13 Best Hotels in Palm Springs
If you haven’t visited California’s hottest desert town in awhile, now is the time. In Palm Springs, the spring weather is perfect, the food scene is better than ever, and there’s a variety of nonstop events throughout the Coachella Valley all season long—from the BNP Paribas Open (affectionately known as the 5th Grand Slam) to the big White Party bash to music festivals and the plethora of parties that come with them.
If you’re more interested in simply exploring the historic city while enjoying some R&R under the desert sun, you can spend your days hiking its many mountain trails, shopping its impressive array of vintage retailers, hitting up a variety of cool cocktail spots and restaurants (both new and retro), and gawking at the magnificent midcentury architecture. As for where to stay, the best Palm Springs hotels are as wide-ranging as the area's visitors. Whether you're seeking a tranquil boutique hotel, a sprawling resort, or a retro-design motel with a shiny facelift, it’s almost too easy to find the perfect property to enjoy the dreamy desert weather and mountain views. Here are some of our favorite hotels in Palm Springs for your next trip.
Every hotel review on this list has been written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider properties across price points that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination, keeping design, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind. This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Courtesy Parker Palm SpringshotelParker Palm Springs
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Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023Both the luxe-est and largest property in Palm Springs at 13 acres, the sprawling Jonathan Adler-designed Hollywood Regency-style hotel is posh, kitschy, whimsical, and service-centric all at once. Located on the very south end of town on a non-descript stretch of Palm Canyon Drive across from a car dealership group, once you make it through the gate and up the curling driveway you’ll feel truly transported. Formerly the estate of Western movie star Gene Autry, the Parker is hands down one of the area’s most unique places to stay. Though the entire property is huge by Palm Springs standards, it still manages to feel private and exclusive thanks to the sprawling layout, spread-out structures, and hidden hangouts at every turn, including a croquet lawn, Pétanque courts, firepit seating areas, and two perfect pools. Though you’ll need a car or Uber to get anywhere else noteworthy, you’ll likely just want to hunker down here your entire stay and get your money’s worth.
Matt Kisiday/Life HousehotelLife House Palm Springs
$$Design-centric boutique hotel brand Life House (which also runs properties in Miami, Nantucket, the Berkshires, and Denver), breathed new life into this dated 1960s hotel with a massive 2023 renovation, turning it into a dreamy getaway done up in mod decor. Hues of sage green and burnt orange mirror the property’s surrounding habitat, along with native cactus-heavy landscaping to honor its desert home (and its location across the street from the longstanding Moorten Botanical Garden). The 66 rooms—including four suites—mix Japanese and midcentury-minimalist styles, with East Asian ceramic wall art, natural woods, sunset-colored ombre fabric headboards, and glossy tile-and-glass showers. Many of the rooms’ balconies provide killer mountain views, as does the pool area, equipped with a bar and first-come, first-serve shaded beds. Minerva's, the hotel’s tiny restaurant and bar, churns out craft cocktails and an innovative plant-forward menu with dishes like roasted sunchokes splashed with lemon yogurt and charred eggplant bruschetta.
Danielle Hamilton/Courtesy Villa Royale, Palm SpringshotelVilla Royale, Palm Springs
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2019If you’re looking for a romantic getaway or a rest-and-recharge respite, this tucked-away boutique hotel with tranquil courtyard pools and trickling fountains set amongst Old Californian-style buildings is a no-brainer. Guests are hipsters, babymooners, and bachelorettes splayed out on the cushioned lounge chairs or under the massive communal cabana on any given sunny day. Juxtaposed against 1940s Old California architecture and vintage paned windows, rooms are firmly planted in a midcentury aesthetic with vintage-style credenzas, mahogany wood paneling, and pops of turquoise and avocado green with a dash of free-spirited art pulling from a commissioned collection of custom oil paintings of famous faces like Debbie Harry and Charles Bronson. Impala suites are extra comfortable with living rooms, bars, kitchenettes, and separate bedrooms with king beds. The entire property underwent a $1 million refresh in 2023, which included updating rooms; redecorating the lobby; and adding new landscaping, an oversized hot tub, and a firepit to the grounds. Tapas-heavy restaurant, Del Rey, and its sexy fireplace-flanked lounge also got a makeover. It now features a dimly lit covered patio painted in sapphire blue and a new menu with the city’s best (and, at the moment, only) selection of tinned fish as well as a monthly moonlight paella night.
