The Velvet Rope, a new boutique hotel in Palm Springs, California, puts a modern twist on Hollywood’s heyday in this California desert town.
Nine deliciously themed suites and a speakeasy-style bar transport guests back in time to experience the mid-20th century glamour that attracted celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, and Hugh Hefner to Palm Springs.
The Velvet Rope, which opened in December 2023, is in the Old Las Palmas area. Hollywood stars lived and partied in the neighborhood when they first began taking sojourns in Palm Springs. Legendary architectural designer Herbert W. Burns built the hotel in the 1950s to cater to visiting VIPs.
Even in Palm Springs, a city with a bounty of eclectic boutique hotels, The Velvet Rope’s vintage modern design details stand out.
Lodgings for our group of travel writers were provided by Palm Springs Small Hotels.
Elegance returns to Palm Springs hotel
Velvet Rope owner David Rios didn’t know about the hotel’s storied past when he purchased the vacant, rundown property three years ago. Rios had already established a reputation for transforming dated mid-century modern houses into flamboyant mini-resort rentals.
Rios saw reviving the boutique hotel as his next design challenge. He spent two years and more than $5 million to breathe elegance and style back into the Velvet Rope. After learning about the hotel’s history, he was determined to preserve and enhance many of the desert-modern treasures Burns left behind.
Palm Springs hotel retains modern architectural features
The result is stunning. The white exterior retains the clean, minimalist lines of mid-century modern architecture. Rios kept the original stone ledges, accenting the muted tones with black, white, and mint green stripes representing piano keys.
Guests enter the courtyard through Rios’s trademark front door–a gold sunburst on a background of mint green.
In Bar Valerie, the hotel’s dark and intimate lounge, a grand piano and a drum set evoke the Rat Pack days of bottomless martinis and upbeat jazz.
Pool ducks add playful vibe
The pool channels a boisterous vibe. Adult-sized rubber ducks float in the water, shadowed by swaying palms and the craggy San Jacinto Mountains. At night, the pool and hot tub pop with color from solar lights.
Hues are bolder inside the suites, which open onto the courtyard and pool deck. Each suite tells the story of a Hollywood icon or a celebrity group like the Rat Pack with whimsical memorabilia, glossy photographs, and silk fabrics.
Rotary dial phones and vintage record players mix with high-end marble vanities and modern recessed lighting. Rios kept some original touches, like ironing boards that fold into the wall.
The Suites at the Velvet Rope
Our group of travel writers was invited “inside” the Velvet Rope before its official opening. Each of us stayed in a different suite. Each pays tribute to a different famous, or notorious, celebrity connected to Palm Springs.
The Elizabeth Taylor Suite: High Glamour
Few past or present film stars reflect Hollywood elegance like Elizabeth Taylor. She had violet eyes. She loved big gemstones. She was known for her unique beauty and portrayals of strong-willed characters like the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra.
Her suite reflects all that and more. A diamond etching on the door defines her expensive tastes. Multiple shades of violet and lavender adorn the walls and ceiling, reflecting her famous violet eyes. A crystal chandelier twinkles above a king-sized bed with a pink velvet headboard and peacock fabric pillows. Pink martini glasses and vintage perfume bottles accent the feminine decor.
In the bathroom, three large photographs of the actress are reflected in the mirrors, making it seem like Elizabeth Taylor is everywhere. I found her presence intimidating until I decided to relax and pretend I was leading her glamorous lifestyle. For a few nights, anyway. — Barbara Redding
A Presidential Suite: Fit for Marilyn and Jack
The Velvet Rope’s Presidential Suite pays homage to the iconic relationship between President John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, a connection deeply rooted in Palm Springs’s history.
In 1949, the legendary actress was “discovered” at Charlie Farrell’s Racquet Club in Palm Springs by Johnny Hyde from the William Morris Agency. Many career and personal adventures later, it’s believed she met the President at Bing Crosby’s Palm Springs house.
With a mock presidential logo on the door and a marble fireplace, smoky mirror tiles, and gilded trim, the décor harkens back to Marilyn’s heyday and her dalliance with the most powerful man in the world.
The centerpiece is the bed, its luxury and comfort suggesting Marilyn and Jack romped here. A tall black velveteen headboard is surrounded by multiple pillows with a variety of textures. A fake bearskin rug is on the floor.
On the wall hangs a photo of Jackie Kennedy, observing all. — Dannelle Gay
The Playmate Suite: Party with Hef
In the Playmate Suite, you can lay your head in a liar that re-creates the world of Hugh Hefner, who launched the notorious men’s magazine in the 1950s. The room is all mid-century glamour, featuring gold trimmed black walls and plush red curtains. The seductive curves of the black suede couch invite you to recline with one of the vintage Playboy magazines scattered about.
In the bedroom, in front of the sateen-tufted headboard, you can sprawl on the black satin bedcover, surrounded by red-lipped throw pillows. The bathroom’s walls are tiled in ebony and gold. In the generous kitchenette, a wine fridge will keep a few bottles at the perfect temperature to add to the seductive vibe. — BethEllen Clausen
The Candelabra Suite at the Velvet Rope ©Maurie O’Connor
The Candelabra Suite: Liberace in the Light
As well as being an entertainer, the late Liberace was an interior designer who ran a business in antiques and objets d’art. So, you could be forgiven for thinking that he may in fact have designed the Liberace-inspired Candelabra Suite at The Velvet Rope.
The room is gold in more ways than one, with his famous swan design on the faucet taps and other fittings. It features candelabras, as you might expect, and crystal chandeliers. Glitzy, yes, but more tasteful than you might imagine. The only thing missing is a piano. — Maurie O’Connor
