Holiday House
Into the blue
Palm trees and pop art
Set in a renovated 1950s hotel, Holiday House hotel has become an adults-only oasis of boho cool in the desert. Instead of mid-century modern design, the space is bright with pop art, bold textiles and more splashes of blue than a Caribbean beach. Guests arrive to welcome glasses of rosé and love beads upon check-in. The hotel keeps the holiday spirit going with well-stocked minibars or wet bars in each room, and one of the best pools in the desert, with a shuffleboard court, citrus trees and mountain views. Holidays rarely look this cool.
Facilities
Rooms
Twenty-eight, including two suites.
Checkout
Noon. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
Also
Several rooms and the public areas are wheelchair-accessible. There is also a pool lift.
Free Internet Access
Pet Friendly
Pool
On-Site Restaurant
Spa
At the Hotel
On-site parking, free WiFi throughout, shuffleboard court, cruiser bicycles for exploring the town. In rooms: Air-conditioning, minibar, coffee-maker, iPod docking station, Malin+Goetz bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
Each room is bright and perky, with crisp white and blue design accents. Room 2 is especially large and in a prime location by the pool. The Best category of rooms have either a balcony or a patio with an outdoor shower, and the ground-floor Suite has a private entrance, fireplace and spacious living room.
Poolside
The adults-only heated swimming pool is surrounded by shaded lounge chairs, with views of palm trees.
Packing Tips
Retro, oversized sunglasses to suit the swinging ’60s pool vibe.
Also
The hotel houses a museum-quality art collection with pieces by David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, Herb Ritts and other prominent 20th- and 21st-century artists.
Children
Leave them at home. The hotel is for ages 21 and up only.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Snag an outdoor table or lounge chairs in the nook off the main lobby.
Dress Code
Pool-ready coverups and sandals are perfect.
Hotel Restaurant
The Pantry offers brunch and lunch inside the lobby, and for service by the pool. The menu includes California-inspired dishes, including chilaquiles, avocado toast, robust salads and a towering burger with garlic aioli. A reservations-only fried chicken dinner is served on Fridays and books up well in advance.
Hotel Bar
The Pantry has a full bar that serves during restaurant hours, with drink options including a margarita, an Aperol spritz and crisp rosé that’s ideal for poolside sipping.
Last Orders
Breakfast is served from 6am to 10am, and lunch from 11am to 5pm. The reservations-only Friday dinner is served at 6.30pm.
Planes
Palm Springs International Airport is a 10-minute drive away, with numerous 55-minute flights each day from Los Angeles. Direct flights are available from New York and Chicago, along with all major West Coast cities. Contact Smith24 for transfers.
Trains
The Palm Springs Amtrak station is a 20-minute drive from the hotel (www.amtrak.com).Service is available to Los Angeles three days a week and takes two and a half hours; there are connecting trains from San Diego.
Automobiles
Driving is one of the best ways to explore the desert, and the drive from Los Angeles to Palm Springs is easy and iconic. Parking at the hotel is free and plentiful.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Channel the retirees who flock to Palm Springs for its year-round sun and mild climate. Sleep in and embrace the slower pace of Palm Springs at Holiday House. After morning coffee, stake out a prime spot by the pool, where it isn’t hard to linger all day, settled beneath blue umbrellas with views of the nearby hills and orange trees, getting up only for lazy laps or rounds of shuffleboard at the adjacent court.
Grab cruiser bikes and head out to continue the golden-age inspiration with visits to the vintage boutiques and furniture showrooms along Palm Canyon Drive, north of the hotel. Scope out mid-century treasures, including seating and art, at Modernway and A La Mod. The Frippery is a fashion destination with caftans vibrant enough to match the bold design and Pop Art at the hotel. Don't miss the costume jewelry that completes each piece. For boldly coloured tassel-hemmed dresses that only look vintage, head for Trina Turk, which opened its first boutique of ruffled swimwear and sundresses on Palm Canyon Drive. Further afield, check out the designer discounts at Desert Hills, an outlet mall in Cabazon, 25 minutes north of the hotel. The discount shopping centre is packed with boutiques from top-of-the-line designers, including Alexander McQueen, La Perla, Balenciaga, Gucci and Brunello Cucinelli.
The desert offers plenty of outdoor adventure, too, including hikes in stark Joshua Tree National Park or around the saline Salton Sea. Get a bird’s eye view of the valley from San Jacinto Peak, accessible via a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The mountain holds restaurants, a gift shop and hiking paths.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
