December 15, 2023
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Here are the five best pet-friendly hotels in Palm Springs, California. Be sure to contact our Travel Specialists for the most up-to-date information and specific pet-friendly policies at each hotel.
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.
It’s been a journey for the Spanish Colonial gem that is the Colony Palms Hotel. Founded in 1936 by the (alleged) mobster Al Wertheimer, it became a favorite of the Hollywood in-crowd before they eventually decamped for more distant destinations. But now, a couple of name changes later, the refurbished and redesigned Colony Palms is once again a luxe and stylish destination, one that consciously recalls the glamour of the golden age of Hollywood — and Palm Springs — even as it attracts a new generation of boutique-hotel travelers.
The rooms and suites are decorated in an elegant, contemporary style, with echoes of the Art Deco style that was current at the time of the hotel’s original heyday. They’ve also got all the modern-luxe trimmings, from Nespresso machines, pillow-top mattresses, and down duvets to marble-clad bathrooms stocked with Le Labo bath products. For extra space and privacy (and a hot tub on the patio) book one of the bungalows, and for more, book the hotel’s crown jewel, the Hermann Residence.
Unlike some Palm Springs hotels, the Avalon is no Rat Pack wax museum or Jetsons-modernist fantasy — this hotel’s hacienda-style Spanish tile roofs and whitewashed stucco walls hide stylish interiors, a modern take on the Hollywood Regency style of the resort’s golden age, decorated in a smart contemporary palette of blacks, whites and yellows. Each of the Avalon's three courtyards is centered around a heated pool, surrounded by manicured gardens and citrus trees, and each is served by Chi Chi restaurant, a chameleon-like Cali-Latin eatery morphing from daytime casual bites to a cocktail-driven gourmet experience at nightfall.
Rooms are elegant and luxurious, with patios or balconies overlooking the courtyards and gardens, and the one- and two-bedroom villas are nearly palatial, with outdoor banquette seating, parlor rooms, and space enough to sleep four and six respectively. No expense is spared on the creature comforts, including Italian linens and robes and Thymes bath products. And though Palm Springs may feel like another world altogether, the Avalon isn’t exactly off the grid; broadband internet means that, for better or worse, business is just a fiber optic line away — or, if you’re old-fashioned, Los Angeles is just a two-and-a-half-hour drive.
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.
Despite its central location, just off Palm Canyon Drive, La Serena feels pleasantly private, a compound comprising 18 individual bungalows, each with a kitchenette and a private patio with an outdoor bathtub. They’re not all identical — some are rather more elaborate than others — but all are luxe enough, and certainly more than spacious enough. (They’re also dog-friendly, if that’s your travel style.)
There’s a lovely pool just off the lobby, and a second one at Whispers, the spa, which forms something of a compound within a compound. Bikes are available for guests to borrow, for a spin around downtown Palm Springs. Just be sure you’re back in time for dinner — Azúcar, the poolside restaurant, serves Mediterranean- and Mexican-inspired Californian fare, and has a lively bar to go along with it.
There are no shortage of pet-friendly hotels in Palm Springs, California. Here is every pet-friendly hotel in Palm Springs on Tablet:
Avalon Hotel and Bungalows Palm Springs
Colony Palms Hotel
Saguaro Palm Springs
Holiday House Palm Springs
La Serena Villas
If you have any questions about the rules and regulations about bringing your pet to a pet-friendly hotel, you can always contact our Travel Specialists for specific information. Below are a few frequently asked questions.
Usually a pet-friendly policy applies to dogs and cats, but sometimes only one or the other is allowed — and sometimes other types of pets (birds, lizards, unicorns), are allowed as well. Please note that certain hotels may also have a weight restriction for pets.
When we say pet-friendly, we mean a policy that allows pets -- but often there is a nightly or flat fee (sometimes called a "cleaning fee") as part of the policy.
Certain hotels specify that you may not leave your pet unattended. However, some offer daycare or dog-walking services.
Oftentimes, a pet-friendly policy will allow your pet outdoors at the hotel but not in public areas. You can always bring them a doggy bag.
Especially pet-friendly hotels provide pet amenities like food and water bowls, special beds, or treats. Be sure to contact our Travel Specialists for the most up-to-date information and specific pet-friendly policies at each hotel.
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