Beth Fortune and Peter Kim, Owners.
Beth and Peter, along with their dog, Riley, took an impulse trip to Palm Springs in 2011, little suspecting that the weekend would spark the inspiration for a dream project. On this trip, the Los Angeles couple fell in love with the beauty of the desert, with its deep blue skies, endless horizons and warm, starry nights. The landscape inspired a deep sense of relaxation rarely felt in the city, and they were charmed by their vacation rental, which was well-run by a friendly owner. After returning to the hustle of their lives and work, they found that they kept returning to the same questions. Couldn’t we do something like that? Could we create the vacation home we would want to rent?
Beth, a photo stylist and graphic designer, had always enjoyed designing her own spaces and relished the idea of designing a house from scratch. Peter, a professor of Management and Organization at USC Marshall School of Business, loved the idea of having a place he could always go to unwind, and of putting academic principals into practice. Their search eventually lead them to a diamond in the rough in a great neighborhood. After a year of extensive and challenging renovations, the Biskra House was born.
The house wasn’t the only thing that changed in that year. For Beth, the project ignited a passion for interior design that was difficult to ignore. Evening classes lead to a Certificate, then a Master of Interior Architecture Degree, and a design position at Hirsch-Bedner Associates, the world’s largest hospitality design firm. In Summer 2019 she launched Wildheart Design, an interior design firm with a specialty in vacation rentals, small hotels, and boutique homes. There, she uses lessons learned from the Biskra House. other high-performing vacation rental owners and managers, and some of the world’s top hotel brands to help individuals and small business owners to achieve big dreams.
Carol and Jeff Bonds, Managers
Carol and Jeff moved to the Coachella Valley for sunshine, the relaxed small-town feel, and opportunity. They have come to know and love it as their home, and much prefer the short hot summers over the long, cold and wet winters in their native Portland, Oregon.
The Bonds enjoy hiking, biking, and a good poolside nap, and can tell you that Rancho Mirage is the best of all things sunshine. They raised two kids in Oregon, and once their kids were shipped off to college and working on “adulting” they ventured south, with a short stop in Arizona, before settling in the Palm Springs area. They now have two new fur kids, Bella and Lola. Both girls are Chihuahua-mix rescues: Lola is a Chihuahua-Corgi (Chorgi?) with a dash of hound and will fetch the ball ALL DAY LONG if you let her. Bella is likely a Chi-Weenie (Dachshund mix), and an old soul at the ripe old age of 6.
As a musician, Jeff can turn you on to some amazing live music venues. Some favorites are Woody’s for a variety of artists playing blues to jazz, and Sammy G’s for local favorites The Avaro Brother, who play just about everything you would want to dance to. Jeff also recommends Vicky’s of Sante Fe and The Tack Room (at the Indio Polo Fields) which features a variety of music from one weekend to the next.
Carol and Jeff have a small concierge property management company, and Carol also works as a successful real estate agent throughout the Valley.
Our Vision and Values
Quite simply, our mission is to make The Biskra House the vacation home we always wanted to rent. Time with our families and friends is a precious thing, and we strive to make sure our guests are able to enjoy that time as much as possible, whether that means labeling the kitchen cabinets or sourcing the most comfortable beds. We strive for constant improvement and love bringing home new ideas from our travels.