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It was 1957, when an ordinary hotel in the Latin Quarter of Paris was dubbed "The Beat Hotel" and then became the center of this literary groundbreaking artistic energy. The three men that christened this hotel were some of the core founding fathers of the counter cultural Beat Generation: William S. Burroughs, Gregory Corso, and Allen Ginsberg. The Beat Hotel at 9 rue Git-le-Coeur on the Left Bank was the original live-in retreat and study center for ten years until it was torn down in 1967. Serendipitously, another nondescript mid-century modern hotel was being built the same year the Beat Hotel was christened. This hotel, practically half way around the globe, came to life in Desert Hot Springs, California. The true purpose would, unfortunately, not be known for more than forty years, when it would be resurrected from the dead and its name changed from the Monte Carlo Resort Motel to The Desert Hot Springs Beat Hotel. This two story, eight unit hotel, after a sad period of dilapidation and resurrection, would become a live in retreat and study center for lovers of the arts, and in particular, the literary and visual arts of William Seward Burroughs. According to its owner, chief restorer, and curator, Steve Lowe, it is a living museum that caters to writers. On an equally remarkable side note, Steve owns another impressive Lowe Desert motel called The Lautner, which was designed by architect John Lautner. The Inspiration —
Steve admits that the vision for the Desert Hot Springs Beat Hotel came from two places: 1. A similar looking hotel structure, El Muniria Hotel in Tangiers, Morocco, where the infamous William Burroughs wrote his most famous book, "The Naked Lunch", and, 2. From "The Last Hotel", a book written in 1986 by a peculiar Burroughs collaborative visual artist and author named Brion Gysin. According to Burroughs, writer and artist, "One of the jobs of the artist is to fabricate dreams for other people. We dream for these people who have no dreams of their own to keep them alive." By the time William Burroughs died in 1997, he lived quite a colorful existence for 83 years. His compelling ideas, creative raw power in his writing style and worldly cynicism expressed in numerous poems and in over three dozen books turned him into an underground celebrity and revolutionary literary figure. Another favorite creative outlet, his expressive abstract artwork, often came from whatever materials were at hand for his personal needs: spray paint cans, shotguns, plywood, et cetera and was symbolic of his belief in the advancement of total freedom. Many of these original Burroughs works (of art) are on display at the Beat Hotel, where the life, the legend and the literature are fused into one.
The stone-faced grandson of the inventor of the Burroughs Ten Key Machine, William was destined to live his life according to his own rules where he strongly emphasized the need for personal freedom and nonconformity.
Desert Hot Springs — On a beautiful evening with a full moon slowly rising over the low Desert Hot Springs sky, Kim and I pulled our MINI into the barely identifiable, yet full hotel parking lot. The only building moniker, a small grouping of white letters saying, "Hotel" signified to us where we were. The Beat Hotel is at the end of a residential street and is surrounded by empty plots of land complete with natural desert landscaping. Upon ringing the doorbell, we were warmly welcomed by the owner/curator, Steve Lowe, and were given an extensive tour of his labor of love.
At night, the retro '60s lounge was ablaze with purple, blue, teal, and lime green from the circular rug centering the room that was anchored by a curved white sectional sofa. Numerous Burroughs, Ginsberg, Kerouac, etc. books were available for studying, either on the couch, on one of the molded plastic, or vinyl and steel chairs. Make yourself comfortable and enjoy a good read in this mini-museum complete with display cases of chock full of Burroughs works of art and writing. The walls were adorned with Burroughs' funky contemporary prints, montages, splatter paint pictures that seemed to draw me in to sit, and soak in the cool vibe. A Burroughs Ten Key Machine, the device that essentially began it all, sat atop a desk with its funky desk lamp, and a dictionary, thereby inviting creative writers to put your thoughts into print. E
Our room was bathed in stark-white walls contrasted with a serene black and mocha stained concrete floor. Matching retro 1950s and 1960s dressers, end tables, lighting and furniture helped set the mood in our #1 room. The walls were graced with original Burroughs artwork, framed pictures of Burroughs and a framed album from the Dial a Poet series, in which William was featured reading some of his works. A thick white rectangular shag rug greeted bare feet as it rested at the foot of the full-sized bed. A thick, fluffy comforter and four oversized pillows easily guarantee a good nights rest. Of course, this is after burning the midnight oil reading some of Burroughs' poetry and writings that I borrowed from the lounge/library.
After a restful sleep, heading to breakfast was certainly interesting, as the hotel now was fully visible to us in the bright morning sun. We noticed the powder blue desert sky and bleach white clouds bathing the hotel in crisp white,
Having had a chance to fully soak in the feel of The Beat Hotel, I fully understand all the far reaching acclaim that The Beat Hotel is receiving. Look for the pink Thunderbird parked out front of this corner lot hotel; because it surely means that Steve Lowe is there and will ensure that you are welcomed at his shrine to William Burroughs.
Contact The Beat Hotel at: 760/251-6470; dhsbeathotel.com. — Feature by Donald & Kimberly Tatera, Southern California Jetsetters Magazine Correspondents.
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