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Parker
Palm Springs: Indulgence in the Desert The latest word on the Parker
Palm Springs is that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie checked in a couple
of weeks ago using the alias, Bryce and Jasmine Pilaf--not, as you would
expect, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Gossip has it that four years
ago at the Givenchy Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, actor Robert
Downey Jr. was arrested for over enjoying his stay in room 311.
While the room is still there, the hotel name and decor have
changed. Reopened in October 2004, the kitschy Parker
Palm Springs has been renovated to the tune of 27 million dollars. Apparently
Downey has been renovated as well. The Parker carries his CD in the lobby
along with those of other luminaries who have stayed there including
Barbara Streisand and Barry Manilow. The Parker, owned by the Jack
Parker Corporation and affiliated with Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts,
is quickly gaining accolades in a community where over the top reigns.
Stars such as Nicole Kidman, Kevin Spacey and Kirk Douglas stayed during
the January Palm Springs Film Festival and Suzanne Somers breakfasts there
regularly and uses their 22,000-square-foot spa that was given a world
class rating by Conde Nast Traveler.
One of our mantras is
'its not enough to be different, we have to be better.' We want
people to feel like they are staying at a private estate, says GM Charlie
Robles, who notes that, instead of a formal front desk
check in, guests are registered in their rooms. And, the super friendly
staff doesnt wear name tags. A doorman in a brilliant fuscia-colored
polo jacket greeted me at the bright orange, 30-foot door. The bold main
entrance is flanked by a bris-soleil, a curved, 1950s-style wall
of concrete blocks with openings that allow the desert breeze to
blow in.
Aside from the colorful arrival,
the first thing I noticed was the lack of attitude. Trendy hotels seem
to be synonymous with airs. Happily, not here. We believe that over
the past years hotels have lost something very important and thats
hospitality, Robles comments. Yes indeed. The Parker was
created around a fictional character, a Mrs. Parker who is modeled
after the celebrated Auntie Mame. "I told my young staff about
Auntie Mame and used the 1940's movie starring Rosalind Russell for
training purposes! reveals Robles. Myth has it that Mrs. Parker
travels the world collecting interesting artifacts like the wraparound
couch in the lobby covered in a white Moroccan wedding veil with gold
spangles, bells and embroidery. Her other treasures--the colorful 50s
salt and pepper shakers in Normas Restaurant, the leopard
covered lounge chairs and Mexican throws were, in fact collected
by Jonathan Adler, a noted potter and store owner, who shopped estate
sales for the eclectic décor. Everyone that worked
on the project had no previous hotel experience which is a good
thing ...and a challenge, laughs Robles. We picked Jonathan
because he was different. He recreated the Palm Springs of the 1950-1970's era,
what they call mid-century architecture. Adler describes the Parker
as happy luxe and desert chic. We want you to be comfortable in
our home, said Ron Smith, Assistant Front Office Manager when I
grilled him about the lobby. As a matter of fact, the Parker
felt hauntingly familiar to me. Almost like deja vu. At times I even
speculated, "Is this my Moms den from her 50s period?"
But then again, Mom would never hang a nine-foot chandelier made of crystal
links from the ceiling. The guest rooms, which combine whimsy and simplicity,
feature a variety of textures including grass cloth ceilings, seisel flooring,
white brick walls, marble bathrooms, a stark white, four poster feather
bed with a feather duvet and pillow, wooden Horsehead lamps and
soft lambs wool rugs laid out at night by the bed. Period pieces
include a stack of novels by Jacqueline Suzanne and Harold Robbins
and a Ron Gallela photo of Jackie Onassis walking in Central
Park. But it was the bathroom that made me happy. All my favorite collectibles
including Hermes soap, Molton Brown bath gels, Erno Lazlo body lotion,
Blistex and LOccitane hand soap. Also to note, the rooms come equipped
with wireless internet access and a CD/DVD/MP3 player. Moroccan tea is
available on request. An import from Manhattan,
Norma's, the 5 star diner, carries on the eclectic flair.
We have the best breakfast
for miles, boasts Robles describing the Dr. Shmackins' Orange
Marmalade French toast with enough carbs to last a year, the Chocolate
Decadence French toast and the macaroni and cheese with lobster chunks
swimming in the sauce. (I indulged -- it was dreamy!) The surrounding property,
a lush garden of mature palm trees and orange bushes, has pockets of quiet
courtyards with hanging chairs, hammocks and outdoor fireplaces. The spa
has a full menu of treatments and separate men's and women's indoor pools
(swimsuits optional) plus Jacuzzis, steam and sauna. The well-equipped
24-hour exercise room is a bright space with floor to ceiling windows.
The Parker also has four European
red clay tennis courts (the kind my Dad used to play on) and an 18-hole
executive golf course (the very same where President Eisenhower
hit his only hole in one!). When we were first talking
about what we were doing and how much money we were spending everyone
thought that we were nuts, says Robles. But, we wanted to
stand out. People may not love it but they are certainly going to talk
about it. Exactly. For More Information:
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Lovetripper.com Romantic Travel Guide