The Saguaro Palm Springs Opens Friday

The countdown is almost over.

The Palm Springs Holiday Inn closed in September, but under new ownership and under a new name, the now Saguaro Palm Springs is putting the final touches on its Friday grand opening.

The first guests will officially start checking in at 3 p.m.

Not all of the rooms are available, but the general manager, David Curell, said that by Saturday night, the hotel will be booked solid.

Welders were busy and the carpenters were drilling on Thursday putting the final touches on the lobby of the Saguaro Palm Springs.

On News Channel 3’s tour around the hotel, crews were warned to stay clear of the walls because the paint was not dry.

There are 245 rooms on the property, but only 175 are available for opening weekend.

All are equipped with coffee tables, chairs, and a balcony — many of them with a view of the pool area.

The architects said they hope guests take quick note of the hotel’s unique look.

“They’re all books on the architects who are very important to Palm Springs,” said Peter Stamberg, of New York-based Stamberg Aferiat Architecture, pointing at leisure books included with the rooms.

The room walls, hallways and exterior of the hotel are all decked in 14 different colors, found only in wildflowers indegenous to the Coachella Valley.

“The color is meant to evoke emotion in people and hopefully make them feel happy and feel good about themselves,” said Curell.

About 20 of the workers from the old Holiday Inn were retained by Joie de Vivre, the company hired to manage the hotel.

Overall, more than 140 new employees were hired, which doesn’t include the more than 200 construction workers hired to remodel the building.

“They had a task to do, and they completed the task and we trusted everyone and the job got done,” said Curell.

Food Network Iron Chef Jose Garces will run the restaurant, but that, along with the El Jefe tequila bar, won’t open until the Feb. 13, because the service staff are still being trained.

The contruction has spanned three and a half months, and it’s now on the final stretch.

The hotel will be geared to the young and young at heart, and Curell said it will hit the ground running.

“It’s our time as the operations team to take over and create some amazing experiences for our guests,” said Curell.

The hotel will also hold open houses for residents to check out the property.

Those will start start next Monday and will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.