Located about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, Palm Springs is an easy weekend getaway from Los Angeles. Between the music festivals, Desert X, Modernism Week and the year-round activities, there is always a lot going on in this desert destination. Palm Springs is also one of the few places where smaller, boutique hotels thrive with more than 120 hotels and resorts in the area, so there are a lot of options when it comes to choosing where to stay. In fact, some might argue that there are too many options. That why we’ve rounded up the best hotels in Palm Springs below to help you plan your next trip. (And yes, each one has a pool because, duh.)
The 10 Best Hotels in Palm Springs for the Ultimate Desert Getaway
•
Published Jun 9, 2023
PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and some items may be gifted to us. Additionally, PureWow may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here.
Laure Joliet
1. Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel
- Why We Recommend It: the only rooftop pool in Coachella Valley, gorgeous views, pet-friendly
- Rates: starting from $186 per room per night
Even though the Kimpton Rowan is only seven stories high, it’s the tallest building in Palm Springs, which means it’s boasts one of the best views around of the desert valley and the mountains, depending on where you look. It also features a pool, an outdoor bar and a restaurant on the seventh floor rooftop, making it the ideal spot for watching the sunset with a cocktail in hand. Like other Kimpton properties, the Rowan is also a pet-friendly hotel (with no extra fee for pets) and they hold a daily happy hour from 4 to 5 p.m. Another charming touch is their Plant Pals program, where guests can borrow a potted plant to take up to their room during the stay.
Azure Sky
2. Azure Sky
- Why We Recommend It: adults-only, mid-century design, kitchenettes available
- Rates: starting from $181 per room per night
The 14-room boutique hotel opened just last year from Acme Hospitality Group, renovating an apartment complex which was originally built in 1959. Azure Sky is meant to be a quiet, adults-only escape. The rooms are spacious and most come with a kitchenette but there’s also daily continental breakfast at the lobby. Relax at the large swimming pool or gather with friends around the fire pit in the large courtyard they’re dubbing “the meadow.”
Azure Palm Hot Springs
- Why We Recommend It: semi-private mineral spring pools, 24-hour Himalayan salt room
- Rates: starting from $209 per room per night
Azure Palm in Desert Hot Springs is an upscale spa resort with geothermal pools. We especially like Azure Palm because unlike many other hot spring resorts, they have six outdoor hot spring tubs instead of just one large communal pool (although they do also have a bigger pool). While the outdoor tubs aren’t technically private, other guests tend to spread out and wait their turn—and there are plenty of spaces to do so between the hot tubs, pool, non-mineral jacuzzis, sauna and the salt room. As a bonus, the Himalayan salt room is open to hotel guests 24 hours a day, so you can enjoy it even after a late night out on the town.
Drift Palm Springs
- Why We Recommend It: AirBnB-style suites with hotel amenities, on-site restaurant
- Rates: starting from $192 per room per night
One of the newest hotels to open in Palm Springs is Drift, a 30-unit hotel with minimalist rooms that sports the soft color palette of the desert. In the center is a swimming pool surrounded by sun loungers and cabanas. Most of the rooms at Drift are suites that come with a full kitchen, including multi-bedroom suites that offer AirBnB-like lodging but with hotel facilities and without all the extra cleaning fees. The on-site restaurant, Maleza, offers coffee and pastries in the morning and modern Mexican cuisine and cocktails throughout the day.
5. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa
- Why We Recommend It: award-winning spa, soaking tub in every room
- Rates: starting from $179 per room per night
Run by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, this casino and AAA Four Diamond resort features a large swimming pool with a poolside bar and a fitness center. Every room at the resort also boasts a deep soaking tub so you can kick back and relax as the day’s stresses melt away. For even more relaxation, check out their award-winning, Forbes five-star Sunstone Spa. Book a massage and spend the day enjoying their spa pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms. P.S. They also recently opened The Spa at Séc-he with mineral spring tubs in downtown Palm Springs, where the original 12,000-year-old mineral spring is located.
Josh Cho
6. Casa Cody
- Why We Recommend It: peaceful oasis, historic charm
- Rates: starting from $210 per room per night
Casa Cody is the oldest operating hotel in Palm Springs and has attracted many celebrities throughout the decades. Today it’s a quiet and charming resort that combines three properties, each with its own unique touches. The two-bedroom Adobe house is the oldest structure on property, built in the early 1900s, and has been updated with modern creature comforts while maintaining the historic look. There are two pools on the property, a spa treatment room and a market with sandwiches, charcuterie boards and wine.
- Why We Recommend It: romantic, Moroccan-style villas, great wedding venue
- Rates: starting from $320 per room per night
Set in two restored Moroccan and Mediterranean-style villas, Korakia Pensione is one of the most beautiful and romantic Palm Springs hotels. With a courtyard oasis and arched doorways, Korakia is also one of the best wedding venues in California. Enjoy breakfast or Moroccan mint tea in the courtyard, stroll through the gardens or dip in one of the two saltwater pools. In the evening, the resort is lit up with candles and lanterns for a magical look.
La Quinta Resort
- Why We Recommend It: five-star resort, five golf courses, private pools
- Rates: starting from $188 per room per night
For golf lovers, the five-star La Quinta Resort is the place to stay. There are five different championship golf courses, including the Stadium Course at PGA West. The resort offers hacienda-style casitas and suites on 45 acres of beautifully manicured gardens. There are two pools and some of the casitas also offer private pools. The resort also offers plenty of opportunities to get active with multiple tennis and pickleball courts, a fitness center and yoga classes.
The Colony Palms Hotel
- Why We Recommend It: exclusive hideaway, chic design, adults-only, free yoga
- Rates: starting from $450 per room per night
Palm Springs meets Beverly Hills at this luxury adults-only resort that’s recently been redesigned by celebrity designer Steve Hermann. The rooms are decked out with either eye-catching green wallpapers or a more subdued gray, Italian linens and Le Labo toiletries. The pool is the center of activity, as is The Colony Club restaurant. Now under the helm of Chef Michael Hung, the poolside restaurant offers some of the best food and cocktails in town. Extra bonus: They offer a free yoga session every weekend morning.
- Why We Recommend It: boutique hotel, rosé speakeasy
- Rates: starting from $194 per room per night
Now a chic boutique hotel near downtown, this property was originally built in the 1940s as Burket’s Trade Winds Hotel. Fleur Noire Hôtel features bold floral wallpapers and flower murals in their 21 rooms and casitas. In addition to the pool, there is a courtyard that manages to feel lush and green with desert plants and a clubhouse with a communal pantry. Most importantly, Fleur Noire hides a Champagne rosé speakeasy behind a pink door.