The new 163-room Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs brings a youthful, glam vibe to the desert city. Just inside the entrance, an eye-catching sculpture makes a visual and sonic statement: It’s decorated with vintage speakers and amplifiers that set the tone for the entire property.
The musical theme continues in-room, where guests can borrow a Fender guitar. Guitar icons are monogrammed onto pillowcases and rock ’n’ roll memorabilia adorns the lobby and throughout the hotel’s public areas. A couch-filled sunken living room is the lobby’s cool socializing spot. Book it for a pre-event cocktail hour and sip rockin’ margaritas under Jimi Hendrix’s fringed and beaded suede jacket.
Formerly the Hotel Zozo, the entire property has been redone. Guest rooms are oversized with at least 475 square feet, and outfitted with Herman Miller desk chairs and generous shelf-like workspaces. All rooms have terraces or balconies. The hotel has 20,500 square feet of versatile event space, including an outdoor terrace, poolside cabanas and the Woodstock Ballroom, where up to 1,500 guests can attend a standing reception. Within walking distance of the Hilton Palm Springs and the 410-room Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel, two of the city’s large convention hotel properties, the Hard Rock is also close to the Palm Springs Convention Center and its 180,000 square feet of prime meeting and event space.
In late 2013, the Hilton Palm Springs completed more than $10 million in renovations. Set around an expansive pool and patio, both exterior and interior spaces were updated. Outside, the 15,000-square-foot pool deck was resurfaced and brightened; indoors, polished Corian countertops were installed in bathrooms, and the lobby is now a cheerful spot for socializing, with bold hues and midcentury style furniture. Balconies now have privacy screens, with new carpet throughout the hotel and its 12 function rooms. A new 12-seat boardroom was added and the hotel’s Wi-Fi service updated.
The hotel’s menu offerings were also revised. Artisan-style cocktails are now available to meeting planners; a crowd-pleasing bacon bloody mary is tasty-and pretty, garnished with microgreens and edible flowers.
One of Palm Springs’ features is its midcentury modern architecture, and these days, retro chic is in. The Ace Hotel, a redo of a former 1960s roadside motel, is a hot spot during the Coachella Music Festival and hums with events year-round. To meet demand, the Ace added the Clubhouse, a two-story indoor/ outdoor event space next to the compound’s main pool. Conveniently, the Clubhouse has its own off-street private entrance at the rear of the building. Both levels open to the outdoors via large sliding doors. There’s minimal décor, as the Clubhouse is designed as a blank slate, ready for event planners, with pre-wired Wi-Fi and A/V capabilities. The second floor has 1,000 square feet inside and a 1,286-square foot balcony with views of the San Jacinto Mountains.
