Hotel of the Week: This Century-Old Palm Springs Hideaway Unveils a Suite Dedicated to Its Most Unexpected Guest
Long before it was the Moroccan-inspired hotel Korakia Pensione, the desert retreat was the private home of a Scottish painter, whose famous visitors included British prime minister Winston Churchill
Richard Neutra, William Krisel, Frank Sinatra, Slim Aarons, Bob Hope, and Lucille Ball are just a few of the names that come to mind when the topic of Palm Springs comes up—but what about Winston Churchill? The sharp-tongued, Nobel Prize-winning former British prime minister did, in fact, have a desert era.
As the tale goes, Scottish painter Gordon Coutts—inspired by his days in Tangier—created Palm Springs’s Moroccan villa “Dar Marroc” as a retreat for his circle of artist friends and Hollywood legends such as Rudolph Valentino, Errol Flynn, and Agnes Pelton. Churchill, an avid painter and close confidant of Coutts, visited Palm Springs to reconnect with his artistic side and paint desert landscapes.
Today, the 101-year-old hideaway Dar Marroc is known as Korakia Pensione, part of Auric Road’s portfolio of boutique hotels. Since Churchill’s era, the property has evolved from a private residence into a 1.5-acre resort in the heart of Palm Springs that continues to attract a likeminded crowd of artists, musicians, actors, writers, producers, and photographers. Much of Korakia feels like stepping onto a movie set from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Its Moroccan-inspired architecture and non-desert modern design offer a refreshing break from the typical Palm Springs aesthetic.
Now one of Korakia’s 28 Mediterranean- and Moroccan-inspired bungalows, guesthouses, and villas has been reborn as the Churchill Suite, featuring a king bed, a 1924 wood-burning fireplace, a library of curated books, and a typewriter—perfect for tapping into one’s creative side. French doors open to the library courtyard, an idyllic place to curl up with a novel and enjoy a nostalgic afternoon swinging in a hammock.
Steps away, the grounds are a lush oasis of gardens, pools, lounges, and fountains. Start the day with breakfast in the Moroccan courtyard, sip traditional mint tea by the fire pits or in the library, or unwind surrounded by citrus blossoms and bougainvillea at the poolside Moroccan Bar.
Guests can take part in curated experiences such as horseback rides, sound baths, guided meditations, artisan-led workshops, yoga session beneath a cloudless desert sky, or belly dancing under the stars. A decadent on-site spa offers massages, scalp therapy, and chakra balancing among other luxuriating treatments.
For a more exclusive experience, Auric House—a 1930s Spanish Revival historic home with six bedrooms and six baths located just a short walk from Korakia’s other accommodations—offers all the services of the main hotel, plus the option for a private chef. Before arrival, staff will stock the house with a chosen selection of vinyl for the record player (no televisions here). Two indoor fireplaces set an intimate mood for listening parties. Outside, visitors can enjoy the heated stone pool, courtyard, and lounge, which can be transformed into an outdoor theater for magical movie nights under the stars.
For those looking to make the most of a California getaway, Korakia is just a two-hour drive from another Auric Road property, the Hotel Joaquin. Combining a visit to both sister hotels makes for a dreamy “desert-to-ocean” vacation, as the Hollywood glamour and mid-century style of Palm Springs morphs into surf culture and the vibrant art scene of Laguna.
Perched above Shaw’s Cove, Hotel Joaquin reimagines the California Riviera through a cool, casual aesthetic—all sun-washed tones, vintage finds, and breezy sophistication. Designed by Studio Robert McKinley, this 22-room destination feels worlds away from the large beachfront resorts.
Days unfold at an unhurried pace. Slip into a shaded chair by the pool with a good book, or indulge in a decadent seaside picnic for two, complete with a chic umbrella and toes in the sand. Reset your energy with a reiki-infused alchemy sound bath—a high-vibrational experience that melts away tension and leaves one feeling lighter, centered, and relaxed. Private yoga sessions overlooking the pool and in-room massages to bring the spa directly to the doorstep. From the the San Jacinto Mountains to the rolling surf, this is California at its best.