Ace Hotel, Palm Springs, CA

Once a mid-century roadside motel with an attached Denny’s, Ace has taken the classic roadtrip retreat and made it something cool. White buildings frame the hotel’s two pools and retro decks, nestled between desert hills and palm trees. To achieve this boho-chic remodel, Ace called on their favorite LA-based designers, Commune, while also tapping local artists to furnish their desert oasis. All of these elements bring a hip and fresh take on retro motels with crisp whites, soft beiges, and unique details. Keep an eye out for the custom screen printed duvet covers in the rooms from LA design brand Freecity and California transplant Alma Allen’s handcrafted wood furniture placed throughout the hotel.

Revived retro doesn’t come without modern luxury at this pet-friendly swim club. Feel Good Spa focuses on bringing natural, organic healing to you with treatments like superfood facials, detox massages, and aloe wraps. The convivial poolside atmosphere follows you throughout the hotel, from the open-concept lounge-style lobby to the hip speakeasy-style craft cocktail bar, Amigo Room. Paying homage to the property’s roots, Ace revamped the attached restaurant, launching King’s Diner, an homage to roadtrips of the 20th century. Take a pit stop for health foods like chia pudding and dishes featuring produce from local farms.

Community-building is big with Ace and that’s clear in their Palm Springs outpost. From the influence of local artists and designers in the hotel’s conception to the continued support of local musicians, you’ll feel the centrality of Ace’s ties to their host community. The lobby and the pool almost always have a DJ or live music going while Amigo Room offers live music and participatory events like karaoke or crafting lessons. On a corporate level, they recently released a renewed policy on uplifting marginalized voices from across their organization, including the implementation of anti-racism and implicit bias training and revision of all wages to ensure that there is no pay bias. Turning to the host communities, Ace has also committed itself not only to fostering relationships with Black-owned businesses and suppliers to help their hotels run smoothly, but also to developing mentorship and career opportunities to all of its employees.