the it traveler

It’s after midnight. You float in the grotto, face up—soft waters buoy body and spirit. Aging palms stand still, framing a vast darkness, dotted by stars. And the universe stops. Stillness embraces and you sense you are but a speck in a fleeting time,a curious space.

The discerning tennis traveler has many options. Go on a pilgrimage to the grand tournaments of the sport. Enjoy refined hotels with polished pros. Play at fantasy camps or enroll in a nails-tough academy to scrub your game clean.

Two Bunch Palms Resort and Spa is different. Hidden away on the sandy, no-frills side of Palm Springs’ Coachella Valley, the little-known resort in Desert Hot Springs has a curious history just slightly different from your standard Hyatt.

After all, what other hotel has had both ACap (Al Capone) and Babs (that would be Streisand) on its guest list? These world-class natural springs - with their bunches of palms - were first “discovered” by explorers in the ‘20s, and construction on the retro retreat began in the ‘30s. Enter Big Al Capone, who was eager to bivouac in a remote hideaway far from all those “dirty coppers” from the Big City. So these days, when you pull into the parking lot (right next to the Volvo from Calabasas with the peace decal), there’s Capone’s bulletproof (“you can eat my dust, you rotten feds”) 1931 Duesenberg - whitewall tires and all. But a fabled getaway car in this captivating getaway is but the most obvious reminder of Capone’s stay here. The resort’s Friday tour, conducted by the son of Capone’s movie-star girlfriend, tells of lookout towers, underground tunnels, dreaded bodyguards and a litany of movie icons (Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, etc.) who stayed at Two Bunch.

Ironically, out of all of the hullabaloo, emerged a serene oasis that attracts weary souls eager to cleanse to their core. Here, rough-hewn stone buildings give way to rolling lawns that embrace streams and fountains. Jasmine scents sweeten warm air, and a tranquil lagoon by a citrus grove draws birds, ducks and turtles. A dusty running trail winds through the desert and soon, a thatch-covered yoga/Pilates center will open, which of course begs the timeless question: did Al Capone do Pilates?

Kidding aside, Two Bunch Palms, at its core, is a healing arts center. Its rich-with-lithium hot mineral springs beckon, soothing and pure. Its delicious spa restores. Here, amidst haunting photos of yesteryear’s Hollywood icons, idyllic cabanas and individual watsu pools, the eye notices “Om Yoga” flashcards, stained-glass windows with Sufi symbols and books revealing the ancient wisdom of Nordic oracles.

OK, but you’ve got a serious spa decision ahead of you. What will be your “treatment” today? Choose your indulgence: a chai soy mud body wrap, watsu water shiatsu, a hot and cold river rock stone therapy, or just an old-fashioned Ayurvedic, where two massage therapists bathe your head ‘n crown with flowing oils “blended for your dosha or body type...so as to induce deep inner peace.” Om!

Of course, such an intriguing destination as Two Bunch attracts an extraordinary mix: the mountain poet, a San Diego health food mogul, “not-exactly-desperate” housewifes brimming with chatter and that Iowa professor who, over a generous breakfast on the patio, tells of her recent trek to the Congolese jungle to research the innate behaviors of bonobo apes. How do you spell intriguing?

Then one night, when you think you’ve seen it all, you hear an owl, a coyote howl on some distant horizon, and dozens of bunnies freeze, then scurry - a curious frenzy in the shadows. Great, you think, this place IS different! Alice in a rather blissful Wonderland where Native American lands once gave way to a no-nonsense (“this ain’t no comic book”) mobster hideaway, which morphed into a Hollywood haven and diva heaven, complete with an inspired (“aromatherapy meets Enya”) sense of renewal and inspiration. All this, plus great tennis.

So leave your “Om Yoga” flashcards on your mantle. Grab your rackets and check out this singular place that celebrates the joy of renewal with an inspired flair and eclectic sense of whim and fancy. Call (760) 329-98791 or (800) 472-4334.

 

 

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