Luxury Travel Advisor - December 2008 - (Page 13) Industry Senior Sales Manager Noreen Selberg (noreen.selberg@ hyatt.com; 760-674-4087). Back in Palm Springs, the new—yet old—“hot” property is unquestionably the Riviera Resort & Spa (www.psriviera. com). Old because the property originally opened in 1958; new because after shuttering the hotel for two years and undergoing a $70-million renovation, it reopened on October 15. The Result: Unrelenting Hollywood glam oozes from every hallway, room and outdoor space. The Rat Pack in previous days idled by the pool; the updated version boasts eight private cabanas and a chic scene that will attract today’s mega-stars. The hotel features 406 rooms in nine different categories, all flaunting a noticeable 50s vibe, but in a refined updated version. A Mediterranean Suite, No. 3103, features eye-catching zebra-wood wall treatments, a private lanai and a 42-inch flat-screen TV. The four Starlite Suites boast private Jacuzzis. For information on all the accommodations and improvements made to the Riviera, luxury travel advisors should contact Director of Sales and Marketing Kevin Herbst (kherbst@ psriviera.com; 760-778-6002). Note: Key your clients in on Circa 59, Riveria’s cool-as-can- be new restaurant, which looks out onto the main pool area through large glass windows and is adorned with deep red upholstery. Your clients’ walk through the lobby toward the restaurant is a great introduction to the hotel’s history, with intricate wall installations made out of coins that have been fashioned in the visages of Sammy Davis, Jr., Marilyn Monroe, Phyllis Diller and others. A pair of hotels in Palm Springs is also tapping into and defining their own brand of Old Hollywood with a modish twist. Colony Palms Hotel (www.colonypalmshotel.com) has just reopened after a vast renovation that still retains its original Spanish Colonial style. The hotel boasts 57 rooms and suites, none more luxurious than the Winner’s Circle Suite, so named as homage to the famous racehorse Seabiscuit, whose owners, Robert Howard and Amanda Leeds Howard, previously owned the property when it was called The Howard Manor. Today, the suite features a discreet private entrance for your VIPs, vaulted ceilings, custom chandeliers, private terrace overlooking the main courtyard, a long dining table perfect for entertaining and, in the bathroom, a four-claw bathtub. An intimate four-treatmentroom spa is also on the premises and guests are encouraged to make appointments at least two weeks in advance of a stay. Talk about history: After knocking down a wall during renovations, an old-school speakeasy was found, which the hotel refashioned into a working bar. If not already, this will become one of the trendiest hotels in the valley—if not Southern California. Charlie Orozco (orozco@ colonypalmshotel.com; 800557-2187), the hotel’s director of sales, can share further details with luxury travel advisors. On the radar: Keep your eyes peeled for the opening of Ace Hotel & Swim Club (www.ace hotel.com), which has outposts in Portland and Seattle and is opening another soon in New York. The 180-room property, debuting next month, is being tapped as “bohemian-style luxury” (think young hip crowd with discerning music dispositions) and will be built with a “green” mentality: solar paneling, edible landscape and plug-in outlets for battery-powered vehicles. Luxury travel advisors can contact the Ace’s general manager, Jonathan Heath (jonathan. heath@acehotel.com; 760-3259910). ACCESS: A JET-SETTER’S PARADISE As the Coachella Valley continues to up and expand its luxury properties, other parts of the area are doing their part to keep up appearances, none more so than Palm Desert and its El Paseo District, endearingly known as the “Rodeo Drive of the Desert. Here, your clients will find such top-end stores as ” Gucci, St. John, Tiffany, Coach, Burberry and Bottega Veneta. The mile-long stretch has more than 300 stores (Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, by comparison, has a mere 100) and more luxury stores are on the way, including Louis Vuitton. Haute couture will also meld with hot hotels. Opening in 2010, the 106-room Hotel El Paseo will boast 16 threebedroom suites and a rooftop bar that promises unparalleled mountain vistas. Don’t Miss: IMAGO GALLERIES (www.imagogalleries.com) has one of the finest collections of Chihuly glass installations, along with other modern works—all for sale. Also, in March, Palm Desert hosts its own FASHION WEEK (www.fashionweek elpaseo.com), geared toward Los Angeles designers. December 2008 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR www.luxuryta.com 13 http://www.acehotel.com http://www.acehotel.com http://www.psriviera.com http://www.psriviera.com http://www.colonypalmshotel.com http://www.imagogalleries.com http://www.fashionweekelpaseo.com http://www.fashionweekelpaseo.com http://www.luxuryta.com
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