Architects Hired to Design Hard Rock, Palm Springs

Hard Rock's Newest Condo-Hotel Destined to Rock Palm Springs

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. October 14, 2008

SEPTEMBER 17, 2007. Palm Springs is about to get much, much cooler. Hard Rock Hotels and Nexus Companies have teamed to develop the newest Hard Rock Hotel in downtown Palm Springs, bringing a hip, new destination to this iconic city. They've hired hot hotel designers SB Architects to bring the project to life, and on August 21st the design received unanimous approval from the Palm Springs Architectural Advisory Committee.

These San Francisco-based architects are on a roll. In the past year, the 100-person firm has been named the 14th-fastest-growing architecture firm in the country in Architect magazine, and one of the 100 fastest-growing private companies in the San Francisco Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times. With dozens of hotels on the drawing board - including five Ritz-Carlton Hotels, three islands in the Caribbean, as well as resorts in locations as far-flung as Panama, Croatia and Morocco - SB Architects has been listed as one of the top hotel design firms in the country by Hotel Design, Hotel Business, and Hotel & Motel Management.

'We selected SB Architects because we like what they bring to the table - they combine out-of-the box thinking with a real knowledge of what it takes to build and operate a hotel,' says Rich Meaney, principal with the Nexus Companies.

Scott Lee, vice president and principal of SB Architects, adds: 'We don't design out of the box just to design out of the box. But with every project, we have the opportunity to develop a solution that's above and beyond anything the client had considered - that's why we came to the party.'

Hard Rock Hotels has built its reputation by building unique lifestyle properties with a rock star edge, providing guests and owners of their hotels and condo-hotels a 'hip, contemporary attitude in an atmosphere of pure, unadulterated rock & roll.' Sited on a full-block site in the heart of downtown, with views of the San Jacinto Mountains, this property - which will be the 10th Hard Rock Hotel - is destined to become a landmark, drawing a new breed of clientele to Palm Springs. All of the 490 keys will be fully-owned condominiums, which owners can make available for rental.

The design concept for this downtown destination treats the hotel as a stage, where everyone can be a performer. Mid-century modern architectural references, punctuated by vibrant shots of color, will create a simple, yet edgy and dramatic backdrop. Motivated by site and context, the hotel will embrace an expansive pool garden, enclosing the urban site on two sides. Two low-scale restaurants on the remaining corner of the site will separate the pool garden from the street, while leaving the rooms with clear views of the mountains.

The hotel will function as both a stage and an escape. High-profile public spaces will include a destination nightclub, bar and lounge, three restaurants and the pool garden, as well as banquet and meeting facilities. Meanwhile, a secluded spa and pool, VIP suites and a recording studio tucked away within the hotel will provide plenty of privacy.

The Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs is scheduled to open in 2010.