Iconic Palm Springs hotel Korakia Pensione hosts centennial celebration, steeped in the villa’s rich, artistic history

A unique hotel in Palm Springs is celebrating 100 years. Korakia Pensione near downtown was first built in 1924, by Scottish painter Gordon Coutts. 'Korakia' means crow in Greek, which had a heavy influence on the vision of the hotel. The hotel also has a rich, artistic history steeped into its walls.

The Villa has 28 Mediterranean and Moroccan-inspired bungalows and guest houses. It was originally built as the home for Coutts and his wife, and served as their hideaway up until the 80's. Coutts designed the villa, drawing inspiration from his time living in Morocco. The hotel's famed key-hole doorway welcomes guests through a relic from the 1920's.

Coutts sent his days painting his surroundings, and to this day six of his original paintings can be found in the hotel. Over the years several artists, creatives and celebrities stayed at Korakia, including Rudolph Valentino and Winston Churchill.

News Channel Three's Tori King spoke with Pamela Coutts Koust, the living granddaughter of Coutts, who says she never imagined the hotel would still be as glorious today as the day it was first built.

"My grandfather really loved the architecture of Morocco, and so when he came to Palm Springs, he wanted to recreate that environment," said Koust. "And so he built the house to look like his home in Tangiers."

Koust says it makes her emotional to see how much the hotel means to the local community, especially with all of the memories it holds.

"I'm sure my grandparents would love it today," said Koust. "I don't even know if they could imagine that it would still be here 100-years later. We've just loved being able to come and see the house over the years. And my mom, who's almost 93 can come and see where she was born and where she used to play, and the whole  environment is just beautiful around here for her to see.”
Paulette Monarrez agreed. She credited the beauty of the hotel, and its ability to provide a serene escape for visitors as a cornerstone reason for making it a centennial birthday.

"I honestly think that people choose to come and visit this hotel because when they do come right through the archway, they are transported to a different world," said Monarrez. "And that's really what makes it so special."

To find more information on Korakia or to book a room at the hotel click here.