be opening in 2018 on El Paseo in Palm Desert. The newly constructed two-story, 9,000-square-foot steakhouse and lounge will feature two large bars, spiral staircase, glass elevator, and roof deck.
Haus of Poke
Local boxing champion, Timothy Ray Tim Bradley Jr., plans to open his own restaurant in Rancho Mirage, the Haus of Poke, which will feature Hawaiian poke sushi in April 2017. www.hausofpoke.com
Sandfish Whiskey and Sushi Bar
Part of the ARRIVE Hotel complex, Sandfish Whiskey and Sushi Bar is will be a 49-seat upscale sushi and whiskey lounge. It will be located across from the ARRIVE and is set to open in late 2017.
Solstice
A new desert-inspired modern American restaurant at the V Hotel Palm Springs will serve delectable farm-to-table reinterpretations. Their seasonal menu will reflect their passionate commitment to the freshest, organic and locally-produced fare and ingredients. The restaurant is set to open summer 2017. www.vpalmsprings.com
SO•PA
L‘Horizon’s sophisticated outdoor restaurant, SO•PA has a new executive chef, Jason Niederkorn, formerly of Aspen's Hotel Jerome and the Hollywood Roosevelt in LA. In December 2016, a new Brunch menu was launched. Brunch is now available every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. www.lhorizonpalmsprings.com/sopa-restaurant
Mod Café
Mod Café will specialize in fresh and inventive organic, vegan, and gluten-free cuisine and will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. The restaurant is set to open in early April 2017. www.yelp.com/biz/midmod-cafe-palm-springs
The Saguaro Palm Springs
Gregorio Calderin has joined the hotel as executive chef and is overseeing the revision of catering and banquet menus, the refresh of menus for El Jefe, in-room dining and poolside dining, and just launched a completely new weekend brunch menu which is served outdoors on the covered patio in the hotel’s courtyard. www.thesaguaro.com/palm-springs
The Roost Lounge
The Roost is Cathedral City's newest gay bar, offering fine drinks, cocktails and a friendly atmosphere. www.roostps.com
Whiskey One Eleven
Whiskey One Eleven is slated to open in Fall 2017. The new neighborhood bar in Palm Desert will serve craft whiskey, brew, and food in the “largest indoor music venue in the Coachella Valley.”
Wilma & Frieda
Wilma & Frieda will be adding a second location to their popular Palm Desert café in downtown Palm Springs summer 2017. The restaurant plans to remodel the former Falls Restaurant on South Palm Canyon Drive. www.wilmafrieda.com
THINGS TO DO
New Drag Show Brunch at the Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs
The Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs has added a new event to its weekend party repertoire every Sunday featuring local performer Arial Trampway, co-owner of popular Palm Springs attraction Carnival Cabaret, and other guest performers. The DRG BRUNCH is a set-price brunch which includes cocktails, a drag show and admission to the same day Hard Rock Sunday pool party. www.hrhpalmsprings.com
New A+D Center Exhibit - On The Grid: A Look At Settlement Patterns In The High Desert
Coinciding with the inaugural Desert X, the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center has launched “On the Grid: a look at settlement patterns in the high desert,” an exhibition focused around “Lay of My Land,” a major sculptural work by the Joshua Tree-based artist Andrea Zittel. “On the Grid” is on view March 11- May 22, 2017. www.psmuseum.org
New Palm Springs Mod Squad Tour with Sunny Cycle – Pedal into the Past!
Celebrate the swinging 1960s with a new pedal tour by the Palm Springs Mod Squad. See the works of William Cody, Albert Frey, Hugh Kaptur, William Krisel, E. Stewart Williams and Donald Wexler along with others who have been influenced by their version of Southern California Modernism. This is a tour of the exteriors of the architecture and is followed by a martini toast. www.psmodsquad.com
New Exhibit Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert: Attack of the Bloodsuckers
The hands-on Attack of the Bloodsuckers exhibit features entertaining games and displays about how and why mosquitos, fleas, ticks, leeches, and other organisms feast on pets and humans, and why they are important to our ecosystem. The creepy fun of Attack of the Bloodsuckers will be on display through early May and is included with regular admission. www.cdmod.org
Laser Oasis
The largest laser tag arena in Southern California has just opened in La Quinta for family fun entertainment. The venue features a 6,000- square- foot multi-level laser tag facility, an indoor ropes course, laser maze, an arcade and a full-service restaurant serving beer and wine. www.laseroasis.com
New A+D Center Architectural Icons Walking Tour
In partnership with the Palm Springs Historical Society, see the architectural midcentury icons built for fashion and finance along Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs. Hear about the early history of Palm Springs and the movers and shakers who were instrumental in shaping its future as a desert resort oasis. www.psmuseum.org/architecture-design-center/tours
Stargaze at Greater Palm Springs' First Observatory
The Rancho Mirage Observatory will be a research level facility that will allow visitors of all ages to explore the universe. Professors in the field of astronomy and novice stargazers alike are sure to be amazed at the level of exploration that will be available. Completion of the Rancho Mirage Observatory is expected in early 2018.
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