The Horizon Hotel

Dateline, Palm Springs: The mountain panorama glittered under azure blue and pale crimson skies last weekend when East Palm Canyon's fashionable Horizon Hotel became the setting for a radiant bride and dashing groom.... Wedding guests from near and far occupied the entire inn, and their ebullient celebration rang into the wee hours of the morning at a poolside soiree made to order for the quietly glamorous Palm Springs retreat.

Such gloriously florid prose was de rigueur for The Villager and the rest of the local Mid-Century social press. Along with postwar politics and timely news of the town's growing population, they delivered neighborhood gossip, breathless accounts of themed dinner parties and tasty tales of the in-crowd's après-theater antics. But the romantic wedding described above wasn't discovered leafing through old publications from the 1950s or '60s. It took place this past fall at The Horizon Hotel (www.thehorizonhotel.com).

Designed by architectural genius William F. Cody, the 1952 hideaway-originally named L'Horizon-opened at the whim of social necessity. In the same manner they ran their Holmby Hills mansion in Los Angeles, their townhouse in London and several other residences, Hollywood power couple Jack and Bunny Wrather wanted a Desert retreat that would function dually as a business and playful haven for their young family and posse of wildly assorted friends.

The Wrathers were integral to the early social and economic development of Palm Springs. Born into immense wealth, John Devereaux Wrather, Jr., was not one to rest on the family laurels. He parlayed his father's Texas oil holdings into a career as a well-liked movie and television producer (The Lone Ranger, Lassie) and came to own International Television Corporation, a yachting company, The Disneyland Hotel, the Queen Mary and Howard Hughes's wooden airplane, the Spruce Goose, among other prize assets. His wife, actress Bonita "Bunny" Granville, was a celebrated child star whose contemporaries included Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney (at 13, she earned an Oscar nod for her role in the 1936 Lillian Hellman-penned drama These Three). With connections ranging from moguls like Walt Disney to moneyed political cronies such as the Nixons, Reagans and Annenbergs, it made sense that the Wrathers needed a Desert party property-ideally, one that maintained a low profile in view of the traffic passing on East Palm Canyon Drive.

With the encouragement of close friends Don and Zetta Castle, who in 1951 opened a nearby resort called Castle's Red Barn (now the El Rancho Lodge), the Wrathers commissioned Bill Cody. The architect, already gathering acclaim for his lavish homes and country clubs around the Coachella Valley, was well underway with his work on the Tamarisk Country Club in Rancho Mirage when they called. For the Wrathers, Cody designed an inconspicuous, yet sophisticated, 22-room compound. It combined a private, three-bedroom residence with a veritable pinwheel of quirky, angular, glass-walled bungalows-all surrounding broad lawns and a large central pool, with mountain views from every perspective. Built at a cost of $250,000, the hotel not only was an expression of the inventive modern concepts that were flourishing locally, it was bursting with Cody's exuberant imagination.

L'Horizon would serve the Wrathers and their social circle well for more than three decades. But in subsequent years, changes in ownership and a 1980s refurbishment only temporarily forestalled the hotel's slow decline through periods of fickle tourism.

In 2004, new hope a new owner arrived for the property in the person at Dave Scharf, an Oregon real estate developer. With former Cody associate Frank Urrutia, Scharf embarked on a mission to update and carefully restore the hotel's original charm and understated elegance. "I could see immediately that, beneath the layers, this was a very special property," says Scharf.

Rechristened and reopened The Horizon Hotel, its journey from a small, discerning resort to 21st Century boutique accommodations is evident everywhere. Guests may awaken to music, MP3s or tranquil nature sounds, or linger leisurely in fine Italian bed linens and luxurious robes-enjoying plasma screen TVs, continental breakfast (served in-room or by the pool), high-speed wireless Internet access and alfresco showers. Contemporary décor is enhanced by private garden patios and Desert landscaping. Attentive concierge service expedites both onsite and off-site requests, while adult relaxation is on tap at the hotel's day spa and poolside bar.

Bill Cody's daughter Cathy, an architectural designer based in La Jolla, appreciates that Scharf's upgrades are respectful of her late father's design and intent. Like the original, she says, "the property retains its spirit as an oasis inside and out-and that's what has always appealed to its guests."

Indeed, although the initial vibe may be exclusive and world-class, The Horizon maintains a pleasant, warmly welcoming feel. Since its renovation, it has developed a happy and frequently returning clientele comprised of hip weekenders, escaping snowbirds and architectural aesthetes. And, as it was 50 years ago, the property once again is a family retreat. Today it's the Scharf children who can often be found mingling poolside with the paid guests as if they were old friends-only this time, with iPods instead of transistor radios.