Caliente Tropics, Palm Springs, CA (hotel)

Name:Caliente Tropics
Type:hotel
Street:411 East Palm Canyon Dr.
City:Palm Springs
State:CA
Zip:92264
country:USA
Phone:1-866-HOT-9595
Status:operational

Description:
From the website:

Caliente tropics Resort in Palm Springs, California re-opened in March 2001 after an extensive $2.2 million renovation and is one of the last and greatest examples of the classic Polynesian-styled motor hotels of the 60s. Our Polynesian and Tiki Playground now features up-scale, boutique-styled guestrooms with custom furnishings. Our exterior has been made over to celebrate the original mid-century look when the resort opened in 1964 - A True Palm Springs Icon.

Click here to reserve a room at Caliente Tropics

[ Edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2003-07-21 22:04 ]

Aloha Hanford, and thanks for including us among the first few listings! Would it be appropriate for me to tell a little bit about how the reincarnation of the "tropics" came about?

NOTE: I'd really like to hear some memories from those who had a "tropics" experience before it became the Caliente tropics Resort!

[ Edited by: [email protected] on 2003-07-22 21:38 ]

yeah Casey, feel free. That's what this topic is for!

~Hanford

On 2003-07-22 21:37, [email protected] wrote:
NOTE: I'd really like to hear some memories from those who had a "tropics" experience before it became the Caliente tropics Resort!

When planning a visit to Palm Springs a few years ago I called the Tropics to inquire about a room and was disappointed by the unfriendly reception by the person on the phone. I asked her if there were still tikis on the grounds and she replied "Huh?". She thought I was crazy!

I had heard about a place called the Indianola Motel that had been decorated with tikis so I called them and reserved a room. I heard that they were "gay friendly" and that was fine with me and my girlfriend. However, when we arrived they were taken aback by my arriving with a woman. They said "we might feel uncomfortable because some of the guest like to lounge around naked by the pool." I think he meant more than lounging around so we took the hint and found lodging elsewhere. We never got to see the Tropics that trip.

On 2003-07-23 11:43, thejab wrote:

On 2003-07-22 21:37, [email protected] wrote:
NOTE: I'd really like to hear some memories from those who had a "tropics" experience before it became the Caliente tropics Resort!

Spring Break, circa 1980's!!! (no need to further explain.)

Well Ben, what a surprise (NOT)!

tropics Revival #1

After more than two years of searching and unsuccessfully bidding on about a half-dozen, 30-40 room properties we "landed" an equity partnership with a family who purchased the Resort.

The tropics was a hell-whole with male prostitutes in the rear condos, drug dealers and low lifes hanging out next to the parking lot pay phones, and a surly, nasty "manager" who sat in the lobby watching soap operas and eating all day. The lobby smelled like cooked leftovers all the time and the kitchen they used was so filthy I didn't want to walk through it.

The first time We walked-through and filmed video, I caught the owner (this loonatic Korean guy) digging through the trash bins at the rear of the property at 6:00am. Yes, he was DIGGING.

And now I have the pleasure of getting to know all of you! This is way too long, so I'll continue later . Look for part #2!

Thanks Hanford!!

[ Edited by: [email protected] on 2003-07-29 23:23 ]

Image from a postcard that appeared on eBay a while ago:

Charlie (my business partner) let THAT card slip through his hands in the bidding process on eBay. Sven dropped the same picture of the same series postcard at the Resort just before he went to Europe this year.

Here's one of those weird things I was referring to before...The original sign was an outrigger and a sail. Thanks to the BOT and a trip to the tropics in Indio, we chose the exact same orange sphere for our sign. Little would we know, 2.5 years later, it was part of the artists'/architects' original concept! And something equally as cosmic (personally), the pool at my place is the same shape as the sign (dad bought the house 1.25 mi from the Resort, 1.5 months before our soft opening). Kinda weird, huh?

We spent a weekend at the Caliente in June. We missed the Tiki Oasis by a few weeks but decided we had to check it out...

Had a great time. The room was great, the pool was great, the people were friendly and the drinks from the reef we're strong and tasty!

One suggestion, have music playing by the pool. The first day by the pool was highlighted by the Les Baxter tunes wafting out of the Reef's patio area... it was magical. The next day, no music. Still had a great day but it was just missing that little something extra.

We will definately be visiting again, when the insane hot-ness dies down.

And the saga continues...

If I remember correctly we showed-up on September 30 and took over on October 1, 2001. We lasted through Bikers' Weekend, with a loyal group of about two dozen firemen and police officers primarily from Las Vegas, who came-in on their Harleys (evidently, they were regulars).

