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History
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A History of Rancho Las Palmas
In 1876, Southern Pacific Railroad cut a track through the San Gorgonio Pass to Los Angeles, paving the way for settlement in the Palm Springs desert. Word spread quickly of the region’s healthy climate and the healing powers of its hot springs.
It would be another 70 years before Los Angeles architect H.L. “Hank” Gogerty purchased 320 acres of unimproved land and graded an airstrip to accommodate private planes. Visitors flying in would lodge in surplus army barracks brought in from Beaumont and dine in an old cottage converted into a dining room. This cottage eventually became the base for the Rancho Las Palmas Country Club. A bar and swimming pool were added in 1950, and one year later the property formally opened as the Desert Air Hotel.
Hollywood stars and heads of state, including President Eisenhower and later Presidents Nixon, Ford and Reagan, began flocking to the desert resort, many arriving in their own private planes. Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and President Ford were among the notables so taken by the climate that they eventually settled here.
In 1973, Rancho Mirage was incorporated, becoming the16th city in Riverside County. Development quickly flourished.
A 1976 groundbreaking for the Rancho Las Palmas Country Club was followed one year later by groundbreaking on the Rancho Las Palmas resort and its grand opening under the Marriott Corporation in February 1979. While celebrities such as Cary Grant, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans looked on, guest of honor Bob Hope opened the festivities by hitting a golf shot through a ribbon which burst into flames, leading to fireworks and an exultant release of balloons.
Rancho Las Palmas was the first desert resort to remain open year-round, and it established immediate appeal as a getaway of choice for celebrities.
In 1999, the resort unveiled a 20,000-square-foot, European-style spa as part of a $32- million refurbishment. In mid-2006, the former Marriott resort was acquired by KSL Resorts, who embarked on an immediate, extensive $35 million renovation project to restore the original glamour of Rancho Las Palmas while creating a world-class desert resort for the 21st century.
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