""You know, Lady Gaga just stayed here," a fellow wedding guest whispers to me as we nose around the Gene Autry House, a 2,200-square-foot two-bedroom bungalow tucked between the adults-only pool and a pétanque court on the lush grounds of the Parker Palm Springs hotel. In 1961 Autry, a.k.a. Hollywood's Singing Cowboy and the star of more than 70 Westerns, purchased what was then California's first Holiday Inn and christened it Melody Ranch."
"He claimed this bungalow as his private residence. Later Merv Griffin, game show host and media mogul extraordinaire, took over the property for a few years before hotelier Jack Parker bought it in 2003. He renamed it and, to reimagine the design, tapped bon vivant home decorator Jonathan Adler, who swathed it in orange lacquer and added bronze sconces, jingly-jangly Moroccan blankets, and refrigerator-size lamps."
"We're now standing in front of one of the bungalow's walls that's been covered in African wood masks. "The Parker is a gateway drug for falling in love with Palm Springs," my new friend notes as we stare into countless pairs of eyes. "Wait, no," he amends. "The Parker is more like Palm Springs' Ellis Island: Everyone lands here first.""
Palm Springs is a multifaceted desert enclave known for its spa culture, Hollywood refuge, design influence, and winter-sun appeal. The Parker Palm Springs exemplifies the city's glamour and camp, featuring historic bungalows like the Gene Autry House—originally Melody Ranch—and bold Jonathan Adler interiors with orange lacquer, Moroccan blankets, and oversized lamps. Ownership history includes Gene Autry and Merv Griffin before hotelier Jack Parker's 2003 redesign. The resort functions as a first stop for visitors, a magnet for celebrities, and a setting for extravagant events such as multi-day black-tie weddings across its 13-acre grounds. The city's essence blends nostalgia, curated luxury, and romantic fantasy.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]