Then and now: A photograph shows the property, then known as La Quinta Hotel, in 1965.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STUART FUNK
It probably sounded preposterous when the heir to an oyster fortune told folks he was buying 1,400 acres of land in the undeveloped desert. But sometimes the wildest visions turn out to be the best ideas.
In 1926, entrepreneur Walter H. Morgan flung open the doors on his new hotel on the eastern end of the Coachella Valley. His concept was simple: A beautiful retreat designed for pampering and solitude. He called it La Quinta Hotel, a name that would eventually identify the town.
Morgan’s vision continues to flourish today at La Quinta Resort & Club, where celebrities and self-care enthusiasts alike enjoy rejuvenating stays. Things have changed a bit since the Roaring ’20s, of course. Back then, the hotel consisted of 20 guest casitas and three courtyards. The grounds boasted the area’s first nine-hole golf course, open to the public for a daily green fee of $1.
Now, more than 800 rooms dot 45 acres of fragrant gardens. Guests can luxuriate in one of 41 climate-controlled pools and play on any of 21 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, or five golf courses, thanks to the property’s sisterhood with PGA West. (Though modern green fees are a bit more than $1.)
What hasn’t changed is the allure of a tranquil place where dreams become reality. Walk the grounds, and you’ll see the site where Ginger Rogers got married. Or, more recently, the location for the televised nuptials of The Golden Bachelor. Check out the suite where Frank Capra wrote screenplays on a Royal typewriter. Or just hop into a hot tub and enjoy your stay.
Wine-Down Spa Experience
Ready to feel vine and dandy? Spa La Quinta offers luxurious vino therapy that begins with a wine flight, followed by a 50-minute massage featuring wine-inspired aromatics.