Sadly, on September 4, just three days after the Vacatia–Palm Springs Tennis Club partnership began, Harold Matzner, president and chairman of the board of the owner association, passed away at the age of 88. A local legend, Matzner resided in the area for more than three decades and became a Palm Springs Tennis Club owner in 1999. Credited with revitalizing the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Matzner was also the owner of the resort’s award-winning Spencer’s Restaurant. In addition to being a Palm Springs Tennis Club owner, he became chairman of the tennis facility in 2000.
“No one loved Palm Springs Tennis Club and no one did more for Palm Springs Tennis Club than Harold,” said Peggy Trott, who served on the board at the time of Matzner’s passing and has since succeeded him as president. “We will miss him a great deal, but as we embark on this new chapter with Vacatia, we are comforted knowing that changing management companies and selecting Vacatia was his idea.”
She continued: “The way Harold saw it, we needed management that would put our needs first, modernize our resort with great tech, and step up sales efforts to bring on more dues-paying owners. Harold and the rest of the board saw Vacatia as the clear winner.”
Already, Trott says, the relationship is bearing fruit. “In this short transition period, we can see that Vacatia is a true partner and a sincere champion of independent resorts,” she said. “They adapted their system to accommodate our unique reservation rules, and the onboarding team has made the transition seamless for our on-site team, involving the board throughout the process. Further, with their recent acquisition of The Berkley Group, we’re confident that Vacatia’s impressive salesforce, working in partnership with our on-site sales team, will help improve Palm Springs Tennis Club’s financial health.”
The 85-year-old property — once a popular hangout for Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, and Zsa Zsa Gabor — certainly has a lot going for it. Today, owners and guests flock to the property for its sweeping mountain views, desert-modernist architecture, and enviable downtown location.
The resorts boasts 126 well-appointed studios, and one- and two-bedroom residences. On-site amenities include three pools, five hot tubs, a fitness center, 11 tennis courts, a tennis pro shop, and the aforementioned Spencer’s, which recently earned the area’s best brunch, fine dining, and outdoor dining awards from Palm Springs Life Magazine. All these features can be accessed not only by Palm Springs Tennis Club Owner Association owners and guests, but also by members of the Palm Springs Tennis Club Member Association, giving the resort a stature that is increasingly rare in the industry — community hub.
“Palm Springs Tennis Club is a special resort in a spectacular location,” said Caroline Shin, Vacatia’s CEO. “We were honored to be selected and are excited to have the opportunity to partner with the board and on-site team to serve the resort’s dedicated owners and guide it toward even greater future success.”
“That said, it is bittersweet,” Shin said, “because we won’t have the opportunity to work with Harold, who championed us from the start. He believed in us and we are determined to help build on his rich legacy.”
With the addition of Palm Springs Tennis Club, Vacatia expands its presence in the Western U.S., complementing its portfolio of managed resorts in Scottsdale, Sedona, Breckenridge, and Montana’s Glacier National Park area. In all, Vacatia manages nearly 60 resorts in 13 states throughout the U.S., plus the Caribbean, and provides its standalone rental monetization services and its fully integrated Vacatia Technology Platform to additional resorts. With the acquisition of The Berkley Group and Daily Management at the beginning of 2025, the combined company now serves nearly 500,000 owners and manages more than 11,000 units.
To learn more about Vacatia’s rental, sales, technology, and property management services, contact Michelle DuChamp, head of partner services, at 305-903-9399 or michelle.duchamp@vacatia.com. Or contact David McDonald, vice president of partner services, at 317-435-6291 or david.mcdonald@vacatia.com.
