To enter Palm Springs’ iconic La Quinta Resort & Club , you cruise down a very long, palm tree and flower-lined drive. The looming Santa Rosa Mountains are part of that spectacular entrance, with their desert varnish tones of orange, sand and brown forming the backdrop.

If it seems to be a Hollywood setting, it actually was — in La Quinta’s own unique way. The famed resort opened its doors in 1926, back when movies were silent. It was the one of the first SoCal desert getaways built in the Coachella Valley. Soon, film stars and Hollywood elites began making the trek from Los Angeles, with Greta Garbo leading the way. Director Frank Capra wrote parts of “It Happened One Night” there.

Today, as La Quinta Resort gears up to celebrate its centennial birthday in 2026, the property that give

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