New Glamour in the Desert

To commemorate a 30th anniversary and a whopping property-wide renovation, guests at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage will receive a 30 percent discount on golf, spa and dining through 2009, for reservations booked by February 28 of this year (800-423-1195). Now managed by KSL (known for such other luxury golf properties as La Costa, Barton Creek and The Homestead),  Rancho Las Palmas has just emerged from a complete and fabulous 5-star make-over.
 

When Rancho Las Palmas opened in 1979, while Cary Grant and Roy Rogers looked on, Bob Hope christened the property by hitting a golf shot through a ribbon that burst into flames. To the tune of $35 million, today's 444 oversized hacienda-style rooms and suites and five dining venues have been completely transformed into urban chic luxury, and the 25 clay and hard-surface tennis courts and 27-holes of golf were updated. A new water play complex, Splashtopia, features two acres of fun, including water slides, a lazy river, jets and fountains, a cliffside Jacuzzi, expansive swimming pool, and a sandy beach. Kids head for the newly opened Kidtopia kids camp, while parents lounge by the adult pool and at Spa Las Palmas, one of the top spas in the desert. The new bluEmber restaurant and R Bar lounge complete the resort experience.

The Ted Robinson-designed golf courses are scattered with thousands of palms and plenty of water hazards. Irrigation has been improved and a general face-lift overall brings these 27 holes into the 21st century with pizzazz. The golf is semi-private, with a nice clubhouse and restaurant.

Rancho Las Palmas is located across the street from The River, a fabulous dining, shopping and entertainment center that includes such restaurants as P.F. Chang's and Fleming's Steakhouse, and a multi-screen movie theater.