Check Into the Drift Palm Springs Hotel

Inside the Baja-Themed Palm Springs Resort

Written by Kevin Perry

You can do anything you want in Palm Springs. You can also NOT do anything you want. Leisure is at the top of the menu here, and you never need to step foot from your resort to indulge in relaxation.

The Drift Palm Springs hotel is located on South Indian Canyon within walking distance of what all of downtown Palm Springs has to offer. This 30-key hotel has 84 guest rooms, ranging from a studio to a 4-bedroom suite. The 1-4 bedroom suites come complete with a full kitchen, living room, mini bar, and stocked pantry. The 2,3 and 4 bedroom suites also come with a patio or balcony.

Hospitality

“We’re in the business of hospitality,” declares Paul Patino, General Manager of Drift Palm Springs. “We just make it work for others. We work around what our busy schedule is, and it’s never a qualm.”

Drift’s zest for the best has been successful in the handful of havens they have built previously. You can bask in their brand from Nashville and Chattanooga to Santa Barbara and San Jose, Cabo.

“The rhyme and reasoning behind the selective properties is essentially these are places that obviously we like to frequent, places where we drive our inspiration from, and obviously that we have enjoyed. I’ve been lucky enough to grow up here in the Valley, so it was fortunate enough for me to jump on with a company that obviously believed in Palm Springs so much so to build a brand new startup company with a piece of property that essentially was just a dirt lot. So I’m excited to be part of this group and help usher them into our community.”

It was a joyous journey from dirt lot to dazzling, but the Drift team was guided by passion.

“When they chose this property at this location,” recounts Patino, “it was a little over four and a half years ago, and as they started dreaming and designing, it had this continued evolution, if you will, and I really think the time spent in Baja for our ownership team, really just enjoying that San Jose, Cabo location, had really inspired them to create this Palm Springs vibe, if you will, and bringing that balance and that energy from Baja to Palm Springs.”

Drift Palm Springs Hotel Signature Style

The resort’s signature style is so compelling that its narrative almost defies articulation. The design draws on a mix of region’s numerous influences let by Palm Spring’s iconic midcentury modern style and infused with Spanish Colonial Revival and Moorish modern.

“It’s being told visually, so it’s something that can’t be vocalized, but when guests are here, it’s a feeling. So the idea and intent and purpose of what we offer is when you come to Drift Palm Springs, it’s all about resetting, resting, and recovering. About finding this whole aspect of self-motivation and inspiration when you are here.”

Drilling down to the core of Drift’s aesthetic, Patino continues, “It’s industrial chic. It’s got roots that come from Baja minimalism. And when you look at the property and its totality, it’s a lot of raw materials. There’s also a lot of handcrafted materials in the rooms with furniture or elements of the property that guests will enjoy. But when I think we talk about it, you’re talking about raw concrete cedarwood, the lines on the building itself lend itself to this, again, minimalistic feel, so you don’t feel like there’s too much busy work happening.”

The pool deck offers a classic Palm Springs laid-back resort style vibe with custom cabanas, loungers, daybeds, and those sweeping mountain views.

Restaurant Maleza

“Our on-site restaurant is named Maleza,” Patino narrates. “It’s mostly Baja-inspired cuisine with a local taste and sourced with local ingredients. We’re fortunate enough to partner with Chef Ysaac Ramirez, who’s previous properties included the Kimpton, Rowan and ACE Hotel. So we’re very fortunate to be having him on board and also with the collaboration team that we have from San Jose, Cabo and their efforts in putting together the menu.”

This all-day eatery serves up family-style feasts expertly paired with rare mezcals and craft cocktails in an indoor/outdoor dining and gathering space. It’s a place to gather, meet friends around a fire pit, or enjoy a private dining room that overlooks the pool.

“It’ll be a surprise for everybody from the room offerings to the event spaces, to the pool area, to all of our common spaces. You’ll just see this level of simplicity, but also a lot of organic raw materials being used, and our menu is a part of that story that we’re telling visually.”

It was a tale that begged to be told.

Experiencing Drift Palm Springs Hotel

“Although Drift may be new to the community, all the employees working here, whether it’s the managers or the hourly staff, we’re all excited to welcome this brand into our community, but also tell the story of what they’re about. Working for our ownership directly, I could tell you it’s just nothing but the honest, most respected, humble person that I’ve ever probably worked for in my entire career. When you have someone like that, it just makes you want to come to work.”

Giving Back

“We’re already planning on a yearly goal and probably even a yearly annual event where we’ll host a fundraiser for a specific group and just really focus about giving back to our community because I know, growing up in Palm Springs, even though there’s a lot of competition within the hotels, we’re all still family. We all still collaborate, work together to make our city and everyone in this town working here, one of the best places to visit from a visitor’s standpoint. I could say the same goes for people in this community that need to help others. We’re all on board with that. I don’t think anybody ever questions it. So if you ask me what we’re excited about, that’s the biggest thing is obviously getting this brand welcomed to the community, but also tying back into the community.”

284 S. Indian Canyon Drive

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Note: All images credit Drift Palm Springs

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