PRESS RELEASE

Palm Springs, Calif.— March 2, 2021 — The We Love Palm Springs coalition, representing a diverse group of Palm Springs vacation rental owners and neighbors, is disappointed in today’s Cathedral City vote, to ban vacation rentals.

It is no surprise that when Cathedral City put its finger on the scale in opposition to rentals who never got a fair hearing and then ran a very one-sided “education campaign” in the last month. Data on enforcement on vacation rentals in Cathedral City is practically nonexistent, unlike Palm Springs which has transparently collected its enforcement data since 2017.

For instance, Palm Springs’ Vacation Rental Hotline’s most recent report (covering Oct. 1–Dec. 31, 2020) shows an overwhelming majority (90%) of the registered rentals and homeshares had zero citations. In the last quarter of 2020, there was only one citation per week across all of Palm Springs vacation rental properties.

“Palms Springs has a model that got it right — we welcome visitors while also having a very effective process for managing vacation rentals and homeshares. It’s important that Palm Springs citizens and leaders stay focused on what we know works and not be confused by overblown falsehoods and a few residents making false statements there are 100’s of loud VR’s every weekend,” says Bruce Hoban, Co-Founder of Vacation Rental Owners and Neighbors of Palm Springs, which created the “We Love Palm Springs” campaign.

We Love Palm Springs highlights the following:

• Palm Springs vacation rental guests contribute over $11 million in occupancy taxes annually to the city, which support first-responders, recreation programs, the no-kill animal shelter, library, and other crucial community services
• Palm Springs vacation rentals provide over 1,000 local jobs
• There are over 150 regulations that vacation rental homeowners must follow in Palm Springs
• Palm Springs code enforcement personnel is funded by VR permit fees and not tax dollars with little to no impact on police officer resources

Hoban says supporters remain committed to not banning tourists by creating a vibrant future through neighborly values of respect, transparency, and harmony.

Mayor Christy Holstege added: “We should all be concerned about the Coachella Valley remaining hospitable to tourists who seek a range of accommodations. We’ve proven in Palm Springs that with tough enforcement we can balance neighborhood interests with welcoming tourists who want the experience of staying in a home. We’ve worked long and hard to strike a balance and our system in Palm Springs works well. We always welcome feedback from our residents if there are improvements we can make. I’d like to see the entire Valley think more about increasing rules and enforcement rather than bans in order to keep welcoming tourists who are the lifeblood of our economy.”

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PRESS RELEASE

Palm Springs, CA. February 17, 2021

While some cities in the Coachella Valley debate vacation rentals, the City of Palm Springs is now in its fourth year of strong enforcement of its strict vacation rental ordinance.

Bruce Hoban, a spokesperson for Vacation Rental Owners and Neighbors of Palm Springs (VRON-PS) stated, “While other towns in the Valley missed the boat and neglected to beef up enforcement, Palm Springs got it right.  The Palm Springs ordinance is working.  While data for the rest of the Valley is mostly unavailable, it’s clear that we have a rapid response compliance team that works extremely well here in Palm Springs.”

People in Palm Springs who rent out their homes to vacationers, along with small businesses that appreciate the out-of-town visitors, and the visitors themselves are joining together to say: “We Love Palm Springs” and we are “Neighbors Working Together.”

Aftab Dada, the President of the Palm Springs Hospitality Association and a prominent hotelier in Palm Springs said, “This effort aims to ensure everyone knows that Palm Springs got it right. We got it right in terms of smart, meaningful regulations that are followed. We got it right in terms of the economic benefits that our community needs right now. Most of all, we got it right for people who live in beautiful Palm Springs and those who love to visit.”

We Love Palm Springs (WLPS) is launching a broadcast/cable TV ad campaign, redesigned website and social media accounts, plus other activities to share the news that:

• Palm Springs vacation rental guests contribute over $11 million in occupancy taxes annually to the city, which support first-responders, recreation programs, the no-kill animal shelter, library, and other crucial community services
• Palm Springs vacation rentals provide over 1,000 local jobs
• There are over 150 regulations that vacation rental homeowners must follow in Palm Springs

View the TV spot: 

The WLPS website (www.welovepalmsprings.org) includes blog entries from short-term vacation renters explaining how they understand the noise regulations and are careful to observe them.

