Morgan’s in the Desert
The tradition continues at La Quinta Resort & Club

By Wayne McCollum

As the saying goes, “Everything old is new again.” Such is the case with Morgan’s In the Desert—and how the Hollywood and celebrity crowd would have loved it.

Eighty-three years after the inaugural opening in 1927, Morgan’s in the Desert, where Marlene Dietrich once discreetly brought lovers, is La Quinta Resort & Club’s newest desert jewel.  Replacing the resort’s previous restaurant, Azure, following a kitchen fire, Morgan’s has been completely renovated and restored to reflect the atmosphere of years gone by.

James Beard award-winning chef and restaurateur Jimmy Schmidt heads up the “new” Morgan’s. “We want a place where people can kick back, relax and enjoy a good meal,” says Schmidt, who believes that seasonal foods always taste best. To that end, he has created an innovative and sophisticated menu with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients that pairs perfectly with the warm, hacienda-style surroundings.

Named for San Francisco businessman Walter Morgan who founded the hotel in 1926, Morgan’s marks the return to the resort of a premier restaurant. From the start La Quinta Resort was a legendary destination, drawing the owner’s Hollywood friends and celebrities who wanted a retreat and a place to relax away from the city and cameras. Hollywood’s golden-era elite were among the guests—Greta Garbo, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Bette Davis and Frank Capra among them. Back then the dining room was know as the place to enjoy good food in a relaxing atmosphere, and Schmidt has brought back the feeling of that magical time in La Quinta’s history.

Like many guests, Morgan himself originally came to the desert for health reasons. Born in San Francisco in 1874, he was the youngest son of John S. Morgan, wealthy owner of the Morgan Oyster Company.  In 1921, 47-year-old Walter purchased 1,400 acres of “Happy Hollow,” named by the Cahuilla people, the original inhabitants of the area. He envisioned creating a small, self-contained and secluded retreat where guests could enjoy being pampered in the privacy of their own guestrooms. It is believed that Morgan chose the name La Quinta after hearing a local rancher tell of a big country house surrounded by cottages. La Quinta means “country retreat” in Spanish.

The resort has grown from its original buildings, which included just 20 casitas, a lobby and a dining room. Today’s guests—a new generation of celebrities, athletes and CEOs whose first names alone are enough to identify them—have many more options to choose from. There are 796 casitas, suites and villas; vacation home rentals; nine championship golf courses; an award-winning spa; 23 tennis courts; 41 sparkling pools and 53 hot tubs; a children’s program and more. It has been recognized by top travel, lifestyle, golf and tennis publications as one of the premier destinations in the world.

Over time the resort has grown and experienced several changes in ownership, yet some things will never change. La Quinta maintains its commitment to the privacy and comfort of its guests, a legacy of graciousness handed down from original owner, Walter H. Morgan. In keeping with that legacy, La Quinta Resort & Club today is part of The Waldorf-Astoria Collection of hotels. It continues to reign with grace and charm over the picturesque Palm Springs area and the city of La Quinta just as it has since its doors first opened in 1926. With the addition of the new Morgan’s in the Desert restaurant, what has long been exceptional is now even better.

For more information or to make reservations call 760.564.7600 or visit Morgansinthedesert.com

Wayne McCollum is a staff writer with Desert Golf Magazine