The Original Oasis Hotel Building, Palm Springs
In the 1920s, when Palm Springs was becoming the vacation boom town for the Southern California elite, Pearl McCallum McManus commissioned a new hotel to be built to house all of these visitors. He commissioned locally-renown architect Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, to design it. The result was the small but luxurious 24-room Oasis Hotel.
Wright was known for his modernist buildings, and the hotel was a decade or more before its time. It became the showpiece of the town鈥搃t even had the first swimming pool. Wright used stacking geometric concrete blocks to build the individual units, which were clustered around open courtyards. Ornamental wooden screens protected the rooms, which had large windows, from the blazing desert heat. The glass-walled dining room was built around existing cottonwood trees, with their limbs seeming to grow right into the building.
The Oasis Hotel opened in 1925 and was a smash hit. Stars like John Wayne, Lorette Young, and Clark Gable made the Oasis their getaway of choice and reinvented the little village around it. In the 1950s, the hotel was sold to Western Hotels, and much of the original property was dismantled or destroyed. Today, only the 40-foot decorative tower and a few construction blocks remain, tucked between businesses on Palm Canyon Drive. It is designated by the city as a Class I Historic site.
Wright was known for his modernist buildings, and the hotel was a decade or more before its time. It became the showpiece of the town鈥搃t even had the first swimming pool. Wright used stacking geometric concrete blocks to build the individual units, which were clustered around open courtyards. Ornamental wooden screens protected the rooms, which had large windows, from the blazing desert heat. The glass-walled dining room was built around existing cottonwood trees, with their limbs seeming to grow right into the building.
The Oasis Hotel opened in 1925 and was a smash hit. Stars like John Wayne, Lorette Young, and Clark Gable made the Oasis their getaway of choice and reinvented the little village around it. In the 1950s, the hotel was sold to Western Hotels, and much of the original property was dismantled or destroyed. Today, only the 40-foot decorative tower and a few construction blocks remain, tucked between businesses on Palm Canyon Drive. It is designated by the city as a Class I Historic site.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Palm Springs. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 51爆料网 App
The Original Oasis Hotel Building on Map
Sight Name: The Original Oasis Hotel Building
Sight Location: Palm Springs, USA (See walking tours in Palm Springs)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Palm Springs, USA (See walking tours in Palm Springs)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Palm Springs, California
Create Your Own Walk in Palm Springs
Creating your own self-guided walk in Palm Springs is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Palm Springs Introduction Walking Tour
The Cahuilla people have lived in the Coachella Valley for over 2,000 years, long before the first European settlers showed up in the early 1800s. The area was popular because there was an abundance of water and shade here, rare commodities in the Sonoran Desert. Much of the land in and around Palm Springs is on the Agua Caliente Reservation; you can learn more about the Cahuilla at the Agua... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Famous Houses in Palm Springs
Since the early 1930s, Palm Springs, California, has been a favorite desert oasis for the Hollywood elite. With its excellent winter and springtime weather, fabulous shopping, and beautiful overall ambiance, this place offered celebrities a convenient escape from clamoring photographers and newspaper gossip.
Here, behind the private walls of homes and bungalows, the stars could feel relaxed... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 7.2 Km or 4.5 Miles
Here, behind the private walls of homes and bungalows, the stars could feel relaxed... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 7.2 Km or 4.5 Miles