Palm Springs

Where hip meets Mid-century Modern

SINCE THE 1930s, PALM SPRINGS has been a playground for A-list celebrities who fell under the spell of the area’s tranquil beauty, and in the 1950s and ’60s, it was the retreat of Frank Sinatra and other Hollywood stars who partied poolside in their Mid-century Modern bungalows. Today, with a growing nightlife, burgeoning art scene and casual, relaxing vibe, Palm Springs is again Hollywood’s playground. Newly fresh and compelling, this epicenter for desert vacations again exudes laid-back contemporary cool.

A spectacular redevelopment plan has put a new luster on downtown Palm Springs, highlighted by the opening in November 2017 of the light-drenched Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs hotel, and a pedestrian walkway aiming a visual spotlight on the world-class Palm Springs Art Museum. Visitors can also experience glamorous style at many of the city’s super-trendy hotels as well as many historic boutique properties. Add Uptown art galleries and fashion stores, exciting new restaurants and an edgy night scene and it’s no wonder a whole new generation of vacationers, trendsetters and celebrities—from Leonardo Dicaprio to Miley Cyrus—is flocking to where it’s the swinging 1960s all over again.

Haute Design/architectural Cool/ Year-round/lgbt Friendly

Known throughout the world as the mecca of Mid-century Modernism, Palm Springs embraces and celebrates this design aesthetic. With the world’s largest concentration of such architecture (more than two thousand homes), it shows a distinctive style that can be experienced not only in architecture, but also interior design, fashion and unique shopping. In fact, retro and Mid-century have found a home in Modernism Week—attracting more than 100,000 visitors from around the world each February and October.