Astylish modern revival of the Rat Pack era, the Parker Palm Springs blends European chic and Hollywood swank. The recently opened resort offers visitors a painless check-in and the ambience of a private estate that includes a lavish spa and access to outstanding golf.
The Parker maintains reciprocity agreements with many of the hundred-plus private and public golf courses in the Palm Springs region, including the Desert Willow Golf Resort. Desert Willow offers two 18-hole courses. The Firecliff course, recently named by Golf Digest as one of the best places to play in the U.S., measures 7,056 yards and offers a true test of skill. Golfers must negotiate their way around extensive natural hazards, water features, and over 100 bunkers.
The Mountain View course, at 6,913 yards, rates as only slightly less difficult. With more forgiving fairways, 98 well-placed bunkers, sloping greens, and seven water features, it still requires the best from golfers of all levels.
Among the Parker’s other recommended golf courses: Landmark Golf Club, Mesquite Country Club, PGA West, Seven Lakes Golf Club, and Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort.
For relaxation, guests seek out the Palm Springs Yacht Club, which houses the Parker’s main attraction— a sumptuous world-class spa where guests choose from a wide array of services.
The spa’s menu includes massages, facials, hydrotherapy, and The Goldfinger—a moisturizing body scrub followed by a golden body masque-wrap and milk bath that renders a tan-like sheen without the need for real sun. Additionally, an antiaging treatment called Extended Youth firms, regenerates, and restores skin elasticity over the entire body via serums, gels, and freeze-dried seawater powder. The spa’s fitness options range from aqua aerobics in two body-temperature indoor pools to tai chi, yoga, and pilates classes.
To accommodate business travelers, a brand-new 6,000-square-foot meeting hall caters to corporate meetings, retreats, small conventions, banquets, and receptions. Outdoor special event spaces include lawn and garden areas in an oasis-type setting beneath towering palms.
Sprawling across the former sites of Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch and Merv Griffin’s Givenchy Resort, the Parker definitely revives the golden era of the Palm Springs getaway.