Where romantic Spanish Revival architecture houses plenty of old-school Hollywood glamour.
The Ingleside Inn and Melvyn’s
A Palm Springs gem of Spanish Revival architecture, and a restaurant that has served as a glamorous Rat Pack destination of its heyday.
Palm Springs, land of the mid-century space home, palm tree boulevard and dry mountain aesthetic is the perfect tonal backdrop to any Instagram feed, but the Ingleside Inn is a much more romantic mid-century hotel of Spanish Revival architecture, where low bungalows with terracotta-shingled roof, iron lace and domed archways are a classic representation of the time in which it was built, and a restaurant that has served as a glamorous Rat Pack destination of its heyday.
The Inn’s glamorous history make up for a big part of its charm, one that you just struggle to find in so many places. Part of that is the delivery of this - let's call it, crooner-charism; the food is a little retro-luxe; the wine list, ambience, music, plus the type of L.A. weekender customer it still attracts, all speaks volumes to the overall story it tells - Melvyn’s is one of a beautifully preserved way of life, sipping martinis, ordering geuridon-style dishes cooked table-side and okay, the gentlemen here might use a little bit of flattery, but that just makes you feel more of a movie star, and we've got to be honest, we’ll buy it. At the same time, it isthat respectful old-world Tony Bennet charm, beautifully sung with no air-of-pretension. Melvyn's is known to have been a famous hangout of the likes of Frank Sinatra, who they say would walk through the kitchen and sit at the most unassuming table, always with his back to the wall so he could always make an easy exit. If the stucco walls could talk, we'd listen.
Details pictured: The entrance to Melvyn's restaurant (top); The courtyard fountain.
Ingleside Inn is a bungalow-style hotel where the rooms are spread around the gardens of the estate. The original decor only with minimal upgrades to bathrooms and essentials retains it's very good bones and small touches like terrytoweling robes and original telephones and fireplaces in some rooms are perfect touches. We feel if you want to stay here, prop yourself by the pool with a Margarita, and take a few Slim Aarons-style pictures for the gram, before taking a nap and then time to get ready for dinner. The dress code at Melvyn’s is business casual, which we love - and why aren’t dress codes more adhered to elsweher like they are here. For this style of dress code, picture chinos and a loose buttoned-down white shirt for women, and for men throw on a jacket with a shirt and no tie.
Maître’d John will great you at the door. He has enough charm to make you feel as if you’re already up five martinis. Steak Diane is the signature here, and partly because of the way it’s presented table size. It has a good kick of brandy which is flambeed at the table as the way to make the sauce. If you’re in search of that Hollywood glamour, with a little bit of theatre and loads of visceral poolside down time, then the Ingleside Inn will check your coat at the door.
