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

It's easy to fall in love with this new-in-2022, adults-only Acme Hospitality property in a restored mid-century jewel of an apartment complex—we're talking sun-dappled breezeways, clerestory windows, carved doors, a low-slung roof, and a full-wall white-brick fireplace fronted by a shag rug in the lobby living room. Your stay starts with a warm hello, a boozy welcome drink, and the first opportunity to decompress amid the hushed peace that can only be found at 21-and-over accommodations. The recuperation will continue in your spacious room, which will likely have a kitchenette and a patio hammock and will definitely be swathed in soothing organic tones and have gorgeous tile, custom millwork, and a bed built for deep sleep. Complete the relaxation process by meditating poolside or next to one of the longest (and best) firepits in town.

Boutique hospitality firm Casetta dusted off a hodgepodge of buildings—including an early-1900s adobe, a rare 1932 Olympic cottage, and a hacienda hotel once run by Buffalo Bill Cody's cousin, Harriet—to create the kind of exceptional lodging where you can easily lose track of time floating in one of two pools, eating fruit plucked off a property tree and sipping tea or coffee (available all day) in the bougainvillea-covered arcade, or watching sunlight and shadows crawl across the walls from your snuggly, never-want-to-leave bed. Studios, suites, and stand-alone casitas feature dark woods, Zellige tile, burnished metals, and rich colors like hunter green and burnt orange, which, when assembled just so, create a tailored, refined, farmhouse-meets-Santa-Fe-artist-studio vibe. This is a hotel for those who want to linger, finish their books, and eat fresh berries and cream every morning.

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.

This incredibly unique, Moroccan–Mediterranean mashup comprises Scottish painter Gordon Coutts' 1924 Tangier-inspired villa, a southern Europe–styled 1930s home once owned by silent film star J. Carol Naish, and a 1918 California adobe spread across 1½ acres on both sides of a quiet street a couple of blocks from downtown's main drag. Creative types and new bohemians are still drawn to the tranquil, sun-splashed grounds, which have generous day beds and turn sultry and dramatic at night with the flickering of hand-lit lanterns and fire bowls. In addition to full gourmet breakfasts served alfresco near the gurgling fountain, there's afternoon mint-tea service. No two rooms are the same, though most feature stone-heavy bathrooms, antique and hand-carved furniture, and plush bedding. Some have kitchenettes, outdoor showers, soaking tubs, or fireplaces. The resort fee is hefty at $60, but it funds lots of extras like poolside snacks, borrowable bikes, and welcome drinks. The spa is small and simple so opt for in-room chakra-balancing massages and vibrational scalp treatments.

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.

Offering all the comforts of home, this small B&B contains large rooms that surround the terra-cotta–tiled and very comfortable pool area, where you can spend quiet time soaking up the sun or taking a dip. In the morning, guests and the convivial innkeepers gather for a light breakfast. The rooms, done in soft yellows and beige, have European accents—headboards that resemble rustic French gates in one, and antique furnishings in others. For the most privacy, ask for an upstairs room. The inn does not encourage guests under age 14.

Rustic earthiness meets haute design (rusted rolled-steel roof, open shelving, concrete-pebble floors, gallery walls, and so many accent pillows) at the adults-only Sparrows, a restored 1950s retreat originally built by actor Don Castle just off the main drag. Rooms hug a central stone-tiled pool, an open-air barn/bar where guests converge for conversation and coffee-table books, an all-day kitchen, and sitting nooks near the vegetable garden. There are no TVs in the rooms, but the Wi-Fi is fast, and the sun-dappled courtyard is calling anyway.

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.