Desert Regional hosts screening about El Mirador Hotel past

Today history buffs came together to re-live the glory days of Palm Springs’ Desert Regional Medical Center. Volunteers hosted a special screening. All funds raised went straight to local charities.

Spanning 20 acres, built for $1 million in 1928, The El Mirador was a hot-spot for Hollywood stars, including; Dr. and Mrs. Albert Einstein, Frank and Barbara Sinatra, and Lucille Ball, just to name a few.

But today, it’s known as Desert Regional Medical Center. But before it became the desert’s only trauma center, it had a rich past, which was all uncovered at Sunday’s screening.

“This is the original documentaries of the El Mirador Hotel, Palm Springs, Coachella Valley from the 40’s and 60’s,” Linda Sue Rosefsky, a volunteer at Desert Regional Medical Center.

The “El Mirador” hotel had it all; an Olympic size swimming pool, a golf course, tennis courts, and the famous bell tower, which quickly became a city landmark.

“It had started out as the El Mirador hotel. (Then) In Wolrd War Two, it was turned into a military hospital. (Then) went back to the El Mirador hotel through the 60’s and 70’s. There had been a small community hospital called Desert Hospital. Then it became Desert Regional Medical Center,” Rosefsky said.

Barbara Eves was just born when the hotel became a military hospital.

“Our Junior/Senior prom was held at the El Mirador hotel and that was quite an event because that was the most famous hotel. We called it the gem of the desert. And other memories were just the different movie stars you would see,” Eves said.

The sales from the screening are all going towards the Auxiliary, which provides scholarships for the hospital’s “VolunTeens” and grants to help support local non-profits.