Spring Break Boosts Desert Businesses
Spring break is here and college students are in town basking in the desert.
Local bars and restaurants are extending their hours, and hotel rooms are filling up.
It’s a time of the year that businesses say brings in the money.
Car rental lots have had a steady increase in customers renting to get out of town.
But hotels are getting more and more out of towners booking rooms.
Downtown Palm Springs has been noticeably crowded as well with visitors from all over the world.
“It’s hot and my city, my country is hot too,” said Andrea Mendoza, 20, an intern from Ecuador. “The people here (are also) good.”
Drinks poolside with your closest friends, or a stroll down Palm Canyon Drive, visitors say Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley offer the perfect vacation.
“The Villagefest on Thursday at night is beautiful and (looking at) artwork with my friends, I like that too,” said Mendoza. “I’m 20, but I have fun here.”
Peabody’s Cafe and Bar attracts a wide range of people.
Manager Bob Smith says karaoke is always popular, and he’s banking on strong sales the next few months.
“Every week it’s a little busier and we hope spring break gets us a lot busier,” he said.
After a a few hours by the water and a few rounds of singing your favorite tunes, some people might want to dance.
Space 120 Bar and Nightclub is less than two years old.
Local bands and artists often play live music: jazz, top 40, hip hop and r&b.
“Now that we’ve been in business now for over a year, (because) our name is out there now, it’ll attract a more younger college students to come in and check us out,” said Jamie Garcia, a bar manager at Space 120. “So, yeah, we definitely rely on them.”
The White Party, Dinah Shore weekend, CoachellaFest and Stagecoach are all just around the corner.
The Ace Hotel and Swim Club has 176 rooms.
General manager Jason Dibler hopes they’ll soon be booked to capacity.
“They come to Palm Springs because it’s close, it’s hot, it’s nice, it’s fun,” he said. “I think they come to the Ace because you can come and party and you don’t have to leave.”
The hotel recently extended it’s restaurant hours.
Dibler says business really starts to pick up at the end of March and into April.
He’s seeing more and more families booking rooms, but the younger crowd is still the base.
Same goes for Peabody’s.
“They’re all kids, you know, that’s what bars are here for,” said Smith. “That’s the biggest thing they’re here for: to drink and party. That’s what we’re here for.”
It’s also fashion week on El Paseo in Palm Desert.
