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Bearfoot Inn - An oasis in the desert in sunny Palm Springs, California
Bearfoot Inn - An oasis in the desert in sunny Palm Springs, California
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
Palm Springs, California is a must-see destination for gay travelers. With gorgeous mountain and desert views, a rich history, high quality dining and entertainment, Palm Springs is also an inclusive community where LGBTQ+ can hold hands openly strolling the avenues day or night.
We asked Jerry Pergolesi, Co-owner of Bearfoot Inn in Palm Springs, to tell us about what Bearfoot Inn offers the gay traveler.
How would you describe your property in one sentence?
Bearfoot Inn is an oasis in the desert and home away from home located in sunny Palm Springs, California.
What is special about your property and your guests?
What sets Bearfoot Inn apart is its combination of location, size and clientele. We are the only LGBTQ+ resort in the Movie Colony area of Palm Springs, which is adjacent to the Uptown Design District and only a short walk or even shorter drive to the downtown area.
Both the downtown and uptown areas are going through extensive transitions, with new restaurants and shops opening, almost to the point where the divide between downtown and uptown is becoming less and less clear. With that kind of proximity to everything up and down, we are also a hop skip and a jump… again a casual walk or short drive… to the gay bars, shops and restaurants on Arenas.
One of the best things about Palm Springs is its size. For a small city, it certainly has a lot to offer. The feel here is casual but you never feel that you are lacking the things that a major cosmopolitan city has to offer.
The other really exciting development is the new cultural centre being built by the Agua Caliente Tribe. There seems to be a healthy respect for the fact that Palm Springs is a white-settler city on native lands, and I think the more we can find a balance that is respectful and acknowledges that we are uninvited guests, the better we can move forward to make the entire valley a great place to visit.
I think one of the best aspects of Bearfoot Inn is its size. By comparison, we are small with only twelve rooms but we came into this property with the intent of being small and love it.
For its size, Palm Springs has a plethora of hotels, and about half of them are small and owner operated. To me, that’s what makes not only Bearfoot Inn special, but that’s what makes Palm Springs special. It might sound like a cliche, but there really is something for everyone here… well, almost but I do think for its size, Palm Springs offers quite a lot to quite a wide range of travellers.
In our case, we offer a small hotel/resort that is quiet and casual… kind of elegant but not too elegant. I think comfortable would be a good word. We really tried to make Bearfoot Inn a place where gay men could feel at home and find most of the amenities they would have in their own homes. We’re not fancy and I think our guests like that. It allows for our guests to feel comfortable in their surroundings and feel at home.
With that in mid, I think one of the best aspects of Bearfoot Inn is the guests we have. As far as I know, we are still the newest LGBTQ+ resort in town, so in a sense, we’re still the new kids on the block, but we have built a clientele of many regular guests and occasional guests who seem to have connected with the vibe we strived to set, so that just keeps perpetuating itself and keeps the atmosphere here really friendly and casual; some might use the term “low key” and I think that does a good job of describing the feel of the place, and we couldn’t keep that vibe going if it wasn't for our great guests.
What accommodations are available at your property?
We have five different types of rooms available, which should suit almost anyone’s needs.
Our Poolside Queen rooms are the most affordable, basic hotel room style and are perfect for quick getaways and single travellers.
A bit larger is the Poolside King room, which is also a standard hotel room but with a king size bed, and a bit roomier. We have two types of suites: King and Queen, the difference being the King Suites have one king size bed and the Queen Suite has two queen size beds.
All of the suites have kitchenettes and private back patios.
We have two rooms upstairs: both are Deluxe Kings. They are the same layout as the King Suites with the exception of the patio. There is a shared balcony in front of the Deluxe King rooms and the view of the San Jacinto Mountains is something you can’t put a price tag on… especially in the mornings when the sun hits the mountains… amazing.
All of our rooms have the same decor. We did this so that if the room you prefer isn’t available, you can find the same amenities and comfort level in any room. All of our rooms have coffee makers microwaves, fridges and ironing boards.
The Deluxe rooms and Suites have full kitchenettes for extended stays and those who might want to dine in every now and then.
All of our rooms are poolside… the benefit of being small… and have easy access to the pool and hot tub, and outdoor sitting and dining areas.
When we bought the hotel back in 2011, we thought the building was Spanish Hacienda style. After doing a little demo, we discovered that it was actually a mid-century modern design that had been covered in tile and disguised with faux roof lines, so instead of doing some minor updating, we ended up gutting the place and pulling the original plans and doing some sleuthing to figure out what the hotel should look like.
A couple of years after we finished the renovations, we found a couple of old postcards from the time it was built and happily discovered we were almost spot-on with the restoration.
Because we took it down to the studs, we had to bring it up to code, so the interiors had to be re-imagned. We tried to keep interior layouts as close to the original as possible, but it was time to update the rooms, so we enlarged the bathrooms and tried to create more interior space in the rooms. Our Facebook page pretty well documents most of the renovations. It took longer than we expected but in the end we think it was worth the effort.
