A sneak peek of the luxurious Thompson Hotel, slated to open September in downtown Palm Springs
For the last 15 years, we have waited to see what would become of two-and-a-half blocks of prime property in downtown Palm Springs.
Now, it’s finally taking shape along the desert skyline.
With millions of dollars invested into the completion of the project, the Thompson Palm Springs is finally ready to make its debut in September.
New Channel 3’s Angela Chen got the first, exclusive sneak peek of the luxury hotel, where staff are gearing up for a September 5 opening. As of late July, the hotel was still under construction, with the majority of the resort completed.
Thompson Palm Springs will offer 168 rooms, two restaurants, and a second floor pool with majestic mountain views. Hotel staff said they want the property want to be an elegant spot where locals feel comfortable going to regularly.
“We just want to be a local partner to everybody. We want to be a place that people can come and enjoy, and most importantly, we want to be a neighbor," said Jeffrey Miller, the general manager of the Thompson Palm Springs. "We look forward to welcoming tourists and people from abroad, and when they come here, and they see locals in restaurants, they know they’re in a good place, right?”
The Thompson Hotel is Hyatt’s luxury lifestyle brand. This urban desert resort offers 168 rooms, with an adults-only building and separate pool area, currently under construction.
“Our opportunity is really to be the gateway to downtown Palm Springs," said Miller. "We hope to be that kind of that shining light that creates the downtown entrance.”
The hotel boasts entirely custom furniture and rooms unique from its neighbors because of its bungalow structure.
And, of course, no place can pride itself on luxury without offering a special culinary experience.
The Lola Rose will be the Thompson’s crowned Eastern Mediterranean restaurant, with Executive Chef Quentin Garcia, who was born and raised in Indio, offering a culinary experience he said we’ve yet to see in Palm Springs.
“We are gathering ingredients from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul so spices, nuts, pastes, marinades are coming directly from this region of the world that we are cooking after," said Garcia. "So we’re not just trying to do our own take on it. This is the actual take of the food and the actual flavor that is currently not in the valley.”
After working in fine dining establishments all over the world, from Denmark to Napa Valley, Garcia is back in his hometown, hoping to help take the Palm Springs food scene to the next level.
“We have food that’s designed to be curated and experienced together with the people at the table," Garcia said. "And you can come here two, three different times and have completely different dishes, completely different experiences."
This has been a hotel 15 years in the making – with delays, legal battles, the previous developer defaulting, Covid stoppages, and more. But now – it’s happening – because of the Hall Group.
"They [the Halls] saved the project and really, have put so much love and care into it. I don’t know that anybody else would have been able to get to the finish line," said Miller.
Yes – these are the same Halls as the Hall Group – creators of the coveted Hall Wines in Napa Valley.
The lobby will be attached to an exclusive Hall tasting room.
As much as the developers have been anticipating the opening, so it seems, has the community.
The hotel offered about 100 openings at its first job fair in July, but more than 1,200 applicants showed up for interviews, looking to be a part of something grand from day one. A second job fair is taking place Wednesday, July 30.
The Thompson Hotel is currently taking reservations for September 5th and beyond.
The Thompson motto goes: “Culture Lives Here,” and as the hotel brands itself as a spot for culture shifters, anticipation is building to a seismic September, when the valley will be looking to see how the resort will move and shake the cultural landscape of Palm Springs.
