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

Accommodations at the closest lodging to Joshua Tree National Park's north entrance are in adobe-and-wood-frame cottages, some dating from the 1920s and '30s (indeed, James Cagney was often found playing the piano in the inn's bar back in the day), set on 70 acres of grounds that include the ancient Oasis of Mara, a popular bird-watching spot, and the organic farm that provides produce to the on-site restaurant. The innkeepers' gracious, personalized service more than makes up for the rusticity of the cottages. Weekends see free nature walks and yoga sessions.

A stay at this pristine property, opened in 2022 by a trusted name in Golden State glamping, barely qualifies as roughing it thanks to refurbished Airstream and other more spacious RVs (four of them ADA accessible) that are done in calming neutral tones; filled with space-saving hacks; and equipped with panoramic windows, TVs, high-thread-count sheets on actual mattresses, kitchenettes, full bathrooms, and workhorse HVAC systems. The amenities fee covers the use of bicycles, weekly programs like stargazing and yoga, and morning coffee or tea and granola. Lawn games, a play area, and a pool that's heated in winter keep the kids happy. There's also an on-site market that carries food and booze, as well as an all-day café.

Opened in 2023, the third hotel from a thriving new name in West Coast hospitality is a neutral-toned nirvana that combines a touch of Tulum with mid-century nods and offers a desirable, convenient location and free self-parking; suites and studios can accommodate individuals and couples or families and other groups of varying sizes.  Desert-sojourn musts like a refreshing pool, yoga, lawn games, firepits, and photogenic cacti; and such mod cons as digital check-in, coded room entry, pour-over coffee equipment, and steamers that actually work are included. The on-site Mexican restaurant, Maleza, serves tasty Baja bites like tacos, ceviche, queso fundido (melted cheese with chorizo), and chimichurri chicken.

As the tallest building in town, this upscale boutique dazzles locals and guests (especially the under-45 set) with stunning mountain, museum-installation, and twinkling, after-dark, urban views from guest rooms and suites, the bar, the seventh-story restaurant, and the deck that surrounds the city's lone rooftop pool. It's classy and arty but unpretentious, making guests feel at home with free perks like sunrise coffee service, a daily social hour with beer and wine, and family fridges for nursing moms to store the goods. All accommodations have plush robes, Wi-Fi, a sense-of-place decor, and a signature Kimpton yoga mat.

The draws at this desert hideaway a short drive from Anza Borrego State Park include three guest-only pools, a hot tub, five night-lit tennis courts and two pickleball courts, a yoga studio, a spa, a restaurant, and the lively Fox Den Bar. The 42-acre property pays tribute to its surroundings with a cactus garden, a firepit, and two tall, welded-metal animal sculptures by local artist Ricardo Breceda. Deluxe guest rooms and spacious casitas—from one to four bedrooms—are all decorated in a minimalist desert style that focuses on comfort and have thick comforters, flat-screen TVs, and Wi-Fi.

High on a hill overlooking the Coachella Valley, this posh resort spoils guests with exemplary service and comforts that include two pools, one of the desert's finest full-service spas, complimentary fitness classes, and two restaurants. Adding visual drama and more places to relax are several water and fire features, including a rocky cascade in the spa's outdoor lounge and 38 rooms with personal firepits on their patios. Rooms were made even more soothing and sumptuous with a complete remaster in 2023, so it will take some convincing to get out of bed. Just try not to miss the stargazing experiences or guided hikes.

When this stone mansion was built back in 1925 (by a WW I vet who married into a wealthy family before being sent to the desert as a remedy for mustard-gas exposure), no expense was spared, as evidenced by the 50-foot-long great room's planked-maple floor, the intricate carpentry, and the huge stone fireplaces that warm the house on cold nights. Accommodations include two-bedroom suites in the main house, rooms in the converted barn, and cottages—one of them by the pool and hot tub—sprinkled across 25 secluded acres amid Washingtonia palms. Amenities vary by room but can include private patios, firepits, fireplaces, and kitchenettes.

A half-block from El Paseo shopping strip, this hip, pet-friendly hotel (under Marriott's Autograph Collection umbrella) reflects the mid-century modern history and upscale, yet casual lifestyle of the desert. Contemporary art is on display in public areas, as well as in rooms and suites, most of which have a balcony or small terrace. Regular pop-ups take place in the lobby, which contains a 1955 cherry-red Cadillac, or in the courtyard, which has an airstream trailer, a pool, a hot tub, firepits, lawn games, and a putting green. Amenities also include a café, restaurant, spa, and morning yoga classes.

Spread across 45 acres, this behemoth resort adjacent to the Golf Resort at Indian Wells is one of the grandest in the desert (especially after a $21 million renovation in 2020), with its nine pools, two golf courses, a water park that has dueling 30-foot slides and a 450-foot lazy river, a marketplace with Starbucks, three restaurants, outdoor games, tennis/pickleball courts, and a full-service spa. Standard rooms, large even by local standards, come with furnished patios or balconies, and villas have entire backyards. Despite its resort-y trappings, the Hyatt actually caters to business travelers, who take advantage of the opportunity to hit the links, jogging trails, and bike paths on free-to-borrow cruisers between meetings in 88,000 square feet of flexible event space.

Set on 450 landscaped acres,18 of which are lakes and waterways, this crisp, contemporary resort is the size of a small village and attracts business travelers, couples, and families who appreciate the amenities that give it a "park once and never have to leave" vibe. You can play tennis or pickleball, get in a round of golf on one of two courses, or lounge beside one of three pools. Facilities here also include seven restaurants, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a huge spa with a Turkish hammam, and the largest hotel ballroom in the Greater Palm Springs area. Rooms have lake or mountains views, balconies, work spaces with built-in USB ports, and oversize bathrooms.

Opened in 1926 and now a member of the Hilton's Curio Collection, the desert's oldest resort, a 45-acre oasis, feels like a small town made up of expansive lawns with quiet, flowery spots to sit and myriad adobe casitas, suites, and villas. (Coincidentally, it is one of only two resorts in America with the city named after it.) With 23 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, 41 pools, 53 hot tubs, five restaurants that pride themselves on partnerships with local farms and visiting wineries, five world-class golf courses, and a 23,000 square-foot spa with a trendy recovery-focused treatment menu, every guest, no matter their interests, will be able to find something to keep them occupied. Historic rooms have interesting backstories involving 12 presidents, titans of industry, and famous folks like Charlie Chaplin, Tom Hanks, and Barbara Streisand. Newer two-story units showcase mineral-color tiles, individual swimming pools, fireplaces, stocked refrigerators, and fruit-laden orange trees.

Home to the Splashtopia water park—with a lazy river, two 100-foot waterslides, fountain and sprinkler zones, a cliff-side hot tub, and a sandy beach—this is probably the desert's most family-friendly resort, though guests without kids can escape to the adults-only pool, the spa, or the golf course. There are also pickleball and tennis courts; a kids club; and lots of daily activities like bingo, water aerobics, movies, and sand-art workshops—some of which are included in the daily $55 resort fee. Spacious rooms are in two-story Spanish-style buildings that surround lovely courtyards and gardens on 240 acres.

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.

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.