John Janulis is not the first guy from the Pacific Northwest to fall in love with Palm Springs (nor will he be the last) but he is the latest and greatest, making a splash with the sleek and seductive renovation of an old Hollywood haunt tucked away on the south end of town.
The Villa Royale has long been a desert hideaway, and now, it’s more stunning than ever.
The 38-room property, built in 1947, reopened in the fall of 2018 with a fresh, modern look. Co-owner and co-designer John Janulis told the Desert Sun the property is “a true Palm Springs time capsule. We did our best to not disturb the overall feel and charm.”
There are bold patterns, bright colors, and beautiful tile work made possible by artisan pieces from Spain, Mexico, and Portugal. The 21-and-over property has three pools, all with mountain views, and is pet-friendly. The intimate Del Rey offers up libations and small plates featuring Spanish and Mediterranean flavors. Led by Chef Louis Martinez, the Del Rey has a beautiful 12-seat oak and marble bar, as well as booths and an outdoor patio with firepit.
The Villa Royale is home to more than 50 original pieces of artwork, commissioned exclusively for the hotel. Prior to the property’s reopening, artists Sara Radovanovich, Lou Kregal, and Juan Casas lived at the Villa Royale while creating their oil paintings of everything from pop culture icons to desert scenes.
The art’s not just inside. Muralist and tattoo artist Sagent Staygold spray painted the “Welcome to Your Paradise” piece that guests see when they arrive, and Radovanovich made the geometric “El Viaje” mural that stands guard poolside.
Blogger Debra Schroeder of Traveling Well for Less found herself captivated by the Albert Frey-designed Monkey Tree Hotel, with its mid-century modern architecture and fun vintage decor.
Gorgeous rooms? Check. Relaxing spa with a variety of services? Check. A sparkling pool? Check. Restaurant with rooftop lounge and intriguing cocktails? Check.
Everything you need for the perfect Palm Springs stay is at La Serena Villas. Originally built in 1933 as a 26-unit hotel, this resort in the Historic Tennis Club neighborhood was redeveloped as a luxury hotel in 2016 by architect May Sung. The 18 secluded villas each have a private patio with a clawfoot tub, fire pit, and built-in benches, with Avenue Interior Design behind every room’s furniture, finishes, and materials.
Whispers Spa offers facials, massages, and body treatments, while Azucar restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Enjoy dining in the restaurant or sipping cocktails at Sugar High, the rooftop lounge. The hotel, owned by Lars Viklund, has a Spanish colonial feel, and is next door to one of his other properties, the Del Marcos Hotel, and across from his latest acquisition, The Three Fifty Hotel.
There’s an air of excitement in Palm Springs every October, and not just because of the cooler weather. Running October 14 through 17 is Modernism Preview Week, a mini-version of February’s Modernism Week. This event was originally designed to attract journalists and entice them to write about Palm Springs’ unique architecture.
With few design regulations in Palm Springs, Los Angeles architects Arthur Elrod, E. Stewart Williams, Don Wexler, Hugh Kaptur, and Albert Frey came to the area reveling in the prospect of experimenting with unusual shapes for roofs and buildings. Today, most of their buildings are preserved, and in some cases, also have the original décor.
During Modernism Preview Week, there are numerous tours available, both walking and through the buildings. Be sure to get tickets in advance at Modernism Week.
Palm Springs Art Center Architecture and Design Center in downtown Palm Springs. Photo credit: Kathy Condon
Palm Springs Art Museum and local citizens come together
Recognizing the significance of these architects’ impact on the Palm Springs area, a coalition of local residents raised funds to convert the Coachella Valley Savings and Loan building originally designed by Stewart Williams into the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center. (Fun fact: Williams also designed the Palm Springs Art Museum!) Today, with the design help of Marmol Radziner architects, this building holds the papers donated by Albert Frey, as well as other documents and designs by the architects that helped put Palm Springs on the map.
