A brand-new public garden The postwar housing boom attracted many newcomers to the area, some of whom were dissatisfied to discover a commercial business in their midst. To quell public interest, Boddy renamed his estate "Descanso Gardens" and opened it to the public in March 1950. The garden's name is Spanish for "restful retreat" or "retreat into peace." It may have been built as a private residence, but The Beverly Hills Hotel has always been a hotel first. The original hotel was built in 1923 by Harry Culver, who also created Midwestern city Des Moines. Like many other small towns at that time, Beverly Hills was dying, so he decided to build a large hotel that would attract visitors from outside the community. He named the hotel after his own family estate in Iowa: "The Beverly Hills". The hotel had 80 rooms when it first opened its doors, but over the years it has added more than 500 additional rooms. Today, with nearly 100 percent of its rooms being suites, The Beverly Hills has more than 2200 rooms available. In addition to serving as a hotel, The Beverly Hills is also known for its nightclubs, restaurants, movie theater, swimming pool, and famous pink marble lobby. Beverly Hills was originally incorporated as a town, but due to its growing population, it has since become a city.