10 Resorts for a Retreat in Palm Springs and Joshua Tree Park
Palm Springs is one of the most vintage vacation destinations in America. The almost official resort city of the Los Angeles metropolis (just an hour and a half drive) is an especially fun getaway with almost year-round summer weather and large resort hotels. In recent years, huge new resorts have also been built mainly in the developing areas south of the city, in Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, and of course Indian Wells, the golf town that has become a luxury brand of its own.
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So before you rush to find a flight to Los Angeles, want to get a little familiar with Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park?
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Luxury 5-Star Plus Resorts in Palm Springs
L'Horizon Resort & Spa, Hermann Bungalows
L'Horizon Resort is probably the most luxurious and opulent place in Coachella Valley (excluding the private villas in Indian Wells near the professional PGA golf courses). It's a large-scale luxury resort (but with not many rooms) that offers all the desert indulgences of Palm Springs. It's located on the city's southern axis – East Palm Canyon Drive, a minute's drive from the center.
Accommodation is in large, well-equipped bungalows, some with private pools and some making do with the central big pool amidst the bungalows, which is beautiful and elegant in its own right. The bungalows have deck terraces and, if needed, gardens around the pool that are particularly delightful. The culinary level of the resort is very high, service level is optimal, and there are treatment menus and plenty of indulgences around.
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La Maison Hotel
The Maison Hotel, located on East Palm Canyon Drive, not far from Hermans Bungalows, is a popular luxury resort that costs about half of its super luxurious neighbor. It's a wonderful and beloved resort with a regular clientele and all the desert fun of Palm Springs. It's a quiet hotel, meaning it's adults only, with small pools and a Jacuzzi, green and pleasant public areas, and excellent culinary offerings. The hotel features large ground-floor rooms with private balconies, plenty of activities, and an almost familial atmosphere.
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The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage
The brand-new and grand Ritz-Carlton resort was built in Rancho Mirage, a southern part of Cathedral City, just a twenty-minute drive from downtown Palm Springs. It’s a luxury resort in all its splendor with all the grandeur you’d expect from the brand. The hotel boasts large and modern rooms, an elegant and expansive pool surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens beckoning you to relax. The culinary level at the resort is top-notch, offering every possible indulgence.
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4-Star Vacation Hotels in Palm Springs
Alcazar Palm Springs
The Alcazar is one of the historic hotels that opened the vacation culture of Palm Springs. It's a four-star hotel that has undergone a series of renovations and today the facilities feel quite modern. The hotel has everything you need for a getaway (but not luxurious), a fun pool, excellent dining options, green areas, and all the desert fun. The hotel is right in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, between Indian Canyon Drive and North Palm Canyon Drive.
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JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa and Marriott's Desert Springs Villas
Marriott Desert Springs is a massive resort in the heart of Palm Desert's intensive development area, near the luxury residences of Indian Wells. The villas are the complex's luxury accommodations, but you can also comfortably stay (at a better price) in the resort rooms themselves. Although the bookings are separate, it is a single concentrated vacation area, including pools, a large spa complex, artificial lakes surrounded by many green gardens, high-level cuisine, and all the efficient but not overly luxurious fun of the American giant chain.
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Hilton Grand Vacations Club Palm Desert
Another massive chain resort in Palm Desert is Hilton's grand lodging facility. It's a family vacation resort with numerous sports facilities and an official rating of three stars (actually more like four plus). The resort has large rooms with a kitchenette, perfect for the whole family stay. It offers a modest pool, tennis and basketball courts, fine dining, and everything needed for a family getaway in the desert.
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Azure Sky Hotel
The Azure Sky is a small and quality hotel with a four-star rating near the East Palm Canyon Drive axis, south of downtown. It's an adults-only hotel with an almost boutique vibe. The hotel features rooms with modern decor, inviting public areas, a small but fun pool, and plenty of mingling options.