What activities and special events are available at your property?
We don’t actually host any special events at the hotel… mainly because of our small size, but we have participated as a spill-over and secondary hotel for many events… mainly LGBTQ+ events in Palm Springs. To that end, we try and keep our events page as up to date as possible.
For the most part, our guests book with us for some of the larger events so they can get away from the hustle and bustle of the events… and because we’re usually close by, it’s only a hop, skip and s jump back to the main event.
Why are gay resorts important?
In the era of post-marriage equality, you would think that LGBTQ+ resorts would be a thing of the past. That day may come but I think we are still a viable and necessary place for gay travelers. I hesitate to use the term “safe space” because it has been co-opted by mainstream media and culture, much like any subversive counter-culture, but the LGBTQ+ resorts really are safe spaces for the gay community.
I do have to say that it is a shame that there seems to be an absence of women’s resorts in town… hopefully that will turn around, and it does seem like the community is segregated when we speak in terms of exclusively female and male resorts, but the truth is that in spite of all the advances made in the past fifty years, there is still a great deal of insidious prejudice in mainstream culture, usually under the guise of being “diverse” and “inclusive.”
Most mainstream culture is happy to have gay people around so long as it serves their ideologies. In other words, even if a place is “gay friendly” what happens is that any situation defers to heterocentric norms. Something as simple as public displays of affection are usually nothing to speak of when they are female/male, however, public displays of affection between same sex couples are still quite controversial and thought to be “not family friendly."
What the LGBTQ+ resorts provide is a space to be queer in the sense of being in a place where you share so many things with the other people who are present. One of the things i usually say about gay spaces is that you are welcomed in gay resorts… perhaps not unconditionally, because gay people love nothing more than reading other people… but you are welcomed unquestionably.
Conclusion
Bearfoot Inn Palm Springs is a part of Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels.
For gay travel information, visit GreaterPalmSprings.com.
When in Palm Springs, we love to visit The Living Desert, Moorten Botanical Garden, Palm Springs Celebrity Tours, Pioneertown, Joshua Tree National Park and Indian Canyons.
Bearfoot Inn Palm Springs is located at 888 N Indian Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92262-5719.
You can call them at 760-699-7641.
Visit the Bearfoot Inn website at www.bearfootinn.com
(Special thanks to Kim Munkres for all her assistance.)
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
Palm Springs, California is a must-see destination for gay travelers. With gorgeous mountain and desert views, a rich history, high quality dining and entertainment, Palm Springs is also an inclusive community where LGBTQ+ can hold hands openly strolling the avenues day or night.
We asked Jerry Pergolesi, Co-owner of Bearfoot Inn in Palm Springs, to tell us about what Bearfoot Inn offers the gay traveler.
How would you describe your property in one sentence?
Bearfoot Inn is an oasis in the desert and home away from home located in sunny Palm Springs, California.
What is special about your property and your guests?
What sets Bearfoot Inn apart is its combination of location, size and clientele. We are the only LGBTQ+ resort in the Movie Colony area of Palm Springs, which is adjacent to the Uptown Design District and only a short walk or even shorter drive to the downtown area.
Both the downtown and uptown areas are going through extensive transitions, with new restaurants and shops opening, almost to the point where the divide between downtown and uptown is becoming less and less clear. With that kind of proximity to everything up and down, we are also a hop skip and a jump… again a casual walk or short drive… to the gay bars, shops and restaurants on Arenas.
One of the best things about Palm Springs is its size. For a small city, it certainly has a lot to offer. The feel here is casual but you never feel that you are lacking the things that a major cosmopolitan city has to offer.
The other really exciting development is the new cultural centre being built by the Agua Caliente Tribe. There seems to be a healthy respect for the fact that Palm Springs is a white-settler city on native lands, and I think the more we can find a balance that is respectful and acknowledges that we are uninvited guests, the better we can move forward to make the entire valley a great place to visit.
I think one of the best aspects of Bearfoot Inn is its size. By comparison, we are small with only twelve rooms but we came into this property with the intent of being small and love it.
For its size, Palm Springs has a plethora of hotels, and about half of them are small and owner operated. To me, that’s what makes not only Bearfoot Inn special, but that’s what makes Palm Springs special. It might sound like a cliche, but there really is something for everyone here… well, almost but I do think for its size, Palm Springs offers quite a lot to quite a wide range of travellers.
In our case, we offer a small hotel/resort that is quiet and casual… kind of elegant but not too elegant. I think comfortable would be a good word. We really tried to make Bearfoot Inn a place where gay men could feel at home and find most of the amenities they would have in their own homes. We’re not fancy and I think our guests like that. It allows for our guests to feel comfortable in their surroundings and feel at home.
