Gay friendly hotels in Palm Springs

Pink, camp and completely unapologetic, Trixie Motel is one of those rare hotels where the place itself is part of the reason for coming to Palm Springs. Created by drag superstar Trixie Mattel, this restored 1950s motel has just seven individually themed rooms wrapped around its instantly recognisable pink pool. Each room goes all-in on its own fantasy, from Flower Power and Pink Flamingo to Yeehaw Cowgirl, with larger suites adding kitchenettes and private or semi-private patios. There’s also an on-site bar and café for cocktails and casual food, while the adults-only setup keeps the whole experience firmly aimed at grown-up fun. The Uptown location is a little north of the main Downtown action, so Arenas Road’s gay bars are a short ride away rather than outside the door. GayMapper tip: Book the room whose theme makes you smile most – subtlety really isn’t the point here.

Palm Springs is famously low-rise, which makes the rooftop at Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel feel almost mischievous. Its seventh-floor pool is the only rooftop hotel pool in town, with uninterrupted mountain views that become particularly gorgeous around sunset. The 153 rooms and suites are sleek without losing the desert feel, while High Bar and 4 Saints mean the rooftop remains lively well after pool time. There’s a 24-hour gym, six pickleball courts, complimentary bikes and the classic Kimpton evening wine hour too. Step outside and you’re right in Downtown, with Palm Canyon Drive at the door and the gay bars around Arenas Road only a short walk away. That combination of proper hotel facilities and genuine walkability is surprisingly rare in Palm Springs. GayMapper tip: Time at least one evening around the rooftop – sunset, cocktail, dinner and then Arenas Road makes for a very easy Palm Springs night.

Ten rooms, one pool and a mountain backdrop: The Three Fifty Hotel understands that Palm Springs hotels don't necessarily improve by becoming bigger. Built in 1950 in the Historic Tennis Club neighbourhood, it still has the intimate courtyard layout that makes mid-century desert hotels so appealing. Every room faces the pool, which is heated year-round, and the adults-only setup keeps the atmosphere relaxed. Breakfast and parking are complimentary, bikes are available for exploring, and the hotel is now pet-friendly too. New independent ownership is promising further updates while keeping the property's original mid-century character. Palm Canyon Drive is only a few minutes away on foot, with Downtown restaurants and galleries close by and Arenas Road comfortably reachable when it’s time for a night out. GayMapper tip: Still one of our favourite little Palm Springs stays – especially if ten rooms sounds much more appealing than ten floors.

Santiago is where you go when the exhausting Palm Springs itinerary consists mainly of moving between a sun lounger, the pool and the spa. This long-established gay men’s resort sits behind private gates in the Tahquitz River Estates area, with mountain views adding to the feeling that the outside world can wait. The swimsuit-optional pool is the centre of things, backed up by a hot tub and comfortable landscaped grounds. Breakfast and lunch are included, removing two daily decisions from your holiday, while the atmosphere manages to be social without making participation compulsory. Rooms range from kings to larger suites, some with private patios. Downtown and Arenas Road are a short ride away, but there’s very little pressure to leave Santiago once you settle in. GayMapper tip: Excellent if your ideal gay resort is relaxed, polished and sociable rather than relentlessly party-focused – sunscreen remains non-negotiable.

Architecture fans can actually sleep inside a piece of Palm Springs history here. Del Marcos Hotel was designed in 1947 by William F. Cody as his first independent commission, and the 17-room property later became an officially recognised Palm Springs historic site. The adults-only hotel still revolves around its gorgeous central saltwater pool, framed by native stone, redwood and mountain views. Rooms are individually styled, with some adding patios, balconies or kitchen facilities, and guests can borrow bikes for exploring. There’s free parking too, plus access to dining and spa facilities at sister property La Serena Villas nearby. You’re tucked into the Historic Tennis Club neighbourhood, just one block from Downtown – close to restaurants and shops while retaining that quiet residential Palm Springs feel. GayMapper tip: If Modernism Week makes your heart beat faster, Del Marcos gives you the chance to stay in the architecture rather than merely photograph it.

La Serena Villas is the hotel that makes its old three-star GayMapper rating look particularly strange. This is now a properly luxurious adults-only hideaway: just 18 Spanish-style villas on more than an acre of landscaped grounds, with Downtown Palm Springs outside the gate. Each villa has its own private patio, fire pit and outdoor clawfoot soaking tub – an excellent recipe for suddenly deciding that sightseeing can wait until tomorrow. There’s also a beautiful pool, Spa Serena and Azúcar, whose rooftop bar pairs cocktails with mountain views. Breakfast, bikes and parking are included within the resort fee. Despite the retreat-like atmosphere, you’re still close enough to walk into Downtown and on towards the gay nightlife around Arenas Road. GayMapper tip: The romantic splurge of the list – book this when a private outdoor bath under the desert sky sounds more exciting than squeezing another attraction into the itinerary.

