Where to Stay in Palm Springs: 8 Hotel Reviews

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When it comes to Palm Springs hotels, you’ll be spoiled for choice, but how do you compare hotels and resorts? If you’re wondering where to stay in Palm Springs, California, here are seven great options.

Updated 2021

Where to Stay in Palm Springs

Palm Springs is changing. There have always been plenty of reasons to vacation in this Southern California winter haven: sunshine, spas, hiking, golf, art and mid-century modern architecture. No wonder it was such a draw for Hollywood stars in the 60s.

Long popular with retirees, and well known as a gay-friendly destination, this desert hot spot has emerged from its sleepy reputation like an art deco butterfly spreading its Joseph-Adler-designed wings.

Other winter escape destinations in the USA like Scottsdale, Arizona; Panama City in Florida … and just about anywhere in Hawaii will continue to draw sun seekers, but Palm Springs has its own host of fans – and there are resorts to appeal to everyone.

Palm Springs Hotels on the Rise

Today Greater Palm Springs, made up of nine communities altogether, has reached a whole new level of cool with a flock of younger design-centric folk moving in.

This means hotels have upped the ante, investing in amenities and service and taking architectural risks. This is good news for you.

Whether you’re after a traditional luxury resort, family friendly places to stay or boutique hotels in Palm Springs here are eight top Palm Springs hotels to choose from.

 

Palm Springs Hotel Reviews

Downtown Palm Springs Resorts

Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs – Formerly the Riviera Palm Springs

The 4-star Margaritaville Resort used to be called the Riviera Palm Springs and in the 60s it was a celebrity magnet.

Elvis, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Marilyn Monroe all lounged poolside, and there was plenty of mischief going on when it was the getaway of choice for the Hollywood Rat Pack.

There are reports of Frank Sinatra throwing champagne bottles at second wife Ava Gardner, and of Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo splashing around naked in the pool.

Mid-Century Modern Decor

Yet this centrally-located resort still feels vibrant and fresh rather than being lost in the past. Chalk that down to the chic-with-pizzaz decor and the lobby’s many intimate sitting areas exquisitely showcased with a mid-century modern flair.

 

Central Hotel Location

Built in 1959, the hotel has a spoke-wheel layout, with six low rise accommodation wings extending out from the main pool area.

It’s surprisingly spacious for an urban hotel and is located at the edge of the Uptown Design District, less than two miles from the downtown strip.

One of the Best Pools in Palm Springs

Amenities at the Margaritaville Resort include a pool shaped like a grand piano. If you squint you can kind of see it, otherwise it looks like a misshapen yet sparkling blue blob.

There is an upbeat pool vibe with a DJ on weekends and sexy cabanas. It’s really the heart of the resort.

If there are too many kids in the main pool, there is another hotel pool called the Lone Palm Pool towards the back, which comes complete with a tiki bar and a low-key atmosphere.

Restaurants

Places to eat and drink onsite include the luxe casual Come Monday Cafe, the 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar and the JWB Grill.

This legendary resort one of the best places to stay in Palm Springs if you want to be close to downtown without giving up a leisurely poolside atmosphere and have access to an onsite spa.

The Margaritaville’s St. Somewhere Spa, by the way, is the largest in Palm Springs, and is open both to the public and hotel guests.

Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs is located 1600 North Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262

Check prices and availability here.

The Holiday House – Retro Chic 

The Holiday House is a revamped motel that dates back to 1951. The location is super central – it’s a block away from all the action on Palm Canyon Drive (Okay, maybe there’s not that much action. It’s not LA.)

A Backyard Pool

Owned by the same peeps behind the rustic-meets-chic Sparrows Lodge, Holiday House is a boutique motel-style property wrapped around a large rectangular pool.

A Hip Palm Springs Hotel

It’s hard not to be seduced by the laidback street-stylish vibe of Holiday House. The garden-y grounds are landscaped with citrus trees and a red poppy garden sculpture by Donald Sultan. There is a read-a-book tranquility here and you’ll relish a couple of hours with a book by the pool.