Out of 142 rooms and condo units, we had some 23 that we could actually sell. There were wires hanging in the pool, coming out of the defunct pool light assemblies and the pool had to continually be "shocked" to make it useable. On the Friday the bikers showed-up, the Riverside County Health Department shut the pool down, with yellow-tape, like a crime scene. There was a horrific acrylic (illegal) spa sitting in the middle of the Tahitian Lanai as well, and the original whirlpool (the one we use now) was filled-in with dirt, covered with cement, and had the "large" current poolside tiki planted int he middle of it.

We closed the resort the following Monday and soft opened in mid-March, 2001. Our Grand Opening was May 16, 2001 (it was sellable and presentable but far from done). The tropics Hotel became our personal tiki money pit. No matter how much we money and time we spent, the surprises kept popping-up, over and over.

104 was our office during contruction and Charlie and I lived in 103 for a while. He and Derek moved into the Tahitian Lanai at one point and Ana lived in another room, which I can't recall. For two-to-three months (Dec/Jan/Feb) we had to walk through the construction every morning, in our t-shirts and shorts and sometimes robes, past the construction people, to shower in the Tahitian Lanai (I believe it was 222), the only wing with hot water. Ana, Charlie and I were joined at the hip for months and took turns unlocking, opening and locking, closing the cyclone fence to go out to eat almost every night. Charlie told his mother "I always wanted to live in a gated community."

There was a period of about 30 days where we had anywhere from 20 to 40 trucks in the parking lot every morning at 7:00am. The pool was jack-hammered-out and there was no fence. The pool, the Tahitian Lanai, and the parking lots were nothing more than a huge mound of dirt and some old asphalt with little definition.

I'm certain this is rather long, so I'll continue at another point. I guess I should scan and post some pictures--they are rather interesting.

Look for part 3....

Casey, your stories are completely fascinating! Keep 'em coming.

Yes Casey! Pictures please! Some people may not realize that a business venture can be an ADventure just to get where you need to be. I've been through several business investments and it's not walk-in-the-park. Maybe investing in Proctor & Gamble's stock would be good, since Pepto-Bismol is probably used by entrepreneurs more than anyone! HA!

At least now I know who SugarCaddyDaddy is (I told you I'm a little naive.) Just for the record, I have a hard time with the "Daddy" part of that name.

By the way, don't we have to register Republican if we want to attend events or tapings in OC?

[email protected] wrote:[/i]
At least now I know who SugarCaddyDaddy is (I told you I'm a little naive.) Just for the record, I have a hard time with the "Daddy" part of that name.
Ah, Casey, are you under the impression that the rakishly handsome hat-wearing fellow above is SugarCaddyDaddy? That's Crazy Al; SCD is actually the big-lipped hunk he's leaning on.

Been to the Tropics a few times, always for the Tiki Oasis festivities! The place is great! Lots of tikis everywhere especially by the pool. Not to mention they have a super fabulous A-frame roof! Very 50's, very retro, super nice staff, just an A+ place to stay!

Found this little gem recently....

Hi Casey,

Thanks for all the info on Caliente Tropics; would love to read more!

I was in PS earlier this month and, while I didn't stay there, I really enjoyed the place. Tikis and torches abound; beautiful pool and spa. But the best of all was the Reef bar.

I was in town two nights and I ended up there for both of them! John and Dave, I beleave, (It's hard to remember after a few Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiians!)were very friendly bartenders. John, especially, was very knowledgeble about your remodel and the Tiki Oasis weekends held there. He kept the conversation and drinks flowing and the time just flew by! Your clientel were very friendly as well and a good time was had by all. I can't wait to come back next year and stay at CT this time!

Mahalo,

TikiSteve

Hey Martiki??

How do you insert pics onto a post reply??

Thanks,

John

I know this place is well known to Tiki Centralites - (Hell, they have a TC Logo with Pics from the big Luau a few months back) - but I stumbled across this place online Friday , and decided to drive down fom LA on Saturday with my Wahine for an overnighter to check the place out.
I must say, it's REALLY great ! The decor is top notch (Bamboo Ben, Tiki Farm, Oceanic Arts) and the rooms were really nice, the Pool was VERY relaxing, and the Reef tiki bar was great. At $88 a night, it's a great Polynesian getaway for Southern Californians.
I've never been to Palm Springs before, and other than the oppresing heat, it's a great place with tons of amazing Mid Century Modern homes to drive around and check out.

Anyone not in SoCal, want a great tiki vacation, check this place out (if you haven't already)!

Funny you should mention it! I was steered to its website after visiting my friends over at Lotta' Livin' and here it is:

http://www.calientetropics.com/

Gotta go there soon!

Hey Casey, did part 3 of the story ever happen? I would be most interested. We stayed there last weekend and love the place and the people. In addition to Casey, Jeff and Annie the bartenders were fantastic. Personable, helpful with our party and boy they can make good drinks! I can't imagine, even from the stories how the place looked before the remodeling but I'm sure glad you did it. We will be back...

