Villa Royale, Palm Springs

Character and identity

Tucked along a residential street in South Palm Springs, this 30-room boutique hotel inhabits a 1940s property of low-slung stucco buildings and terra cotta roofs, reopened in 2018 after a thorough overhaul by Provenance Hotels. The aesthetic mixes Old California bones with midcentury interiors: mahogany paneling, turquoise and avocado accents, geometric black-and-white tiles, and commissioned oil portraits of figures like Debbie Harry. Courtyards hold Spanish fountains, two pools, bougainvillea, and Italian Cypress. Onsite restaurant Del Rey, with black velvet chairs and green tufted banquettes, anchors the social scene with tapas and inventive cocktails. Service runs quiet and capable.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The draw here is atmosphere: a small, beautifully reset 1940s property where the pools, the courtyards, and Del Rey's bar do the heavy lifting, backed by quietly attentive staff. Spend on an Impala suite if you want space to settle in, and borrow the house bikes for a self-guided loop of Twin Palms and Deepwell's midcentury homes.