Casa Cody is like an old friend who you dont get to see very often and yet every time your paths cross, the conversation takes off right where you last left it.
An oasis of historic charm tucked into the base of the Cahuilla Mountains in Palm Springs, Casa Cody Bed and Breakfast Inn has long been a winter oasis for my husband and I. Its the place where we warm our bones and let stress melt away under the warm desert sun.
The adobe hacienda-style buildings line four courtyards two with sun-dappled pools, one with an orchard and one with a stand-alone adobe house where Charlie Chaplin used to stay. Some buildings date back to the 1920s when Buffalo Bills cousin, Harriet Cody, started what has become Palm Springs oldest operating hotel. The eclectically furnished rooms have so much character that we still find it hard to choose a favourite. The orange and grapefruit trees remain as bountiful as ever, and when we need a lemon for the dinner were about to enjoy on our private patio, we just go into the garden and pick one.
The inns desert aesthetic has its roots in Spain when architecture and design had to perform the same functions that indoor lighting and air-conditioning provide today. Tall bougainvilleas line the shaded walkways, adding a splash of colour to complement the warm tones of the boulder-strewn mountains that provide the inns backdrop. Its quiet enough to hear the water trickling in the fountain outside the adobe house and know when the hummingbird has come searching for nectar. Ancient palm trees lord over the Winter House, where families can congregate in adjoining rooms.
But while holidays are a much-need time to recuperate from the demands of work, part of Casa Codys appeal is that it is just two blocks off Palm Springs main thoroughfare in the buzzing part of town. Theres easy access to restaurants, coffee shops, and stores, including the Thursday night market that shuts down the street to cars and lets one-of-a-kind vendors reign.
And should you feel energetic, youre only minutes away from the museum trail that snakes up (and up and up) the mountain. Rental companies will deliver bicycles to your door so you can ride along the streets where Hollywoods elite have long come to play or retire.
Room rates range from $99 for a studio to $429 for the two-bedroom adobe house. Most accommodations include kitchenettes while many have fireplaces. A continental breakfast is enjoyed poolside where youll discover that most guests, like us, have been returning to visit their old friend year after year.
