20 May 2014
Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage finally opens after 7 years of delays
BY Helen Andrews
The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage, in southern California, US, opened on 15 May after seven years of delays.
Originally scheduled to open in December 2007, before the financial crisis, the 244-bedroom resort in Coachella Valley – on a 650-ft bluff overlooking Palm Springs and enveloped in the Santa Rosa Mountain range – has been renovated by Arcadia-based Kam Sang Co over the past 15 months. The resort has been converted from the Lodge at Rancho Mirage, since its rebrand in 2001, back into a Ritz-Carlton property.
While most of the resort has opened, the Edge steakhouse is expected to debut in Q4 of this year and the 24,000sq ft (2,229sq m) spa will launch in Q3. The 16-treatment room desert spa features a pre- and post-treatment relaxation area, using natural rock and a plunge pool set into the hillside.
A selection of treatments will be on offer including the signature Ritz-Carlton Tailored Facial and the Organic Bliss Scalp & Body Massage, as well as a number of other facials, massages, men’s exclusives, water therapies and body treatments. Treatments feature techniques and ingredients indigenous to the area, focused on hydration, rejuvenation and relaxation.
Other wellness facilities include a pool, fitness centre and yoga areas and there will also be 30,000sq ft (2,787sq m) of meeting space.
Kam Sang will now benefit from a US$20m (€14.6m, £11.2m) incentive loan tax sharing agreement with the city and will soon move forward with plans to build up to 150 condominiums adjacent to the hotel.
The city council’s US$10m (€7.3m, £5.9m) incentive loan package for co-owners Gencom – approved in 2008 – was increased to US$20m (€14.6m, £11.8m) in 2009. In 2010 Gencom partnered with Argentinian-based Magna RE to purchase the resort at a trustee’s sale to clear it of liens. Kam Sang bought a majority stake in the Ritz-Carlton property from Magna RE in 2012 and construction was resumed.
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