The hubby and I decided to get out of LA and take a few days R&R to my favorite getaway Palm Springs. Although the temperature was hitting the 100 degree plus mark, we bravely ventured east into the rising heat with the lure of the stunning mountains and the thought of lying by a pool doing nothing but reading books all day in our mind’s eye.
We usually stay with friends out there but I had seen this great offer on Hotels.com for what looked like a stunning boutique getaway called The Movie Colony hotel.
We could not have asked for more!
Our room was a patio room and, like all the rooms at the colony, was beautifully decorated in simple modernist style, cool and airy with stone floors and walls. What really brought a smile to our faces was when we discovered 5.30pm Happy Hour at the outside patio bar was the happiest in town as it was FREE! Not only that, a complimentary continental breakfast was served, buffet style, at the bar every morning form 9.30am which you could either sit at the bar and eat or take back to your own room and have in the privacy of your balcony or patio.
The hotel, I learnt, was actually designed by famous Swiss modernist architect Albert Fey, and was built in 1935 after Fay had moved to the desert. Originally, the San Jacinto Hotel, the Movie Colony was the first modernist building in Palm Springs and shaped the look that was to become the town’s signature style. Originally only three town houses were built with the back buildings of patio and balcony suites, where we stayed, being added in 1945 and pool in 1949. Bungalow 29 still has most of the original features with its fireplace, iron stair handrail, shower, bedroom and closet doors. Its balcony is the only one with Richard Shultz sun beds; unfortunately a gang broke in and stole the rest of them from around the pool!
Over the years the hotel has seen many changes in the original Frey design. In the early 90s, the owners totally gutted the place updating the plumbing and wiring under the supervision of Frey who, still alive, tried to bring things back to the original design.
It seems that the hotel has been Palm Springs best kept secret getaway to hundreds of stars over the years. One of the coolest being Jim Morrison, who whilst high on drugs, dove from his roof terrace of bungalow 29 into the pool. This does explain why on arrival we were greeted by a copycat leap by a rather unattractive aging rocker! And there was I thinking he was just an idiot.
I highly recommend this hotel for a romantic getaway or to simply grab a gang of friends and have a fantastic pool party weekend. It’s discreet, intimate (16 rooms) with super friendly staff and a fabulous relaxed atmosphere that makes you think you are in your own private apartment complex. It’s also walking distance from the main strip where the restaurants and bars are, or you can borrow one of the hotels bicycles if you are brave enough. Even though the temperature was in the triple digits it was bearable around the pool and I am pleased to say I finished my book and got my base tan floating around the pool. I do have an eye on one of the town houses for my next visit, though I’m not too sure I want Jim’s ghost walking through my bedroom…… then again if he’s just wearing his snakeskin pants, maybe I wont mind so much.
For more information and special deals click here.
What do you think?