Best Designed Hotels in North and South America

Orbit In

Like many of the recently restored motels and hotels that are currently transforming Palm Springs into California’s funkiest weekend getaway, the Orbit In came about only by chance and a love of this desert community. Best Designed Hotels in North and South AmericaOpened early 2001 by husband-and-wife duo Christy Eugenis and Stan Amy, the 10 room property began life as a classic 1957 roadside motel, and today serves as a high-concept tribute to that era’s future-forward furniture and design.

True, it may be small, but Orbit In is helping Palm Springs reclaim its one-time glory as the favorite playground of Hollywood’s hip set, who packed its modernis homes and hotels in the 1950s, before decamping for more exotic getaways a few decades later.

Amy and Eugenis came to Palm Springs on a vacation in 1999 from their native Portland, Oregon, and fell in love with its warm climate and stark scenery. As a prior owner of a vintage clothing boutique, Eugenis was no stranger to second hand goods, and was ready for the challenge that lay ahead at the Orbit In. The flat roofed structure has been retrofitted to conceal new systems, while inside, each of its public and private spaces demonstrate its owners appreciation for mid-20th century chic.

Each room is named after a major design force or pop cultural reference from the 1950s and 1960’s – with quarters such as the Martini Room, the Leopard Lounge or Bossanovaville – reflecting this theme. One room, the Charles and Ray Eames studio, for instance, is decorated with the original photographs of the design duo snapped by lensman Julius Shulman. Other rooms and public spaces boast reproduced Eames Fabrics and framed pages from magazines such as Life and McCalls on the walls, as well as Eames furniture, and pieces by Noguchi, Saarinen and Paulin – a 50’s design fantasy. Some rooms include kitchens featuring period-styled appliances like polished stoves and those sexy “bikini” chairs by Eames. Additional amenities include pastel-tiled bathrooms (all original) and funky aluminum clocks.

A pool bar curves to conform with the blue water, illuminated with flowing lava lamps and is filled with techie-type guests checking their emails at the on-site data ports. Meanwhile, cruiser bikes are parked outside for easy desert drives around the neighborhood.