Happy Chic At Parker Meridian Palm Springs Resorts

By Author: Janice Wilson
Total Articles: 10
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Happy Chic at Parker Meridian Palm Springs Resorts

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Le Parker Meridien in Palm Springs, a refreshing California desert oasis and spa is a surprise for the eyes.

Hospitality executive Adam Glick, president of the Jack Parker Corporation was responsible not only for the 2003 purchase of a 13-acre resort in Palm Springs, California but also for bringing together the two disparate unique talents of Jonathan Adler, an art visionary who single handedly turned earthy-crunchy pottery into groovy ceramics and David Mann, principle architect for MR Architecture & Décor in New York City. The combination is so dynamic that you must book a visit ASAP so you can personally experience the over-the- top creativity of Adler which vividly brings alive Mann's architectural design for clean-lines and airy spaces.

The entrance is strikingly simple with a curved driveway ...
... that made it appear as if I was pulling up to a private home. The first thing I saw was a high latticework wall of white concrete. Behind this brise soleil, the bright orange entry doors popped into my focus. What I found beyond these doors of this $25 million remodel was not only surprising but somewhat surreal and sublime.

As I stepped into the wide open lobby I knew why Adler earned the design reputation for being happy chic. Adler thinks these two words might seem diametrically opposed, but he believes they can and should be fused. As I viewed the arranged vignettes in the 4,400 square foot lobby I saw the veracity of his belief. Adler combed sources world-wide and amassed a collection of furnishings with the single common denominator to blend happy expressions with chic designs. These design surprises for the eyes set against Mann's backdrop of slump-block walls and granary-oak ceiling sectors made me realize that look'n for fun and feel'n groovy can be a way of life.

The first mise-en-scene that drew me in was filled with mantiques that mesmerized me. There was a suit of armor, a comfortable vintage Palm Springs velvet-covered sectional that looked exotic because the pillows were made from Moroccan bridal shawls. Placed on the white-lacquered hexagonal cocktail table were Adler's own handmade bowl and vases, giving the setting a high gloss glamour. When I looked up at the ceiling a loopy glass Vistosi chandelier from the 1960s hung overhead. It was all playfully chic and reminiscent of bygone times when Elvis and Ann-Margaret partied together.

Party and fun are the operative words for this place. The rest of the lobby was exuberant with a rich hippie mix with two Edwardian-style sofas draped in embroidered suzanis from Uzbekistan, and a latte-colored rug that had an exaggerated Moroccan pattern. The terrazzo-topped table looked like a souvenir from a souk. Gio Ponti's walnut chairs and a geometric brass chandelier also from the '60s mixed and matched with the panache of the incomparable Italian elegance. There was a fully stocked lobby jeweled mini bar with Lucite bar stools and an inviting bartender that couldn't wait to show off his magnificent array of martini blends. A free standing fire pit anchored the back party lounge that was complete with a round seating area. The room was sexy and shaped with gorgeous curves in all the right places. Latin-moderne string draperies and lacquered floor lamps were big, bold and beautiful. Swinging in one of the wicker chairs that hung from the ceiling made me look like a blast from the past.

The décor at the Parker engaged my mind and sensibilities to see my surroundings with new eyes.

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Janice Wilson, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com


About the Author Janice Wilson, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com