If your idea of desert relaxation involves an enormous swimming pool rather than an intimate courtyard, Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel has you covered. Its pool deck is one of the biggest in Downtown Palm Springs, with cabanas, mountain views and plenty of space to make an afternoon disappear. Rooms are bright and contemporary, Date handles all-day dining and Rocks is there for cocktails, while the hotel connects directly to the Convention Center. Another welcome detail: there’s no resort fee, increasingly something worth celebrating in California. Downtown restaurants and shops are walkable, with Arenas Road a little farther away but still easy when you want the gay nightlife. This is also one of the more practical choices for events, conferences or trips where you appreciate the resources of a large full-service hotel. GayMapper tip: Come for the big-resort pool without actually having to leave Downtown – and enjoy the rare pleasure of seeing “no resort fee” on the bill.

There are times when free breakfast and free parking are considerably sexier than designer toiletries, and Palm Springs can be one of them. Best Western Plus Las Brisas Hotel gets the practical stuff right while putting you almost ridiculously close to the action. The Mediterranean-style buildings wrap around gardens, terraces and a heated outdoor pool with hot tub and cabanas. Rooms come with mini-fridges and coffee makers, while the complimentary hot breakfast makes mornings painless. There’s also a fitness centre and poolside food and drink when leaving your lounger feels unnecessarily ambitious. The big advantage is location: Arenas Road, the heart of Palm Springs’ gay bar scene, is essentially around the corner, while Palm Canyon Drive, restaurants and shops are all walkable. GayMapper tip: Excellent value for a nightlife-heavy weekend – you can walk home from the gay bars and wake up to breakfast already included.

There’s a little bit of fantasy-land energy behind the unassuming gate at Vista Grande Resort. What started with seven rooms in 1984 now spreads across more than an acre of lush Warm Sands gardens, waterfalls and secluded spaces – still very much a gay men’s, clothing-optional escape. The resort currently has three distinct pool areas, including a sociable party pool and a quieter Zen pool, plus an 18-man hot tub, large steam room and waterfall bathing lagoon. Breakfast is included, there’s free parking and WiFi, and some of the 31 rooms and apartments add kitchens for longer stays. Warm Sands has been synonymous with Palm Springs gay resort culture for decades, so this is less about being near the scene and more about staying inside one particular part of it. GayMapper tip: A classic Palm Springs gay-resort experience with enough space to switch between sociable and secluded depending on your mood.

CCBC isn’t trying to be a discreet little boutique hotel, and that’s rather the point. This huge 21+ clothing-optional gay men’s resort in Cathedral City is built around socialising, pool time and a distinctly more adult side of a Palm Springs holiday. Across the sprawling grounds you’ll find a large pool, two spas, waterfall, steam room and various indoor and outdoor social spaces. Runway Bar & Restaurant means you can eat and drink without leaving the resort, while day passes and regular events bring in plenty of non-resident visitors too. Rooms range from straightforward studios to larger suites and kitchenette options. You’re outside Palm Springs proper, so Arenas Road and Downtown are a drive away. But CCBC is really a destination in itself rather than somewhere you book simply as a base. GayMapper tip: Choose CCBC because you actively want the social, clothing-optional resort experience – it’s one of the biggest of its kind anywhere.

Descanso is one of those hotels where plans for the afternoon can very quickly become “perhaps I’ll just stay by the pool.” This intimate gay men’s resort has a polished Hollywood Moderne feel, but the mood is friendly and relaxed rather than overly precious. A heated saltwater pool and outdoor spa sit among lush gardens, with mountain views above the palms. Continental breakfast is included, as is a poolside lunch, while snacks and drinks are always available from the cantina. Weekend Wine O’Clock adds an easy social moment without turning the whole place into a party resort, and bikes are available when you finally decide to leave. The location north of central Downtown feels pleasantly tucked away but keeps Palm Canyon Drive and the rest of Palm Springs within easy reach. GayMapper tip: A very good gay-resort choice if you like meeting people but want the atmosphere to feel more cocktails-by-the-pool than all-day pool party.

Sometimes you want Palm Springs character; sometimes you want a big pool, a proper spa and a hotel where everything simply works. Hilton Palm Springs falls firmly into the second camp, with a central location that also happens to be very handy for going out. The large outdoor pool deck is the focal point, backed up by Elements Spa, a fitness centre and mountain views. Rooms are generously sized, and the complimentary airport shuttle is particularly useful if you’re doing Palm Springs without hiring a car. Palm Canyon Drive is a few blocks away and Arenas Road’s gay bars are easily walkable, so dinner, drinks and nightlife don’t require much planning. The Convention Center is also nearby. GayMapper tip: A dependable all-rounder if you want full hotel facilities and a proper resort-style pool without giving up the ability to wander into the gay nightlife on foot.

The Skylark Hotel looks like somebody took a 1955 Palm Springs postcard and quietly upgraded the WiFi. Its 28 rooms retain plenty of mid-century flavour, wrapped around a heated pool and Jacuzzi with the San Jacinto Mountains providing an appropriately dramatic backdrop. Recent updates have kept the retro feel while freshening the bedrooms, and complimentary continental breakfast and parking help keep costs sensible. Lost Property, the hotel’s newer restaurant and bar, means you can now stay put for cocktails and casual coastal-inspired food too. This is Uptown rather than right beside Arenas Road, which suits travellers who want the design shops, architecture and quieter northern end of Palm Canyon Drive as part of the experience. Downtown nightlife is still only a short ride away. GayMapper tip: A fun, unfussy way to get the classic Palm Springs motel-and-pool experience without paying boutique-hotel fantasy prices.