I'm still bitter that the place sold out for the next Tiki Oasis before I tried to book a room. The wife and I had great times the last two years at the Tiki Oasis and feel it is the coolest hotel we have ever stayed in--including all over Europe.

Aloha!

It's been a long time since I picked-up this ball, continuing some of the stories. We will pick it up again, soon (very soon).

Mahalo

On 2005-03-29 21:05, CaseyJPS wrote:
Aloha!

It's been a long time since I picked-up this ball, continuing some of the stories. We will pick it up again, soon (very soon).

Mahalo

Three cheers to my good friend!

Hey all.. my wife and I were just passing through Palm Springs a few weeks ago and snapped some pics of the Caliente Tropics. Just some general shots of the grounds and architecture. Enjoy...

We stayed for three nights recently and enjoyed it very much. The staff were friendly and when we were checkin out, I showed the manager Caliente in BOT. He was so pleased that he gave us 20% off the bill.

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2006-11-28 18:20 ]

Great photos! Thanks!

We stayed there right at the peak of Summer of 2004. H. O. T...Hot! But we loved it. Loved the tiki. Loved the landscaping and grounds. Loved the staff. Loved the retro feel. Loved the pool. Loved the Reef bar. Had a good lunch at the restaurant. Man was it HOT!

Love all the custom designed room amenities like the pens and notepads and shampoo bottles and such. Nice little touches and attention to detail...like the private label water bottles. And you needed water because it was HOT!

Next time...we may not visit at such a HOT time of the year! And I'll be sure to introduce myself to you...Casey. :)

[ Edited by: PremEx 2006-11-28 15:58 ]

On 2006-11-28 14:44, PremEx wrote:

Love all the custom designed room amenities like the pens and notepads and shampoo bottles and such. Nice little touches and attention to detail...like the private label water bottles. And you needed water because it was HOT!

And next time...we may not visit at such a HOT time of the year! And I'll be sure to introduce myself to you...Casey. :)

Sorry PremEx.

The amenities are gone and so is Casey.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=14333&forum=1&start=0&hilite=caliente%20casey

We stayed a few months ago and loved it . We plan on going back again this year for our wedding anniversary on the weekend of the 15th in december . Look for the group of tattooed losers in the bar knocking back Mai Tais . That will be us .

On 2006-11-28 14:58, Tiki-Kate wrote:
Sorry PremEx.

The amenities are gone and so is Casey.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=14333&forum=1&start=0&hilite=caliente%20casey

Wow! Thanks for the link and "education." I just spent about 15 minutes reading that thread. Sounds like some very sad events went on there after our stay. :(

At least I got to see it at its peak and in all its glory during the "Casey Years." So I'm thankful for that.

I did a "Search" on it and it does look like some TCers are still frequenting the place for get togethers. I'm wondering what the current outlook and opinions about the Tropics and Reef Bar are? Does the place have any spirit left? Did it make any sort of comeback? Are the drinks still any good?

I know that mike-stobbe and Ojaitimo's post of today indicated they enjoyed their recent stay there, but there aren't a whole lot of specifics. I'm just a bit confused about these changes Casey vs. After Casey and wanna know if its still worth staying there any longer.

Thanks.

[ Edited by: PremEx 2006-11-28 16:16 ]

I'm just a bit confused about these changes Casey vs. After Casey and wanna know if its still worth staying there any longer.

It's definitely still worth going.

We stayed there this past July and then again in September. July was a poor choice. The weather was unbearable. We had a fabulous time in September though. The rooms are still great. (Unfortunately, no more shampoo, notepads, etc.) The staff seems kind of uninformed about tiki and the history of the place, but they treated us pretty well.

The food at Hawaiian Bill's is good. The drinks at the bar are also decent. It's always nice to have someone take your order and serve you a cocktail while you're in the pool.

It's definitely still worth going.

Thank You Tiki-Kate! Sounds like enough of some good recommendations from you and others, that we can keep this on our list to head out there again.

:)

I got your specifics . . .

:)

It was really nice . Very clean . . . and there were a lot of tikis . You can see in the previous few posts all the pictures , it's still very tropical . Hawaii'n Bills bar goes off and the Mai Tais were strong and not very pricey . The pool was really clean and heated and theres a big hot tub that was a lot of fun also . Everyone who worked there was super friendly and really accomadating .

The Reef was super fun bar , tons of tiki shit and the walls are all bamboo & thatched panels & crazy lamps everywhere . You can order food through the bar , plus they have a large outdoor BBQ going during dinner hours , and they cook you up on the spot when you order . Both nights we partied there , Hawaii Bob was behind the bar mixing up tropical goodies for everyone .

All the pictures on page 2 are current looking and there are more tiki's hiding around the premises if you have a few drinks and go on a hunt :)
If you take a short walk into town , you can make it to the main drag and there's LOTS of shopping and plenty of good restraunts to eat at . Having a bike would make it perfect because there's other stuff thats a longer walk or a nice bicycle ride away ( lots of great homes & examples of mid-century achitecture .

