Welcome to
"My Place in
Paradise"
by David Heward
Oct. 7, 2007 - I arrived in Palm Springs exactly one year ago today, while en route to San Diego. At the time, I hadn't planned on spending more than just one night here... and you might say that I came for the night, and never left. Almost immediately it began to dawn on me that Palm Springs is a very special place, that I had stumbled onto a kind of personal Paradise, and that there was no need for me to continue looking. elsewhere.
Palm Springs reminded me a lot of Phoenix, Arizona, where I'd lived much of my life. But it felt more like the Phoenix of 30 years ago... before it turned into the sprawling Megalopolous it has become today. People here actually still walk on the downtown streets after dark without fear... they are polite and friendly to each other... and there is an atmosphere of excitement, elegance and sophistication in the air.
There are always plenty of interesting things to do and places to go... from the many top notch art galleries, museums, nightclubs, restaurants, golf courses, and posh retail shops... to hunting for bargains in the area's excellent thrift stores or searching out the best $3.00 authentic Mexican burrito in town... Palm Springs has something for everyone and every budget.
In the weeks to come I'll have much more in this space on some of my personal favorite local attractions and fun things to do, but I wanted to get the lodging information below posted on the website as soon as possible.
Places to stay in
| Palms Springs... the
world's most famous desert resort town, and playground of the rich and
famous (and sometimes infamous)... has something for everybody.
Play on one of the 90 golf courses and 300 tennis courts. Go hiking and
horseback riding in the beautiful desert wilderness, or bike through
our many miles of beautiful trails. Ride the tram to the top of the San
Jacinto Mountains for a breathtaking view of the entire Coachella Valley
below. Or, you might prefer to just lay by the pool and
"work" on your suntan- - a very popular activity here in Palm
Springs.
If fine dining is your passion, you'll find plenty of "world class" restaurants to excite your palate in our fair little city. And if pampering yourself with a stay in a luxurious "money is no object" resort hotel, we have more of them per square mile than anywhere except Hawaii. But if your daddy didn't leave you the family fortune (or if you've already spent it...) we also have plenty of more reasonably priced places to stay while you "dry out in the desert."
If you're driving to Palm Springs or renting a car while you're here... like this little red convertible in the above photo, which I recently rented from Enterprise for a weekend daytrip... that broadens your lodging options considerably, and you can stay anywhere you wish while you're here. (However, a hotel with an on-site cocktail lounge and room service might prove to be more temptation than you're able to handle at this early stage in your recovery... even with the medications in your system to keep the cravings at bay... so you might want to think twice about that before booking your reservation.) If you're flying into town and not planning to rent a car to drive... and thus finding a hotel that's conveniently close to the A BETTER WAY office is an important consideration... here's a list of some of the better hotels in the neighborhood, along with some personal and recommendations.. All are within easy walking distance from the office... and to nearby downtown Palm Springs. (Although I heartily recommend treating yourself to at least one weekend with a red convertible while you're here!) Some of the hotels on the list below have been around for many years, while others are new and very modern. The minimum requirement which I set for a hotel's being included on this list is that the property be clean and well-kept, reasonably well-managed, and at a price that seems fair for the value of the amenities they offer. My Mother always taught me that if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it... therefore any property that did not meet these minimum standards is simply not included on the list. On the two lists below (to the North and South), properties are listed in the order of their distance from my office, with the closest listed first. |
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| Palm Canyon Inn 1450 S. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262 Phone: 760-320-7767 Fax: 760-322-4089 $250 wk - $300 per week with kitchenette, a good value for the price. No pets allowed.
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Located right across the street from my office, and the
place where I first stayed myself when I came to town, the Palm Canyon
Inn is one of the area's quaint older
motels. The courtyard in the rear around the pool area has two stories, with a nice view of the mountains from the upper
floor, and the rooms are large, clean, and well kept. The pool is
currently undergoing renovation, but neither the pool nor the hot-tub was heated when I stayed
there last October.
However, as much as I'd like to give them a resounding "thumbs up" due to
their close location and excellent value for their low price, I can't, in good conscience, do that.
