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You Never Have To Leave These Palm Springs Resorts, Part 3

Missed Parts 1 and 2? Read them here and here.

Now, we’re delving into boutique hotels that have food and beverages available for guests only — but I’ve also got a few surprises tucked in here as well. 

With these resorts, breakfasts are almost always included, and the afternoons have other delectable amenities. It’s all about shutting out the rest of the world. These hotels really do provide everything you’ve ever wanted in a luxurious getaway — and more.

The beautiful grounds at Dive. Photo credit: Visit Palm Springs

Dive — This funky and stylish 21+, 11-room resort is a visit to the south of France (on the southern end of Palm Springs). Be on the look out for their neon 1940s, bathing suit-clad young lady in mid-dive, and you’ll know you’re in the right place.

That diving lady is one of the Lulus, and there are two more behind the stucco privacy walls that hide the soul-quenching slice of Saint Tropez waiting inside. The grounds are nook-filled, with a historic and very swimmable pool, and each room is a work of art. The place is truly unique.

When you’re ready for food, you can either pop by and place an order at the window, or text them from your phone and someone will bring it to you, because you’re on vacation and you’re posh. I can’t wait to tell you all about Dive, which I will do soon. Just know that you are going to lose your ish over it. Seriously.

The Marley’s spacious pool. Photo courtesy of The Marley

The Marley — Bring your besties, because this nine bedroom, nine bath property only books one group at a time (it can accommodate up to 22 guests!).

There is a gorgeous Viking catering kitchen so you can hire a chef and not have to worry about a meal. There is also a spacious pool and a fire pit. It’s the perfect place for a bachelorette weekend, a milestone birthday, a corporate workshop, or a yoga retreat. How about a college reunion with your old chums?

This place is equal parts sassy and dreamy. I encourage you to check out the photos on their website — I had trouble trying to figure out what part of it to show you!

Poolside at The Willows. Photo courtesy of The Willows

The Willows Historic Palm Springs Innn — I used to deliver rack cards for the Purple Room to this eight room resort, and I was never allowed past the gate, that’s how exclusive it is. It has a delightful history — this boutique hotel was once an old mansion, and Albert Einstein had a favorite bench here.

Guests are served a three-course gourmet breakfast in front of a 50-foot waterfall, and in the afternoon, wine and hors d’oeuvres are served in the lounge. Fresh fruit is available all day, and guests not wanting to leave for lunch or dinner can order room service from Le Vallauris, the French restaurant across the street.

One of the pools at Korakia Pensione. Photo courtesy of Korakia Pensione

Korakia Pensione — Downtown, but tucked away from any distractions, is Korakia Pensione, described by The New York Times as “one of the sexiest hotels in America.” 

Korakia is housed in two lovingly restored historic villas, and rests on 1.5 lush acres. There are bungalows, guesthouses, gardens, and pools. It positions itself as more of a retreat than a resort, although it’s not lacking in amenities. Expect a full breakfast, lunch options by the pool or in your room, yoga, meditation and afternoon Moroccan tea. They even have a bazaar for shopping (guests only). 

Truly an escape from the rest of the world.

The Orbit In at dusk. Photo credit: Visit Palm Springs

Orbit In — One of the cutest retro hotels around, even the staff gets into the ’60s vibe. Breakfast consists of gourmet yogurts and granola, there are pool snacks at lunch time, and Orbitinis are served during the cocktail hour. Nice pool, nice people, on a quiet street near Spencer’s (yum!).

The Santiago Resort’s pool and spa. Photo courtesy of The Santiago Resort

Men’s resorts

Santiago Resort — Gorgeous resort, with tropical plants and exotic flowers. Not only do they feed you breakfast and lunch, but there are spa services and a pool that is such perfection it’s nearly hard to describe.

Descanso Resort – Hipster hotel that’s as cool as you are. Breakfast and lunch are served at the resort, and massage services are available as well. You can read all about it here.

Hacienda at Warm Sands — It’s lush and tropical with a wonderful pool and spa. Breakfast is continental and lunches are ordered in: salads and sandwiches. You can read more here.

INNdulge — One of the larger resorts, it has a magnificent pool, and amenities include daily continental breakfast and evening social hour. The owner is a huge art fan, and there are fun and funky pieces throughout the property. More info here.

Triangle Inn – Built in the 1960s as The Impala Lodge, Triangle Inn has a help yourself continental breakfast, and on special occasions you can find Michael (one of the owners) outside cooking up a southern feast. This is the only resort I am mentioning that has kitchens/kitchenettes because they have a houseman that does your dishes for you. You get all of the fun of cooking, but none of the drudgery of cleanup.