Members of Vacation Rental Owners and Neighbors of Palm Springs sponsor this effort; they are supporters who participate in creating a vibrant future through neighborly values of respect, transparency, and harmony.

By Olivia T., Sonoma Valley, CA

We've visited Palm Springs four times now, both before our kids were born and now that there are three of them. We love it so much that when we stayed recently, after being evacuated from our home in Sonoma due to the wildfires, we said that it felt like coming home and we were so grateful for this at a time of stress and upheaval. In the weeks after returning home, my two-year-old kept saying "I miss Palm Springs", her eyes downcast for dramatic effect.

The first time we visited Palm Springs we stayed at a hotel, but on subsequent trips, we’ve stayed in vacation rentals which have been perfect for our now-expanded-family. It's very difficult to make a vacation with three young children work in a hotel, especially when that also involves eating out in restaurants too, and we really valued the freedom and privacy afforded to us by the houses in which we've stayed. We’re also appreciative if the “quiet time” hours that Palm Springs enforces so we can all get some much-needed rest. We've become firm friends with one of our hosts, and the kids have loved meeting the neighbors and making friends in the parks nearby. We have also loved the warm calm of the Palm Springs evenings once the rest of the family has been put to bed.

I think my favorite thing about the city is its gentle pace and how peaceful it is for a family vacation. I'm grateful for not feeling pressure to do a thousand full-on things when we come. We've had amazing days visiting the giant dinosaurs, going up on the aerial tram, seeing the art museum and trying out as many date shakes as we can comfortably get away with. It really is one of my favorite places in the world to vacation, and we can't wait to come back!

By Jennifer B., Seattle, WA

My sister and I are known for our legendary road trips and have traveled all over the country. We decided to take a week-long vacation in Palm Springs in February 2018 to escape the dreary Seattle winter. We loved the small-town vibe and relaxed atmosphere and realized Palm Springs was the place we had been searching for on all our trips. We rented a house with two of our friends and the four of us had a wonderful time. Early morning hikes and exploring the area, swimming in the afternoons and dining out in the evenings. Getting to bed early so we could do it all over again the next day! We respect the vacation rental rules and they make sense to us. We would not want crazy parties going on next door to our house in Seattle.

I love visiting Palm Springs and wish I were there right now!

By William McDonald, Seattle, WA

Visiting Palm Springs in the winter has been a favorite tradition for our family. Each year we make the long drive from the Pacific Northwest with our pup to get some much-needed sunshine and warmth. The only way for our family to enjoy an extended stay is to rent a home large enough to accommodate all of us. We would simply vacation elsewhere if asked to spend our time in Palm Springs at a hotel. Other than sitting next to the pool and soaking in the sun, we always enjoy taking our dog for walks around Palm Springs neighborhoods to look at the architecture. We also take hikes at local trails and go shopping. Every week we look forward to VillageFest and spend hours walking around to see all the vendors. Our favorite neighborhood is Sunmor and our go-to place to eat is Bill's Pizza. We certainly look forward to visiting Palm Springs in the future. 

By Walter K., New York, NY

My family started coming to Palm Springs for vacation in 2016. As a family of four, we always like to rent vacation homes because we love having a kitchen, our own pool and more space to stretch out and feel at home.  For each reservation, we have always had the home owner or agent explain the rules with the understanding they exist to respect the full-time neighbors and to help preserve the sanctity of the neighborhood. We were happy to comply because we understood that we were guests in the neighborhood and we were there to relax!

We live in New York, and every time we visit, immediately upon arrival we notice the stark difference from the fast pace of the city to the ease and relaxing feel of the desert. The huge mountains that surround us and the beautiful desert landscape were the initial draws for us, but eventually it was the welcoming community in Palm Springs that made us fall in love with this wonderful city.   

We loved coming here so much that we decided to buy a home in early 2020 and are lucky enough to get to live here full time for six months. For our family, coming to Palm Springs is something we always look forward to and we are counting the days until we can retire here full time.

