After several years of delay, the Thompson Palm Springs is finally open, and I can honestly say the long wait was worth it. Located at the northern, slightly less touristy edge of Palm Canyon Drive, this snazzy, design-forward 168-room boutique hotel is the rare, trendy upscale hotel that does it all. Partially owned by Hyatt and the Dallas-based Hall Group, the lobby and sprawling second floor—which houses the restaurant, bar, main pool, outdoor lawn games and a few firepits—is full of hotel-commissioned art pieces, including three colorful mosaic murals by Jeffrey Gibson, the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States with a solo show at the Venice Biennale. As the culturally relevant, boutique brand of a corporate hotel chain, Thompson Palm Springs combines the best of both worlds—and does it all with verve and style.
Why stay at the Thompson Palm Springs?
Every aspect of the experience is polished, from the seamless check-in process to the D.S. & Durga bath products and comfortable bathrobes and slippers provided in every room. The hotel pool area includes a full bar, reservation-only cabanas and a hot tub, which comes in handy in the desert’s colder, far busier winter months. Lola Rose Grand Mezze, the sprawling second-floor restaurant and bar, is beautifully appointed with straightforward, tasty renditions of Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. Many of the rooms also offer striking views of the San Jacinto Mountains. While you can see those same peaks from other hotels, only the Thompson Palm Springs couples them with a fleet of top-notch guest amenities, live entertainment and bookable experiences. There’s also the appeal of the on-site wine tasting room—Hall Napa Valley—and the soon-to-open Bar Issi, a beautiful, crowd-pleasing coastal Italian restaurant from the Los Angeles-based Boujis Group.
Before booking, it’s worth noting up front that the daily resort fee ($49) is quite hefty, but the fee pays for itself if you utilize all the included perks. This includes complimentary EV charging, free house car drop-off anywhere within three miles (though you’ll still need to take a rideshare back), filtered water stations with still and sparkling water and two eco-friendly bottled waters per room. Among other perks and local discounts, there are also free bicycle rentals, two-for-one admission to the Palm Springs Art Museum and free early morning yoga classes on the weekends. Conveniently, you can reach both the valet and front desk by text message—eliminating further friction every time you leave the premises for sightseeing or other off-site activities.
While all of that is good and well, the real reason I would recommend staying here for the 21-and-over crowd is Upper Stories, a premium set of suites that includes access to an additional, adults-only pool area, outside of which complimentary beverages and light bites are offered from morning to night. Depending on the day or time of the year, the price increase from a regular room is marginal (when I checked, it was about a $50 difference for most room types). With Upper Stories, you get access to the rest of the hotel with the added bonus of more privacy and seclusion.
What are the rooms like at the Thompson Palm Springs?
The Thompson has 168 rooms and 18 suites, plus an additional 42 rooms and five suites within Upper Stories. Each fairly large room features the same midcentury modern design in muted beige tones, with a spacious bathroom that includes a walk-in shower and a puzzlingly deep toilet nook—it almost looks as though the designers contemplated adding a separate door for privacy, then thought better of it. The King Bed Courtyard rooms are the cheapest option (with less compelling views), but there are also King Bed or 2 Queen Bed Rooms with views from the balcony for a slight premium. All suite options include a separate living room area and a soaking tub; I was able to tour two versions of the Alejo Corner Suite, which offers a spacious wraparound balcony and a dining table that seats six.
During my two-night media stay, I ended up in a King Bed Upper Stories, which overcooked the adults-only pool and the San Jacinto Mountains. My partner and I enjoyed the complimentary afternoon snacks and happy hour drinks, which included a few non-alcoholic options. We also lounged around the adults-only pool area, which was serene compared to the main pool area.
What are the best dishes and drinks at the Thompson Palm Springs?
The Thompson Palm Springs offers in-room dining and poolside food and drink options that skew broadly Californian (think poke bowls, a burger and Caesar salad). I wasn't able to try those firsthand, but I did enjoy a full dinner at Lola Rose Grand Mezze. The Thompson’s all-day eatery is one of the only Middle Eastern restaurants in Palm Springs. Head chef Quentin Garcia—a Coachella Valley native—serves a sprawling, seasonally informed menu of raw bar items, starter salads, spreads, mid-sized plates, kebabs and large-format dishes that help render Middle Eastern cuisine legible to the masses.
