Location, Location, Location

Janice Kleinschmidt. Hotels & Resorts, Real Estate

What began as a hideaway retreat for Hollywood  screen legends in the 1930s and 1940s has become the getaway of choice for an ever-increasing number (we’re talking in the millions annually) of people seeking sun and fun in a naturally beautiful setting.

After all, you can’t keep a place this great a secret. The Palm Springs desert resort cities have responded by cultivating destination resorts, lush green golf courses (120 of them), world-class spas, one-of-a-kind dining venues (as well as nationally recognized restaurants), a plethora of shops selling items to enhance your personal style, and tourist attractions to write home about.

Of course, Mother Nature deserves some credit here as well. The light in the French countryside may be noted for inspiring painters since the days of Cézanne, but more and more artists (painters, writers, and musicians) find inspiration in the pinks, lavenders, and golds reflected on the hillsides as the sun moves across the sky. Horizons greet the eye in all directions. The sun shines practically every day of the year, and the temperature rarely dips below the 40s even on winter evenings.

 In fact, the year-round opportunity to lounge poolside, dine alfresco, and stroll leisurely down a sidewalk is one of the qualities that make the area so enticing.Because the desert is so relaxing, it is an ideal place to conduct corporate meetings, impress clients, reward employees, and combine business with pleasure. Each desert city, from Desert Hot Springs in the northwestern end of the Coachella Valley to Coachella in the southeastern end (with Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and Indio in between) maintains its own distinct identity while blending with the desert lifestyle.

City of La Quinta

City of Indio

When a region hosts as many visitors as the desert resort cities do, it stands to reason there should be plenty of accommodations ranging in style, size, price, services, and amenities. That’s what our resort cities offer  — because no one wants to leave after just one day.

Professional meeting planners know better than anyone what makes a great location for conventions and other large group events. So when they say the Palm Springs Convention Center ranks at the top of their list, you can believe there’s reason for the desert to be proud.

Readers of Association Meetings magazine, published by The Meetings Group, selected Palm Springs Convention Center as one of the 15 convention centers nationwide for a 2006 Inner Circle Award. Based on exemplary quality, service, and amenities, the honor is distinguished by the fact that it results from write-in ballots — so winners must be foremost in the voters’ minds.

Jim Dunn, general manager of the convention center, notes that business has increased sharply since an 18-month expansion was completed last fall. The expansion not only added exhibit, meeting, and ballroom space, but also resulted in a dramatic change in the façade that makes the center look like an entirely new structure. In fact, the front entrance turned 180 degrees to take advantage of the dramatic mountainside mere blocks away. 

Another feature of the new and improved convention center that enhances its ambiance is the addition of public art pieces, including sculptures on the outdoor terrace with its natural rock fountain.

Within walking distance of downtown Palm Springs, the convention center is also within 10 minutes of Palm Springs International Airport, making its location the ultimate in convenience for out-of-town visitors.

Meet Us In Paradise
The sweeping roofline along the front of the Palm Springs Convention Center mirrors the San Jacinto mountain range the center faces.
The expanded center offers the following:
250,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space
An 18,000-square-foot lobby
24,888 square feet of outdoor function space
A 12-bay loading dock
In-house catering and audio visual services
Information: (800) 333-7535

The airport is undergoing an expansion of its own to accommodate the increase in passengers as the result of increased service to and from Palm Springs. A new regional concourse will be con-nected to the main terminal by a glass-walled breezeway with a fabric roof. Both the concourse and the breezeway, scheduled for completion by May 2007, are designed to offer views of the mountains, palms, and clear blue skies.

Also scheduled for a May 2007 debut is a landscaped Oasis. While other terminals offer nondescript rows of bolted-down seats for passengers awaiting flights, Palm Springs International Airport is creating an open-air, resort-style setting for travelers to soak up the last rays of desert sunshine before their departure.

Of course the airport is best enjoyed upon arrival, when you step off the plane and feel your load lightened by the prospect of an enjoyable stay.

Ready to make that prospect happen are the owners and employees at a variety of lodging options. From charming historic inns to internationally recognized hotels, the desert offers accommodations to fit visitors’ needs and wants. In the last few years and continuing today, our resorts have spent millions of dollars renovating, remodeling, and expanding their properties. The amenities they offer — from swimming pools and golf courses to world-class spas — keep guests coming back.  Visitors may come initially for business, but they soon discover a destination that spells r-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n. 

Why Palm Springs Desert Resorts?

Inspired ideas
Everybody knows that the best ideas occur on the golf course. More than 100 world-class courses unfold throughout the desert — even courses that Tiger, Phil, and Annika play. 

Ease Up
Break the tension by seeing co-workers in shorts and T-shirts. This year-round paradise encourages walking meetings, poolside meetings, or other outdoor meetings.

Cha-Ching
Intense days of team building require fun nights to let your hair down. Local casinos offer dining, dancing, top-notch entertainment, and a chance to take home some mattress money.

Living Large
A group tour of movie-star mansions motivates your team. Expect increased production and upbeat attitudes as everyone strives to make their mark.

The Desert Way
Successful meeting participants go home refreshed and recharged. Spa treatments designed for optimal well-being capture a desert mantra: a little pampering goes a long way.

Daydream Believers
There’s something to be said about the desert’s endless vistas. On a clear day, you can see forever. So when you notice co-workers staring out the window across the contemplative landscape, their minds might be expanding. Go with it.