Stumbled upon this hotel while searching online for boutique hotels in Palm Desert for Memorial Day Weekend. I was very excited after seeing the website and reading some of the articles the MOD has been featured in. Design is extremely important to me and this midcentury gem truly has great design. Not only is the MOD aesthetically pleasing, with its retro chic design, it has such a warm inviting quality, due to the fabulous owner Laura. From the moment you step onto the compound, you feel like a guest in her home. Laura really cares about her guests and not only was she helpful in recommending things to do and places to eat, she was just fun to hang out with!
Laura did a fantastic job renovating a run down motel all on her own. Take a look at the before and after picture album in the lobby. You'll be amazed at what a dump the place was before. The hotel is furnished with mostly authentic vintage pieces of lucite and steel.
There are 14 rooms total and each room is unique in decoration and size. We took the standard room, which is the smallest, but it was perfect for what we needed for this trip. Next time we may get one of the rooms with a kitchenette like our neighbors, who went grocery shopping the first night and bbq'd up some tacos! There are also rooms with a private balcony but there are so many little areas outside to sit and lounge so for us, we didn't really need it. I've stayed in A LOT of hotels but I have to say, the beds at the MOD are the most comfortable I have ever slept in. Laura had them custom made with 500 thread count linens and even a feather mattress pad. I slept so well, it was hard to get out of bed. The continental breakfast Laura put out every morning was motivation to get up. There was a great spread of yogurt, bagels, pastries, fruit, juice, and coffee. On Sunday afternoon Laura and her staff even BBQ'd lunch for us! I mean, we couldn't ask for a more perfect situation.
The hotel is surrounded by white walls which gives it a nice private feel, like you're in your own little compound. All the rooms surround the pool and hot tub area and during the day Laura will put some music on in the courtyard. Perfect for lounging on one of the Italian lounge chairs with built in sunshade.
We really had a fabulous time at the MOD. We met some cool people, especially Laura. The MOD caters to a variety of clientele so it was a good mix of people. Young and old, families with older teens, but I wouldn't bring the tots to the MOD. It's more of an adult sanctuary. I will ONLY stay at the MOD whenever I go to Palm Desert. Laura rents out the entire hotel for special events, parties, weddings as well so we will definitely do that one of these days.
It was extremely difficult to think of anything negative about the MOD. I guess for some finicky travelers, the noise could be an issue, but that also depends on the crowd you get when you are staying there. It's an old building so the walls are a bit thin but that's hardly anything to complain about. But then again, we are pretty easy going so it may be a problem for the more uptight.
All in all, our stay at the MOD was such a pleasant experience, it was hard to go back to reality. I can't wait to go back!