Travel
Two Grand Hotels - La Quinta & La Costa
By Andrew Penner

In the 1932 Academy-Award winning movie Grand Hotel, “People come, people go…and nothing ever happens.” Or at least that’s how the famous line goes. But, as boring as the Greta Garbo and John Barrymore movie may be (in my opinion, nothing really did happen), I had the time of my life watching it. You see, I was staying at the La Quinta Resort, had just played some fabulous golf, was smoking a fine cigar (don’t tell my wife) and was watching this famous flick in Greta Garbo’s actual courtyard. For me, life at the La Quinta Resort was pretty fine.

Located at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains in the desert utopia known as Palm Springs, The La Quinta Resort has been a staple for many Hollywood greats over the years. Set amidst fruit trees and towering palms, it’s an exclusive resort with a peaceful “private club” atmosphere. It’s the kind of place the stars love to love. Besides Garbo, Frank Capra, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Katherine Hepburn, Shirley Temple and Oprah Winfrey have invested many sun-soaked hours on the sprawling, 45-acre, 800-room resort complex.

But it was Garbo who really made her mark here. She was so enamored with the area that, in the late ’20s, at the peak of her power, she had a personal cottage built on this resort in the Coachella Valley. Recently restored to its former glory, her courtyard now serves as the perfect locale for corporate functions and visiting writers looking for a good time. (Her kitchen, dining room, bedroom, and bathroom have also been beautifully restored – but they are just for show).

For me, though, the experience in Garbo’s courtyard wasn’t what made me fall in love with the property. They had me with the golf. Located right at the resort are two Pete Dye courses — The Mountain and The Dunes — and five minutes down the road, accessible for guests of the resort, is the PGA West golf complex, which includes six championship tracks and the world-renowned Jim McLean Golf Academy.

The two courses at the resort are very different. The Mountain Course, perennially ranked as one of the top100 courses in North America by GOLF Magazine, is a notch or two better than the Dunes Course, which is laid out on flatter terrain. The back nine on the Mountain, which horseshoes around the boulder-strewn slopes of the Santa Rosa Mountains, features stirring views and one of the best par-3s in the entire desert. Standing on the tee on the plunging 170-yard 16th, which features a green encased in rock, is a moment you’ll cherish.

Sadistic, insane, evil, ridiculous. There have been many words, none of them nice, used to describe the most famous layout at PGA West, the diabolical TPC Stadium Course. But, as tough as this test is, if you take it for what it is — a course so nasty many of the best players in the world refuse to play it — it’s thoroughly engaging and, dare I say, enjoyable. Of course, if the Stadium isn’t your cup of tea, you have two other courses (the other three are private) to choose from at PGA West, both of which will tread a little softer on your ego.

But, regardless of your scores, all will be rosy back at La Quinta Resort where there are plenty of activities — including world-class cuisine and an amazing spa — to take your mind off killer sand traps and four-putt greens.
Unquestionably, this resort is one of the finest places to dine in all of Palm Springs. The three restaurants here are spectacular. The showstopper is Azur by Le Bernardin, an elegant French seafood restaurant with flair and unforgettable service. Service is certainly a trademark of La Quinta.

For me and the others on this trip, our initiation came at a property every bit as impressive as La Quinta. Located a couple of hours away in Carlsbad is the opulent La Costa Resort, one of the finest enclaves for the well to do in the west. It too is a “grand” hotel with plenty of history of its own.
La Costa, which opened in 1965, is most famous for its spa. This was the first day spa destination in North America. With over forty treatment rooms (My advice? Get exfoliated with a herbal wrap. You’ll never be the same), 80 therapists, and a 15,000-square-foot outdoor courtyard, this is the kind of place you can get awfully comfortable in.
However, the newly renovated La Costa Resort has much more going for it than the spa. For example, the two 18-hole golf courses here – North and South – have loads of tradition and character. And, rest assured, unless you’re Tiger Woods, plenty of interesting things will happen during your round.

“Interesting” is an understatement when it comes to dining options at La Costa. The main dining room, The Legends, specializes in fresh California seafood and vegetables prepared with rich flavors. The new kid on the block, the BlueFire Grill, is innovative and contemporary. If your culinary expectations aren’t met at La Costa, you may want to reassess the state of your taste buds.

Like La Quinta, La Costa is very familiar with catering to the rich and famous. Besides the top golfers in the world, all of who love the place so much they stay right on sight during the Accenture World Match Play Championship, La Costa has played host to hundreds of celebrities over its illustrious 60-year history.

Not surprisingly, I left La Costa — and later on, Garbo’s courtyard — convinced some people know the secret to making a high-end resort tick. They know that, unlike in the movie, people will come, people will go, and, certainly, plenty of things will happen. Good things.

Andrew Penner has written for GOLF Magazine, Golf Canada, Scottish Golf, and many other leading golf publications.

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