Avalon Hotel & Bungalows Palm Springs, a Member of Design Hotels

We’re returning in a few days, which says plenty about how much we enjoyed the stay. The location is great, just a 2-3 minute walk from the main drag. Aris checked us in, and the front desk staff were lovely. We were upgraded to a beautiful room and really enjoyed it. The pool and Chi Chi restaurant were great. I had the Açai bowl twice and liked it a lot. Free coffee was set out at 6 am and was pretty good. The restaurant wait staff were friendly and personable. I’ll get their names when we’re back, and I’ll also update the name of the relatively new woman at the front desk.

The massages, service, and staff were all amazing, but we couldn’t use the pools, and the spa was going to close to us at 2:00 PM because of a complete buyout by hotel guests. My wife and I had booked massages after being told we’d have access to all the pools and the spa area. We even called twice to confirm. If we’d known about the restrictions, we wouldn’t have booked. We were told the buyout was unexpected, but nobody offered any compensation for losing access to so many amenities. We’re also puzzled about how a buyout by hotel guests could have been unexpected. I have no complaints about what we did get to use, but being unable to use everything we were told would be available was frustrating and unacceptable, especially after we’d called twice to check.

I loved the charm of the grounds, restaurants, and hospitality here, even though the hotel shows its age. It’s part of an older historic property along with Inglewood Estate, and I usually prefer newer, updated hotels. Our room was spacious and comfortable, we slept like babies, and we enjoyed breakfast by the pool each day. Staff were incredibly attentive and helpful. It’s also well located, away from downtown noise but close enough to walk there. All around, a very enjoyable stay.

You can choose from four beautiful pools and two hot tubs if you include the nearby sister property The Ingleside. The grounds and mountain views are ridiculously gorgeous, right in the heart of old school Palm Springs. I also had a massage at Estrella Spa. Randi was delightful and gave a world class massage. Chi Chi by Avalon’s pool has a small but perfect menu, with breakfast, fresh salads, and burgers. For a really authentic Rat Pack dinner, Melvyn’s at The Ingleside is everything. James at the front desk made my stay extra perfect. Staying here feels like a dream. I’d live on site if I could. I work professionally in Historic Building Preservation and had wanted to stay at the Avalon and Ingleside for years. I finally got the chance.