La Serena Villas, Palm Springs
The luxury boutique hotel group Kirkwood Collection announced that they have acquired three luxury, historic properties in Palm Springs: La Serena Villas, Del Marcos Hotel, and The Three Fifty Hotel. All located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, the addition of these hotels expands their Greater Palm Springs portfolio to five properties and brings the Kirkwood Collection portfolio to ten boutique hotels and properties throughout California.
“Kirkwood Collection’s unwavering commitment to curating exceptional experiences has led us to these remarkable opportunities, and we are thrilled to continue this journey of growth. These new properties epitomize the spirit of our boutique ethos, a curated, intentional experience that reflects the culture of its surroundings. We are proud to steward these historic properties while maintaining the same prestigious standards as the rest of our collection,” shares Alex Kirkwood, CEO and Founder of Kirkwood Collection.
La Serena Villas is beloved among Palm Springs locals and travelers. The hotel features a spa, restaurant, and one of only two rooftop bars in Palm Springs. Originally built in 1933, the 18-room hotel sits over an acre of beautiful, landscaped grounds and features a salt-water pool off the lobby. In 2016, the property was redeveloped as a luxury hotel. The on-site restaurant, Azúcar, serves modern contemporary cuisine, and Sugar High Rooftop Lounge serves specialty cocktails with views of the San Jacinto Mountains. This property has become a favorite for celebrity buyouts due to its exclusive privacy.
Designed in 1947 by renowned architect William F. Cody, The Del Marcos Hotel is a 17-room mid-century modern property that marked Cody’s debut as an independent architect in Palm Springs, catapulting him into a stellar career in the desert. Recognizing its architectural and historical significance, the Del Marcos Hotel was designated as a Class I historic site by the Palm Springs City Council in 2012.
Originally built in 1950, The Three Fifty Hotel combines its mid-century roots with a chic minimalist aesthetic. The 10-room boutique hotel property was renovated in 2017 and offers guests the quintessential Palm Springs getaway with a pool, spa offerings, and spacious rooms.
Building on Kirkwood’s reputation of blending historic architecture with elevated guest experiences, these new Palm Springs properties join the Kirkwood family of owned and operated design-driven hotels. Kirkwood partnered with Somera Capital Management on the acquisition. With 28 years of commercial real estate investment experience across multiple sectors and geographic regions, Somera has sponsored over 120 investments totaling more than $2.5 billion in transaction volume.
“After watching Alex build Kirkwood Collection over the past decade, we couldn’t be more excited to combine our expertise in real estate and hotel investments with Kirkwood Collection’s distinctive hospitality strategy,” said David Brown, President & CEO of Somera Capital Management.
Kirkwood Collection is a luxury hotel brand with a portfolio of ten intimate boutique hotels and residences in iconic California destinations. The Collection currently has properties in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs, and Monterey Bay. In Greater Palm Springs, Kirkwood properties include 97 Lake Shore in Rancho Mirage, and The Palm Springs Hotel in the Uptown Design District.