If you’re staying for more than a single night, I would recommend having dinner here. I enjoyed the dutiful, well-executed versions of tahdig, hummus and kebabs; among the seafood dishes I sampled, I loved the ahi crudo with avocado sorbet and finger lime black sesame vinaigrette. But if you’re well-versed in the finer intricacies of Persian and Arab cuisine, you’ll probably find Lola Rose a little too familiar to be truly compelling. The two drinks I was able to try—a unique mastic spritz and a porn star martini— were great as well.
What is the service like at the Thompson Palm Springs?
The front desk and valet staff were warm, professional and knowledgeable. Cleaning service was prompt, and I was able to secure additional towels and bottles of water with minimal fuss. On a Friday night, I found the service staff to be stretched a little thin at Lola Rose, the on-site restaurant.
What are the pool and gym like at the Thompson Palm Springs?
The main pool area includes a shallow pool, a separate hot tub, plentiful recliners and reservable private cabanas, plus a poolside bar with a full food and drink menu. The adults-only pool area inside Upper Stories offers a slightly smaller pool, several recliners and a bar offering the same food and drink menu as the main pool. (In my experience, it wasn’t regularly staffed, but you could order food by texting a phone number provided on a small sign.)
The gym, located on the lobby floor, is one of the most impressive hotel gyms I've seen in a while. Near the entrance, you’ll find complimentary fruit, a see-through fridge of cold towels and a water fountain that dispenses still and sparkling water. For all your cardio needs, there are treadmills, ellipticals, a stair climber and three pieces of Peloton equipment: two stationary bikes and a rowing machine. Several weight machines are also available, as well as free weights, kettle bells and balance balls with two weightlifting benches and plenty of mirrors to check your form. There’s also ample space for stretching.
What’s the area like around the Thompson Palm Springs?
The Thompson is located on a northern stretch of Palm Canyon Drive, the main thoroughfare of Palm Springs’ fairly touristy downtown area. A few minutes’ drive north of the hotel is the newer Uptown Design District, which boasts high-end furniture stores, art galleries, vintage shops and other upscale fashion retailers. While this makes the hotel a convenient place to stay for those who want to be close to all the action, the same fact also means that you might overhear the sounds of traffic as you try to sleep in the evenings, particularly on the weekends.
A few standout restaurants in the immediate vicinity include Cheeky’s, one of the most popular no-reservation breakfast and brunch spots in town; Workshop Kitchen + Bar, a longtime farm-to-table favorite with striking brutalist architecture and a lovely patio; The Tropicale, a kitschy, vaguely tiki-inspired restaurant popular with bachelorette parties and other party-oriented weekend getaways; and Copley’s, which offers sweeping views of the mountains and one of the best patios in the city—at least in the cooler months. The hotel is also a short 10-minute walk from the Palm Springs Art Museum, which offers two-for-one admission to hotel guests. Other nearby attractions include the Agua Caliente Casino and its wellness-oriented counterpart, the award-winning Spa at Séc-he, which draws from the original springwater source for which the city is named.
Why should you book a stay at the Thompson Palm Springs?
If you’re willing to splurge a little on lodging and looking for a centrally located hotel near major attractions, the Thompson Palm Springs should be your first choice. The commissioned art pieces, the excellent on-site dining options and the top-notch guest amenities all justify the additional premium you’ll pay for an overnight stay here. Unless you’re traveling with children or anyone under 21, I recommend springing for a room in the Upper Stories for additional privacy and another pool, especially during festival season and the busier winter months. To save a ton, you can always book midweek or during the summer months, when the outside temperature regularly averages 100 degrees or more and even laying by the pool can feel unbearable. (But hey, to each their own, right?)
Address: 414 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Price per night: Rooms start at $269 per night, midweek.
Book now: Click here
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