Palm Springs

Palm Springs Mid-Century Retreat

I've been away from the blog for a week or two now, and I apologize for the hiatus. I'm back now.

On a recent weekend several friend's and I snuck out of Los Angeles to lay by the pool and relax for a bit in Palm Springs. The desert is the home of mid-century architecture, the Rat Pack, retired folks (including my Grandmother), and HEAT. My good friend Erin was able to hook up this fine mid-century pool house for the weekend through one of her associates. It is available for rent to anyone who is interested, but more about that later. When we visited the heat was out in full force, as temperatures hit 119 degrees! As you can imagine, most of the weekend was spent in and around the pool, which was fine with us. The ample backyard with flat grassy areas to run around (tough to find at a reasonable price in the Hollywood Hills area is all I kept thinking) and huge pool and spa played centerpiece for the weekend nicely.

The house itself was a recently remodeled mid-century butterfly roof home in prime Rancho Mirage. As you can see by the pictures, the home had a great mix of modern and vintage elements, which is my personal favorite.

The property has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a large open floor plan. The master suite has it's own wing with sitting room and office area. The entire back of the property is full floor to ceiling windows enticing one to go outside. The bathrooms are very modern with rain shower heads and European finishes. The furniture is impeccable, and most importantly the beds are loaded in luxurious comfort. To find out more about the property, see more pictures, and find it's pricing and availability visit here. If you are taking a trip to Palm Springs and have 6-8 in your group, I would definitely recommend staying here over a hotel.

Recent Trip to Palm Springs - Riviera Hotel

I recently went down to Palm Springs for the weekend to visit my grandparents. We stayed at the famed Riviera Hotel. After undergoing a huge renovation on this former 60's hot spot, Noble House Hotels & Resorts re-launched this historic property in October 2008. It is a beautiful property in a stunning setting with a nod to the mid-century aesthetics, but with an updated modern twist. As usual, I should have taken more pictures, but managed to snap a few of the Hotel, room, and pool plus a few about town shots.

I was struck by the pictures over the cabanas at the pool from the 1960's, and the fact that besides the fashion, the scene basically is identical to how it was when I was there in 2011. Some things never change, and I suspect lounging at the pool in the sun will still be happening in 2050.

For more information and images you can visit the Hotel Riviera's Website.

Photos by Eric Smilay for Smilay Properties