Palm Springs Hotel
Caliente tropics Resort in Palm Springs, California re-opened in March
2001 after an extensive $2.2 million renovation and is one of the last and
greatest examples of the classic Polynesian-styled motor hotels of the 60s. Our
Polynesian and Tiki Playground now
features up-scale, boutique-styled guestrooms with custom furnishings. Our
exterior has been made over to celebrate the original mid-century look when the
resort opened in 1964 - A True Palm Springs Icon.
We are completely non-smoking, inside and out. Pet-friendly rooms feature pet
beds, pet throws, pet dishes and tiled vanities enclosed with swinging gates.
Canines receive biscuits on arrival.
Our services and amenities include complimentary extended continental breakfast
(basic continental breakfast June through September),
complimentary in-room beverages, complimentary LA Times delivered daily, ceiling fans,
refrigerators, voicemail, desktop dataports, nightly turndown service,
shuffleboard, an original but completely renovated 65-foot 100,000 gallon
swimming pool and 12-person therapeutic pool.
Swim, relax and
take-in the extraordinary mountain views, in the warm light of the tiki torches,
where Elvis hung-out and Nancy Sinatra grew-up. Unique indoor and outdoor
meeting spaces for 10 to 250 people. Packages are available.
The History of
Caliente tropics Resort
Built in 1963 and opened in 1964, by Ken Kimes, Sr., the tropics was number 38
out of 45 motels Kimes developed in the U.S. Five of the motels were Polynesian
styled. Sister Polynesian properties were located in Indio as well as Modesto,
Blythe, and Rosemead. At some point in the early ‘60s, 50 condominium units
were annexed on Twin Palms Drive (across the street). Those units were spun-off
and turned into apartments and are no longer part of the Resort.
Our Polynesian personality is reflected
not only in the architecture of the Resort, but in the accoutrements as well.
Oceanic Arts, considered by many tiki-followers to be the “Grand Daddy” of
Polynesian pop-culture, designed and manufactured most of the tiki gods and
artifacts throughout the Resort. It is primarily these artifacts that are
considered to be the most valuable to the tropics lineage. Oceanic Arts still
dominates as the primary source for this pop culture niche and, in recent years,
has enjoyed a major rebirth in business. Oceanic Arts is currently a primary
supplier to Disney, worldwide.
In addition to Sambos (coffee shop), The
Reef (cocktail lounge), the Congo Room (steakhouse), and the Cellar (basement
cocktail lounge for 100!), the central building also housed the main lobby.
According to locals, the tropics rocked-and-rolled during the ‘60s and ‘70s. It
was frequented by members of the Rat Pack and professional ball teams (Palm
Springs was a major training venue). Elvis and Nancy Sinatra liked to hang out
at the pool, and Victor Mature had “his” table in the Congo Room. The tropics
was to the south end of Palm Springs what the Racquet Club had been to the north
end.
In the ‘80s, as Palm Springs lost its
allure, the resort became an abused relic and a favorite spring break hangout.
It was the scene for parades of cars cruising the parking lot, fence jumping,
broken furniture, holes in walls, unruly behavior, illegal activity, and
numerous visits from the Palm Springs Police. At the same time it became the
site of (if not the first) Miss Hawaiian Tropics Pageant and the Reef did a
booming business—to the tune of about $250,000 gross, a year.
The Resort changed hands in the late ‘80s
and continued to slide until 2000. Starting in the ‘60s, as a Hyatt Lodge, then
becoming a Best Western at its peak, then a Days Inn, and eventually a Rodeway
Inn, the property was headed for the wrecking ball by the mid-90s. The old
tropics was kicked out of Rodeway Inns, the Palm Springs Visitors Center, and
the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority.
When it was “rescued” by
the current owners, in 2000, unsavory characters were staples to the tropics
“scene.” The Resort currently enjoys life as an independent property
operated by Townhouse Development, Inc., and Conde Nast Johansens.
It is marketed as an alternative to big “box” and chain hotels with no
personality, caters to pets and non-smokers and has become a popular venue for
photo shoots and cinematographers.
Fun fact: Ken Kimes, his wife (Sante)
and son (Kenny), were the subject of a movie released in 2001, “Like Mother,
Like Son,” starring Mary Tyler Moore and Jean Stapleton. Portrayed as a
world-class con team, Sante and Kenny are currently incarcerated for murder.
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