Discover Palm Springs’ Mid-Century Modern charm:
Enjoy a desert getaway designed for your pleasure
BY MONICA VANOVER ON september 26, 2025
Are you ready for an inspiring change of scenery?
The stunning combination of sun-drenched Sonoran Desert landscapes and some of the 20th century’s most celebrated architecture helps make Palm Springs the ideal destination for a reinvigorating escape with no need for long-haul travel.
Just a quick flight or a day’s drive from the Bay Area, the local hotel collective, Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels offers refreshing getaway stays at over 75 boutique properties with a range of styles, from Spanish Mission to Hollywood posh, to a world-famous array of Mid-Century Modern gems.
Mid-Century Modern architecture and design, with its clean, sharp lines, geometric shapes, vibrant pops of color, and fluid integration of indoor and outdoor living spaces reached its pinnacle in Palm Springs.
Style mavens from around the world flock to Palm Springs twice a year for Modernism Weeks, featuring lectures, exhibitions, tours of historic private homes, and other deep dives into the genre. Upcoming Modernism Weeks will take place from October 16-19 and February 12-22, but expert-guided walking tours are available year-round – and so is the opportunity to book your own stay in a masterpiece.
Eye on Modernism
Among the Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels are several exemplars of Mid-Century Modern design, perfect if you’re a vintage-loving aesthete or in the mood to celebrate with a Rat Pack throwback. One of the leading architects who worked in the mid-century vernacular was Herbert W. Burns. Self-taught, Burns ingeniously adapted late Art Moderne elements to suit the pleasures and demands of desert living.
The wayback machine meets modern luxury
The Orbit In, which dates back to 1957, finds Burns’ buildings complemented by interior design touches from fellow mid-century masters.
Individually themed suites include Eames Studio, dedicated to the furnishings of Charles and Ray Eames, like clever cubic storage units and the couple’s classic fiberglass armchair.
More of Burns’ best
Interior designer Sikes is also behind the decor at the Sparrows Lodge, built in 1952 for MGM movie actor Don Castle (later the producer of television’s Lassie). The property mixes strong mid-century lines with more rustic textures and materials, giving it a touch of Old West character.
One of Herbert Burns’ architectural contemporaries, William F. Cody, created the interlocking slope-roofed structures of the distinctive Del Marcos Hotel. Theme-designed rooms include a swanky tribute to furniture designers Charles and Ray Eames with a private patio and unforgettable outdoor bathtub.
Hugh Kaptur, another prominent mid-century architect helmed the team behind The Cole. After a recent refurbishment, the 30-room property now has its own, in-house restaurant, Freddie’s Kitchen, helmed by Alsatian chef Frederic Pierrel, which has become a draw for local residents as well as hotel guests.
Triangle Inn Palm Springs, also designed by Kaptur, opened in 1958 as the Impala Lodge. Its modernist design, featuring a dramatic angled roofline on the main building, is a prime example of the period’s steel, glass, and stonework. But, in other ways, the property very much represents contemporary Palm Springs: It’s one of the city’s clothing-optional all men’s resorts.
Riffs on a theme
Whether you’re a longtime aficionado of Mid-Century Modern design, you’re feeling nostalgic for America’s mythical “good old days”, or you just want a stylish place to stay while indulging in Palm Springs’ poolside pleasures and outdoor adventures, you’ll find the perfect spot to chill out and find fresh inspiration at the Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels.
Start planning your desert escape today. Explore more than 75 properties at PalmSpringsPreferredSmallHotels.com.
Design your own Palm Springs getaway today
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The Burns-designed Hideaway, in the exclusive Tennis Club neighborhood, juxtaposes bold horizontal lines and a low-slung profile with the craggy foothills of the San Jacinto mountains which rise dramatically behind the intimate 10-room property.
Built in 1947, the hotel has been meticulously renovated for today’s travelers and offers amenities including microwave ovens and coffee in every room, a lushly landscaped saltwater pool and hot tub area, and an inviting firepit to snuggle up by at night.
The Desert Riviera, built in 1950, pairs original Burns architecture with endless contemporary upgrades, including some of Palm Springs’ lushest garden landscaping: An abundance of flowering tropical plants attract jewel-toned hummingbirds to join guests at poolside.
The Desert Hills, Burns’ big 1956 project, was originally marketed as an “apartment hotel” because it was specially designed to accommodate longer stays, with large rooms that featured nifty kitchenettes. Several of today’s 14 modernized suites continue to offer cooking facilities, making the Hills ideal for leisurely vacations of a week or more.
Posh 28-room Holiday House features the great bones of Burns’ original 1951 structures with interiors sumptuously reimagined by designer Mark D. Sikes. The property centers on a convivial bar with Gio Ponti-influence tilework, and a gallery’s worth of images by David Hockney, Roy Liechtenstein, Herb Ritts, Alex Katz and more.
