DESERT FOUNTAIN INN, PALM SPRINGS

By Art Melworm, SCNA Travel Correspondent Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the AANR-West Board Meeting in Palm Springs. I’ve heard a lot of good things about several of the nudist resorts in the area including Desert Shadows, Terra Cotta, and Morningside and was anxious to finally see them for myself. But a friend recommended a new hotel that had just opened during the previous year, Desert Fountain Inn. It was less expensive than some of the alternative nudist sites, he said, and it was only a short walk from where the AANR meeting was being held. So I booked my stay there, and I must say it was a terrific choice. Desert Fountain Inn features 14 units, each with its own distinctive, unique decor and personal touches – such as plush beds and luxurious linens. The “midweek rates” (Monday - Thursday) when I was there are $129 for one night or $249 for two nights. Weekends are a little higher and have a two-day minimum during the season. Two nights would run $275. This includes a very nice continental breakfast and afternoon snacks. Richard and Karen, the proprietors of Desert Fountain Inn, said it best: "We live on property, so we think of our customers as guests in our home." They go out of our way to make you comfortable. Compared to the larger and more expensive Desert Shadows Inn (a block away), Desert Fountain Inn offers a much smaller, intimate environment. All rooms at Desert Fountain are poolside and only steps away from the secluded, clothing-optional courtyard. Romantic or relaxing, the resort is just what you've been looking for in a naturist vacation getaway.

[Traveler Tip: If aesthetics are important to you, visit their web site and view each of the different rooms. If there is one that sets a mood more meaningful to you than another, ask for that room.]

My room was immaculately clean, as were the grounds, the pool and the spa. I was immediately impressed with the pool towels neatly placed in the room, along with bottled water. I really appreciated the large, comfortable bed. Even the bed linens and towels were extra comfortable.

Due to my limited stay, I did not have an opportunity to use the pool. However, it looked very appealing (and very clean.) I did, of course, find time to use the spa. That, too, was well maintained. The jets were not overly noisy, and the water circulation was wonderful. It was a unique experience to be sitting in the spa with the host and hostess and other guests.

That evening when I entered the spa, I was greeted by name and introduced to the other guests enjoying the spa. I immediately felt welcomed and at ease. Richard and Karen provided a very nice continental breakfast, but I was on my own for dinner. The rooms are equipped with refrigerators, and there is a BBQ in the courtyard, so I could have prepared my own dinner had I brought some groceries with me. Instead, I had to get dressed to walk to a nearby restaurant (several are within walking distance). I later found out that most of these restaurants would have delivered to Desert Fountain, so I never had to get back into my clothes at all! There is adequate off-the-street parking, something not available at all the nudist resorts in Palm Springs. However, the weekend I was there, the driveway connecting the front of the resort to its rear parking lot was torn up for pavement repairs, so I needed to be careful walking down the driveway at night. (You might ask its repair status when you make your reservation.)

Another suggestion for improvement would be to provide guests with a front gate key (or install a combination keypad) so Richard would not have to be disturbed if a guest came back after hours (which happens a lot in Palm Springs!) Desert Fountain Inn is located in the Palm Springs Uptown Heritage District at 1777 N Palm Canyon Dr - corner of East Vista Chino (2½ blocks from Desert Shadows) and is surrounded by shops, galleries and restaurants.

So, if you are looking for a Palm Springs getaway in a small, friendly, comfortable resort, Desert Fountain Inn should be high on your list.

Following up on last month’s article about Desert Fountain Inn, we received a telephone call from Richard Hollbrook, owner of the Palm Springs nudist resort. He confirmed that escrow closed on March 23, and the property was sold to Tim Chapman, who has promised to keep the name and to have the resort remain nudist “at least for for the present.” Hollbrook said he decided to sell because he was running low on reserve capital after a slower than expected first year operation. “All that rain last Spring hurt our bottom line, and we never recovered.” He said the resort has been doing great business this winter, and in fact it was sold out the weekend he called SCNA. “We spent a lot of money improving the property right after we bought it,” he said proudly. “It was always our dream to run a hotel like this, but we weren’t really prepared for the stressful 24x7 nature of the hospitality business. Frankly, I probably could have done the marketing a little better too. When I noticed the business starting to take a toll on our health, we decided to look for a buyer. To our surprise, Tim came forward soon thereafter and made us a great offer.”

Hollbrook is grateful to AANR and all the nudist friends he has made during the past few years as he and his wife Karen lived their dream. He said he will move to Los Angeles and go back into general contracting. “But I’ll still be around advising Tim, so I won’t be going away for good. We plan to return often to visit friends and to advise Tim as needed.”

We heard Tim is looking for a retired couple to manage the property. Persons interested should call Desert Fountain at (760) 323-0203.