I'd say for the money it's well worth the 2 hour drive and very inexpensive room rates . The whole vibe was mellow and relaxed and almost reminded us of Hawaii in a lot of ways . . . My oppinion , go check it out while it's still as nice as it is . . . I can't imagine it would ever be changed too drasticly , but stranger things have happened .

I got your specifics . . .

Many Thanks! :)

Actually I had already stayed there before so I'm well versed on the property and the tikis and such. But that was back before some of the cutbacks and management changes reported in the other thread...and that's why I was asking the update questions.

Sounds like it's still a great place to stay at, even if some of the amenities have been reduced from a couple of years ago, and some really great people that used to work there are now gone.

Thanks Again.

No problemo . I never did stay there in ye olden tymes , when it was mega tiki . . . so I'm just going on my first impression / first time staying there . Never knowing the previous staff , the new staff was impressive . . . so it was a win win for us !

Thanks for the update on the Caliente. I was sad to read all the posts about the demise of the previous management, but it is good to know there is still some preservation of the Tiki spirit. It looks like this is a must-visit place in the spring for me (before the place is totally devoid of the Tiki flavor).

Well this is my second post on this BBS!! I'm loving this whole site!! Well i do have to say that the Tropics is under new management, i might be a bit bias cause she my wife. But the horror stories i have read in the past are believe me just that, the past. She (her name is Christine) is the new manager there and is doing all she can to make everyone that stays there have an experience they soon wont forget meaning you'll enjoy it alot!! Bill's is actually starting to have luaus again. from what Bill and his business partner told me they want to have another in January. I will try to keep every one posted on new and up coming events at the tropics. Chris, along with my help is trying to preserve the Tiki feel to the tropics and bring back the late 50's and 60's popularity of the place. Her email is [email protected] if you guys have any questions.

Well i just talk to my wife and she requested that if you have stayed there in the recent past, please go to the web site and leave a few good comments there. She is continually fighting her boss to make the place better and the more good he see on the site then the more he will allow!!! calientetropics.com

wow that's good to know . . . I'm off to say great tiki related things . Good luck to her in the future as well . I hope she's able to keep it on the right track !

Thanks Agonistes,

We both enjoyed our stay very much and plan on returning in the spring. Could you tell your wife It would be nice to see the Tiki Oasis photos and some of the vintage photos from the 60's back on the walls? I'm sure your guests and especially TC members would enjoy seeing them besides this one.

( BTW anyone know ho this is?
I went to the site for Caliente Tropic as you suggested as well.

Tim

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2006-12-04 09:12 ]

BTW anyone know ho this is?

Just in case you're not joking...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=21120

...and...

http://www.donho.com/biography.html

:)

Just got back from a great weekend in Palm Springs at the Caliente Tropics and it was once again , amazing . Everyone was very friendly and helpful , the food at Hawaiian Bill's was amazing . The mai tai's kept flowing . . . everything was in it's place !

Im confused here, is the Mexican resturant in front not there anymore?
I guess Hawiian/Polynesian is better, but that was a good Mexican
resturaunt when I ate there the Sun afternoon after Tiki Oasis V

Jeff(bigtikidude)

On 2006-12-18 13:39, bigtikidude wrote:
Im confused here, is the Mexican resturant in front not there anymore?
I guess Hawiian/Polynesian is better, but that was a good Mexican
resturaunt when I ate there the Sun afternoon after Tiki Oasis V

Jeff(bigtikidude)

The Mexican restaurant is still there, Jeff.

Hawaiian Bill's serves in the bar and the outdoor seating area by the pool.

ditto above .

It's still there , they share the kitchen with Hawaiian Bill's . We didn't get to eat there this time , but I looked at the menu and it looked pretty tastey . Smelled good too .

good news I guess. I mean the Mex food that I had was killer.
But I'd be happy to see it go only if the resturaunt was done up all tropical/polynesian style of course. :)

Jeff(bigtikidude)

We swung by the Tropics a few weeks ago just to poke around.

I knew that Hawaiian Bill's was gone, but we also found out that La Casita was also closing down as of January 31st.

Here's the old sign from The Reef. Took this one in 2002.

They've removed the front which revealed the old Congo Room sign.

By the way, while making sure that this post wasn't terribly redundant, I came across this heartbreaking thread by Tangaroa. Tropics Slideshow

Please join me in mourning the loss of these pictures.

Tangaroa - If you're out there, I'm sure many people would love to see this thread restored.

TikiKate,

Great photo of the old Congo Room sign. It's amazing that it was still there behind the old Reef Lounge sign. Here is a link to some images Bigbrotiki posted on the Congo Room.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=27233&forum=17&vpost=379383&hilite=congo%20room

DC