Palm Springs Welcomes New Boutique Hotels To Diverse Collection Of Properties

The wonderful thing about Palm Springs is that it’s always attracting new visitors on top of faithful returnees — and with several new boutique hotels opening since the spring of 2022, they have more options than ever for places to stay.

The Trixie Motel, Twin Palms Resort, Spirit of Sofia, Limón Palm Springs, Azure Sky, and Mahala are all now part of the Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels (PSPSH) consortium. Michael C. Green, owner of the Triangle Inn Palm Springs and chair of PSPSH, is thrilled to welcome these new hotels to the community. 

“We are looking forward to another busy year in Palm Springs, and we are happy to see new and newly-renovated small hotels coming on board,” Green says. “Each of our small hotels has its own unique vibe, and that ensures that there’s something for everyone!”

The Trixie Motel may look familiar — this pink palace starred in the television show of the same name, which followed celebrated drag persona Trixie Mattel and partner David Silver as they brought new life to the former Coral Sands Inn. All seven rooms and suites have their own custom theme, from the spacey Atomic Bombshell to the beachy Malibu Barbara. The stunning pool area has plenty of glamorous loungers and umbrellas, plus views for days of the palms, mountains, and pink flamingos dotting the grounds.

The Atomic Bombshell Room at the Trixie Motel. Photo courtesy of Trixie Motel

The Twin Palms Resort is a mid-century modern masterpiece, and a brother property of the Santiago and Descanso resorts. This 20-room men’s swimsuit-optional boutique hotel was originally built in 1959, and is decorated in shades of green and blue, which play off of the property’s flora and fauna. The pool is brand new, and heated in the winter and chilled in the summer. Manager Adam Q. Robinson says the Twin Palms team is “excited to show our loyal customer base another new experience to choose from in the desert.”

The Twin Palms Resort clubhouse. Photo courtesy of Twin Palms Resort

The Spirit of Sofia, previously known as La Dolce Vita, is under new ownership and has a fresh look. There are 20 rooms and two pools, and each side of the hotel can be rented out by a group. The outdoor space is filled with quirky touches, including a giant chessboard and 10-foot-tall palm tree chandelier, and welcome amenities like a steam room and kitchen with pizza oven. 

Limón Palm Springs is a luxury boutique hotel reserved by just one group at a time, making it the perfect spot for a bachelorette weekend, family reunion, or yoga or writing retreat. The six large guest suites accommodate up to 14 people, and each room has linens by Frette and bath products by L’Occitane, in addition to a flatscreen television and patio area. Communal spaces include a kitchen and living room, as well as the pool and barbecue area.

Limón Palm Springs is rented by just one group at a time. Photo courtesy of Limón Palm Springs

Reflecting on the last 12 months, Robert Hunt, general manager of Alcazar Palm Springs, says 2022 was “an interesting year breaking records in the first half of the year with a more typical occupancy in the summer due to the lack of European travelers that visited Palm Springs prior to the pandemic, especially German tourists. 2023 has already shown a high volume of booked reservations indicating it will be a strong year projecting a higher occupancy percentage and daily room rate increase.”

One property to put on your radar is Drift, opening in April. A blend of Spanish Colonial and Moorish desert design with Mexican artisanal decor, Drift will offer guests two-to-four bedroom suites, a pool surrounded by cabanas, a yoga studio, and a rustic Baja-inspired eatery, Maleza.