Old Hollywood glamour still lingers at a storied desert hideaway

There is a particular quality of light in Palm Springs that makes everything feel both timeless and slightly cinematic, and nowhere absorbs that light quite like The Colony Palms Hotel and Bungalows. Set behind a row of towering palms on a quiet stretch just off Palm Canyon Drive, the property carries the unmistakable presence of a place that has lived many lives. Originally built in 1936, the hotel's storied past winds through eras of Hollywood escapism and desert reinvention, but today it stands as something more considered: a 57-room boutique property where midcentury architecture, jewel-toned interiors, and a deeply relaxed sensibility converge beneath perpetually clear skies.

Rooms and bungalows are spread across the grounds in a low-slung, hacienda-inspired layout, many opening directly onto garden pathways or courtyard views. The aesthetic is layered and confident, with vintage furnishings, bold textiles, and the kind of eclectic warmth that resists sterile minimalism. Bungalows offer a more private experience with additional space, patios, and a sense of seclusion that feels genuinely rare this close to the center of town. Throughout, the design nods to the property's midcentury bones while keeping things decidedly contemporary in comfort.

The pool is the social and spiritual center of the hotel, a rectangular oasis framed by cabanas, chaise lounges, and those signature mountain views that make every afternoon here feel earned. Purple Palm Restaurant and Bar serves as the property's primary dining destination, drawing both hotel guests and locals with a menu rooted in seasonal California cooking and cocktails designed for the desert heat. The setting itself, with its indoor-outdoor flow and moody elegance, makes dinner here feel like an event without formality. Beyond the restaurant, the hotel's bar program and poolside service keep the rhythm easy and unhurried. A fitness center and spa services round out the wellness offering, while the property's event spaces and manicured grounds have long made it a sought-after destination for weddings and private gatherings.

Palm Springs itself is an extension of the experience. The surrounding desert landscape, with the San Jacinto Mountains rising dramatically to the west, provides both visual grandeur and a wealth of outdoor pursuits, from hiking and cycling to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The city's thriving design district, vintage shops, and mid-century architectural tours sit within easy reach, while the broader Coachella Valley opens up to golf, art, and the kind of wide-sky stillness that draws visitors back season after season. The Colony Palms Hotel and Bungalows occupies a particular place in all of this, not as a retreat from the desert but as one of its most enduring gathering points. It is a property where the past is visible but never preserved in amber, where the light shifts from gold to violet across the mountains each evening, and where the pace of a stay settles into something that feels, above all, exactly right.