Pool renovation completed with additional amenities and upgrades to come; new partners include Palm Springs hoteliers Jeff Brock and Richard Crisman, surfing legend Kalani Robb and entrepreneur Shaun Neff.
May 2023 (PALM SPRINGS, CA)– Villa Royale, the 37-room historic hideaway in Palm Springs’ Deepwell neighborhood, launched a new website today (villaroyale.com) and announced that it has started a $1 million update to enhance its grounds, guest rooms and Del Rey restaurant. In addition, Palm Springs hoteliers Jeff Brock and Richard Crisman, and world-ranked surfer Kalani Robb and entrepreneur Shaun Neff, whose Palm Springs Surf Club opens later this year, have joined as investors in the hotel.
The current version of Villa Royale and Del Rey bar and restaurant opened in 2018 with 30 rooms and suites and an outdoor event space in the main complex and seven poolside rooms and suites in Villa Rosa, a residential-style building across Indian Trail Road. Known for its spacious accommodations (with more than 50% suites), Mission Revival-style architecture and stylish mid-century modern furnishings, Villa Royale channels the eccentric history of the property and Palm Springs.
“Today begins a new era for Villa Royale,” said hotel founder John Janulis. “We are thrilled to begin enhancements to the property, as well as refining guest touchpoints, service standards, and restaurant offerings. Our new partners will help guide us to better define the discreet and personalized boutique hotel experience Villa Royale is known for.”
New Villa Royale partners Jeff Brock and Richard Crisman are founders and owners of Holiday House and Sparrows Lodge in Palm Springs and partners with Janulis and others in Bar Cecil.
Planned upgrades to the property include: dual entry main pool (completed), guest room refresh including new beds, bedding and artwork, new lobby décor and art, fire pit and large jacuzzi spa, and updated landscaping and torch lighting. These projects will be completed by Fall 2023.
“Villa Royale offers one of the most unique Palm Springs experiences with our one-of- kind rooms and suites in relaxed poolside settings,” said Phillip Conner, general manager. “These updates will not only elevate the look of the hotel, but will add to our guests’ overall enjoyment of their visit.”
Chef Gabriel Woo, a partner in Bar Cecil and former executive chef at Sparrow’s Lodge and Holiday House, is currently revising menus at Del Rey, with offerings for lunch, dinner and poolside dining including fresh and inventive seasonal salads and charcuterie, tapas, and mains with a Spanish flair. Barman Alejandro Bravo has perfected a sangria recipe with housemade cardamon and citrus syrup- great for sipping by the pitcher- and will introduce a new line up of cocktails including the Royale Old Fashioned, a modern and continental take on the classic cocktail with fat-washed whiskey, sherry, and black walnut bitters and served with a snack. The updated restaurant and bar menu launches in mid-June.
Also in development is a partnership with Palm Springs Surf Club for overnight accommodations and surf and stay packages.
Villa Royale has been named one of the nine top hotels in Palm Springs by Conde Nast Traveler (2022), a top Palm Springs historic hotel by the Los Angeles Times (2023), a USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Best Hotel Bar (2019), and the recipient of accolades from publications including InsideHook, Haute Living, Palm Springs Life, Good Housekeeping, and more.
For reservations and further information on Villa Royale and Del Rey including summer stay packages, please visit villaroyale.com.
ABOUT VILLA ROYALE
Set at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains, Villa Royale is a 3.5-acre free-spirited, adults-only hideaway amidst the desert palms of the Coachella Valley. Opened in 1947, the hotel’s rich history includes being a getaway spot for the Hollywood elite. Now a secluded and reimagined oasis where Spanish influence and architectural nuances of the Post-War period stand side-by-side with modern design appeal for which Palm Springs is known today. Within the Mission Revival Style villas and geometric tiled courtyards, Villa Royale channels the eccentric history of the destination that has long lured wild, free-thinking, and creative spirits to the Southern California desert. Studded with flowering desert flora and imbued with mid-century decor and vintage furnishings, Villa Royale beckons travelers to the desert for raw beauty and escape. The hotel is comprised of two spaces: the main complex houses 30 of Villa Royale’s 37 rooms. Across South Indian Trail Road sits Villa Rosa, seven California ranch-style villas around a pool that mirror the design cues of Villa Royale.
