9 Desert Hot Springs Hotels for the Ultimate Relaxing Getaway

The Getaway

Studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units capture the midcentury modern spirit of Greater Palm Springs, providing a comfortable and stylish home away from home. Each space has a full kitchen, walk-in closet, and original midcentury design details with easy access to the central pool and hot tub (heated by request for an additional fee). The property, built in 1960 and renovated in 1961, looks out upon a spectacular vista of the Little San Bernardino Mountains and the nearby wind turbines. Children and well-behaved dogs are welcome — babies under age 2 stay free. Rather have the complex to yourself? The Getaway accommodates groups of up to 15 for a reasonably priced buyout.

68110 Club Circle Drive,
Desert Hot Springs
760-676-9360
dhsgetaway.com

Two Bunch Palms

Since its founding in the 1930s, this adults-only retreat has changed hands several times and was at one point said to be the secret refuge of gangster Al Capone.

In the ’70s, part of the property was designated clothing optional, luring hippies and a handful of Hollywood’s elite (who still visit for the privacy). That au naturel soaking spot has become the stone grotto — swimwear required — where today’s bathers bask beneath palm fronds between luxurious spa treatments, yoga sessions, and spiritual and meditative workshops.

Focused on sustainability, Two Bunch is a carbon-neutral resort with a 3.5-acre solar farm on-site that powers the entire property. Open only to guests, the restaurant prepares farm-to-fork produce and whole foods free of hormones and additives.

67425 Two Bunch Palms Trail,
Desert Hot Springs
800-472-4334
twobunchpalms.com

The Lautner Compound

A hybrid between upscale rental and boutique hotel, this three-part property started with the renovation of a four-unit prototype pad designed and built in 1947 by modernist architect John Lautner. It was originally developed as part of a planned housing community — the brainchild of director Lucien Hubbard, whose silent film Wings won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Picture. When plans fell apart and Hubbard died, the project was abandoned.

In 2008, interior designer Tracy Beckmann and furniture designer Ryan Trowbridge purchased the building. The Lautner, as it came to be called, re-opened as it stands today in 2011. Beckmann and Trowbridge expanded with the sprawling renovation of a neighboring 1957 ranch-house bungalow and a conjoining 10,000-square-foot open-air event space that has become quite the commodity. Couples looking to tie the knot book a year in advance.

The draw is quiet luxury and sharp attention to decorative detail, conveying the desert’s coveted midcentury aesthetic in a decidedly contemporary California way.

A Sea Mountain Luxury Nude Resort and Spa

This adults-only resort caters to couples and women, offering nude mineral water pools, plus food and drinks, spa services, complimentary daybeds and cabanas, and a 24-hour dance club. Day passes are available.

Bubbling Wells Ranch

This 107-acre historic ranch and spa is sited on a known healing energy vortex and boasts natural hot spring grottos and a thermal lake for the ultimate healing high. (Note to soakers: Rent a unit here, and you’ll have an expansive area to yourself; clothing is optional.) The remote preserve overlooking the Coachella Valley is pet-friendly and offers guests three luxury overnight rentals to choose from, all featuring Pueblo-style design, ample views, and private lounge and soaking areas. Elevate your experience at the ranch with a host of add-on spa treatments that come to you. Plus, BYOC (if you partake in cannabis).

Hope Springs

Vanity Fair calls Hope Springs “an architectural gem.” Interiors says it’s “an aesthetic oasis.” British Vogue hails the property as “a total head cleanser.” The boutique, 10-room hideaway promotes a serene, screen-free atmosphere — there are no TVs, there is no music, and guests are not permitted to talk on the phone in common areas. Natural hot springs fill three pools. An on-site spa, open only to hotel guests, offers massages, facials, and salt scrubs.