Photo: Kathy Condon
Exhibitions that excite
The Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture Design Center is at the end of downtown Palm Springs’ retail shopping district, and a great stop to make after enjoying lunch. Take time to notice the plants surrounding the building, and how the cacti cast shadows onto the windows. Walking through the entry doors, you are greeted and asked to pay your $5 admission fee.
The Modern Chair exhibition will quickly grab your attention, with each chair having its own space so it can be viewed from different angles. Swiss-French designer LeCorbusier designed the oldest modern chair, and its inclusion helps one see the journey of the development of the modern seat beginning in 1905.
Just some of the chairs in the exhibit. Photo: Kathy Condon
Ribbon chair by Pierre Paul, 1966. Photo credit: Kathy Condon
Heart Cone chair by Vemer Panton, 1958. Photo credit: Kathy Condon
Corrugated chair by E. Frank Gehry. Photo credit: Kathy Condon
The old drive-thru window. Photo credit: Kathy Condon
Did you notice incorporated in the décor is the drive-up window installed when the building was a savings and loan? Next to it, the modernism wall is covered in an easily recognized wallpaper design of the ’60s.
A book store and gift shop worth the stop
What do you do with a vault that is impossible to move? Turn it into a place to house your vast collection of architectural books for sale. The Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture Design Center’s collection of books will help you navigate the world of modernism, with many of the authors from the Palm Springs area.
A unique gift shop entrance. Photo credit: Kathy Condon
With an architectural theme, the items in the gift shop are colorful and unusual — as an added bonus, many of them are created by local artists. Take the time to browse and ask the knowledgeable staff and volunteers any questions you might have.
The well-stocked gift shop. Photo credit: Kathy Condon
The Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center exhibitions and educational programs change, so be sure to sign up for their mailing list. As you walk out the door, look down. There you will see stars in the sidewalk honoring the architects and interior designers who embraced modernism and helped Palm Springs become a destination that embraces the style.
If you really want to immerse yourself in the architecture, use the Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels website to search for mid-century modern hotels. The best way to cap a visit to the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center is by then checking into one of these fabulous properties.
Kathy Condon
Korakia Pensione (https://www.palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/stay/korakia-pensione) is one of Palm Springs’ most unique hotels.
It’s actually three separate buildings — an adobe dating back to 1918, a bungalow built in 1924, and a 1930s villa. There isn’t just one vibe, as Korakia Pensione has touches of Northern African and the Mediterranean; there are arches and fountains and candles everywhere, with guests able to slip into one of two saltwater pools at any time of day. There’s also a library, which has been a gathering place for writers and artists and musicians for decades.
The property’s one-of-a-kind feel makes it perfect for photo shoots. The hotel has been prominently featured in several of the world’s most popular magazines, including Vogue, Elle, and Architectural Digest. Of course, it’s also been the backdrop in countless wedding pictures, as the hotel and its stunning views of the San Jacinto mountains and palms have attracted brides and grooms from around the world.
Next up in our series of articles on the most Instagram-worthy small hotels in Palm Springs is L’Horizon Resort & Spa.
In 1952, Jack Wrather, producer of Lassie and The Lone Ranger, wanted a desert retreat for himself and his Hollywood friends. He enlisted prominent modernist architect William F. Cody to create a large property in South Palm Springs featuring 20 separate bungalows that ultimately hosted everyone from Marilyn Monroe to the Nixons during its heyday. More than six decades later, designer Steve Hermann, who has designed homes for clients including Christina Aguilera and Vera Wang, purchased the property and reopened it in July 2015 as L’Horizon Resort & Spa following an extensive renovation and redesign.
Hermann’s design update retained Cody’s signature midcentury architectural elements while infusing modern comforts and luxuries. An al fresco fine dining restaurant called SO.PA was added to the property, as well as a poolside bar and a spa.
A blue-tiled infinity pool is the centerpiece of the resort, with guest room bungalows scattered around the property.
One bungalow, called the Fireplace Suite, was Marilyn Monroe’s personal bungalow when she stayed with the Wrathers during the 1950s. It features a wood-burning, copper clad fireplace as the centerpiece of the room and opens out onto a private patio.
