The Hotel Lautner in Desert Hot Springs is a mid-century dream getaway. The intimate hotel with only 4 rooms was designed by architect John Lautner in 1947. The present owners took 3 years to restore it, furnish it with period furniture and update the bathrooms and kitchenettes with modern style and convenience. Hotel Lautner is close enough to Palm Springs for dinner or shopping, or perfect for a chill-out weekend with some spa time in town. It is a gem!
By the early 1920’s Palm Springs was already becoming a resort town and the competition for building the finest hotel was fierce. Enter Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr., the Oasis Hotel (1923) and Modernism to Palm Springs history and the key to its prosperous future. Pearl McCallum McManus was the daughter of Palm Springs first permanent resident, John G. McCallum. A former Indian Agent, McCallum found the dry desert climate conducive his son’s tuberculosis and settled on a ranch in Palm Springs. Pearl and her husband, Austin McCallum, also made Palm Springs home and established their real estate development company Pioneer Properties in town.
Pearl’s competitive spirit led her in the direction of Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. (Lloyd Wright) in planning for her Oasis Hotel across the street from the already popular Desert Inn owned by Palm Springs’ other grand dame, Nellie Coffman. Pearl met Wright, Jr. while he was pursuing Helen Taggert, who would become his future wife. (1) Taggert was married to the actor Reginald Pole and owned a home in town. Hollywood had already discovered Palm Springs and its desert as location for filming, a private hideaway and a playful resort town. Continue reading →
Palm Springs Modernism 