California Is For Hotel Lovers

By Laura Martínez on 03.28.23

It is no surprise that my partner, Diego Calvo, a hotelier from Spain, and I, a travel journalist, have a profound love for traveling and visiting hotels from around the world. So last month, we took a 14-day road trip along the Californian coast, touring incredible hotels, restaurants, and shops. An adventure that exceeded all our expectations, and we can still feel the excitement from the trip. Read on for glimpses of our first-ever journey to the Golden State. 

STOP 1: PETIT ERMITAGE, LOS ANGELES

We arrived in Los Angeles and checked into the first hotel of the trip — the charming Petit Ermitage. A hedonistic stronghold that oozes personality, history, and soul through all its pores, we were welcomed with a glass of champagne. With an incredible art collection dressing its corridors — with pieces by Irma Stern, De Kooning, and Joan Miró — everything seems to be placed without overthinking, like someone decorating their house with exceptional pieces they found, and suddenly, somehow, everything makes sense. Petit gives off that charm of unpretentiously good taste. 

Later, we chatted by the cozy rooftop fireplace with Stefan Ashkenazy, the owner, and mastermind behind this special place. As Stefan spoke with great eloquence, I immediately realized how good he is as an interlocutor and how much he enjoys talking about what he likes most — creating places to live unique experiences. I also asked him about the meaning behind the iconic ‘Hello Darkness’ sign at the entrance, to which he replied, “Well, we all have some darkness inside, and it’s good, even healthy, to embrace it.”

The six days at Petit couldn’t have passed by more quickly. We will never forget the great breakfasts, the stunning Toledo Show — one of the most memorable shows I have ever seen, to say the least — the delicious linguini, the kindness of Stefan, and the incredible staff who seem more like a family. It’s our new home away from home in L. A., and we can’t wait to be back.

P.S. Don’t miss the Fairfax Market, The Broad Museum in Downtown L.A., and Shamrock Tattoo in the Strip from the legendary tattoo artist Mark Mahoney — he’s the best in town if you want to make a real postcard on your skin!

Check out Laura Martinez’s review of Petit Ermitage

STOP 2: ORBIT IN, ACE HOTEL, AND PARKER HOTEL, PALM SPRINGS

We have always loved Palm Springs’ mid-century design, so we were beyond excited to go to Hollywood’s resting place. We knew all about it from John Lautner and Richard Neutra’s architecture legacy; it was Frank Sinatra’s favorite escape from reality and Shag’s paintings and Slim Aarons’ photographs of Hollywood’s indulgences. But once you get to Palm Springs, there’s a feeling of calm I had never experienced before. The huge mountains in the background contrasting the high palm trees was a very exotic setting for two Europeans like us. 

We stopped at The Orbit In, our hotel, for the first two nights. The owners, Dave Dean, and Aaron Mellor, also have two other hotels in the area — Desert Hills and Mahala. They hosted us well, and Dave even took us out to dinner at Sandfish, a nice sushi restaurant. We chatted about the hotel business and the unwavering spirit and charm of Palm Springs.

For lunch, we decided to go to the famous Ace Hotel & Swim Club, which couldn’t have been more perfect. The onion rings with lime mayonnaise, and the cocktails were out of this world! The Ace Hotel combines its usual cool hipster look with wonderful amenities and a lovely pool. They gave us a tour of the property, and we loved the decor, which was so effortless with a bit of funk, and the fact that the rooms were conceived to be little apartments independent from each other. We took a cute picture in the photo booth to remember this great afternoon forever!

Check out Greg De Roeck’s review of Ace Hotel & Swim Club

The next day, we went to the Parker Palm Springs, easily one of the most beautifully done places I’ve ever been. This iconic 144-room hotel, with its storied history, has to be one of the best in Palm Springs. Constructed in 1959, Gene Autry first purchased it to house his baseball team, The California Angels, during their spring training. In 1998, Merv Griffin purchased it and renamed Merv Griffin’s Resort Hotel & Givenchy Spa. Five years later, hotelier Jack Parker hired designer Jonathan Adler to do a remodel, transforming the resort into an internationally recognized design destination. Adler returned to the hotel in 2017 to update the interiors and introduce cheeky luxury with tons of Californian glamour. We ate at Norma’s, the signature restaurant inside the hotel, and the manager gave us a lovely tour. It is an unforgettable world combining art and design with antiques and originality. It also has a nautical-themed spa named Palm Springs Yacht Club which is truly an escape from the world to enjoy oneself. 

