Women rule at these Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels

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Women are shaking things up in Palm Springs. Many of the boutique hotels in Palm Springs are owned or co-owned by women, and each one has her own distinct story on how she became a hotelier.

Many of Palm Springs’ best boutique hotels are owned and operated by women

Women are shaking things up in Palm Springs. Many of the boutique hotels in Palm Springs are owned or co-owned by women, and each one has her own distinct story on how she became a hotelier.

Mona Verlengia, owner of The Aloha Hotel Palm Springs, grew up watching her parents operate restaurants on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. After her father’s death, Verlengia’s mother moved to Palm Springs in the early 1970s and purchased The Aloha Hotel, built in 1947.

“I asked my mom questions every day,” Verlengia says. She learned the ropes by watching her mother run the hotel at a time “when women were not applauded.” Verlengia spent 30 years teaching at College of the Desert, and loves the legacy that her mother passed down to her. “The hotel business is exciting,” she said. “I wouldn’t trade the Aloha for any other job.”

Denise Adams, a Los Angeles native, spent countless weekends as both a child and adult visiting Palm Springs. At the same time she sold her greeting card business, the opportunity to purchase an older hotel on North Palm Canyon Drive came up, and she quickly made an offer.

In November 2014, The Palm Springs Hotel opened, and she has found that being a female hotelier is empowering. Adams makes it a point to know how to do every job at the hotel, and “loves exceeding [guest] expectations with great service and great ambience,” she says.

Cornelia Shuster of La Maison, a former advertising agency owner, is no stranger to the power of outreach. “When I opened my first inn, another woman hotelier reached out to me and showed me everything I needed to know. From refunds to staffing, she was shockingly honest.” That gesture influenced Cornelia and set her on the same path. “I always try to reach out to other women hoteliers to see how I can help them.” From Cornelia’s handmade lavender breakfast scones to the imported luxury linens, that same generosity of spirit permeates La Maison. “The name ‘La Maison’ is French for ‘my home’ or ‘the home.’ It’s more than an inn or hotel — we want people to feel like they are at home.”

Other women-owned Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels include:

About Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels

Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels is a consortium of independently owned, boutique hotels, which are an essential part of this desert resort town’s unique culture and economy. From quirky, to charming, mid-century modern to clothing optional, Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels has got your stay. Follow the fun on Facebook and Instagram.

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