Located in Downtown Palm Springs, La Serena Villas is a Spanish colonial—style hotel bursting with charm and personality.

La Serena Villas is the perfect weekend getaway for those looking to relax and refresh in the desert.

A little history about the property.

La Serena Villas was originally established in 1933 and closed for demolition in 2002. The community came together and saved it from the wrecking ball after receiving Historic Status. The hotel reopened 2 months ago as a luxury boutique hotel with all the amenities found in a 5-star hotel.  An intimate bungalow style hotel nestled against the San Jacinto mountains.

Upon entering the lobby, I immediately fell in love with the décor. I was greeted with monochromatic interior and colorful accent pieces. The hotel exterior is dominated with whites and complimented with cool tones like grey and blue—something I truly appreciated because it helped me feel refreshed despite the 100-degree weather.

Our gorgeous bungalow had a swing so cute, it was asking for a photo op. Each room feature patios and free-standing tubs, which was perfect for a more private relaxation outdoors. I took this opportunity to a do rose bath-slash-concept shoot that resulted beautifully.

The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast basket for two that includes 2 croissant pastries (with jam and butter on the side), 2 yogurt cups, a banana, an apple, and a glass of OJ.

Whispers, the hotel spa, offers a list of services where you can unwind and let go of your daily pressures. Check out their spa menu here.

Azucar, the hotel restaurant & bar.

You and a few friends can walk or bike to Palm Canyon Drive, where you can find the best restaurants, boutiques and galleries that Palm Springs has to offer. The hotel has four bikes available to rent upon signing a waiver. 

I had such a wonderful staycation at La Serena Villas and will definitely come back soon!

Photography by Virisa Yong

Here's a glimpse of my recent trip to Miami!

“Nothing matters very much... and few things matter at all.”

— Lord Balfour

This past weekend, Peter and I celebrated our 7-year anniversary in Miami. We were looking forward to this trip for a while now because we rarely get to go on vacation together! We wanted to relax and enjoy the beach, to get away from the bipolar LA winter we’re having lately. And all I can say is, this trip was definitely needed.

Upon arrival to Room Mate Lord Balfour at 9AM, we asked the staff if we can leave our bags until we can check-in at 3pm. And to our surprise, the staff was nice enough to let us check-in our room early! We were completely exhausted coming from a red-eye flight and losing sleep with the time difference, so we were thrilled to get some rest before we got our day started.

Room Mate Lord Balfour is located below Fifth Street, a less commercial stretch where it’s less crowded and a little more peaceful than other areas. The hotel was only a few steps away from the beach, which made it really easy to go in and out of the shore. We went for sunset dips and the skies were absolutely beautiful to watch! It was totally Instagram-worthy with different cotton candy hues each day, and with little to none crowds to photo-bomb your picture. It was one of the highlights of our trip because I really appreciated how we were able to enjoy the beach even at sun down. In regards to the nightlife, Story is only a few blocks away from the hotel where the party goes down until 5AM. You pretty much get the best of both worlds in the area: peaceful enough to relax but with an option to party hard. So if you’re looking to do both, I highly recommend staying at Room Mate Lord Balfour for your upcoming Miami trip. You can use my code DICTADOMATE to save some $$!

• 15% direct discount on the best flexible rate
• Promotion applies to all Room Mate Hotels
• Reservations valid through our Call Center or www.room-matehotels.com only
• Promotion may not be combined with other offers
• Discount applies to room only or bed and breakfast
• Reservations subject to availability of special allotment assigned to this offer
• Offer valid for travel dates between January 24th, 2017 and December 31th, 2017
• Reservations must be booked between January 24th, 2017 and March 31th, 2017

No room service here, but they provide complimentary breakfast, located at the first floor.

The room has big windows for great lighting.

The sunsets were absolutely beautiful.

The weather is perfect this time of year. Not too hot, and not too cold!