Wellness, Retro Glam, and Relaxation—Escape to Palms Springs at These 5 New and Renewed Desert Hotels

Palm Springs—and the surrounding Coachella Valley—has long served as a chic desert hideaway for Southern California’s glitterati seeking sunlight and seclusion. Today, Palm Springs proper has evolved into a popular vacation destination, welcoming everyone from the LGBTQ+ community to families and groups of friends. Across the city and neighboring towns, travelers will find a wide range of hotels and resorts offering distinctly different experiences, whether that’s a design-forward social scene, a restful retreat rooted in wellness, or a kid-friendly escape.

Known for its striking midcentury-modern architecture, the region continues to celebrate that legacy through restored heritage properties, while a new wave of openings showcase a desert modern aesthetic. In recent years, Palm Springs has welcomed several new hotels along with existing resorts that have been overhauled, notably the iconic La Quinta Resort and Club, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026 following an extensive overhaul.

Whether you want to embrace a Coachella Valley classic or a contemporary newcomer, these new and renewed Palm Springs hotels are worth exploring on your next visit.

Drift Palm Springs

Courtesy of Drift Palm Springs

This intimate 39-room desert-modern hotel within walking distance of the heart of downtown Palm Springs is an ideal headquarters for a group getaway. Room layouts range from standard studios to two-, three-, and even four-bedroom suites (the latter with three full en suite bathrooms), complete with living rooms and kitchens, making it feel like your personal desert villa within a hotel.

Opened in 2023, Drift Palm Springs has become a standout in the heart of Palm Springs, with chic decor that marries muted desert shades with pops of color (like the bright yellow umbrellas lining the pool area), artisan Mexican furnishings, and details like hammocks on the balconies. The on-site restaurant, Maleza, a buzzy scene unto itself, serves Baja-inspired brunch, lunch, and dinner (chilaquiles, breakfast burritos, tacos, and a wagyu skirt steak are all on the menu), alongside margaritas and mezcal-fueled cocktails.

There’s no spa on site, but wellness is woven in with complimentary Saturday morning yoga classes, bikes for cruising around town, and access to Form online fitness classes and workout equipment.

La Quinta Resort & Club

Courtesy of La Quinta Resort & Club

When San Francisco businessman Walter H. Morgan opened La Quinta Resort & Club in 1926, 20 hand-built adobe casitas and an open-air dining room rounded out the offerings in the wide, empty desert. In the property’s 1930s Hollywood heyday, Ginger Rogers, Frank Capra, and Greta Garbo retreated here for rest and relaxation.

Today, the 45-acre resort (in the city of La Quinta, named for Morgan’s hotel and incorporated in 1982) is the oldest and longest-operating resort in the Coachella Valley. It now includes 620 newly refreshed casitas and 98 one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas. The original Spanish colonial revival architecture remains intact, from fireplaces to hand-painted tile work, and every year during winter’s festive season, multigenerational families return to play golf, pickleball, and tennis and to enjoy the property’s 42 pools.

Now part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, La Quinta has also partnered with AutoCamp Joshua Tree to offer guests a mix of valley and high desert experiences. —Julia Cosgrove

Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage

Courtesy of Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage

Palm Springs may be the desert’s epicenter, but about 20 minutes away, Rancho Mirage offers a quieter, more upscale setting beneath the imposing San Jacinto Mountains. Above it all, the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage recently completed a two-year renovation to its 260 guest rooms (including 48 suites) and public spaces, reimaging them in natural desert tones and adding features like outdoor firepits on the terraces of some rooms.

A meal at the cliffside Edge Steakhouse, open to both guests and nonguests, is reason enough to visit, thanks to its soaring windows and valley views. The menu includes warm bread service, continues with seafood starters like hamachi crudo, and an impressive lineup of steaks, including filet mignon, a 90-day dry-aged porterhouse, and a wagyu tomahawk, plus fish, pork, and lamb mains. For dessert, don’t miss the Cactus Melange, cactus and lime custard with mint, white chocolate, cactus sherbet, and prickly pear foam.

For something more casual, the airy State Fare Bar & Kitchen serves California classics like ahi tuna sashimi, salmon, and caesar salad. Club level rooms grant access to meals and snacks throughout the day in the Club Lounge, while families can take little ones to play games and do crafts at the Ritz Kids club. With separate all-ages and adults-only pools, a full-service spa, fitness center, daily yoga, and fitness classes, golf, and guided hikes, this is high-touch luxury in the California desert.

Terra Palm Springs

Photo by Pablo Enriquez/Terra Palm Springs

Terra Palm Springs is a low-key, wellness-focused retreat that opened in January 2025 at the northern end of downtown in the Movie Colony neighborhood. The intimate property has just 13 rooms, ranging from an outdoor spa suite with an open-air soaking tub and views of the San Jacinto Mountains to a private room with a cold plunge pool. Interiors are steeped in neutral hues and natural materials like wood, terra cotta, and stone.

Wellness amenities include a Himalayan salt sauna, a rain room, a main pool, and a hot tub. The on-site spa draws from Ayurvedic traditions, offering herbal massages, Reiki, and a desert purification ritual. Weekend programming includes group fitness, meditation, and sound baths experiences. There’s no full-service restaurant, but guests can order poolside bites along with coffee, juices, cocktails, and low-ABV drinks.

Thompson Palm Springs

Courtesy of Thompson Palm Springs

For World of Hyatt devotees, the 168-room Thompson Palm Springs, which opened in 2025, offers a points-friendly stay in the heart of downtown’s design district. For those seeking more serenity, Upper Stories is a 42-room, adults-only enclave with its own pool within the hotel.

The hotel’s ultra modern architecture is accented by a bold collection of colorful original artworks displayed among the plush seating throughout the property. From this modern oasis, guests can walk to some of the city’s best restaurants like Workshop Kitchen & Bar (a brutalist space known for its Michelin-recommended global contemporary cuisine) and Cheeky’s (for a buzzing brunch scene). Prefer to stay put? Try the poolside Mediterranean restaurant Lola Rose Grand Mezze, which serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and drinks. Or head to Bar Issi for a coastal Italian menu. Drinks are also available at the Hall Napa Valley Tasting Room or in the sleek Lola Rose Lounge.