Why? The management here is very unfriendly and not at all customer service oriented. My advice: unless everything else in the neighborhood is booked solid, smile very nicely and wave at them... as you walk right on by to another hotel. |
| Musicland Motel 1342 S. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92264 Local: 760-325-1326 $300 & up weekly rate, some w/ kitchenettes, also a nice Suite at $450 wk. No pets allowed. |
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Located just one block up the street from my office, the Musicland is another older two story motel which is now being completely remodeled. All the rooms on both floors face inwards towards the courtyard, with heated pool, hot tub, outdoor BBQ grills, and even some secluded parking off of the street. The management team here is very nice, friendly, and helpful... although it is their policy to actively discourage guests from having visitors in their rooms, which helps to keep out undesirables, but is kind of annoying when it's YOUR visitor they won't allow in to see you. None-the-less, it's an acceptable place to call home for a couple of weeks, at a bargain price. |
| Desert Lodge 1177 S. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92264 Res: 1-800-385-6343 Local: 760-325-1356 Fax: 760-325-7124 $59 & up weekdays, |
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Very attractive newer unit with very large heated pool, and separate Jacuzzi area. Longtime Manager Cathy is friendly and very nice to deal with, but won't put up with any excess noise or nonsense disturbing other guests. Includes free Continental breakfast. |
| Cambridge Inn 1277 S. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92264 Res: 1-877-325-5574 Local: 760-325-5574 Fax: 760-327-2020 $280.00 per week & up |
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The Cambridge Inn is also located very close to the office, and is actually much nicer looking on the outside than you can tell from this picture. It also offers large, clean rooms, which have all been recently renovated. Both pool and hot tub are heated year-round, and there's also a very nice grass lawn area in the rear of the property, complete with BBQ grills and picnic tables. Although it's not a particularly special hotel as far as "Palm Springs ambience" goes, it offers one of the best weekly rates in the neighborhood, is clean and well-managed, and is a solid value for the price. |
To the SOUTH and EAST on Palm Canyon Dr.
| Vagabond Inn 1699 S Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264 Res: 1-800-522-1555 Local: 760-325-7211 Currently priced from $42 per night online |
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Vagabond's Palm Springs hotel is located at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains, close to golf courses and tennis courts, one block from the Botanical Garden, one mile from Downtown Palm Springs and 20 miles from the great outlet stores of Cabazon. In the morning, enjoy your complimentary continental breakfast. Relax in their heated swimming pool and spa or simply lounge on the deck under the poolside mist cooling system. (By the way, of all the pictures that I took for this web page, this photo of their pool with the reflection of the palm trees on it's surface is my personal favorite.) |
| Caliente Tropics 411 East Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92264 Res: 1-800-957-9845 Local: 760-327-1391 $89 per night for one person w/ King Size bed |
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The Caliente Tropics is one of the nicest hotels within easy walking distance from the office. All rooms face inward towards the tropical courtyard, which features one of the largest swimming pools in the area, as well as a grassy picnic area, the jacuzzi, and also features poolside service from one of the two onsite restaurants. Rooms are large and spacious, and comfortably appointed (including small refrigerators in each room, but no microwaves). No smoking is allowed in any of the rooms, and pets are not allowed |
| Hotel California 424 E. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92264 Local: 760-322-8855 $525.00 per week |
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The Hotel California is located in the heart of beautiful, wind-sheltered South Palm Springs. This quiet, quaint hotel features 17 guest rooms, including a honeymoon suite, and a deluxe Roman theme room with an in-room spa. Enjoy a relaxing soak in the hot tub or go for a swim in the large heated swimming pool. Rooms are large and spacious, and include a full kitchenette in every unit. The grounds are lush and gorgeous... with banana trees and other tropical vegetation providing the perfect foreground for the great view of the mountains to the West. Small dogs are welcome here, too... but if you don't bring your own dog along with you, the owners' pet Schnauser Rex will be happy to let you pet him for a minute... and perhaps even scratch him behind the ears a bit... just so you won't miss Fido back at home too much. Easily my personal favorite of all the hotels I've stayed at in here in Palm Springs, the Hotel California is picture perfect for a relaxing Palm Springs retreat... and a nearly ideal place to begin your recovery... the BETTER WAY. |
| Travelodge 333 E. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92264 Tel: 760-327-1211 Res: 800-695-8284 Fax: 760-320-4672 $48.00 per night on the web |
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The Palm Springs Travelodge Motel is located right on "the Curve" on Highway 111, just a couple of blocks South of my office. One of the larger complexes in the neighborhood, they offer a variety of different types of rooms, many with private balcony or patios, and at a very competitive daily rates or weekly rates. There's also two large heated pools and Jacuzzi tubs, free Continental breakfast, free high-speed Internet, shuffleboard and badminton courts, and a nice view of the mountains to the South and West. Not spectacular, but for a large national chain, its not too bad, either... for the price. Look for their ad in the RoomSavers Coupon Book, or find a good deal online at: http://www.ahoteldeal.com/PalmSpringsTravelodge.html |
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