The Reef Bar

KevinCrossman
visiting on
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
for the first time

Spending NYE and a few days in Palm Springs. Going to check out The Reef when we check into the Caliente Tropics hotel.

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Regulars & Visitors

View all 208 The Reef Bar regulars & visitors

Humuhumu’s description

The Reef Bar is within the Caliente Tropics Resort

classic

Caliente Tropics Resort

Palm Springs, CA

Hotel/Motel & Bar

8.2

in Palm Springs, a historic tiki hotel that opened in 1964. After many years with the bar in flux, as of February 2017 it is under the management of Rory Snyder, perhaps best known as the organizer of the annual Tiki Caliente event at the Caliente Tropics. The bar has large windows and a patio overlooking the hotel's swimming pool, and rather than fight the light, Snyder aims to differentiate from the other tiki bars in town and create a space that blends the mid-century history of Palm Springs with the classic tiki elements on the grounds. A menu of tropical drinks and food is available.

The bar at the Caliente Tropics has changed names, theming, and management many times over the years. Originally, the bar was the Congo Room restaurant, a steakhouse�today that name is applied to the restaurant at the front of the hotel. After the Congo Room years, the bar adopted its most-used Reef Bar name, and there was also a brief period in the late-'00s when it was Hawaiian Bill's

Comments

arcadiandj

June 10, 2019, 10:18 AM

I LOVE The Reef and will always think of it as one of my favorite tiki bars. Now you cannot discount the fact that each of my Reef experiences has been embedded inside my experiences of Tiki Caliente, but never the less, I LOVE The Reef. No, the decor is not of the highest quality, but I LOVE IT. I love that it is dark by the bar, the old tikiesque videos playing on their tv, and I love the way some of the old nic nacs include Star Wars souvenirs. No, the drinks and selection are not the best, but you consider this bar is in the middle of The Caliente Tropics with a swimming pool right outside the door, and wow. Finally, each of the staff have been lovely. During Tiki Caliente it can be super crowded, but they soldier on providing us all with marvelous food and drink to sustain us through a very special and memorable Tiki event. We will be back to Palm Springs for a Tour de Tiki apart from Tiki Caliente, and I can't wait to go back to The Reef!

Chef4evr

Chef4evr has visited The Reef Bar.

June 8, 2019, 10:22 AM

This place is amazing and definitely not rated correctly, I would place this above the Tonga room every day and the drinks are absolutely awesome. If Ben is there let him be your guide and you will have a great time.

Whaia-Muri

Whaia-Muri has visited The Reef Bar.

June 4, 2019, 5:25 PM

My favorite bar in Palm Springs. The decor is good. The atmosphere is good. The music is good. The drinks are fantastic!

The bartender is a true tiki nerd and will take the time to make something special. Go late at night. Everything looks better in the dark.

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