The Best Boutique Hotels in Palm Springs

January 11, 2023

Tablet is your source for discovering the world’s most exciting boutique hotels — places where you’ll find a memorable experience, not just a room for the night. For over twenty years we’ve scoured the earth, evaluating hotels for every taste and budget, creating a hand-picked selection that’s proven and unforgettable. Now, we’re the official hotel selection of the legendary MICHELIN Guide.

Ace Hotel & Swim Club

We’re always glad to see a classic American roadside motor inn de-branded, renovated and repurposed. It’s a shame to see these mid-century buildings torn down, and as the building disappears, so does an example of an authentically American cultural form. Luxury boutiques can stay in the cities, and luxury villas can stay in Bali, where they belong — on the highways of the American west the motel is king.

Admittedly, though, we didn’t see this one coming. For the Seattle-based Ace Hotel group, an expansion into downtown Portland was always in the cards. An outpost in Manhattan presents a challenge, but not a total re-invention. Palm Springs, however, is another matter entirely — but if anyone’s capable of swimming against the twin tides of faded mid-century design museums and bland contemporary luxury resorts, in the process making Palm Springs both hip and affordable once again, you have to imagine it’s Ace.

Sands Hotel & Spa

When you think of palm-fringed SoCal desert oases, the words “Palm Springs” naturally come to mind. But it’s actually the whole Coachella Valley you’re picturing, from Palm Springs proper to Indio, and everywhere in between. This includes the upscale resort town of Indian Wells, which is perhaps most famous for its annual tennis tournament, but which, it turns out, is a worthy destination year-round. And thanks in part to the newly rejuvenated Sands Hotel and Spa, it’s got a luxury boutique hotel that’s on a level, both aesthetically and in terms of comfort, with the best in the region.

It’s a thorough reimagining of the original 1950s-era Sands, updated by designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard into something very contemporary, whose mid-century references are conscious rather than inherited and whose Moroccan influence gives it a visual identity all its own. The rooms, just 46 of them, are given plenty of space to spread out, and many come with private patios or balconies. The spa, naturally, plays up the Moroccan angle, and the pool, with its cabanas, is a delight. And the restaurant, the Pink Cabana, will serve Mediterranean-inspired fare — perfect for the hot days and cool desert nights of the Coachella Valley.

Hope Springs Resort

Hope Springs references two aspects of classic Californiana at once — on the one hand, the mid-century modernist roadside motel (whose resurgence we just can’t get enough of), and on the other, the natural hot springs that are the hotel’s main attraction. It’s the sort of thing that maybe should go without saying, but these days is too easily overlooked: the “springs” in Palm Springs is there for a reason. Nowadays it’s mostly a mecca for golfers, and mid-century architecture obsessives, but once upon a time this corner of the desert — specifically Desert Hot Springs, twenty minutes outside Palm Springs proper — was known for its geothermal waters.

After extensive renovations it’s down to just ten pared-down minimalist-chic rooms, which adds to the private-retreat aspect of the place — it’s on a whole different scale from the typical Palm Springs resort. Each comes with king bed, CD player, and little else; there’s wireless internet access, if you simply must stay connected, but no TV or phone, and laptops and cell phones by the pools are gently discouraged, which goes a long way to underline the emphasis on tranquil seclusion.

Holiday House Palm Springs

At Holiday House, a 28-room boutique hotel in downtown Palm Springs, there’s no messing about with superior, deluxe, and the like: the room categories are Good, Better, and Best. And the good is pretty good, indeed. Good means bright and cheerful, with original artwork, bath hardware by Waterworks, and custom textiles by Mark D. Sikes, the same Hollywood-based designer who reimagined the hotel’s interiors during recent restorations. Better means bigger, in this case, with a wet bar for good measure. And Best means mountain views, plus a private balcony or patio where you can properly enjoy them. (If the Best isn’t quite good enough, look into one of Holiday House’s top-of-the-line options, the aptly named Big Room or The Suite.)

The tongue-in-cheek room categories are a new addition, but Holiday House has been around for decades. The hotel first opened its doors in 1951, during the resort town’s golden age — original amenities included a shuffleboard court and English bicycles for guests. Much of its midcentury character remains. But now, thanks to the design overhaul, it caters to the whims of modern travelers. Cozy communal spaces where you can catch up on work, check. A cool tile-lined bar serving classic cocktails all day, check. A healthy continental breakfast and the requisite swimming pool to lounge around in your vintage-inspired swimwear: double-check.

Sparrows Lodge

Take a hint from the word-of-mouth publicity, the quiet poolside crowd in retro swimwear, and the understated logo — a minimalist illustration of two little birds perched on a branch. Sparrows Lodge is not aiming for the mainstream. Recycled from the Fifties and refreshed for a style-conscious clientele, this woodsy hideaway is the kind of place where people play horseshoes, swing wooden tennis rackets and read books by their private campfires. At night, the property’s original red barn opens for dinner and drinks. It’s like a dreamy hipster version of the summer camp of your childhood — complete with artisan cocktails and deep, luxurious bathtubs fashioned out of old horse troughs.

Considering the mini-Renaissance of Palm Springs as a weekend getaway for cool LA kids working in design and fashion, there’s certainly a place for a rustic-chic ranch in this corner of the desert. And unlike many of Palm Springs’s revamped boutique hotels, the twenty-room Sparrows Lodge has a distinctly outdoorsy vibe: think built-in redwood furniture, tin roofs, patio fireplaces, stone floors, earth tones, exposed beams. There are four categories of rooms and suites: the most luxurious is the spacious Fireplace Room, named for its cozy gas-burning fireplace.

View our entire selection of Palm Springs Boutique Hotels

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