Complete with plant-forward restaurant, fire pits and pool, Life House is opening a Soho House-esque, desert hideaway in California. Jenny Southan reports
American boutique hotel chain Life House is opening its sixth hotel in November 2023 – this time in Palm Springs, California. (Life House also has hotels in Miami, Denver, New England and the Berkshires.)
Located in the scenic foothills of the Coachella Valley, Life House Palm Springs is poised to become the area’s latest hotspot, offering a seamless blend of mid-century modern design, desert botany (think giant cacti) and Old Hollywood elegance.
Vice-president of design, Henriette Kockum has also worked on Soho House and the Hoxton hotel projects. In this case, the architecture of Life House taps into Desert Modernism, a style that Palm Springs has made its own.
Each guest room provides an immediate connection to nature, facing outward along open-air corridors that capture the allure of the desert’s vibrant natural surroundings.
There are beds with custom headboards that showcase sunset-reminiscent hues, Le Labo bath products, Revival New York linens, Marshall speakers and views of the Coachella Valley.
The exterior of the hotel features a “harmonious blend of natural-stone shingles and desert-sky wooden trims framing the low-pitched roof”. Sand-colored concrete further enhances the building’s contemporary appearance, mirroring its natural surroundings.
Life House Palm Springs is also home to Minerva’s, an all-day restaurant and bar. Featuring an indoor-outdoor setting, Minerva’s promises a unique gastronomic experience with its focus on Californian, plant-forward dishes and cocktails.
As part of its outdoor design, the restaurant is surrounded by a patio that wraps around a pool area adorned with cabana-style loungers, fringed sun umbrellas and fire pits. Nearby, a mural by Mojave Desert-based artist Aaron Glasson adds a touch of local artistry.
When night falls, Minerva’s transforms into an enchanting desert sanctuary, offering a concealed indoor cocktail lounge that radiates warmth with its palette of rusty clay tones.
The property offers 66 guest rooms, including 29 double rooms, 33 standard king rooms, and four suites. Rooms start at US$229 on weekdays and US$329 on weekends, with special pre-opening rates currently available on the hotel’s website.
Life House’s Founder and CEO, Rami Zeidan, says: “With Life House Palm Springs, we’ve embraced the timeless allure of the desert and blended it with a conscious menu to make weekend trips here feel rejuvenating and energised by the sun, just as our local flora do. This will be our best Life House yet.”