6 Best Hotels in Palm Springs and the Desert Resorts, California

With three pools and a spa spread over 4 acres of gardens, the upscale Avalon Hotel Palm Springs calls back to 1960s swanky, with private bungalows, lush gardens, and an emphasis on style. Guest rooms for two and villas for three or more, some with fireplaces and private patios, are spread out over four tree-shaded acres. Secluded nooks and black-and-white-striped cabanas make for excellent lounging. You can dine indoors or poolside on healthful Latin fare at the stylish restaurant, Chi Chi. The on-site Estrella Spa is one of the most luxurious and unique wellness centers in Palm Springs.

The painter Gordon Coutts, best known for desert landscapes, constructed this Moroccan villa in 1924 as an artist's studio, and these days creative types gather in the main house and nearby Mediterranean-style villas, spread across 1½ acres on both sides of the street, to soak up the spirit of that era. All rooms have hand-carved wooden furniture, plush bedding, and bathrooms with beautiful stonework; some rooms have kitchenettes or Japanese soaking tubs.

A laid-back genteel retreat since the mid-1930s for some of the world's foremost families, including Walt Disney's, the area's most under-the-radar resort complex occupies 385 pristine desert acres surrounded by mountains and unspoiled vistas, and still provides an experience reminiscent of the Old West. The simple mid-century cottages are spread among manicured desert gardens and shaded by smoke trees. Most have fireplaces and private patios. A large rambling ranch house holds a dining room where three meals are served daily.

Rustic earthiness meets haute design at the adult-centered Sparrows, just off Palm Springs's main drag. A rusted, rolled-steel roof caps the one-story redwood structure, whose rooms hug a stone-tiled pool, an open-air barn/bar, and sitting areas near the vegetable garden. Hand-carved sleigh beds topped with Turkish cotton sheets and old army blankets capture immediate attention in the guest rooms, some of which have horse-trough tubs. Other design touches include open stone-tile bathrooms, concrete and pebble floors, high ceilings, and closets with old school lockers as storage spaces. There are no TVs or phones in the rooms, but the Wi-Fi is fast.

On a hilltop perch overlooking the Coachella Valley, this luxury resort spoils guests with exemplary service and comforts that include a trio of pools, access to the desert's finest spa, and private outdoor sitting areas for each room. The modern lobby's high-backed leather chairs and couches, some positioned around a blazing fireplace, hint at focus on relaxation with style to unfold during a stay here. The rooms, done in desert tones, have walnut walls and limestone floors. Additional perks of this stellar property include two restaurants and a pool bar, a kids' club, a state-of-the-art fitness center, access to Mission Hills golf courses and tennis, and a central firepit overlooking the valley.

A sprawling resort on 360 acres, the Westin offers a slew of activities for all ages and is surrounded by fairways and putting greens, two family-friendly pools (one lagoon-style with a 75-foot waterslide) and an adults-only pool. Rooms, in two-story buildings surrounding patios and fountains, have a stylish Spanish-Mediterranean look with sleek mahogany furnishings accented with sand-color upholstery and crisp white linens. All have private patios or balconies. In the cool early morning, enjoy a walk or jog on the property's many paths, which wind past bougainvillea-covered walls, beds planted with blue salvia and pink petunias, families of ducks, and a koi pond.