Here's the latest and greatest info regarding new properties and renovations that are scheduled for the Palm Springs area:

Published on: October 13, 2008

The Palm Springs-Desert Resorts area of California is seeing a slew of new properties and renovations costing a total of nearly $2 billion. From 2007 through 2011, hotels and businesses in each of the desert's cities -- Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage -- will have introduced a new hotel, a newly remodeled hotel product, golf courses, restaurants or other amenities.

In Cathedral City, the 300-room Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center is scheduled to break ground next spring. The property will include a golf course. In Desert Hot Springs, a major expansion is planned for the Two Bunch Palms Resort, including 700 homes, 315 timeshare units and 285 hotel units. Plans also include 121,500-square-foot retail, wellness and spa complex. The 215-room Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells recently completed a $1.4 million remodel of its pool area with a direct connection to its acclaimed Well Spa, following the renovation of meeting space -- including the addition of a new ballroom -- and a number of guestrooms in 2007. Next summer, the resort will break ground for the Grove Artisan Kitchen, a contemporary restaurant. In Indio, the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has opened Pom restaurant, which fuses traditional California cuisine with tastes from Latin America and Italy. In La Quinta, the 146-unit Embassy Suites La Quinta Hotel & Spa with 120 condominium units and the 130-unit Homewood Suites by Hilton La Quinta have opened.

The Palm Desert City Council recently approved plans for an 88-unit Candlewood Suites property, which is slated for groundbreaking this month. The Fairmont Avanterra is scheduled to break ground in Palm Desert in 2009 with 300 guestrooms and 125 residences. The hotel is part of the $2.5 billion environmentally progressive, master-planned Avanterra community and will be located adjacent to the Classic Club golf course. The hotel will also offer a variety of dining outlets, 26,000 square feet of indoor function space, outdoor event areas and a 45,000-square-foot Willow Stream Spa. Completion is slated for 2011. A 127-unit Homewood Suites by Hilton in Palm Desert is under construction and set to open next spring. Planning is underway for a new four-star, 154-unit property, tentatively called the Larkspur Hotel, adjacent to the upscale El Paseo shopping district in Palm Desert. Initial plans include roof gardens with solar paneling, a spa, a modern bar and restaurant and 16 luxury suites with full kitchens, among other perks. Completion is scheduled for fall 2009.

In Palm Springs, the Ace Hotel & Swim Club is slated to open by year-end. The 180-room, 4.5 acre property will feature a mid-century desert aesthetic blended with folk-modern interiors and will include accommodations for budget and luxury travelers, a diner, a bar, a public and a private pool, 4,000 square feet of event space, a spa and fitness room, outdoor fireplaces and green technology. Plans for the 494-room Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs are underway. The property will be located in downtown Palm Springs, adjacent to the Palm Springs Convention Center, and will feature three restaurants; a three-acre pool area with 38 cabanas, fire pits and a beach; a 6,500-square-foot nightclub; a recording studio; a two-story spa; and 35,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is slated to open in 2010.

The Hilton Palm Springs Resort has completed a multimillion dollar renovation of its Elements Spa. New services include a eucalyptus-infused steam room and a Swiss shower, nine treatment rooms, and ecological materials and organic professional products. The Holiday Inn Palm Springs City Center opened in January 2008 with 229 guestrooms and 20 suites, a full-service restaurant, an Olympic-size swimming pool with a poolside cabana bar, dive-in movies, a fitness facility and more than 8,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. The Mondrian Hotel & Condos is slated to open in 2011 adjacent to the Palm Springs Convention Center with 200 guestrooms, 50 condo-hotel units and up to 150 condominiums. The property will also feature a Skybar, meeting facilities, a spa and fitness facility, a pool, a restaurant and a gourmet market. The Palm Springs Riviera Resort & Spa reopened Oct. 1 after a $70 million rejuvenation. The historic resort includes 24 acres of landscaped gardens and courtyards with fire pits, pools and dining. The Riviera also features 30,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, as well as SpaTerre with 22 treatments rooms, a full-service hair and nail salon, relaxation rooms and a fitness center.

In Rancho Mirage, the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa has completed a $35 million remodel that includes a new porte cochere, a refurbished lobby area, an Internet marketplace, a new lounge, dining, enhanced guestrooms, outdoor meeting space and a new family pool called Splashtopia with water features, including two 100-foot water slides. At the Agua Caliente Casino, Resort and Spa, a 340-room luxury hotel opened in April. New resort amenities also include the Sunstone Spa; six eateries including The Steakhouse and the wave-inspired Waters Café; a 13,000-square-foot conference center, plus meeting rooms, pre-function and outdoor meeting space; and a 50,000-square-foot pool area with two pools, 10 cabanas, and a full-service outdoor bar and grill. In February 2009, the resort will open a high-tech, 2,000-seat headliner showroom.

The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage is slated to reopen in fall 2009 following a major renovation. The 40-acre property will include a completely new 244-room resort; La Prairie Spa with designated spa suites; Pinot Mirage, a restaurant collaboration with chef/restaurateur Joachim Splichal; an intimate wine bar called Split and Lounge6Fifty; and The Edge, a contemporary steakhouse; two pools, 18,000 square feet of indoor function space, more than 40,000 square feet of outdoor venues, a golf/tennis concierge, and a hiking butler overseeing more than 20 miles of hiking trails. The Westin Mission Hills Rancho Mirage is currently undergoing a $20 million renovation, slated for completion this fall. The revitalization will feature new guest room interiors. Thirty new resort suites, as well as new Presidential Suites, are included in the project, along with the property exterior. For more information, call 800-967-3767 or visit www.palmspringsusa.com.