 

Decor

Unveiled in 2017, Holiday House was redone by celebrity designer Mark D. Sikes (Reese Witherspoon is a fan).

The hotel’s fresh blue-and-white colour scheme and bold modern art (think Hockney and Alex Katz) in the small lobby/bar/reception area make it hip without being overtly hipster – let’s call it ‘motel modernism’.

The breezy color scheme continues into the bedrooms, and you’ll find a range of perks like kitchen nooks, 2nd floor balconies and Malin+Goetz toiletries.

Good for Couples and Hip Hotel Seekers

All in all I’d say the Holiday House is one of the top hip hotels in Palm Springs, especially for couples who aren’t into flash and glam or sprawling anonymous properties, but lap up contemporary culture and want to be central.

Note: To foster a sociable vibe, there are no TVs in the rooms.

Address: Holiday House Palm Springs is at 200 W Arenas Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262

Check prices and availability here.

Kimpton The Rowan – Sleek and Stylish

Just down the street from Holiday House is the luxe and polished Kimpton property The Rowan, a cornerstone of Palm Springs’ $400 million downtown revitalization project.

Centrally Located

Steps off ‘The Strip’ of Palm Canyon Drive and a pebble’s toss from the Art Museum, the Kimpton Rowan reaches new heights. Literally. Seven stories high, this 153-room luxe hotel was a controversial build in low-slung Palm Springs.

Whether you love it or decry it, it’s the buzziest new addition in the downtown Palm Springs hotels category.

All About the Views

What you’ll get at The Rowan: views and more views. Guest room windows offer panoramas of the San Jacinto Mountains, the city and the endless desert flats.

Urban Design

You’ll also get tasteful panache, especially in the lobby where a sky high ceiling and sophisticated decor, including a strangely-layered chaise lounge I’m infatuated with, gives a sleek edge to this very urban property.

You’d think the 16-foot macramé owl would lower the tone, but it somehow blends in, adding a tongue-in-cheek nod to Palm Springs’ midcentury modern roots.

 

Kimpton Restaurants

If you can’t afford the floor-to-ceiling windowed penthouse Presidential Suite, you can still have lunch at the Juniper Table, a casual street-level eatery that aims to elevate counter-service fare by use of premium local ingredients.

For fine dining, the hotel’s rooftop 4Saints restaurant has a menu that focuses on Mediterranean and French-inspired shareable plates.

Rooftop Pool

With the only rooftop pool in Palm Springs, along with six pool cabanas that can be rented out for a (hefty) fee, The Rowan is sure to be a hit with citified sophisticates.

You can always try to get a day pass for the pool if you’re not staying at the hotel.

Address: Kimpton The Rowan Palm Springs is at 100 Tahquiz Canyon Way, Palm Springs CA 92262

Check prices and availability for The Rowan here.

Palm Springs Resorts

The Parker Palm Springs Hotel – Funky, Glam, and Discreet

Push through the tangerine double doors of The Parker Palm Springs and enter a world of jet set glam and fabulous fun.

And here’s the backstory on The Parker: It’s a pedigreed Palm Springs property (how many ‘P’ words can you fit into one sentence?) once owned by the ‘singing cowboy’ Gene Autry.

Privacy

If you want to have a clandestine affair and ostensibly stay on either side of the resort like Brad and Angelina were rumoured to do after filming Mr and Mrs Smith, you can do so without being bothered.

Privacy and discretion is just one of the reasons celebrities still love it today.

History of the Parker Palm Springs Resort

Like the Margaritaville Resort, this is a So Cal (Southern California) hotel with a past.

After Gene Autry sold it in 1994 it became the Givenchy Hotel & Spa, a luxury property that aimed for the grandeur of Versailles. In 1998 it was bought by Merv Griffin and renamed Merv Griffin’s Resort and Givenchy Spa.

It regained a new life (and new A-list following) when it was taken over by Le Méridien and redesigned by Joseph Adler in 2004.

An Alice in Wonderland Kind of Hotel

Sitting on 13 acres, a 5-mile Uber ride from downtown Palm Springs, the Parker combines wacky exuberance with elegance, no easy feat in the world of luxury hotels.