Many of our resorts have full kitchens and kitchenettes but that’s not what this is about. This is about you doing nothing. And loving every second of it.

Of course, you can turn any hotel into a restaurant by using Postmates, UberEats, or Grubhub, but there’s comfort in knowing there is delicious sustenance readily available should you experience a food or drink 911.

Joking aside, it’s a very serious world right now, and I think we all need to take a break from the news and regroup. These small resorts offer unforgettable experiences, and each one strives to make their property uniquely their own. All are wildly different, but one thing they have in common is unparalleled hospitality — and you deserve a pampered and luxurious getaway.

Palm Springs in the summer is a bit of a scorcher, and because some people are extra precious, there are deals to be had. I encourage you to check those out.

As we say in Palm Springs, stay cool by the pool! No, we don’t say that. Not out loud. That would be a little cringe. We just go ahead and do it without talking about it because it’s a great way to beat the heat.

Not gonna lie, the A/C is super helpful, too.

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Where To Eat Breakfast In Palm Springs

For years we’ve been hearing that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I might posit that it is also the most delicious, and the best comfort food for any variety of a touch-and-go morning. 

Here’s a pretty detailed list of where to go for breakfast in Palm Springs. If it’s not on this list, I either A, forgot it (in which case, mea culpa) or B, I left it off for a reason, like a health inspector issue, or C, it hasn’t opened yet (Broken Yolk). Let’s go! 

Breakfast in Palm Springs off the Strip

Pastries and breakfast sandwiches

Swiss Donut — In a strip mall on Sunrise and Ramon. Go early before the best ones are gone!

Aspen Mills — Same as above, right next door. Their baked goods are delish.

Peninsula Pastries — In the Sun Center. Same strip mall as Palm Greens. After, stop in at thrift store Revivals for some bargains.

Carousel Bakery — Closer to the airport, at Ramon Road and El Cielo, but not close enough to get stuck in traffic. What’s that? Traffic is rarely ever had here (exceptions: Coachella, Modernism Week, a Harry Styles concert, a presidential visit), so not to worry.

Play Lounge — Menus here. In keeping with its game theme, the location is a bit Where’s Waldo. But once you find it, good times and good food await.

Townie Bagels — They go through sesame bagels so fast I’ve had to try a few others. I liked the everything pumpernickel. They have soft pretzels too. Only open until noon.

A group of four adults it outside under a fan in Palm Springs, California

You can eat breakfast outdoors any time of year in Palm Springs. Photo courtesy of Visit Palm Springs

American breakfast

Bit of Country — On Indian Canyon next to the now closed Wang’s of the Desert. Great American and Mexican breakfasts. They even have grits! (For the Southerner in you — and definitely me.)

Sherman’s Deli — East (away from the mountains) on Tahquitz, you can dine indoors or out at this NY style deli. It has a good reputation, seems to be a favorite of visitors. I like the soup.

Spencer’s — It looks fancy, but the dinner menu is the pricey one. Breakfast is not hard on the wallet, and the ambiance is lovely. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Elmer’s — It’s the hash browns and biscuits for me, but some go for the German pancakes. The food is fresh, and hot. Their coffee isn’t my favorite, but it’s passable. And if you’re not into breakfast, there are other delicious options.

Indian Canyon Golf Resort — The view at the South Course is terrific, and the breakfasts are pretty good. Service can be slow, but you just hiked Lykken Trail, so you’re ready for a relaxing brekkie. Across from Lykken Trail, on the southeast corner of Murray Canyon and South Palm Canyon is where the former Canyon Club Inn used to live. If you look around you can still see the remnants, and certainly the landscaping if you take the walkway up the hill. The golf course and mountains are to your right.

Mountain and palm tree views from the patio at Escena in Palm Springs, California

The views are gorgeous from the patio at Escena. Photo courtesy of Visit Palm Springs

Escena — This is pretty far east on Vista Chino, but still in PS. Beautiful space, beautiful view.

Palm Greens Cafe — Everything is fresh, which comes with a heftier price tag, but it’s delicious. While it leans toward veggie and vegan, your friends who eat bacon will love it too. Just don’t get the fake bacon — it’s nothing at all like bacon.

Rick’s Bakery is a local favorite in the north end, just past Vista Chino. They serve grits, but I prefer the grits at Bit of Country. Just keeping it real.

