The Ace Hotel & Swim Club
Very much the new kid in town, the Ace's fourth outpost (there are also hotels in Portland, Seattle and New York) has aimed itself squarely at the younger crowd. The furnishings are designed to make any modern hipster/nomad feel at home: canvas is the dominant fabric, bath robes have a Jedi style hood, magazine clippings are artfully bulldog clipped to wooden wall slats, and the larger rooms come with a turntable and a selection of vinyl albums … which might all sound a little strained, but the concept actually comes together nicely. To underline the semi-communal vibe, the phrase "We're all in this together" has been daubed in various locations, and there are yurts for massages near the herb garden.
• 701 East Palm Canyon Drive (+1 760 325 9900, acehotel.com/palmsprings); double rooms from $79
The Rendezvous B&B
Formerly known as Ballantine's, and before that the Mira Loma (when guests included Marilyn Monroe, Veronica Lake and Gloria Swanson), the small and friendly Rendezvous is a reasonably priced celebration of Palm Springs kitsch. The 10 rooms surround a central pool, and each has its own theme: in Shake, Rattle 'n' Roll there's a giant picture of Elvis over the bed; Honeymoon Hideway (the biggest room) pays homage to Fred & Ginger. Considerate touches includes the free use of cruiser bicycles (the best method of tackling the Palm Springs main drag), home-baked cookies … and if you'd like to get married, ask the manager: he's a minister.
• 1420 North Indian Canyon Drive, +1 760 320 1178 (palmspringsrendezvous.com); double rooms from $129
The Alexander Inn
It's hard to believe there aren't more places in Palm Springs like this one – it's essentially a former residence converted into four spacious poolside "villa suites" and owner Dean did a fantastic job with the 2008 renovation. Each room has a separate living area and a fully equipped kitchen (including washer/dryers), so there's the option of stocking up at the nearby Ralphs supermarket if you don't fancy eating out, and shaded patios offer a feeling of privacy. Those of a sporting persuasion might want to take advantage of the bocce ball/boules court in the garden.
• 1425 South Via Soledad (+1 760 327 4970, alexander-inn.com); one-bedroom villas from $140
The Horizon
Like the Del Marcos (below), the recently restored Horizon was designed by influential mid-century modern architect William F Cody, and to the credit of the owners (who come from Oregon), the interiors are uncluttered and simple to make the most of the property's clean lines and maximise that sense of spatial connection to the San Jacinto mountains and the big desert sky. A "no kids" policy and low room count (22 total) means the large, central salt-water pool is unlikely to get rowdy. Ask for one of the king kitchenettes with an outdoor shower (great value in summer at $139, weekdays). Insider tip: room 4A has a huge patio.
• 1050 East Palm Canyon Drive (+1 760 323 1858, thehorizonhotel.com); double rooms from $109
The Movie Colony
Concierge John-Michael swears that Jim Morrison made the leap from balcony to pool here in 1969, and that Frank Sinatra was a resident while his nearby home was being renovated – and even though the myth of celebrity tends to get overblown, if not utterly fabricated, in southern California, we found no reason not to take him at his word. Leading desert modernist architect Albert Frey was responsible for the blueprints, although the building process went through three phases over as many decades, from 1935 to 1955. Owner/artist Donald Smith has incorporated his own abstract artwork into the decor, and the hotel's "sunset wine hour" is a great excuse to sit round the fire-pit.
• 726 North Indian Canyon Drive (+1 760 320 1640, moviecolonyhotel.com); double rooms from $99
The Willows
Built in 1924 by attorney Samuel Untermyer, who hosted friend and fellow Palm Springs-lover Albert Einstein, the Willows was rescued from near-complete disrepair in the mid-90s by a couple of emergency room doctors from Los Angeles: husband and wife Paul Marut and Tracy Conrad. Their meticulous restoration and carefully sourced period decor has recreated the kind of throwback opulence once enjoyed by Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, who took their honeymoon here. A waterfall cascades down rocks outside the dining room, and roadrunners can be spotted zipping around the grounds.
• 12 West Tahquitz Canyon Way (+1 760 320 0771, thewillowspalmsprings.com); double rooms from $275
Caliente Tropics
Fronted by an imposing A-frame entrance, this pet-friendly Polynesian/tiki-themed resort has plenty going for it – a recently refurbished restaurant (with a striking dirt-bike mural), a huge pool, a new bar (awaiting booze licence at the time of writing) and refurbished rooms. Elvis and Nancy Sinatra stayed here in the 60s, and those interested in the darker side of Californian history may like to know that the wife and son of original owner Ken Kimes were infamous con artists. So it seems fitting that the property was featured as a location in the Justin Timberlake true-life crime movie, Alpha Dog (2006).
• 411 East Palm Canyon Drive (+1 760 327 1391, calientetropics.com); double rooms from $73.80
The Colony Palms
Former proprietors of this Spanish colonial-style hotel have included 30s mobster Al Wertheimer and the owners of champion racehorse Seabiscuit, but the most recent overhaul dates from 2007, when the building's 57 rooms and charming wooden balconies were thoroughly spruced up: French tiles and headboard fabric from Uzbekistan are among the most eye-catching design features, and some rooms have free-standing bath tubs and fireplaces. The on-site Purple Palm restaurant is popular with non-guests and serves a unique lavender mojito. If you plan to stay for more than a couple of nights, the $50 Colony Club Card pays for itself in room/dining discounts.
• 572 North Indian Canyon Drive (+1 760 969 1800, colonypalmshotel.com); double rooms from $99
The Del Marcos
The signed lobby photo of Tarzan's faithful monkey/sidekick, Cheeta, is one good reason to check in at the Del Marcos, but there are many others, not least that it was the first architectural project in Palm Springs undertaken by William F Cody, who would go on to design the Palm Springs library. Some of the clocks and lampshades are original – there's even an original working extractor fan – and one (kitchenette deluxe) room has been named after Julius Shulman, an architectural photographer known for his shots of this and other modernist buildings. Real-life connections with the Errol Flynn suite and the Oceans 11 suite are harder to ascertain.
• 225 West Baristo Road (+1 760 325 6902, delmarcoshotel.com); double rooms from $89
The Parker
Designer Jonathan Adler's 2004 remodelling of the Parker – formerly the Melody Ranch, owned by "singing cowboy" Gene Autry, then the Merv Griffin Givenchy Spa & Resort – has held up really well: his distinctive ceramics and playful selection of furnishings (suit of armour; photo portraits of 70s actors like Telly Savalas and Goldie Hawn; a sheep-like chair) rarely fail to raise smiles on the faces of arriving guests. Sometimes mellow, often lively, this place provides arguably the fastest route to the heart of 21st century Palm Springs leisure life in all its moisturised poolside glory, and was the subject of a short-lived 2007 reality TV series. • 4200 East Palm Canyon Drive, +1 760 770 5000, theparkerpalmsprings.com); double rooms from $225
Note on room rates: Palm Springs is blisteringly hot from June to October (a couple of hotels even shutter up for the summer) so low-season rates can deliver excellent savings compared to the more popular winter season. Check specials on hotel websites. Tax of 11.5% should be added to all quoted prices.
Virgin Atlantic flies from London Heathrow to Los Angeles from £393.67 return including taxes.