The ultimate luxury accomodations at L’Horizon can be found in The Residence, which is a nearly 2,000 square foot standalone home with two bedrooms, a full kitchen, living room, sunken wet bar and its own private pool with gorgeous mountain views.
Other Instagram-able details I love at L’Horizon include the black and white multi-patterned design motifs around the property; the ornate starburst front doors; bikes available for guest use during your stay; bocce ball court; hammocks; and the desert landscaping throughout the resort. The property is adults only, but your four-legged friends are welcome!
Stay tuned as we continue to explore other great Instagram-friendly small hotels in Palm Springs in this series of blog posts coming out each month!
Images via Jeff Mindell for Palm Springs Style and Instagram.
Decorating The Monkey Tree Hotel (https://www.palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/stay/monkey-tree-hotel) has been a blast for Kathy Friedle.
Before Kathy and her husband, Gary, purchased the Albert Frey-designed property in 2015, she worked in New York City at the world’s largest architectural firm, overseeing her own studio. Kathy has “a fantastic eye,” Gary says, and has picked up mid-century modern treasures from antique stores and boutiques across Palm Springs. The Monkey Tree Hotel feels like a step back in time to the swinging ’60s, when everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Bob Hope stopped by for the night.
There are standard and deluxe rooms, all of them spacious and equipped with snacks and water upon arrival. Two standouts are the 725-square-foot Presidential Suite, boasting a large private backyard, kitchenette, and two rooms and bathrooms, and The Jungle Room. With its original leopard wallpaper and monkey sculptures, there’s nothing like this 465 square foot room anywhere else in Palm Springs.
The Jungle Room has a California king bed, living room area, and the original bathroom, with a full walk-in glass shower that doubles as a sunken tub and two sinks. There is a huge window, which offers a lovely view of the private 550-square-foot outdoor patio, with a sitting area, tropical landscaping, and orange trees. The Jungle Room was just refreshed, with Kathy adding more vintage finds like orange lava glaze lamps and macrame owls, plus a custom headboard. Eric Clapton was a repeat guest of the Monkey Tree Hotel in its earlier days, and this was his favorite room.
Step foot on the Dive Palm Springs property, and you’ll immediately be transported to the French Riviera of the 1960s.
Dive Palm Springs opened in August 2019 after a two-month renovation. The hotel was built in 1954 as the Sunrise Villa, a western-style hotel. Over the years, it changed names and themes, ultimately becoming the Alpine Gardens before transforming into Colt’s Lodge in 2015. Since being purchased earlier this year, the 11-room property has been “extensively redesigned, both inside and out,” new owner Abdi Manavi says. “We have developed a sense of luxury in all the rooms, and a feeling of serenity throughout the different areas of the grounds.”
The hotel features furnishings by Serena & Lily and Anthropologie, premium linens, and original murals. Most of the King rooms come with an outdoor patio, complete with an oversized daybed, and one has a private hot tub. The most magical room is the La Reve, French for “The Dream.” This room has a custom ceiling mural and wallpaper by Christian Lacroix, a solid brass queen bed with an ultra-comfortable Tuft and Needle mattress, and a red-tiled bathroom with a rainfall shower and smoked glass two-way mirror between the bedroom and shower.
“Dive is more than a hotel,” Abdi 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.”
Dive is an adults-only property, and can host events for up to 150 people, including weddings, retreats, and reunions. Guests have been raving about the lush grounds, cozy daybeds, the restored original Libott pool, the koi pond, and The Orchard — Dive calls this its “vacation spot within a vacation spot,” as it has a two-person swing chair, waterfall, comfortable couches and loungers, and a vintage neon sign of a diving girl, affectionally nicknamed Lulu.
“My business partner Dale Fox and I have created an intimate atmosphere for our guests, as you would have staying at a friend’s house,” Abdi says. “We are here to provide magic and ensure our guests are relaxed and happy during their stay. Though I take on the role of an owner and general manager, my business card says ‘Liaison to Happiness.'”