Azure SkyhotelAzure Sky
$$This uber-intimate hotel in a quiet South Palm Springs neighborhood is home to just 14 rooms. It has a 21-and-over guest policy and no onsite restaurant, so there are rarely more than a couple dozen people on property at any given time. The guest rooms in the renovated 1950s complex feature blond wood-paneled walls, onyx-hued stone countertops, and platform beds. Most even come with private patios and hammocks where you can nibble on the continental breakfast delivered to your room each morning. The lobby feels like a glam living room with its shag rug, slump stone walls, fireplace, plush L-shaped sofa, mirrored ceiling, and proper bar that offers both classic cocktails and a menu of intricate wellness tonics for combating that desert dehydration. The property’s mountain views are visible from both the scattered seating and firepit on the main grassy courtyard, and the newly-built pool (cleverly equipped with two shallow ends) and hot tub area.
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La Serena VillashotelLa Serena Villas
$$$If you’ve done the midcentury thing before, opt for this Spanish hacienda-style property with just 18 private bungalows, a quiet pool, breezy restaurant, and flowing margaritas. The adults-only property draws mainly couples (of all ages) looking for R&R, along with locals who hit poolside restaurant Azucar and rooftop bar Sugar High for evening cocktails under the stars. Bungalows are decidedly design-forward, with a mix of Spanish, Moroccan, and boho styles, and feel even larger than they are thanks to vaulted ceilings with exposed beams. Every room category comes with its own private courtyard patio equipped with a fire pit, bench seating, and clawfoot tub for soaking under the sky and many also come with front porches boasting bamboo swings. Inside you’ll find Frette linens and towels, L’Occitane bath products, and Keurig coffee makers.
Photo by Laure JoliethotelKimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel
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Hot List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022A full-service hotel smack in the center of town, the tallest building (at seven stories) in Palm Springs is also the only hotel in the entire Coachella Valley with a rooftop pool. Thanks to its height, rooftop pool, and plenty of passing foot traffic, The Rowan has more of a real-deal city vibe than most of the resort-feeling properties in town, drawing a crowd that varies in age and demographic, but often skews heavy on business travelers here for onsite meetings and conferences, as well as travelers with pets in tow. It feels modern while still honoring the city’s midcentury roots and desert location, with rooms featuring light-wood floors, hairpin-legged nightstands, leather desk chairs, cool blue accent rugs, framed topographical maps, and the especially novel tiled walls serving as headboards. Bathrooms feel fresh with large, glass-enclosed showers accented by glossy subway tiles. All rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, and many have balconies—with corner rooms offering wraparound options. Once you step out of the lobby, you’re mere yards from the city’s bustling main drag and within walking distance of most of Palm Springs’ highlights—shopping, dining and live music, hiking, museums, and many new public art installations. Those looking for a more private, off-the-beaten-path location will likely want to head elsewhere.
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Photo by Gentl & HyershotelHoliday House Palm Springs
$$ | Hot List 2018With just 28 rooms, the recently remodeled Holiday House in Palm Springs has all the luxurious amenities of a large hotel, but with an intimate, relaxed atmosphere. Points for its pristine white facade, impressive art collection (including David Hockney and Roy Liechtenstein), and gorgeous pool surrounded by mountains and towering palm trees. This is definitely an Instagram-worthy hotel, if there ever was one.
Courtesy ARRIVE Palm SpringshotelARRIVE Palm Springs
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2020One of the liveliest hotels in the area, this modern and comfortable boutique property centers around its massive pool and plentiful communal spaces built for socializing—with fire pit-flanked seating areas, outdoor games, and an indoor/outdoor bar—along with a fun-filled event calendar. The hotel is meant for mingling (and a prime pick for a solo traveler), with marble ping pong tables, fire pits encircled by low-slung seating where guests gather after sundown, DJ nights, drive-in movies, and drag bingo. The design gives a salute to Palm Springs' fabled mid-century style via clerestory windows and butterfly rooflines, and the property, which includes an open-air restaurants plus an ice-cream shop, is also surrounded by a few solid restaurants. It's a short drive (or a mile walk) from the retail-heavy Uptown Design District. Rooms definitely reflect the locale, with clerestory windows, cactus-flower and palm-print wallpaper, rose-pink velvet platform beds, leather seating, and brightly colored mini fridges, along with marble bathrooms. Appreciated extras come in the form of Egyptian cotton linens, robes, Malin + Goetz bath products, work desks, and automatic shades. With just two categories, you simply choose between a studio room or one with a patio—worth the upgrade for its private outdoor seating and fireplace.
