Cool Hunting

by Matt Spangler

This past weekend, the 10th annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival brought thousands of music enthusiasts to the deserts just outside Palm Springs, California, providing an excellent excuse to check out the newly opened Ace Hotel and the festivities they hosted for the occasion.

In keeping with the Ace mantra of "functionality and simplicity" the hotel, its rooms and overall vibe concentrate on understated design choices that felt comfortable and approachable while still maintaining a modern and uniquely Ace-like atmosphere. Chalk board signs, pool lounge chairs constructed with flexible rope and the furniture's beige hue (that perfectly blended with the surrounding mountains) laid the groundwork for a relaxing experience and the prices proved a reachable alternative for many of the younger travelers from around the world looking to enjoy the West Coast's most notable indie music festival.

The Ace is a great addition to the Palm Springs hotel scene that already includes some classic brands like The Parker, The Viceroy and The Riviera. As usual, during the festival weekend Palm Springs became ground zero for the attendees and on Saturday afternoon, the Ace pool deck filled up with Coachella-goers, band members, managers, press and guests from the publishing and fashion industry there to enjoy the pool scene and listen to the local acts.

Poolside, Levi's created a pop-up shop dedicated to this season's collection. In keeping with the overall Ace concept of being a good community citizen, Levi's invited proprietor Chantale Doyle of Joshua Tree's Mt. Fuji General Store to partner with them on the shop as well as curate some works by talented Palm Springs artists to help expose them to the international audience in town for Coachella. Among the artists were Diane Best and David Butterfield, whose pieces were featured for sale on the walls but who additionally worked with Levi's and Ace to design a t-shirt specifically for the event.

Midday Saturday the Thrift Store All-Stars, the house band for a party called Church at local Joshua Tree honky-tonk Pappy & Harriets, performed on the pool deck of Ace. Despite the economy, the crowds were out in force, marking the 10-year anniversary of Coachella. The festivities kicked off a long term partnership between Levi's and the Ace which will continue with room collaborations in New York, future properties and a series of events and pop-ups throughout the year.