The Globe and Mail’s Chris Johns takes a look at Palm Springs and concludes that it is back and hotter than ever. The author comments that on the morning he arrives at Palm Springs International Airport one private jet stands out from the many parked on the tarmac. Looking sharp in its blue and white livery, the 747 emblazoned with the presidential seal and the Stars and Stripes is unmistakably Air Force One, which has dropped off the President for a bit of golf and a summit. This is reportedly President Barack Obama’s sixth time in Palm Springs since his presidency began and there are rumors that the first couple are thinking of buying a place here after they leave the White House. They would be joining Leonardo DiCaprio, who recently purchased Dinah Shore’s former estate; a 7,000-square-foot, Donald Wexler-designed mid-century modern masterpiece that you can rent for $4,500 (U.S.) a night. Similarly, Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes celebrated the actress’s 42nd birthday at the luxurious Frank Sinatra Twin Palms Estate last month, and Louis Vuitton chose Bob Hope’s colossal house (designed by the renowned John Lauter) as the venue to debut their 2016 resort collection.
Looking back, the author writes that it’s been a while since Palm Springs saw the kind of action that made it a desert playground for the rich and famous of Hollywood’s golden age. While celebrities have flocked here since the 1930s, it was during the 1950s and ‘60s that the city really came into its own with the arrival of the rat pack and their glamorous entourages. Fashion is fickle, however, and after that first round of celebrities decamped for other destinations, in this world or the next, the city lost much of its lustre and devolved into a sleepy haven for retirees and a quiet spot for snowbirds to hibernate during the winter.
In the past few years, however, the author observes that has started to change and Palm Springs is on the cusp of a major revitalization. The author notes that major events like Coachella and hip properties such as the Ace Hotel bring the indie-music set, while the Palm Springs International Film Festival, now one of the most influential festivals of its kind, is attracting a whole new generation of celebrities. Social media travel network Gogobot.com has also named it the hippest mid-size city in America. In downtown Palm Springs, three new hotels along with dozens of shops and restaurants are being built here as part of a massive downtown revitalization project. All across town, in fact, once staid, humdrum hotels are reinventing themselves. Names like Merv Griffin’s Resort, HoJos and Holiday Inn are disappearing. But, redesigns of existing hotels aren’t the only thing animating the hospitality scene these days. Last month, Arrive Hotel opened: the first new-build hotel in the city in nearly 20 years. Arrive Hotel was started by Ezra Callahan, one of Facebook’s earliest employees and could have opened its first property anywhere in the world, but chose Palm Springs and is catering to the millennial, social traveler, of which there are millions in California alone. While Arrive was the first of the new-build properties, it won’t be the last. As part of the downtown construction boom, a 190-room Kimpton Hotel is going up and next year and Hyatt will open one of its luxury Andaz hotels.
To read Chris Johns’ original article and view the accompanying pictures, courtesy of The Globe and Mail, please visit: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/palm-springs-reinvented-the-scenesters-are-back-in-the-desertcity/article29510175/?utm_source=Shared+Article+Sent+to+User&utm_medium=E-mail:+Newsletters+/+E-Blasts+/+etc.&utm_campaign=Shared+Web+Article+Links| Learn More