For as long as he has been traveling to Palm Springs, where he has a weekend home, designer Steve Hermann (who also grew up nearby) has dreamed of opening a boutique hotel at the site of the former Horizon Hotel. Originally designed in 1952 by architect William Cody with 20 individual guesthouses as a retreat for Hollywood director Jack Wrather, the property is famed for having hosted the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable, not to mention several U.S. presidents.
L’Horizon is the first hotel of Hermann’s newly launched brand, Steve Hermann Hotels. After spending much of his career designing homes for celebrities and titans such as Vera Wang, Christina Aguilera, and Larry Ellison, Hermann purchased two limited-service properties so he could “understand the fundamentals of the business before I bought a boutique hotel,” he says. Running them, he felt prepared to operate the more ambitious L’Horizon—the only Leading Hotels of the World collection property in the Palm Springs area.
Located close to downtown Palm Springs, the newly refurbished resort is set on three acres of manicured desert, and features 25 freestanding bungalows, many with private patios and outdoor showers that overlook the infinity-edged pool, and beyond, the light shifting on the San Jacinto mountains. Unique features include a spa and SO.PA, a restaurant also designed by Hermann and helmed by Michelin-starred chef Giacomo Pettinari, who honed his craft at Spain’s El Bulli.
Hermann’s multimillion-dollar renovation added modern features, while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the original structure, transforming even what ostensibly appeared to be drawbacks into one-of-a-kind design elements. For example, the original Cody bungalows had very low-slung ceilings coated in white drywall. Rather than raise them to create a more airy feel, Hermann opted instead to clad them in Douglas fir tongue and groove. And while those who saw the plans, Hermann says, thought he was crazy, “Now, when everyone walks in they always mention how much they love the ‘original’ wood ceilings and are so glad that I kept them.”
The long, flat geometric lines of the bungalows allow for views of the surrounding landscape, and glass walls break down the barriers between indoor and outdoor areas. Each guestroom is furnished with goods from high-end, small batch manufacturers—a mix of collectible vintage and bespoke modern pieces that exude a layered, sophisticated feel. “It really does feel like you are in a beautiful midcentury modern home that has been updated to modern international standards,” says Hermann.
SO.PA features both indoor and outdoor dining, and serves rustic dishes inspired by chef Pettinari’s childhood in Loreto, Italy. Guests can dine either family style at a 26-foot-long, live-edge walnut table, or in the outdoor dining space, which features a firepit, custom fountains, and geometric chandeliers.
“I wanted my hotel to feel like you have just been invited to stay in the guesthouse of a wealthy, fabulous friend, which is exactly what the hotel was designed for originally,” says Hermann. Only this time, rather than needing to be famous to stay there, you can “just book a room.”