With that in mid, I think one of the best aspects of Bearfoot Inn is the guests we have. As far as I know, we are still the newest LGBTQ+ resort in town, so in a sense, we’re still the new kids on the block, but we have built a clientele of many regular guests and occasional guests who seem to have connected with the vibe we strived to set, so that just keeps perpetuating itself and keeps the atmosphere here really friendly and casual; some might use the term “low key” and I think that does a good job of describing the feel of the place, and we couldn’t keep that vibe going if it wasn't for our great guests.
What accommodations are available at your property?
We have five different types of rooms available, which should suit almost anyone’s needs.
Our Poolside Queen rooms are the most affordable, basic hotel room style and are perfect for quick getaways and single travellers.
A bit larger is the Poolside King room, which is also a standard hotel room but with a king size bed, and a bit roomier. We have two types of suites: King and Queen, the difference being the King Suites have one king size bed and the Queen Suite has two queen size beds.
All of the suites have kitchenettes and private back patios.
We have two rooms upstairs: both are Deluxe Kings. They are the same layout as the King Suites with the exception of the patio. There is a shared balcony in front of the Deluxe King rooms and the view of the San Jacinto Mountains is something you can’t put a price tag on… especially in the mornings when the sun hits the mountains… amazing.
All of our rooms have the same decor. We did this so that if the room you prefer isn’t available, you can find the same amenities and comfort level in any room. All of our rooms have coffee makers microwaves, fridges and ironing boards.
The Deluxe rooms and Suites have full kitchenettes for extended stays and those who might want to dine in every now and then.
All of our rooms are poolside… the benefit of being small… and have easy access to the pool and hot tub, and outdoor sitting and dining areas.
When we bought the hotel back in 2011, we thought the building was Spanish Hacienda style. After doing a little demo, we discovered that it was actually a mid-century modern design that had been covered in tile and disguised with faux roof lines, so instead of doing some minor updating, we ended up gutting the place and pulling the original plans and doing some sleuthing to figure out what the hotel should look like.
A couple of years after we finished the renovations, we found a couple of old postcards from the time it was built and happily discovered we were almost spot-on with the restoration.
Because we took it down to the studs, we had to bring it up to code, so the interiors had to be re-imagned. We tried to keep interior layouts as close to the original as possible, but it was time to update the rooms, so we enlarged the bathrooms and tried to create more interior space in the rooms. Our Facebook page pretty well documents most of the renovations. It took longer than we expected but in the end we think it was worth the effort.
What activities and special events are available at your property?
We don’t actually host any special events at the hotel… mainly because of our small size, but we have participated as a spill-over and secondary hotel for many events… mainly LGBTQ+ events in Palm Springs. To that end, we try and keep our events page as up to date as possible.
For the most part, our guests book with us for some of the larger events so they can get away from the hustle and bustle of the events… and because we’re usually close by, it’s only a hop, skip and s jump back to the main event.
Why are gay resorts important?
In the era of post-marriage equality, you would think that LGBTQ+ resorts would be a thing of the past. That day may come but I think we are still a viable and necessary place for gay travelers. I hesitate to use the term “safe space” because it has been co-opted by mainstream media and culture, much like any subversive counter-culture, but the LGBTQ+ resorts really are safe spaces for the gay community.
I do have to say that it is a shame that there seems to be an absence of women’s resorts in town… hopefully that will turn around, and it does seem like the community is segregated when we speak in terms of exclusively female and male resorts, but the truth is that in spite of all the advances made in the past fifty years, there is still a great deal of insidious prejudice in mainstream culture, usually under the guise of being “diverse” and “inclusive.”
Most mainstream culture is happy to have gay people around so long as it serves their ideologies. In other words, even if a place is “gay friendly” what happens is that any situation defers to heterocentric norms. Something as simple as public displays of affection are usually nothing to speak of when they are female/male, however, public displays of affection between same sex couples are still quite controversial and thought to be “not family friendly."
What the LGBTQ+ resorts provide is a space to be queer in the sense of being in a place where you share so many things with the other people who are present. One of the things i usually say about gay spaces is that you are welcomed in gay resorts… perhaps not unconditionally, because gay people love nothing more than reading other people… but you are welcomed unquestionably.
Conclusion
Bearfoot Inn Palm Springs is a part of Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels.
For gay travel information, visit GreaterPalmSprings.com.
When in Palm Springs, we love to visit The Living Desert, Moorten Botanical Garden, Palm Springs Celebrity Tours, Pioneertown, Joshua Tree National Park and Indian Canyons.
Bearfoot Inn Palm Springs is located at 888 N Indian Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92262-5719.
You can call them at 760-699-7641.
Visit the Bearfoot Inn website at www.bearfootinn.com
(Special thanks to Kim Munkres for all her assistance.)
Article by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
Copyright 2018 Sunny Harbor Publishing Sunny Harbor Publishing, PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956 Phone: 321-252-9874 Email: SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com Website: www.SunnyHarborPublishing.org |
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Gay Travelers Magazine
the best cruise & travel news, tips & reviews for the sensible gay traveler
the best cruise & travel news, tips & reviews for the sensible gay traveler