STOP 3: PIONEERTOWN MOTEL, PIONEERTOWN

The road through Yucca Valley is like a movie — miles, and miles of pure desert without seeing a single car. But be very careful driving with only a half-full gas tank because you will not find a single gas station for a long while.

At the end of our picturesque journey, we finally got to our promised land — Pioneertown Motel. Located in San Bernardino’s High Desert, everything about Pioneertown feels like you’re in a John Wayne movie — full of charisma and unique vintage everything. The check-in has to be one of the coolest experiences we’ve ever had — an isolated little wooden cabin is the front desk! Brothers Mike and Matt French are the creators of the motel, and it embodies the town’s essence to near perfection. I had the chance to have a quick chat with Mike through FaceTime, and he talked about the uniqueness of Pioneertown and how they thought the place needed a motel to elevate the game. And it certainly did. The nights here are cold, but looking up, you will see some of the brightest stars in the sky, which justifies all the effort! We also fell in love with their merchandise and could not resist buying a bandana with the town’s map as a souvenir. 

The French brothers also own two other venues at the top of their game in Pioneertown: The Red Dog Saloon, where we had the best tacos in California, and The Copper Room. The latter is a ’50s gem that aims to take on a new life as the desert’s favorite gathering place for creatives. In their time, Sinatra and Autry were spotted here every week, having long talks and laughs till dawn. After being shut for a long time, Mike and Matt have revived the place, remaining faithful to the original. The site serves amazing food and cocktails — we had fried rice and a few espresso martinis. 

At night we went to see The Stone Foxes, a cool band that played at the most iconic place around here, Pappy and Harriet’s. Trust us. You don’t want to miss it!

Check out Polina Sova’s review of Pioneertown Motel

STOP 4: MADONNA INN, SAN LUIS OBISPO

When I ask Amanda Rich, the hotel manager of this outstanding place, what words people usually choose to describe Madonna Inn, she goes, “Oh, they say quirky, over the top, a Disneyland for adults, kitschy, unique, and my favorite, Pinktastic!” Quoting Amanda, this Pinktastic hotel in San Luis Obispo must be experienced. Everything about this place makes you want to be so alive — from the color pink everywhere to the amazing aroma at the bakery. 

I ask Amanda about Alex Madonna, the creator, and his legacy. She tells me that they worked together for a few years until he passed away in 2004, and the two attributes that come to her mind are attention to detail and hard work. And you can see both of them at work when you look around. Every room at Madonna Inn is entirely different, and each is its unique universe. They all draw from Alex Madonna’s travels worldwide and his Swiss-Italian heritage. We got assigned the Kona Rock room, which was basically like sleeping in a very comfy room with a fireplace and a shower all inside a rock. Quite literally. 

The following day, we had the best muffins for breakfast from their bakery, which is open from 7 to 10 am daily. We also went to take a peek at their amazing heated pool though it was way too cold for us to brave a dip. The hotel also has at least three different gift shops, selling all kinds of merchandise, from furry bags to cute shot glasses. Finally, we headed to The Steakhouse for dinner, a breathtaking saloon full of love and pink half-moon sofas. As corny as it sounds, it was a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day with fantastic steak, delicious cocktails, and excellent service.

“This wasn’t just a business for him; it was his life! Mr. Madonna started the hotel construction when he was 16, just picking up a shovel. He used to say he made every room different so that we wouldn’t make the same mistake twice,” says Amanda.

STOP 5: ELSEWHERE, TOPANGA

We were lucky enough to be invited by Stefan Ashkenazy, owner of Petit Ermitage — our first hotel on this trip — to his new creation: Elsewhere. Stefan’s vision is to create and share his universe, and he has made a part of it into reality in the mountains of Topanga. 

Beautifully restored, Elsewhere has gypsy carriages like the ones out of Peaky Blinders, but elevated — including one fully designed by artist and A Hotel Life contributor Moral Turgeman — and wooden cabins spread across the mountain. All independent from each other, Stefan modeled the place around the idea of privacy, that you can be naked, and nobody can see you even if they wanted to. And you can feel it. You feel like you’re alone in the middle of nowhere. 

The place also has chickens, alpacas, and various fauna surrounding it. Stefan plans to keep expanding on his land with more carriages and more modules, which are wooden cabins. Elsewhere was the icing on the cake of our first-ever visit to California.

For two true hotel lovers, the people and places we found on this journey inspired us so much. And we already can’t wait to go back!

Check out A Hotel Life hotel reviews in California, the best hotels in Los Angeles, and Estelle Bailey-Babenzien Los Angeles insider guide. 

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