Why this Palm Springs hotel has become a haven for mid-century style fans

During Hollywood’s golden age, movie studios insisted on a ‘two-hour rule’ that kept stars within reach of Los Angeles during production. For those seeking to escape prying paparazzi, one destination emerged just inside that perimeter: the flourishing oasis of Palm Springs.

As the likes of Clark Gable and Marlene Dietrich descended, so did visionary architects charged with creating fitting homes. Between the 1920s and 1960s, Palm Springs saw the birth of an architectural style known as ‘desert modernism’. Clean lines accentuated the natural curves of the surrounding mountains, while courtyards and pools promoted indoor-outdoor living.

This glamorous ideal is still a way of life at Parker Palm Springs, a 13-acre estate with its own A-list backstory. Built in 1959 as California’s first Holiday Inn, it was bought two years later by Western star Gene Autry, who added his own exemplary mid-century modern home that’s now the hotel’s finest two-bedroom suite.

Hotelier Jack Parker took charge in 2003. He recruited designer Jonathan Adler, who added the striking 23ft sunshade and tangerine doors that have become the much-photographed face of the hotel.

Inside is a riot of whimsical maximalism. Bedrooms are full of personality thanks to statement furniture and Adler’s eccentric ceramics, while the lobby nods to Hollywood history. Film buffs will recognise the hexagon carpet from The Shining, but it’ll take a keen eye to identify a light fixture as a room divider from Soylent Green. Fortunately there are complimentary art tours to help uncover the hotel’s secrets. These extend into candle-lit, fine-dining restaurant Mister Parker’s, where works by Andy Warhol and Victor Vasarely hang beside a clown painting that appeared in An American in Paris.

A modernist landmark in its own right, the Parker is also ideally situated for exploring the other architectural treasures preserved around Palm Springs. Unlike at those private homes, here you won’t get in trouble for spending all day in the pool.

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Explore further

Go cycling

Take a bike tour of the city’s mid-century modern architecture with the Palm Springs Historical Society. Guides share stories about the architects who built the homes and the Hollywood stars who lived in them.

Shop vintage

Housed in a repurposed department store, Market Market is an expansive emporium selling one-of-a-kind antiques including ceramics, glassware and furniture alongside vinyl records and vintage clothing.

Admire art

The Palm Springs Art Museum contains an impressive collection of modern art, while the building itself is a prime example of desert modernism. In the grounds is Aluminaire House, a glass prototype ‘home of the future’.