Hands down this is one of the best hotels in Palm Springs if you like luxury and with artsy fun.

Where else can you stroll past a vintage pharmacy sign that blares ‘Drugs’, a seven-foot bronze banana sculpture and a lemonade stand in one go? Or have Leonardo DiCaprio rent out the entire Mister Parker restaurant for himself and a handful of friends?

Walk in past the suit of armour in the lobby and you’ll be smitten by its upscale eccentricity. This may develop into a fully-fledged hotel crush after a glass of bubbly at the dark and saucy Counter Reformation, a newly-minted wine bar complete with a carved confessional imported from Italy.

Amenities at The Parker

The Parker Palm Springs has two outdoor and one indoor pool, a fitness centre, tennis courts and those all important croquet lawns and boules courts.

Restaurants include the more casual Norma’s and the upscale Mister Parker. 

Many would rank it as the best hotel in Palm Springs, ideal for those who want to hang by a chlorine-free pool, swing in a hammock on their private terrace and act like a celebrity who doesn’t want to be disturbed. 

Address: The Parker Palm Springs, 4200 E. Palm Canyon Drive. Palm Springs, CA 92264

Check prices and availability for the Parker Palm Springs hotel here.

 

Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage – An Exclusive Haven in the Hills

The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage Resort is one of the top luxury resort in Palm Springs. This secluded getaway is perched nine miles southeast from Palm Springs up in the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains, and the views of the Coachella Valley are nothing less than stunning.

Restaurants at Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage

While the Edge Steakhouse is purportedly one of the best (and most expensive) restaurants in Palm Springs with one of the most coveted views, the hotel’s State Fair Bar & Kitchen’s local ingredients, California-inspired cuisine and homemade charcuterie captured my desert-warmed heart.

This is a resort where connecting with Palm Springs’ unique desert and mountain scenery is as simple as sitting by the fire pit and watching the distant mountains turn pink in the twilight.

It’s a place to hike, dine, soak up serenity in the adults only Vista Pool and indulge in a Desert Wildfire Poultice Massage or a Sec-he Rock Ritual at the splashy two-story spa, part of a mega-bucks revamp in 2014.

 

Stylish Design

This 5-star Palm Springs resort is designed to soothe and impress. Natural tones and materials are used throughout. Think stone, copper, wood and fire, lots of sand beiges and oversized windows that blur the boundaries between nature and resort.

Aren’t you salivating just thinking about it? If you’re wondering where to stay in Palm Springs that will answer your every luxurious need, look no further.

If you have the budget, it’s one of the best Palm Springs family resorts, as kid-friendly amenities include a Ritz Kids’ Club and activities such as star gazing.

Other amenities include a full service Ritz-Carlton Spa and three pools. With it’s peaceful cliffside location and 36,000 acres of space, this is a 5-star resort to breathe in – even if every breath will cost you big bucks.

Address: Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage, 68900 Frank Sinatra Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

Check prices and availability for the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage here.

 

Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa – A Family Friendly Palm Springs Resort

My first impression on checking into the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort is that it’s a good hotel for conventions, families and golfers, with easy access to the Indian Wells Golf Resort that rubs up against it.

It’s also an option for people who want to combine crisp sheets and pool time with the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which is held in Indio 9 miles away.

While the design of the Renaissance is a bit ho hum – block-like towers and an abundance of polite beige and pale sienna – the sweeping double staircase is eye catching and so are the open hallways that look down over a central lobby.

Pools at the Renaissance Indian Wells

The highlight is the vast pool area that makes it one of the most kid friendly hotels in Palm Springs. Adults too, will want to pull up a deck chair and grab some pool time, though with so many things to do in Palm Springs you have to carve out the time.

 

The pool area is where the resort-like atmosphere of the Renaissance kicks in. There is a sandy beach pool that is so child friendly it makes me want to have kids myself. There are islands for deck chairs, a floating pavilion, whirlpool and plenty of places to lounge.

