Palm Springs Life
December, 2005
Home Suite Home
Excerpt by Jan Silver Maguire
A recent story in “Lodging Magazine, the publication of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, says most luxury hotels and resorts in the United States now incorporate some type of residential component. Several factors are said to be driving this trend – among them, baby boomers who have more income to travel for longer periods of time and resorts that are trying to stay competitive with the home-rental and destination-club markets. And upscale desert hotels are responding to this new zeitgeist in the hospitality industry by merging the resort experience with residential accoutrements… Orbit In’s Oasis property, a mid-century modern retreat featuring nine artfully appointed suites that conjure up images of Palm Springs in its Rat Pack heyday. (Orbit In also has the Hideaway property at 370 W. Arenas.) “I tried to create a ‘home away from home’ feel for guests by giving each room its own décor and identity – each with its own name”, says Orbit In Owner Christy Eugenis, who also designed the place. “I also carefully selected a blend of mid-century and modern original designer furnishings, art, and accessories that you would normally only find in private homes.” All suites have sitting areas, kitchenettes or bars with vintage Melmac dinnerware, highspeed Internet access, CD players and VCRs and private or poolside patios.
Services and amenities also reflect the laid-back desert lifestyle. At check in, guests receive complimentary bottles of Fiji water. The resort experience also includes a continental breakfast and a late-afternoon cocktail hour featuring the resort’s signature Orbitini. Guests can peruse the “games, books, and video closet,” take a spin on a cruiser bike, hike up a mountain trail, or stroll to downtown Palm Springs for a shopping or dining excursion.
