Palm Springs: the Quintessential Desert Resort; celebrity links, high-profile events, spas bring new generation to the desert.

From the east San Diego town of Borrego Springs in the Anza Borrego Desert, travelers can get a feel for the remote areas of California's east side as they continue east on State Route 22 toward the Salton Sea and then north on Highway 86 toward the Palm Springs area.

It's only fitting that Palm Springs in May celebrated Bob Hope's 100th birthday with special weekend packages and activities devoted to the ageless comedian.

Bob Hope and his wife first came to Palm Springs in 1937--the year before it became a city--and have been a mainstay of the community, helping it to gain recognition with the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and donating land for the Eisenhower Medical Center.

The desert was a winter playground for many of Hope's friends, too, including Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny and Clark Gable. Many purchased homes in the valley and today lend their names to major thoroughfares throughout the area. But they weren't the first to enjoy the varied charms of the Coachella Valley.

The area's first residents were the ancestors of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians who inhabited the Indian Canyons--the largest natural fan palm oases in the country.

By the mid 1800s, government surveyors had mapped the area and Its natural hot springs mineral pool--now the Spa Resort Casino in downtown Palm Springs--and established the first wagon route through the surrounding hills. The first Inn opened in 1909.

Today, the area known as Palm Springs is really a collection of eight communities--Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. Though they blend together seamlessly, they also each have a distinctive feel.

Indian Wells, for instance, is comprised of four resorts and a golf course: Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Spa, Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa, Miramonte Resort and Indian Wells Resort. The Golf Resort--designed by Ted Robinson--provides golfing facilities for all the others.

Palm Springs enjoyed a heyday through the '50s, but later fell on hard times as air travel took visitors to more exotic places.

But any area with about 350 days of sunshine a year and scenic mountains around the valley Is going to be rediscovered--and so it was for Palm Springs.

It's had a run as a spring break haven for students, and more recently as a weekend getaway for families enjoying the benefits of upscale timeshare facilities.

The renaissance has brought new resorts and facelifts for some old ones while historic properties were restored to their original Art Deco glory.

The result is a classic mixture of boutique hotels and expansive resorts.

The retro trends that have spawned an Art Deco revival, new martini craze and fascination with all things '50s has been a boon to the Desert Resorts.

Now young and old come to recreate the golden era of entertainment--and there's something for everyone to do. Some prefer to be pampered at the area's ample spas, while others take off for rock climbing in nearby Joshua Tree National Park.

"Golf is important," said Brett Jarvis, partner of International Site Alliance in Laguna Beach. "But the spa is gaining. People are looking for destination spas." And that's something that Palm Springs resorts offer.

But all your time can't be spent in the spa.

Robert Osterberg, director of sales for Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention & Visitors Authority, says the most popular activity by far is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world's largest revolving tramcars that take riders from the desert floor to the 8,516-foot Mt. San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness in about 20 minutes. There, visitors can hike, bike, ski (in season), picnic or even camp.

With 130 total hotels and 6,500 rooms in Palm Springs proper, there's something to suit every budget. And that includes more than 100 golf courses as well as tennis, horseback riding, hiking and biking.

Groups are coming to Palm Springs more often as air service improves, Osterberg said. The eight communities have a combined total of about 14,000 rooms.

"We do a variety of meetings--association, corporate, incentive and government," Osterberg said. "A group can book about 2,200 room nights at various hotels in the downtown corridor."

The largest resort is the Desert Springs JW Marriott, with 884 guest rooms. The sprawling complex is a village in its own right, with manmade rivers--complete with boat tours--and extensive pools surrounding the main resort area. Condos surround the golf course.

In Indian Wells, the Hyatt Grand Champions is the largest facility. It recently completed a $65 million renovation and expansion that included a spa and major conference center. There are 26 penthouse suites on the top floor and 20 garden villas surrounding the six pool areas--two designed particularly for children.

The Renaissance Esmeralda Resort nearby also expanded to the tune of $31 million and added Spa Esmeralda, featuring gardens and waterfalls as well as outdoor private treatment cabanas.

But plans to revamp the Lodge at Rancho Mirage--the former Ritz-Carlton--have recently been put on hold by Vail Resorts Inc., the resort's owner.

The nearby Westin Mission Hills overlooks the Mission Hills Country Club and its three LPGA golf courses and 55,000. square-foot clubhouse and conference center.

At one time, Palm Springs proper was thought to be nothing but golf and retirees. That's hardly the same city you'll find today.

Palm Canyon Drive--the heart of the city--is lined with unique retail outlets, restaurants, cafes, museums and galleries. The former Merv Griffin Resort Hotel has reopened as the Givenchy Resort & Spa with a 22,000-square-foot spa and a French-California fusion cuisine.

Now under the management of Costa Mesa-based Tarsadia Hotels, the hotel and public areas got a major makeover. Room service is delivered by attendants on bicycles.

"The spa does well and is rated high by Conde Nast and Travel + Leisure," said Tarsadia President and COO Greg Casserly.

Casserly said the company wasn't sure Palm Springs was a good fit for them, but is now glad it entered the market.

Other new developments include the just-opened Springs Hotel and Spa done in a Spanish Revival theme with upscale suites that feature two-person Jacuzzi tubs, fireplaces and steam showers.

Last fall, the area's first wine tasting room--Tulip Hill winery--opened at The River in Rancho Mirage. Hundreds of restaurants dot the area.

Palm Springs hosts two major film festivals each year and dozens of other specialty film festivals focused on niche markets. At Palapas of Araby Cove--a 14-acre interactive artists' village--demonstrations, workshops and tours are offered daily. Each Thursday, a Village Fest street fair is held on Palm Canyon Drive.

Other attractions include the new Knott's Soak City water park for families and the Living Desert wildlife and botanical park on the outskirts of town. Its African village--Watutu--is popular for special events, Osterberg said. Group planners looking for the ultimate in unique events might consider the Desert Adventures Jeep Ecotours, which will transport your group to an old Indian Village deep in the Indian Canyons for a special event dinner.

Other popular and unique outings include walking tours that showcase '50s architecture and celebrity tours that showcase homes of the stars a la Beverly Hills and Bel Air.

But the ultimate resort experience might just be basking at the pool, enjoying the crystal clear view of the surrounding mountains and sipping a favorite beverage.

Other cities can offer desert resorts. But other cities can't offer mountains, desert, world-class golf and tennis, Indian heritage and trendy shopping and dining in as compact an area as Palm Springs. And that's what makes it a perennial favorite.

For a different look at the desert, ambitious souls can make the several hour trek up Route 395 or out Interstate 15 to get to Death Valley, where they'll find the resort at Furnace Creek. The ranch offers both resort lodging and motel-style facilities as well as camping and RV facilities. It will give desert-lovers a real taste of what it's like to live at the lowest spot in the Western hemisphere.