Beyond Coachella

Just like every year, Coachella is taking over April and everyone’s Instagram feeds as we are currently between weekend 1 and 2 of the über-famous festival in the California desert. Even though I have personally never been (and will probably never go), I do have a major love affair with Palm Springs. Far beyond Coachella, from mid-century modern architecture to endless palm trees and the abundance of sunshine, the city of Palm Springs reflects the 
laid-back, cool California lifestyle that I adore. There is a special kind of magic that surrounds Palm Springs.

During last year’s trip to the desert we stayed at the L’Horizon on East Palm Canyon Drive and lived the carefree bungalow life for 5 days. I think it is my favorite hotel in the world to this day. This March, we were invited to a wedding that took place in Joshua Tree. The entire wedding party stayed at the Ace Hotel Palm Springs, which is all about those poolside drinks, late-night music and retro motel vibes. While it was not quite the L’Horizon, it was a lot of fun and I feel like the Ace Hotel & Swim Club is one of those places you simply have to see at one point. Always the center of the party and a mean avo toast with poached eggs for the morning after.

I was not too impressed with the standard king rooms but loved the property itself, the extensive minibar and drinks at the Amigo Room. Plus, the married couple splurged on the Ace Suite with an outdoor patio + fireplace, which was definitely a worthy place to celebrate the nuptials with cake and champagne! Only downside: The security guard was not amused by the music we played and nobody working at the hotel found it necessary to congratulate the newlyweds… Most of the employees gave off a vibe à la “I am too cool for you”. But that’s their beer, not ours. We still had fun!