Stipulated: the perfect travel time for a three-day weekend getaway is four hours. More, and you waste your vacation. Less, and you’re still near home. Hence our series, The 4hr. Rule, dedicated to revealing the best destinations that are far away, yet still close to home.
This week: we head to Palm Springs to check out a new villa where R&R isn’t just on the itinerary — it’s the raison d’etre.
Stay: La Serena Villa
The newly opened La Serena Villa has the soft white walls, exposed wooden rafters, cool tiled floors and Yves Klein blue that recall Mediterranean Spain. With only 18 villas, it’s got an exclusive vibe, too. Some rooms have full living quarters; definitely book one with the private outdoor hot tub.
Though completely new, much of the property is actually circa 1933, so the place has some weight to it. You can order massages to your room, and the on-site restaurant, Azuca, does tapas-style meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and only opens to the public three nights a week. You’ll want to eat those tapas on the restaurant’s roof deck. Then you’ll wanna do a whole lot of nothing, which is encouraged around here.
Drinks and Apps: Truss & Twine
La Serena Villa has complimentary Linus bikes, which you should ride to Truss & Twine, a new cocktail lounge in the historic El Paso building. This is the darker, boozier brother of Workshop Kitchen + Bar, located next door. You’re here for some tiki cocktails, rabbit confit and thin slices of jamón ibérico. Perhaps come back after dinner to listen and cut a rug.
800 N. Palm Canyon Dr. (map)
Website
Dinner: Workshop Kitchen + Bar
Don’t let the insipid name deter you: Workshop Kitchen + Bar does solid wood-fired pizzas that’ll sate your need for rustic fare. The pizzas are run as daily specials and feature whatever ingredients are freshest at the moment. And grab an order of those pork cheek fries. Because damn, that’s delicious.
800 N. Palm Canyon Dr. (map)
Website
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