The Willows has some rich history, as Samuel Untermyer (a famous lawyer of the early 1900s) was one of the first people to own it. While Untermyer was the owner, Albert Einstein was one of his guests (and now has a room named after him at The Willows).

The Press Enterprise included The Willows in an article “Star Studded Getaways: Legends and apocryphal stories abound, but here are four nearby lodges where celebrities actually once lounged.”

To find out some more history, see a photo of Albert Einstein at The Willows, and learn more about its restoration process, you can read the article here as a PDF (the article incorrectly states that Untermyer built The Willows).

*Rates and similar details mentioned in this article for The Willows are from the time the article was written, although you can see current amenities at The Willows and check current prices and make a reservation online.

“‘We gutted the place of all the additions,’ says Dr. Marut…. Conrad’s face holds a wide grin while showing off the results, a restored villa…”

The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn is now a beautiful luxury hotel in Palm Springs, California. In October of 1996, Palm Springs Life included the couple in an article of three examples of entrepreneurs in the desert.

The article gives the background on how the three stumbled across the place in 1994 and talks about what the hotel was like just before it opened. To read more about the history of The Willows’ restoration, you can see the article here as a PDF. (The article incorrectly states that it was built by Samuel Untermyer. You can also read more about the history of The Willows.)

Written from the perspective of a wife (Barbara DeMarco Barrett) who stayed at the elegant inn with her husband and child (for her husband’s birthday), the article gives a first-hand account of what it was like during their stay at the hotel.

Barrett describes the premises as “gorgeous” and says that they “went for a night swim under a star-encrusted sky”. She said “we like going to Palm Springs. We like the desert, the relaxed atmosphere…”

One thing that stands out in the article is the hospitality that her family received from the owners. The visit took place during a low season (August), but The Willows strives to provide a fantastic experience for its guests. You can see a list of amenities at the elegant Palm Springs’ hotel here.

The author also describes some of the history behind The Willows. “We learned later from the Palm Springs Historical Society that Albert Einstein often stayed here in the ‘30s”.

Barrett also talks about how they spent some of their time on vacation in Palm Springs. To see about that and to find out more about her family’s experience in the article from the LA Times, you can read the PDF (and view a photo) here. In addition to the article, you can see a photo gallery of The Willows on our website.

*Prices, amenities, the author’s experience, and similar details mentioned in this article for The Willows are from the time the article was written, but you can see current amenities at The Willows, check current prices and make a reservation online.

This article was written soon after renovations had taken place after husband and wife, Dr. Paul Marut and Dr. Tracy Conrad, became the new owners of the property.

While the article misstates that Samuel Untermyer was a former U.S. treasury secretary, it was owned by the early 1900s famous lawyer. The Willows has played host to rich and famous historical personalities at various times in its history (such as Dr. Albert Einstein).

In addition to reading a partial PDF of the article by The San Diego Union-Tribune, you can also read more about the history of The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn.

*Prices, amenities, and similar details that are listed for The Willows in this PDF aren’t necessarily current, but you can see current amenities at The Willows and make a reservation online and see current prices.

Among these historic places to stay in Palm Springs is The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn. It mentions that is was the winter home of Samuel Untermyer, and while it incorrectly states that he was a “former secretary of the Treasury”, it talks about some of the celebrities that were hosted by The Willows.

You can see more about these “Historic Hideaways” by viewing the PDF.

*Prices listed for The Willows in the PDF are not current, but you can make a reservation for The Willows online.

The Willows had recently undergone a major renovation project and the pages of the PDF (which you can view here) include the mission of the renovation and it contains some photos from the inside of The Willows.

“After researching what the property looked liked [sic] in the late 1920s and 1930s, consulting with architects and a lot of creativity… the new owners seem to have found the original Willows Inn under the macabre masquerade.”

It also talks about some of the exquisite guest rooms in The Willows, such as The Library Room.

*Prices in the PDF are from 1996 and are not current, but you can make a reservation for The Willows online.

Restored by The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn, the combination of the two places makes for an elegant place to hold special events, such as weddings, receptions, galas, and more in Palm Springs, California.

The Southern Pacific Company published “A Picture Journey Through California”, which has “a series of sixty-four photographs of California’s principal spots of scenic, romantic and historic interest”.

The book has a photo of Palm Springs in black-and-white that is taken from The O’Donnell House’s property. It shows palm trees and a view of the Coachella Valley with mountains in the background.

You can see the photo from the last page of this PDF.

The second page of the article has some more details and talks about The O’Donnell House (which is now known as The O’Donnell House at The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn). It mentions Marion Davies, who headed up a group to buy the property in 1955. The Willows has a luxurious guest room named after Marion Davies.

The O’Donnell House and The Willows combine for an excellent place to host weddings and special events.

You can see these two pages worth of pictures about Palm Springs in the 1950s and learn some about the history of The O’Donnell House by viewing the PDF here.

In the article by The New Yorker, which was written after Untermyer’s death in March, 1940 by Geoffrey T. Hellman, the reader learns about another of Untermyer’s estates, Greystone, in New York.

It does mention that “during the last few years, Mr. Untermyer wintered in Palm Springs, where he died” (p. 58).

As mentioned previously, Untermyer was a lover of flowers. This article talks about his affection for floral, much from the author taking a tour of the estate in New York.

To read more about how The New Yorker talked about Untermyer, you can do so by viewing this PDF.

On Saturday, March 16^th, 1940, Untermyer “died… at his home, The Willows, in his eighty-second year”, according to the March 17^th “Special” to The New York Times.

According to the article, “Mr. Untermyer had spent the last two months at The Willows. He acquired the house about ten years ago and recently had come here annually for the Winter in consideration of his health”.

The article goes on to give an extensive description of Untermyer’s life including information on his receiving a record fee, his “fight against Hitler policy”, “his work in transit case”, and more.

To read the entire article in The New York Times, you can view the PDF here.