By Linda Frank

It’s not uncommon for people of a certain age to gravitate from the “frozen tundra” of Wisconsin and similar northern homelands to warm sunny “climes,” like Palm Springs, in the wintertime.

They’re called “snowbirds” because they fly away from that white stuff. Although I qualify for the demographic, I reject the stereotype that life in Palm Springs is one long round of golf and a daily decision about where to eat dinner. In fact, this is a desert oasis where all age groups can enjoy an abundance of outdoor, cultural and commercial offerings.

And, for me this year, it’s a place to retreat while researching and developing a fourth novel. My protagonist character is a journalist who stumbles into situations that lead her to uncover fictional mysteries steeped in historical fact and relevance. Being a writer residing even temporarily in Palm Springs puts me in historical good company, because such authors as Truman Capote and Ray Bradbury, among many others, lived and worked here.

I’ve visited here frequently since I was in my 20s, a-hefty-fraction-of-a-century ago. I remember when Louise’s Pantry, now an upscale eatery with bar in Palm Desert, was just a diner counter in downtown Palm Springs with a line around the corner for breakfast seating.

Just as the senior snowbird life can be an unfair stereotype, residents who stereotype visitors aren’t always right either.

Speaking as someone who came here when I was all those years younger, I personally know that most travelers aren’t out to party-party-party to the point of disturbing the peace and tranquility that’s existential to this physically beautiful oasis.

As in most places I’ve visited for short- or long-term stays, respect for local residents and their daily lives is as much a given as visitors’ pleasure in boosting the local economy by taking advantage of what the area has to offer.For my husband and me, the sign that greeted us on the foyer table of our rental house was neither necessary nor resented. Why would we want to threaten our welcome in our vacation neighborhood?           

Why would anyone?

"Hall of Fame" Award Winners Announced
HONORS THE "BEST OF THE BEST" WITHIN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY. 

The 2018 "Best of the Best" was held at the Convention Center sponsored by the City, the Convention Center & Palm Springs Tourism Bureau, Palm Springs Hospitality Association and PS Resorts. At the gala held Tuesday, October 9, restaurants, large and small hotels, vacation rental agencies and retail stores nominate their employees to be honored and a winner for each of about 20 categories is presented with a "Golden Palm Award."

The final announcement of the night is the "Hall of Fame" award which is secretly decided by a Nomination Committee that this year consisted of Aftab Dada (Managing Director/Hilton Hotel and President of the Palm Springs Hospitality Association), Tony Bruggemans (GM/Le Vallauris Restaurant), James Canfield (Exec. Dir/PS Convention Center & Bureau of Tourism), Mary Jo Ginther and Kara Walker (PS Bureau of Tourism).

Previous winners of this award include Sonny Bono, Mayor Frank Bogart, Mary Delgado (Founder of Las Consuelas Restaurants), Aftab Dada and many other well-known figures with decades in the Palm Springs hospitality industry.

For the final presentation of the evening, Mr. Bruggemans came to the podium and started talking about Palm Springs vacation rentals. He mentioned the co-founders of Vacation Rental Owners and Neighbors of Palm Springs (VRON-PS), then the "We Love Palm Springs" campaign and elaborated on Measure C. He stated, "This year’s recipients have made a lasting contribution to our tourism community, and their efforts will affect each one of us and our businesses for years to come." He concluded with, "To Bruce and David, we thank you. Most of us here tonight work in the hospitality field, and without vacation home rentals, many of us would not have these jobs. None of us would  be able to enjoy all the amenities of a world-class destination within our small city."

Needless to say, David and Bruce had no advanced knowledge this was coming and were surprised and deeply grateful. In the 18-year history of this special award, it has never been given to anyone in the vacation rental industry. They wish to thank all of you who believed, joined and participate in VRON-PS, not to mention the Mayor and the City Council, small and large hotels, inns, business associations, business owners, hundreds of contributions, volunteers, and all those bright orange signs.  

And yes, David received an identical statue with his name on it.  Full text of Mr. Bruggeman's introduction for the Hall of Fame award:

David Feltman, Presenter Tony Bruggemans and Bruce Hoban