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The Desert’s Wellspring of Tranquility, Luxury, Innovation, and Community

By Jan Silver Maguire

Seen Right: Indian Wells Golf Resort.
Courtesy City of Indian Wells

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2007, Indian Wells is known as a beautiful enclave with luxurious resorts and high-caliber residential living. When the City of Indian Wells celebrates a landmark occasion, this vibrant desert community knows how to throw a party in style. Whimsical characters, aerialists, and acrobats were all part of the Il Circo acts that entertained more than 1,400 Indian Wells residents during the city’s 40th anniversary celebration held in April at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. And, with an on-site Memorabilia Museum especially constructed for this milestone event, the festive celebration truly highlighted this resort city’s ubiquitous sense of camaraderie and community.

Known worldwide for delivering a quality lifestyle beyond compare, Indian Wells tapped deeply into its storied past last year as it embarked on a comprehensive, forward-thinking branding initiative. Designed to further enhance the city’s position as an exceptional resort city that offers the finest amenities and service to residents and guests, this in-depth review astutely coincided with the launch of innovative municipal projects, as well as the expansion of resident benefits and resort amenities.

One such project nearing completion is the phenomenal rebirth of the Indian Wells Golf Resort, which stands to position the cityowned property as one of the finest public golf facilities in the nation. In November 2006, the impressive 18-hole Celebrity Course designed by leading architect Clive Clark opened to such great acclaim that it was chosen as the game field for the 2007 LG Skins Game, a famed Thanksgiving tradition now celebrating its 25th anniversary. What’s more, Indian Wells will host the Skins Game in 2008 and 2009, giving players, spectators, and viewers a chance to experience the finished product.

When fully complete, the Golf Resort will also comprise the John Fought-designed, 18-hole Players Course and lighted nine-hole putting course and the IW Club, a magnificent 53,000-square-foot clubhouse. Designed by Douglas Fredrikson Architects, this masterpiece of contemporary form and function will feature full banquet facilities, a restaurant and sports bar, terraced areas with magnificent fairway and mountain views, versatile meeting space, an event lawn with croquet courts, Callaway Golf Performance Center, golf retail shop, and more. Ideally located adjacent to the city’s four luxurious hotel properties, the IW Club is sure to become a resident social mecca for dining and après golf activities, as well as another exceptional amenity for guests staying at the city’s worldclass resorts: The Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas and Spa, Indian Wells Resort Hotel, Miramonte Resort & Spa, and Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa.

Not content to rest on their world-class hospitality laurels, the luxurious Indian Wells hotel properties have either completed recent renovations or are in the midst of upgrading amenities. In January 2007, The Tuscaninspired Miramonte Resort & Spa invested $5.8 million to open its 6,000-square-foot Mediterranean ballroom, complete with a 3,000-square-foot event lawn with firepits, courtyard, water fountains, and lush landscaping. The Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa finished a $9 million renovation in March 2007, adding the California wine- and cuisineinspired Cava Restaurant, and opening Glo, a new lobby bar, and Stir Lounge. The Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas and Spa is planning to open 24 additional luxury villas this fall.

Another prime city attraction — the Indian Wells Tennis Garden — is also moving forward with plans to draw more residents and tourists to its state-of-the-art sports complex year-round. In addition to having secured the prestigious, annual Pacific Life Open for two more decades (and breaking tournament attendance records in 2006 with more than 300,000 fans), the Garden has evolved into a premier outdoor concert venue featuring legendary headliners such as The Eagles and The Who. In fact, one well-known concert promoter is very interested in further advancing the Garden’s entertainment capabilities.

The City of Indian Wells continues to establish programs and services dedicated to maximizing its clean and tranquil environment. The city remains in the forefront of Coachella Valley environmental initiatives, offering residents, and often businesses, a range of recycling programs. “Green” services include weekly residential recycling pickup, monthly household hazardous waste disposal events, trash recycling during the Pacific Life Open, and cell phone and ink cartridge recycling. Additionally, the latest in water conservation technology was integrated into the redesign of the Indian Wells Golf Resort.

The city is also incorporating “smart growth” concepts such as pedestrian-friendly walkways in two new planned retail/commercial developments. Miles Crossing, an 18-acre luxury lifestyle center to be located on the east side of Miles Avenue, will include approximately 160,000 square feet for retail, dining, and shopping. Four popular eateries — The Chop House, California Pizza Kitchen, Miro’s, and Le Paon have already signed leases with the development. Also in development is Indian Wells Town Center, an upscale retail, restaurant, and entertainment destination adjacent to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden that will feature pedestrian plazas with seating areas, open-air dining, and a multiscreen theater.

This dynamic Southern California desert city and its resort partners are also defined by their dedication to furthering interaction and fellowship among Indian Wells residents. The city offers numerous resident benefits, including special discounts at the four hotel properties, Golf Resort, and Tennis Garden. Plus, the city and its resort partners host summer and winter social events. Indian Wells also sponsors special art lectures and exhibitions in conjunction with the Palm Springs Art Museum, complimentary resident film screenings in concert with the Palm Springs International Film Festival, a WildLights holiday event at The Living Desert Zoo (the preserve is located in both Indian Wells and Palm Desert), and an Indian Wells Residents Day at the Pacific Life Open. Indian Wells’ vast cultural landscape also includes the illuminating Desert Town Hall–Indian Wells lecture series and the annual Indian Wells Arts Festival held at the Tennis Garden.

Visit www.indianwells.com and www.cityofindianwells.org to learn more about Indian Wells — an exceptional city offering an exceptional lifestyle.

Mayor Rob Bernheimer Mayor Pro Tem Mary T. Roche	Council Members Ed Monarch Patrick J. Mullany Larry Spicer	Year Incorporated 1967 Population 4,942	Median Household Income $143,766
		An Exceptional City. An Exceptional Lifestyle. Courtesy City of Indian Wells
		Indian Wells Tennis Garden Courtesy Indian Wells Tennis Garden
		Thomas L. Friedman at Desert Town Hall Indian Wells. Courtesy City of Indian Wells