The Palm Springs Hotel

Fifteen Rooms, Fifteen Hollywood Names, One Pool

On North Palm Canyon Drive, a few minutes' drive from downtown, a single-story 1960s motel was stripped down and rebuilt in 2014 into fifteen rooms, each one named for a Rat Pack-era star: Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Paul Newman among them. The lobby sets the tone before a guest reaches a room, navy velour armchairs, a gray leather sofa, a wood-grain reception counter, shag rugs, and framed portraits of the same Hollywood faces the rooms are named after. It's a small property with a clear idea of itself, more interested in getting the mid-century details right than in adding square footage.

Why It Works

We chose The Palm Springs Hotel for its commitment to a single, well-executed idea. Bright rooms in white, pale marble-effect floors, and bold blue or orange accents avoid the trap of looking like a theme without substance; vintage table fans and wire-cage light fixtures do the work instead of a heavier hand. A 24-hour pool heated to 85 degrees, a 104-degree hot tub, and cement fire pits that fill with guests after dark give the property a real social center, something a quieter boutique often lacks. None of it reads as costume: the restraint is what keeps the retro idea from tipping into kitsch.

Why This Location

The hotel sits on North Palm Canyon Drive, about a four-minute drive from downtown Palm Springs, with restaurants and shops within walking distance of the property itself. The Palm Springs Art Museum is roughly six minutes away, the Aerial Tramway about eleven, and Indian Canyons around seventeen. The free Palm Springs Buzz trolley, running Thursday through Sunday, stops across the street, making it possible to reach downtown without a car on weekend nights. The airport sits about nine minutes away, close enough for a late check-in after a flight.

Fast Facts

• Price: Premium

• Vibe: retro, playful, mid-century motel-turned-boutique

• Rooms: 15, each named for a Rat Pack-era star, including the two-room Frank & Dean King Suite

• Best For: travelers who want character and a lively pool scene over square footage or a full-service resort

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the cement fire pits beside the pool, lit and full of guests most evenings

• Dining: no restaurant or breakfast; lobby snacks and a bar

• Amenities: 24-hour heated pool, hot tub, fire pits, free Wi-Fi and parking, 48-inch TVs with Apple TV, Keurig machines

• Attractions: downtown Palm Springs, Palm Springs Art Museum, Aerial Tramway, Indian Canyons

A Room Named for Sinatra, and Fourteen Others

Each of the fifteen rooms carries the name of a star from Hollywood's Rat Pack years, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley among them, and the decor follows through: white walls, pale gray marble-effect floors, and accent walls in blue or orange, finished with shag rugs and vintage touches rather than literal memorabilia. The Frank & Dean King Suite goes further, adding a separate living room, a second television, and a clawfoot tub, the closest thing on the property to a suite in the traditional sense. Storage runs small throughout, and sinks in standard rooms are modest, a trade worth knowing before arrival and easy enough to work around for a short stay.

The Pool Is the Point

Unlike many boutique motels converted for a design crowd, this one treats its pool as the main event rather than an afterthought. Open 24 hours and heated to 85 degrees year-round, it sits among palm trees with mountain views, with an adjacent 104-degree hot tub, both lit after dark. The cement fire pits nearby draw an evening crowd for cocktails, and the atmosphere stays closer to a neighborhood gathering than a party scene, true to the property's own description of itself as not a party hotel. Guests who want quiet can still find it; the pool just isn't where they'll find it after sundown.