PALM SPRINGS -- She was quite a knockout in her prime. Fresh. Frisky. Possessing a beauty that smoldered -- often literally. Famous entertainers frequently made the trek from Hollywood to spend time with her, to bask in her sun and her glory.
In time, however, younger, brighter rivals began to emerge, and the rejection that followed was not a pretty sight.By the 1980s, Palm Springs, Hollywood's desert playground in the '30s, '40s and '50s, was helplessly observing an exodus, as travelers drifted deeper into the Coachella Valley.
Before long, Palm Springs was in imminent peril of becoming a pathetic dowager in cracked pink stucco.
But Palm Springs fooled them all. It tidied up, moved the dining tables outdoors and introduced a relatively foreign concept -- foot traffic -- to Southern California.
It's a thoroughly delightful place once again -- all the more so at this time of year. And yet it hasn't lost its quirkiness.
The revitalization began in the late 1980s, when the late Sonny Bono was mayor of Palm Springs. "Downtown was in need of rehab," said Brian McGowan, a city economic development specialist. "The decision was made to make it into an arts and entertainment district."
Dogged strides were taken to make the region more appealing. Lights went up. Tables went outdoors. Proprietors were encouraged to install French doors, swing them wide and share the music with the outside world.
Now Palm Canyon Drive teems with activity day and night, particularly in the area of Tahquitz Canyon Way.
The Palm Canyon Drive scene is further punctuated by thick strands of mature bougainvillea vines -- they cascade over walls and eaves, spreading their red blossoms everywhere.
Palm Springs' comeback is also reflected in a recent explosion of organized events.
Palm Springs' rejuvenation is evident in a sprouting of boutique hotels.
One in particular, Korakia Pensione, has drawn fawning praise from publications as disparate as Los Angeles magazine and the London Sunday Times. But a visit to Korakia in mid-November produced a decidedly uneven experience.
Lying a few blocks west of Palm Canyon Drive, the inn is actually two properties, a 1920s Moroccan villa on one side of Patencio Road, a Mediterranean villa on the other. Together, they're composed of 20 rooms that range from $120 to $260 nightly.
Publicity materials for the inn take pains to list the celebrities who have stayed there, among them Laura Dern, Andy Garcia and New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. Perhaps because Korakia has proven so popular with Hollywood and received such favorable press, it operates under policies that wouldn't fly at most lodgings.
It doesn't accept credit cards, for example, accepting payment only in cash, check or traveler's checks. It also requires a two-night reservations deposit in advance. Payment for the balance of your stay is required upon arrival.
Guest enjoyment at Korakia probably has a direct correlation with the room assigned. Particularly on the Mediterranean side of the street, rooms are tucked away in quiet, poolside settings.
Our room was the Library, which shares an extremely thin wall with the lobby, on the Morrocan side. Music -- best described as New Age desert nomad funk -- throbbed through that wall until 11 p.m. (ceasing only because we searched out the stereo in the otherwise-deserted lobby and turned down the volume ourselves). The music resumed in the morning promptly at 8.
Korakia is located on a street crowded with apartment buildings and private residences.
It's a pity Korakia was found to have such bothersome flaws, because owner Douglas Smith has decorated it thoughtfully and tastefully, and -- aside from the indifferent service -- has created a warm, enchanting environment reminiscent of a desert hideaway. At night, the place is ablaze with candles, and both pools are bordered by open fires.
After being bid a curt (and costly) farewell at Korakia, we moved on to another hotel with roots deep in Palm Springs' past. The Estrella Inn, which was popular with the Hollywood crowd in the '30s and '40s, takes great pains to preserve that legacy.
It is done in rough, salmon-colored stucco, with flowering vines and several shady, mature citrus trees (beware the overhanging grapefruits when you're sitting in the whirlpool).
As with Korakia, it's helpful to know in advance which rooms to request. The property includes three motel-like rectangles built in the '70s, and the rooms therein are unexceptional -- though ours was clean, spacious and mercifully quiet. (In winter, standard rates range upward from $125.)
Much more intriguing are the Estrella's 14 villas, which were built in the early '30s. They are free-standing units, many of them engulfed in bougainvillea, and feature tile floors, arched hallways and shower stalls, kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, private patios.
A one-bedroom villa rents for $200 (including breakfast), a two-bedroom for $300, although those rates will rise to $250 and $360 after Jan. 1.