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

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.

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.

At what is definitely not your grandad's luxury hotel, a cacophony of color, retro accessories, Moroccan textiles, and flamboyant art masterfully assembled by designer Jonathan Adler is paired with lush, mazelike grounds; attentive service; and amenities that include three saltwater pools, cozy firepits, free EV charging, clay tennis courts, pétanque, morning barista services, and a huge spa that looks like a Wes Anderson film set. The hip but rarefied air attracts a well-heeled and worldly clientele, who seem to enjoy not only the smell of the citrus trees and the jangly beats of a clubby soundtrack but also the wee bit of pretension. All accommodations—whether they be poolside kings, villas with multiple bathrooms and wooden swings, or quarters in the former Gene Autry residence—have private outdoor space that, in some cases, features a hammock secluded behind tall shrubs. This is a splurge for most people, but you can score deals on midweek or summer stays.

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.

The good times always seem to be rolling at this former Howard Johnson's that was brilliantly transformed into a buzzy boho boutique hotel by the hipster, Seattle-based Ace brand. Don't be surprised to find gaggles of guests playing trivia games while gathered around cozy communal fire pits, waving their hands in the air during a live show at the big wackily shaped main pool, or guzzling drinks in the Amigo Room. Rooms, on two floors, are spacious and immaculate with simple vintage appointments and fully stocked minibars. Some have fun extras: turntables, open-air showers, or ground-floor patios with fireplaces. The hotel is canine-friendly, with its own dog park. Weekend events and the pool day-pass program draw locals and enhance the party atmosphere.

This resort feels like a small-scale Sin City, thanks to a lobby-level casino, a 2,101-seat concert venue that welcomes household names, a cigar lounge, eight eateries (including a sports bar and a decadent steak house dishing up 32-ounce bone-in tomahawks), clubs and bars, a pool with cabanas, and a lavish spa. As in Las Vegas, though, once you ascend the 16-story tower to your spacious sleeping quarters—appointed with dark woods and classic beige color schemes—the cacophony below melts away. Niches hold original art, wall-to-wall windows frame mountain views and sandy expanses, beds are pillowtop, and marble bathrooms have oversize sunken tubs. 

With three pools and a spa spread over 4 acres of gardens, the upscale Avalon Hotel Palm Springs calls back to 1960s swanky, with private bungalows, lush gardens, and an emphasis on style. Guest rooms for two and villas for three or more, some with fireplaces and private patios, are spread out over four tree-shaded acres. Secluded nooks and black-and-white-striped cabanas make for excellent lounging. You can dine indoors or poolside on healthful Latin fare at the stylish restaurant, Chi Chi. The on-site Estrella Spa is one of the most luxurious and unique wellness centers in Palm Springs.

It's fitting that this healthful haven is set on Miracle Hill—in 2021, using the bones of an old hotel, it was resurrected and revitalized as an adults-only boutique property with individually decorated rooms and suites, a full-service spa, a juice-cleanse program, a café, a 100-foot mineral-water pool (the longest in Southern California), saunas and jetted hot tubs, a cold chamber, a Himalayan salt room, and thatch-shaded soaking tubs that are continuously refilled with fresh mineral water. Landscaped with native plants, this 1-acre oasis also features glorious valley and mountain views, a bucket shower, and a reflexology walk. Expansion plans are in the works to incorporate 5 more acres that will accommodate event space and additional holistic huts and treatment rooms.

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.

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.

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.

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.