Michael Green, owner of The Triangle Inn and president of Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels, recently chatted with Big Blend Radio to spill on what it’s like to run a hotel in one of the most exciting cities in California.
The Cole Hotel and Courtyard
It is time to pack your bags and head to Palm Springs and the fabulously restored retro hotel called The Cole. Locals drop by on weekends for their fabulous brunches. Even celebrities are starting to discover it, so make your reservations while you still can.
The Cole Hotel Sign
A getaway to Palm Springs offers some spectacular views. By plane, you see the windmills scattered on the Coachella Valley floor. If you are driving in with your convertible top-down, you pass the miles of windmills standing there like soldiers guarding the valley.
Whether arriving by taxi or convertible, The Cole, located on the northernmost end of Palm Springs on Highway 111, is waiting to provide you with every comfort you were dreaming of for your escape from the city.
The Cole Hotel Inviting Entrance
With the soothing sound of the entryway water fountain and the 50s and 60s vibes radiating everywhere from the colorful courtyard, it is easy to start to relax into the casual and fun style that awaits you.
The Cole Hotel Registration and Bar Area.
Gone is the big registration desk one has come to expect. There is no need for one since all your information is already safely guarded in the hotel’s new online registration system. The bartender or the assigned person to check you in will be there to greet you and hand you your card key.
The Cole Hotel Welcome Package
A welcome gift awaits you. Protected by a see-through bag are a mask, sanitizer, and most importantly, a barcode that will help you ease into your lifestyle during your stay. Contained on the barcode are the WIFI password and instructions on running all the appliances in your room. Perhaps, even more importantly, are the food/drink and minibar menus and the pool and open bar hours.
The Cole Hotel Welcome Beverage
Thirsty after your journey? No problem. At the registration desk, cocktails are waiting for you, along with a non-alcoholic drink if you want. Try something new like their cocktails served in a can. Many visitors have decided to take this tasty alternative to a traditional cocktail home with them.
The Cole is a dog-friendly hotel. Since you registered online, they already know the name of your dog. Their pet gift pack includes a “Pet Relief Map” of the grounds with a bag. However, we think your dog will be most pleased with the treat.
The Cole Hotel Art Décor Rooms
With the sun shining and key in hand, it is time to wander up to your room.
Opening the brightly colored door reveals a well-appointed space with contemporary art and sleek furnishings. The high-end linens were carefully selected and their luxurious will make you feel like you are an extraordinary person, indeed.
The Cole Hotel Partnership with Biscuit and Counter
With no full-time chef at present, The Cole developed a partnership with Biscuit and Counter, a new business known for its exquisite, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits. When you stay here Thursday through Sunday, you can order some of these tempting biscuits in a variety of ways. They are so good; you will more likely find locals stopping in for their brunch specials.
The Cole Hotel Swimming Pool and Spa
The Cole’s Manager, David Smith, takes immense pride in his staff. He remarked, “I have an incredible staff, and they have been crossed trained so anyone can handle any request you might have during your relaxing stay.”
“Hopefully, we had handled the little details before you arrived, for your room has been inspected at least three times. But if we missed something, all you have to do is ask.”
The Cole Hotel Manager David Smith
If you didn’t met David earlier, he is sure to wander over while you are sitting by the pool sipping your cocktail. David’s pride in this property is evident with every word he utters. “I have been so fortunate because I have been here from the very beginning. To see it transformed to the vision the owner had has been one of the most extraordinary chapters of my life.”
What are you waiting for? Go online and reserve your room. Yes, we expect to fill up during the summer too, so the sooner you make your travel plans, the better. There is so much to explore in Palm Springs. However, if you decide you just want to stay by the pool, we have you covered.
We forgot to mention that the Cole shows movies by the pool too. Since it 21 plus hotel, they are not planning on showing any cartoons.
See you soon.
Take a video tour of The Monkey Tree Hotel! This classic mid-century modern hotel is a Palm Springs time capsule. Perfectly restored with meticulous attention to detail by owners Kathy and Gary Friedle, who preserved the original architecture and furnishings. Kathy’s background in architecture and design shows in every detail. If you love mid-century design, you will love this tour.
Dive Palm Springs, BelleVue Oasis join the Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels family.
It was a summer of change in Palm Springs, and this fall, you’ll want to check out — and check into — the newest boutique hotels to open in the city.
Dive Palm Springs is an 11-room paradise, inspired by the French Riviera. Formerly Colt’s Lodge, the property reopened in August, after a meticulous two-month renovation. Most of the rooms come with an outdoor patio, and the most magical one of all, La Reve, features a customer ceiling mural and wallpaper by Christian Lacroix and a gorgeous red-tiled bathroom with a rainfall shower and smoked glass two-way mirror.