Billy Reed’s — Like a fancy restaurant in 1980s Wisconsin, this is a staple for some folks. Just past Vista Chino going north, you can get here on both Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon.

Frisky Business — For the love of kitties, explore the Rimrock Trail then pop in for some coffee, a bite from vegan restaurant Tanya’s Kitchen or Aspen Mills Bakery, and cuddle with some cool cats. $22 gets you a cuppa and the cuddle. Food is on your dime, but for grab and go it’s delish.

Breakfast on the Strip

Farm — I’ve never been to the French countryside, but I imagine this is what it looks like. Food is good too.

L’Atelier — French café with delicious quiche and the best cup of iced coffee I’ve ever had (they use real cream — at least they did when I was there). Small but quaint.

Pinocchio’s — It’s a party! And they have my second favorite potatoes in P.S.: baked and fried, just like Dad used to make. Bottomless champagne for about $8.

Cheeky’s — Generally a long line to get in, closed on Tuesdays. From their website: “Everything is made from scratch using the freshest local ingredients, changes weekly, serving up creative meditations on breakfast and lunch — with super fun vibes — in a bright indoor-outdoor setting.”

Maleza — Located in one of our preferred small hotels, the brand-new Drift Palm Springs on Indian Canyon, it has what I would call a Cal-Mex breakfast menu, and I’m not mad at it. Avocado toast is on the menu, along with fruit, yogurt, and granola, but it also offers chilaquiles, churros, and a breakfast burrito.

People sit at metal tables inside Grand Central in Palm Springs, California

Grand Central is in the heart of Palm Springs. Photo courtesy of Visit Palm Springs

Grand Central — Try the grilled cheese for late breakfast; it’s the only zag I will take from my eggs over-easy and potatoes. Okay, or a lox plate. I’m pretty fond of those some days.

Thirsty Palms — Their breakfast menu starts with potato pancakes, so my ears perked up, but my eyes also noted their eclectic menu of international dishes like shakshuka, bourbon French toast, chilaquiles, l’orange ricotta pancakes, and croque madame benedict. Yum yum. This a new restaurant (sole proprietor) in town, so please give it some love.

Jimmy B’s — Our second new kid on the block, this one is in Mercado Plaza (where you can take a photo with Sonny Bono). I haven’t been yet, but it is always hopping. After 11 a.m. they have live music.

Café Mon Amour — Our third new kid is a bit further north, but the reviews are in, and this French café is a hit. Bonus: it’s on the strip and walkable, but it’s just far enough that it hasn’t yet found foot traffic.

That’s it for the breakfast round-up. Hope this helps! After you get your belly full, it might be time to enjoy a drink and a float at your Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotel. I mean, you came here to de-stress, right? Yeah, I thought so.

I’ll just slip away so you can dream about your next visit to Palm Springs.

Ciao now.

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You Never Have To Leave These Palm Springs Resorts, Part 2

Missed Part 1? Read it here.

Welcome to summer in Palm Springs! This is long — lots to share! — so without further ado, the smaller resorts with restaurants:

Night falls on Arrive Palm Springs. Photo credit: Visit Palm Springs

Arrive Palm Springs — This resort is built to be social, and the poolside restaurant serves snacks and libations including “Poptails” — icy alcoholic popsicles. They used to have another restaurant, but sadly, the local favorite for lunch closed. However, you’ll barely notice the temps when you walk a few storefronts away to the hotel’s coffee shop, Cartel Coffee Lab, and ice cream parlor, Ice Cream & Shop(pe). Just a titch further is 1501 Gastropub by local restaurateurs Chad Gardner and Willie Rhine. Directly across the street from the resort is Sandfish Sushi and Whiskey Bar, which is as trendy as it sounds.

The view from above Fleur Noire. Photo credit: Visit Palm Springs

Fleur Noire Hotel — Initially called Burket’s Trade Winds Hotel, the new owners have reimagined the 1940s hotel and brought its original (heated) pool back to life. Surrounded by lush desert landscaping, the Spanish-style property has 21 casitas, studios, and standard rooms — all eclectic and all designed by Chris Pardo and wallpaper designer Ellie Cashman.

The clubhouse is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a communal pantry, lounge seating, and working and dining areas. They don’t actually have a restaurant, but Rick’s Desert Grill is its next door neighbor. They do, however, have a rosé and champagne speakeasy called La Boisson that will also bring your chilled libation poolside. You can literally have rosé all day.