The bright red and orange patterned umbrellas give it a kicky burst of colour while views of the parched slopes of the Santa Rosa Mountains give it an oasis-in-the-desert feel.

Hotel tip: The petite balconies overlooking the pool are a delight so book a room with a balcony.

A Palm Springs Family Resort

Formerly the Esmeralda Hotel, the Renaissance Indian Wells (not to be mixed up with the Renaissance Palm Springs) is a 4-star Marriott property and kid friendly activities include a Camp Oasis Kid’s Club.

There is also a spa, and a selection of restaurants including the Sirocco Pizza Company and CAVA (where I thought the DIY juice bar at the breakfast buffet was a nice touch).

Location

The property is about 15 miles southeast of Palm Springs city, not too far from the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens, but a good distance from the centre of Palm Springs. If you’re looking for a central downtown Palm Springs hotel, this isn’t the resort for you.

Address: Renaissance Indian Wells, 44400 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells, 92210

Check prices and availability for the Renaissance Indian Wells here.

Omni Palm Springs – a Resort with a Lazy River

If you’re looking for Palm Springs resorts with a lazy river, one option is the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage.

Located on Bob Hope Drive, the resort provides an abundance of water fun at its very own 2-acre Splashtopia Waterpark. Here you’ll find the 450 lazy river as well as water slides, sandy beach and cliffside hot tub.

Clearly, this is one of the best family-friendly resorts in Palm Springs, but adults can have their fun too. There is an adult-only pool, five restaurants, a spa, tennis courts and golf.

The Omni Palm Springs is located at 1000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, a 20-minute drive from Palm Springs International Airport.

Check prices and availability here.

Palm Springs Spa Resorts

Two Bunch Palms – Palm Springs Spa Hotel in Desert Hot Springs

The adult only Two Bunch Palms is one of the most unique spa resorts in the USA and has an unbelievable history.

This quirky-yet-sophisticated resort and spa is a 70-acre property. The spacious grounds are studded with palms and giant tamarisk trees and populated by ducks and egrets, and there is a wide range of rooms and condos to choose from.

Rooms and Condo Suites – Plenty of Options

If you want plenty of space you can book a two-bedroom condo with an outdoor hot tub in the backyard, which makes this Desert Hot Springs spa hotel a place you can spread out in. There is a wide variety of room types, to suit every need.

A Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel

The number one draw at this luxe spa hotel are the thermal springs that fill the steaming outdoor grotto pools and contain plenty of healing minerals.

Luxury Spa

The second thing is the first class spa treatments, which range from mud baths to massages. Two Bunch Palms is a spa that gets a lot of weekend escapees from LA and they demand the best.

The resort is also no stranger to celebrities but of course that’s all very hush hush. (I didn’t say Cher. Nope. You didn’t hear it here.)

 

Two Bunch Palms’ Gangster Past

The fact that Two Bunch Palms was a hideout for Al Capone, who is said to have holed up here with his silent screen actress girlfriend, Gladys Walton, is something this Palm Springs spa resort doesn’t advertise, yet it’s one of the most intriguing things about the property.

And whether or not that really is a bullet hole in the bureau of his original stone cottage room from a foiled assassination attempt is up for debate.

Adults Only Resort in Palm Springs

Two Bunch Palms is an adults-only haven with a loyal contingent of return guests and if you’re seeking a serious spa vacation, this is one of the best places to stay in Palm Springs.

Hotel tip: This is a destination spa resort and the pools are soaking pools rather than swimming pools. Expect to relax.

Sustainability

This dreamy Palm Springs spa resort may not want to crow about its gangster hideaway past, but it’s rightfully proud of its sustainable present.

It was the first carbon neutral resort in the USA, and is completely solar powered. If that’s not making use of Palm Springs incessant sunshine, I don’t know what is.

Address: Two Bunch Palms 67245 Two Bunch Palms Trail, Desert Hot Springs, 92240.

Check prices and availability for Two Bunch Palms here.

 

 

 

 

Looking for activities in Palm Springs? Try hiking the Palm Springs Museum Trail.

For more information on Palm Springs, visit the Official Greater Palm Springs website.