What happens when a minimalist designer and former Facebook employee go into the hospitality industry in Palm Springs? You get the desert’s trademark midcentury-inspired aesthetic with the modern conveniences of today’s technology, all wrapped up in one simple and socially inviting package: ARRIVE.
After much anticipation, the desert’s newest hotel opened to the public during Modernism Week last month. Designer Chris Pardo of Chris Pardo Design: Elemental Architecture and investor Ezra Callahan – Facebook’s sixth hire – sought to make ARRIVE the ultimate social destination.
Amenities like an 80-seat restaurant, artisanal ice cream, corner coffee shop, pool, jacuzzi, and bocce ball court that are all open to the public (and not just hotel guests, except during special events) certainly make it hard to resist.
“We want to reflect, and integrate with, our surroundings in a way that makes our hotel the one our neighbors recommend to their friends without hesitation,” Callahan said in an interview with Condé Nast Traveler.
“Typically Palm Springs hotels are known for their seclusion. ARRIVE is unique in that sense as it was designed to be for the neighborhood rather than designed specifically for tourists,” Pardo explains further to Modernism Weekly. “The hotel balances the desire for escape while being inclusive. I designed the buildings to be forward facing, with the restaurant, coffee shop and Ice Cream store all fronting Palm Canyon. The pool and fire pit areas are an extension of the bar/restaurant and welcome hotel and non-hotel guests alike.”
ARRIVE was designed 4 years before Pardo moved to Palm Springs. His design inspiration for the hotel developed from his experience of seeing for the first time the wealth of architectural history in the city. “Neutra was my hero for as long as I can remember and Wexler, Krisel blew me away with their language in what was meant to be modest vacation homes. Folding planes, butterfly roofs and extended shrouds tile the buildings to the natural landscape while creating shade from the harsh summer sun.”
His favorite design element of the hotel? “The use of subtle texture constantly changing throughout the day as the sun rises and sets, casting shadows and new life on the buildings,” Pardo shares. “Standing seam Corten steel, shadow block, cement tile, steel, even the wild grasses all add to the effect.”
Grab a friend for a meal, coffee, or dessert, and welcome the newest kid on the block in style. ARRIVE has officially arrived in Palm Springs, and we can’t wait to check in (on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and of course, to the hotel itself)!
Photo credit: Christine Joo
