38 Best Hotels in Palm Springs and the Desert Resorts, California

Tucked into a quiet neighborhood just off Highway 111, what was once a date farm and then a 1950s-era Elizabeth Arden spa is now a small but colorful palm-dotted resort with sizeable, comfortable, and fun suites and stand-alone bungalows. It feels like a Frida Kahlo painting come to life, with murals of succulents and cacti splashed across interior and exterior walls, eye-catching throw pillows and curios, wallpaper in bold patterns, hot-pink umbrellas, goldenrod-hued patio chairs, and encaustic-tile bars. The heated pool and adjacent bar, hot tub, putting green, and scattered second-story shared hallway patios invite you to linger outside while the wellness bungalows—part of the first outpost of the respected Palm Springs' day spa, Grounded—lure you back inside.

When new owners took over this motel built in 1946 as a bunkhouse for film stars shooting in and around Pioneertown (like Gene Autry, who used Room 9 for late-night poker games), they gave it a much-needed rehab while respecting its cowboy movie roots, so, although there are still beat-up wood doors and exposed-beam ceilings, there are also new sink basins, tiled showers, air-conditioning, and property-wide Wi-Fi. The decor leans hard into the Western-meets-high-desert aesthetic, with Mexican blankets, potted succulents, rope curtains on the closets, black-and-white photos of rock formations, and cowhide rugs. Guests can gather at outdoor tables and seating vignettes or in a 24-hour lounge with games and gourmet coffee; there's also an event space. It isn't fancy, but it isn't trying to be, and it definitely has a vibe. 

Adjacent to the Indian Wells Golf Resort and with soothing water—pools, ponds, lakes, fountains, streams—everywhere, this luxurious resort is popular with business travelers as well as families, who appreciate amenities like an arcade with virtual-reality experiences, a pool that also has a sandy beach, and the Desert Glow zone, which features duckpin bowling. Rooms are bright and airy, a touch deco even, with ample balconies that afford pool or mountain views.

Manhattan-based architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat took a ho-hum Holiday Inn of yore and turned it into a rainbow-bright stay for sunseekers, where the proudly loud palette—said to be inspired by the surrounding desert's wildflowers—is carried through the grounds, the pool area (which always seems to be mid-party), and the rooms. Weekend DJs, reasonable rates, a 24-hour fitness center, two flower-shape hot tubs, and a speakeasy-style bar entered through a door hidden in a bookcase are all siren songs for the young and hip, especially those with active social feeds.

Rustic earthiness meets haute design (rusted rolled-steel roof, open shelving, concrete-pebble floors, gallery walls, and so many accent pillows) at the adults-only Sparrows, a restored 1950s retreat originally built by actor Don Castle just off the main drag. Rooms hug a central stone-tiled pool, an open-air barn/bar where guests converge for conversation and coffee-table books, an all-day kitchen, and sitting nooks near the vegetable garden. There are no TVs in the rooms, but the Wi-Fi is fast, and the sun-dappled courtyard is calling anyway.

It became the first Tommy Bahama resort in late 2023, and with the change came public spaces, guest quarters, and amenities that were refreshed and reimagined to reflect the laidback resort wear and island lifestyle brand for which it is named. The setting remains intimate however, with 11 acres of lush gardens and fruit/olive groves dotted with fire pits, seating areas, and two-story bougainvillea-covered bungalow buildings containing comfortable guest rooms. The spa is one of the desert's best.

This resplendent, 72-acre resort, a ways off the road and behind a security gate and wall of vegetation, is equal parts historical property (Al Capone hid out here), hushed haven (no kids splashing in the grotto, no cars honking), high-end spa (treatment rooms look like they jumped from the pages of Dwell magazine), and hippie retreat (sage cleansing, sound baths, chakra balancing, tarot readings). Stress melts away the instant you slip into an alfresco teak tub and let the 100-degree lithium-laced water wash over you as you stare at the stars, nap in the hammock grove, sip wine or tea at Twine after taking a lap around the meditation labyrinth, or hop on the table for a little reflexology or a CBD-enhanced sugar scrub. Word of warning: inner peace comes with a hefty price tag that's even higher on weekends. 

Set on 360 manicured acres that include an acclaimed Pete Dye golf course, the polished, service-oriented Westin offers bright and recently renovated rooms, several restaurants (a celebrity chef–driven "backyard kitchen" among them), and a slew of activities for all ages—from tennis, bike rentals, and swimming in three pools (one with dual waterslides) to full-moon hikes, guided meditations, and cacao ceremonies. Guest quarters are in two-story, Spanish Mediterranean–style buildings that surround patios and fountains. All rooms have private patios or balconies, as well as the brand's signature Heavenly Beds. On cool mornings, enjoy a jog on the property's many paths, which wind past a koi pond and beds of blue salvia and pink petunias.