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Jim Bartsch/The Colony Palms HotelhotelColony Palms Hotel
$$ | Hot List 2022 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023This luxuriously private adults-only hotel from celebrated celebrity designer Steve Hermann is in the heart of Palm Springs but has a more laid-back, exclusive vibe than its neighbors. (Think The Beverly Hills Hotel meets the desert.) Firepits and private nooks are sprinkled throughout the property, centered on a verdant, palm-tree-lined pool shimmering below the San Jacinto Mountains. Bold statement wallpapering, sky-high ceilings, and plenty of greenery are the through lines across the room categories, with suites offering private verandas with garden seating. Chef Michael Hung has upped the ante for poolside dining at The Colony Club, where you’ll find excellent spins on California Mediterranean cooking.
hotelSparrows Lodge
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2020Juxtaposed against much of the city’s midcentury aesthetic, the rustic-chic vibe of Sparrows Lodge feels firmly unique. The bar-cum-front-desk is inside a renovated barn, and outdoor seating areas are scattered among lush citrus trees, herb-filled planters, bubbling fountains, stone fixtures, and potted chubby palms that surround the pool and hot tub. Impressive art from the owners’ collection can be found throughout. The resort is gloriously serene (in part because of its adults-only policy) with just 20 rooms, and it’s far enough from town to feel secluded while still being only a five-minute drive from downtown Palm Springs. The rooms in the luxe lodge are designed with vaulted beamed ceilings, concrete and stone floors, open showers, tubs fashioned out of horse troughs, and—after a recent mini facelift—bright white wood-paneled walls and hammocks on the private outdoor patios. The mostly outdoor onsite restaurant, The Barn Kitchen, does a veggie-heavy Cal-inspired lunch and dinner menu with offerings like cauliflower bisque, a quinoa-tabbouleh salad, and carrot cavatelli.
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Erin Feinblatt/Drift Palm SpringshotelDrift Palm Springs
This downtown-adjacent hotel that opened in spring 2023 just might be one of the coolest hotels in the city with the most spacious (and amenity-packed) rooms. Nearly all of the accommodations are multi-room suites replete with sleek electric ranges, full-size refrigerators, dishwashers, and kitchen islands—amenities you won’t find at most other hotels nearby. Decor skews neutral and minimalist with concrete floors, white walls, paper-covered orb sconces, light wood platform beds, natural fiber throw rugs, and black metal wall rods in lieu of closets. The entire property is centered around a giant swimming pool flanked by cushioned chaise lounge chairs, day beds, and mustard yellow umbrellas—plus a row of comfy cabanas. Grab creative Baja-inspired dishes like charred carrots in a sunflower seed crema, scallop crudo, or mahi tacos at the all-day eatery, Maleza. Outside of food and beverage, service is mainly behind the scenes here: There’s no lobby, front desk, or concierge. You can check in on your phone and text a digital concierge named Eve, who responds pretty quickly, for anything you need. Though there’s no daily maid service, you can request housekeeping for an additional fee.
Courtesy L'Horizon Resort & SpahotelL'Horizon Resort & Spa
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Gold List 2016 Hot List 2016 Readers' Choice Awards 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023L.A.-based residential designer Steve Hermann spent two years (and millions of dollars) turning the historic William F. Cody–designed L’Horizon into a luxurious boutique hotel. He didn’t alter the footprint much—the main house and 25 bungalows were built in 1952—but he added an open-air spa and an alfresco restaurant and gut-renovated the interiors. Hermann wanted the decor to work with the mid-century architecture without creating a time warp. As such, each bungalow is a mix of modern (custom hair-on-hide rugs, industrial-chic machined brass lighting and fixtures) and vintage (furniture from Percival Lafer, Mullhauser, Knoll, and Katavolos). And while it is a fun hotel, more private club than frat party, it’s also a place for quiet indulgences: The pool is guests-only; unexpected treats are brought to your room every afternoon (could be a scoop of ice cream, could be a shot of tequila); and roaming poolside therapists offer complimentary foot and shoulder massages. Request a west-facing bungalow with an outdoor shower and watch the sun go down over the San Jacinto Mountains while shampooing.
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Fleur Noire HotelhotelFleur Noire
$$One of Palm Springs’ newest properties is a hidden oasis on the north end of town with original custom floral murals throughout, lots of cute communal spaces, and a secret rosé bar that’s been getting plenty of buzz. The intimate property centers around single-story, Spanish-style stucco buildings that house 21 rooms and suites under their tiled roofs. All are boldly covered in colorfully hand-painted murals, and the hotel grounds boast a mix of native desert plantings interwoven with shady, green-barked palo verde trees. Guests can order dinner from standout sushi restaurant Sandfish, which sits behind the hotel, to enjoy in either their room or anywhere else on the property. In the morning, there’s a continental breakfast of pastries, juice, and coffee in the “clubhouse,” where you’ll also find snacks and non-alcoholic drinks you’re welcome to grab throughout the day. One of the hotel’s signature offerings is its pretty-in-pink (and uber-Instagrammable) La Boisson speakeasy bar, tucked behind pink French doors around the side of the property. It opened to the public in mid-March and serves rosé and Champagne in cozy garden seating.
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