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Fleur Noire Hotel
Fleur Noire – the black flower, is a small four-star hotel right in the heart of downtown Palm Springs. The hotel is almost a perfect blend of a boutique hotel in the city center with a particularly fun desert getaway vibe. The hotel offers well-designed rooms, fun public spaces for mingling, and a central pool that is not huge but sufficient (because the hotel doesn't have many rooms).
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Motels near Joshua Tree National Park
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Twentynine Palms
The Fairfield Inn is an efficient desert motel in Twentynine Palms and an ideal base for a trip to Joshua Tree National Park. It's located a short drive from the park gates and two minutes by car from the town's main street where there are shops and restaurants. The hotel offers large rooms suitable for families, a few public areas, a breakfast restaurant, and a pool that's not big but definitely cool.
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Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Twentynine Palms, an IHG Hotel
The Holiday Inn Express in Twentynine Palms is one of the best accommodation choices (and there aren't many) near Joshua Tree National Park. Most visitors to the park find lodging in Palm Springs, about a 45-minute drive from the park. But for those who want to head to the park early or come to stargaze, the Holiday Inn motel is a great lodging solution. It's a desert hotel that operates under the consistent standard of the international chain, offering a light breakfast, large and comfortable family rooms, and more.
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5 Guy's Tips for Perfect Lodging in Palm Springs and Joshua Tree
Palm Springs is a beloved and almost legendary (and somewhat old-fashioned) vacation spot for residents of Los Angeles. The small city has featured in countless movies and series as a spontaneous getaway spot, offering a hotel with character, a big pool, and everything needed for a quick escape from the big city. Palm Springs has all kinds of vacation hotels, from new and luxurious resorts to those built like motels around one big pool. The old-fashioned charm of hotels in central Palm Springs doesn't quite represent the new and luxurious resorts in Cathedral City just to the south, near the Indian Wells golf courses.
Palm Springs is located in the Coachella Valley. The valley is a rift at the southern part of the San Andreas Fault, a rain shadow desert flanked by high and beautiful ranges. To the east of the city, on an elevated plateau, lies Joshua Tree National Park, one of the most popular parks in the USA. In the desert towns nearby, a series of motels and lodges cater to the park's visitors.
- The most luxurious resorts in Palm Springs – The top luxury hotels and resorts are located south of the city in the area of Cathedral City and in towns along the Coachella Valley. Here you'll find luxury brands like Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and more.
- Accommodation in Central Palm Springs – Generally, this is an old resort town, and some of the accommodations are quite vintage. A large portion of the city's hotels are concentrated in Downtown Palm Springs near Indian Canyon Drive and South Palm Canyon Drive. This is the most central area of the city, packed with restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues. The more modern hotels are clustered along North Palm Canyon Drive, the northern part of the main avenue. Another important hotel strip is East Palm Canyon Drive, south of the city center. Throughout the city, you'll find hotels ranging from two to four stars, all with pools. The city hosts all the major chain brands as well as quite a few privately owned hotels.
- Looking for desert-style lodging near Joshua Tree National Park? – Many who visit Joshua Tree National Park take a day trip from the greater Los Angeles area. If you're planning a trip of two days or more, there's a wide range of lodging options near the park, either in Palm Springs or in the towns along Highway 62 north of the park. Most accommodations are found in the towns of Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and Twentynine Palms. These are quality motels from major chains like Super 8, Motel 6, and others, as well as two-star brands and motels from big names like Marriott and IHG's Holiday Inn.
- When is the best time to visit Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park? – Palm Springs is a lively vacation spot from early spring (during the spring break around the Easter university holiday) until the end of summer. During this period, it's very hot and dry (desert climate) and the pool is the best place to be. If you're planning to explore Joshua Tree Park, it's better to avoid the peak summer and visit during the transitional seasons. In winter, the park can be very cold at night, but during the day, it's dreamy.
Map of where to stay near Joshua Tree Park and Palm Springs