Welcome to Holiday House. Photo credit: Holiday House

Holiday House — Smack in the middle of downtown and just a bit west of Palm Canyon is Holiday House. This is the sister property of Sparrows Lodge, which is located on the south end of Palm Springs.

Named one of Travel + Leisure’s Top 500 Hotels of 2022, Holiday House is a 21+ property. Please note there are no TVs in the rooms, but honestly, you can do that at home. Your time is best spent poolside, in a very swimmable pool.

The 28-room hipster hideaway has a little restaurant called The Pantry. Lunch is served 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner is from 5 to 9 p.m., and they’ve even got a poolside menu. There aren’t a lot of choices for dinner, but what they do have is pretty scrumptious, which means they’re pretty busy. Locals try to go, but you guys generally have eaten all that deliciousness by the time we get there.

L’Horizon’s cabanas. Photo credit: Visit Palm Springs

L’Horizon Palm Springs — Originally designed in 1952 by William F. Cody as a retreat for television producer and oil tycoon Jack Wrather and his actress wife, Bonita “Bunny” Granville (yeah, no idea either), L’Horizon has been restored to its original grandeur and is 100 percent squee-worthy.

Located on three acres, the 21+ resort has 25 private bungalows, and the original 2,000 square foot home is available for bookings as well. The living room and yard of the house have unobstructed views of the mountains, and there is a sunken seating area, wood-burning fireplace, dining room, wet bar, kitchen, marble bathrooms with rainforest showers, and an outdoor shower.

When you’re done lazing by the pool, The Spa offers massages, body treatments, facials, and add-ons like peppermint foot therapy and wild lime scalp treatments. Once you’re fully relaxed, stop by Le Shop, a boutique featuring Naturopathica’s skin care and body products, resort wear, swimsuits, jewelry, sunglasses, and home accessories.

And…drumroll…L’Horizon also has a gourmet restaurant called SO•PA that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (feel free to order poolside as well). Dramatic, refined, and intimate, SO•PA offers a unique alfresco dining experience, and is on everyone in Palm Springs’ bucket list for dining.

The patio at El Mirasol at Los Arboles. Photo credit: Los Arboles Hotel

Los Arboles — The Casteñada family would like to welcome you to their 21-room “home” featuring a rooftop deck, a courtyard pool, hot tub, and home cooked authentic Mexican meals at El Mirasol at Los Arboles. 

I am not kidding you about the authentic food. Mama Casteñeda oversees the kitchen, and all of the dishes are from her recipe box (the box actually lived in her head, and she had no need to write them down until she opened a restaurant).

The restaurant is in a courtyard, and is a local favorite. They also have a sister location on the south end of town, the original El Mirasol. Pair the jalapeño margarita with any dish and you’ll be a very happy camper.

Pull up a chair at Sparrows Lodge. Photo credit: Sparrows Lodge

Sparrows Lodge — The bohemian sister resort to Holiday House also has zero TVs, but man do they have a great swimmable pool and misters all throughout the courtyard. The interiors have a modernist, beachy, farmhouse feel to them. If I’m any indication, you’ll feel a sense of serenity the moment you enter.

Their restaurant is called The Barn and like The Pantry at Holiday House, it’s on everyone’s bucket list. I cannot stress to you enough that you need a reservation, and generally well in advance. Executive Chef Sebastian Lowrey and Sous Chef Daniella Lara have created some wonderful offerings for lunch and dinner, and everyone wants in.

One of Villa Royale’s sparkling pools. Photo credit: Villa Royale

Villa Royale — Gorgeous old bones have been renovated to an even more glorious and contemporary retreat, well off the beaten path in the Deepwell neighborhood. The 21+, 38-suite property has three pools, mountain views, and folks, it is pet-friendly.

With over 50 original pieces of artwork on site, it’s like being immersed in a museum. All of the work was commissioned exclusively for the resort, and artists Sara Radovanovich, Lou Kregal, and Juan Casas lived at the Villa Royale while creating their oil paintings, which feature everything from pop culture icons to desert scenes.

Focusing on Spanish and Mediterranean flavors and led by Chef Louis Martinez, the Del Rey is Villa Royale’s small-plate restaurant. It boasts a beautiful 12-seat oak and marble bar, as well as booths and an outdoor patio with firepit. The cocktail menu is very creative — drink ingredients include black tea ice cubes, saffron syrup, and olive oil — so  get ready to imbibe. 

Coming next Tuesday: resorts with breakfast and lunch served on premise for guests only. Not a local in sight.

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