“Dive is more than a hotel,” owner and general manager Abdi Manavi says. “It’s a private luxury time machine. Evoking the casual elegance of Saint Tropez in the 1960s, we created Dive to transport our guests to a romantic forgotten world where it’s still safe to relax, play, explore, and release all the trappings of modern life.”
In September, Escape Palm Springs officially became BelleVue Oasis. It is no longer a men’s clothing-optional hotel, but will remain a 21-and-over, mid-century modern resort. The lush grounds are what inspired the new name, with senior hotel manager Charles Zalepeski saying once you walk onto the property, “it’s kind of shocking, you don’t expect it to be as beautiful and as big as it is. The pool is beautiful, and the mountain views are ridiculous.”
Casa Cody, the oldest operating hotel in Palm Springs, is under new management by the Casseta Group. Casa Cody was founded in the 1920’s by Hollywood pioneer, Harriet Cody, cousin to the legendary, Buffalo Bill. Renovations are underway in several rooms as well as at the Winters House, an original 1930’s California Ranch House, which was added to the property in 2004.
With the closing of the Terra Cotta Resort, Tuscany Manor is now the go-to destination for adults looking for a clothing-optional experience. The all-suite hotel boasts apartment-style units with one or two bedrooms, plus kitchens and living and dining rooms. There is also an updated flower-filled courtyard, complete with a renovated pool, spa, and picnic area. In another major change, the entire property is now smoke free.
As for the Terra Cotta Resort, it is being renovated and will reopen in the fall of 2020 under a new name.
And if owning an exclusive boutique hotel is the dream of a lifetime, The Old Ranch Inn, a Spanish-style landmark hotel built in Palm Springs in the 1930’s, is available for sale at $2.5 million.
About Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels
Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels is a consortium of independently owned boutique hotels, which are an essential part of this desert resort town’s uncommon culture and economy. From quirky to charming, mid-century modern to clothing-optional, Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels has got your stay. Follow the fun on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
For years, the Coyote Inn was where Chris and Barb Miller would go when they needed an escape. Now, it’s home.
The Millers have owned the Coyote Inn since 2008. They fell in love with it as guests, when they would leave their donut business in Utah for a few days of relaxation in Palm Springs. It was “a grind,” Chris says, and when the opportunity to purchase the Coyote Inn came up, they jumped. “The previous owners were looking for a different lifestyle, and we were looking for something different,” Chris says.
Chris and Barb live on the property, and work seven days a week. They do everything and anything that needs to be done, and always have their “game faces on,” Chris says. They love forging relationships with guests, greeting new faces and welcoming back regulars.
“We meet a lot of interesting people,” Chris says. “When people find us, they’re hooked.”
Guests come from all over the world, and enjoy the peace and tranquility that comes along with a property that is adults only. They also love the saltwater pool and hot tub, which is good for the skin. Snowbirds flock to the Coyote Inn during the spring, and book for the next year before their visit is even over.
“People come here to relax,” Chris says. “Our location is ideal; you can walk downtown, but you’re far enough away where you can’t hear it. Some guests don’t even rent a car.”
There’s something about walking through the gate and entering the Coyote Inn’s courtyard that instantly puts guests at ease.
“Once people hit the fountain, they forget about everything,” Chris says. “It’s a great place to unwind.”
There’s no place like the Korakia Pensione.
The historic property says it “blends the silhouette of Tangier with a whisper of the Mediterranean,” and is the perfect escape. There are two restored historic villas — the Mediterranean Villas and Moroccan Villas — with spacious rooms featuring wood-beamed ceilings, stone showers, balconies, private patios, French doors, and antique and handmade furniture. The Moroccan villa was built in 1924 as a hideaway of Scottish painter Gordon Coutts, who wanted to recreate his earlier life in Tangier.
Guests at Korakia Pensione are treated to outdoor yoga and meditation sessions, hot breakfasts in the Moroccan courtyard, use of books in the library lounge and cruisers to get around town, Moroccan tea service in the afternoon, and vintage movies screened outside at night.
The Moroccan courtyard is filled with fountains, a stone waterfall, olive trees, date palms, citrus, and bougainvillea, and as the sun begins to set, staff light hundreds of candles and lanterns across the property, setting off a magical glow. Massage treatments can be booked in the indoor/outdoor spa lodge or in guest rooms, and the two heated saltwater pools, with views of the San Jacinto Mountains, are open all day and night.
