PALM SPRINGS' STAR ATTRACTION - INGLESIDE INN

The two-acre estate is such a hotspot of magnetic charm it lures the Hollywood set, but you and I are just as welcome if we enjoy nothing but indulgent, luxurious solace.

Thanks to Mel Haber, a native New Yorker, who succumbed to the challenge of re-inventing the once hallowed retreat in 1975, Ingleside Inn remains the epitome of gracious hospitality to the max.

"It is a special, little jewel," Haber says, one that cost him over half a million dollars for the privilege of re-naming the restaurant, Melvyn's and renovating the inn to its mystic splendor, complete with vintage artworks and antiques.

If you listen to the self-effacing and delightfully entertaining Haber it seems to have evolved effortlessly, but he is just being modest. "There is a certain charm to the place," he says casually,

At the entrance of the walled estate, solid wrought-iron gates swing open for the limousines that sweep up the circular driveway with guests arriving from the airport, six minutes away.

The sparkling water in the swimming pool is as dazzling as the shiny Rolls-Royces, Mercedes and BMWs lining the curve, yet it's the Spanish-style estate resplendently laid out beneath the San Jacinto Mountains that captures instant attention.

Just as it was in 1935 when Ruth Hardy courted the wealthy and famous with personalized attention and respectful privacy, the inn remains secluded, but inviting.

The word went out, and the stars came in. Ingleside Inn was a 'star' attraction. Screen sirens Greta Garbo, Bette Davis and Rita Hayworth and Hollywood hearthrobs Cary Grant, Don Ameche and Gary Cooper were all on the guest list.

But celebrity status alone did not merit the welcome mat at Ingleside Inn as a legacy of card files from the Hardy days clearly illustrates. Meticulously worded notes declared some guests "a bit uppity, fortune hunter, Texas type - big and loud, something strange about this couple, a pest" but if you were seriously black-listed those cards would read, "always tell them no space available" or "doesn't belong here."

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned at the inn, and Frank and Barbara Sinatra selected Melvyn's to entertain their friends at a pre-wedding dinner. And opera diva Lily Pons and her husband, conductor Andre Kostelanetz, enjoyed their visit so much they spent 13 years in residence, comfortable ensconced with a roomful of Louis XIV furniture. Even the reclusive Howard Hughes stayed there too.

There are 30 suites, mini-suites and villas, distinctly original in decor. Choose the villas to be close to the pool, while the suites are great if you prefer private terraces or patios. Fireplaces, steam and whirlpool baths, sunken tubs and wet bars are available with certain accommodation.

Furnishings may include priceless antiques, maybe even a vestment chest used by 15th Century priests or a bust of Patriarch's Laura, Fortunately these items escaped Sir John's penchant for making gifts of Haber's antiques. The inn's infamous guest, Sir John turned out to be a dapper con-artist, who pretended he was wealthy while he was riding around in a borrowed Rolls-Royce.

Haber prides himself on being the first Palm Springs host to offer his guests a complimentary breakfast. "At the time that was not common," he says. "My concept was to give them everything." And so he almost does.

Each room has a refrigerator with light snacks and beverages for guests at no extra charge.

An early morning swim in the heated Olympic size pool, followed by breakfast on my private terrace was a delightful way to start the day. Enveloped by the soft rays of sunshine and the gentle wind slipping down from the mountain, I enjoyed reading the daily newspaper at a leisurely pace.

It's an easy stroll into town for one of my favorite pastimes, shopping, or on my more energetic days, taking the aerial tram to the top of San Jacinto Mountains to venture on a hike.

I savored walking around the estate admiring the lush surroundings, tiled roofs, sprawling verandah and vine-covered walls, listening to the birds singing merrily amongst the tropical flower trees and towering palms.

I was here to relax and regain my land legs after an 11-day nature tour spent mostly following whales in Baja California, and I just wanted to do as little as possible.

I knew I could indulge in shuffleboard, darts, backgammon and table tennis, while outdoors the nine tennis courts beckoned. Or, there were several championship golf courses nearby and Smoketree Riding Stables offered horseback riding.

But the next best thing to enjoying a visit to Ingleside Inn is to meet Mel Haber, a consummate conversationalist with an incredible memory.

The self-styled hotelier and restaurateur admits to being shy, but you'd never guess there is a hidden side to the 65-year-old millionaire. His smiling face appears in photographs with Joan Collins, Jerry Lewis, Liza Minelli, Cher, John Travolta and Barry Manilow.

Haber's close encounter with the stars has brought him fame and fortune in his beloved Palm Springs, where he has his very own 'star' in bronze on Palm Canyon Drive.

For a greater insight into the history of Ingleside Inn, "Bedtime Stories of the Legendary Ingleside Inn" by Mel Haber is a compelling and sometimes humorous story told with inimitable wit. At $25.00 it makes a wonderful gift or souvenir (book or set of audio cassettes), and the money goes towards the writer's favorite charity, Angel View Crippled Children's Foundation.

Mel Haber is a visionary whose continued dedication to promoting Palm Springs and Ingleside Inn has propelled him to the forefront of radio, television, newspapers and magazines.

And it seems like he has every intention of keeping it that way. Even if it prolongs his star-studded evenings!