Palm Springs is a super underrated vacation spot in my opinion. It was never super high on my list, but in March of 2021, I had a week free before starting a new job, and I wanted to get some relaxation in before getting back into it. My requirements were a pool + a balcony on my room + sun + a cheap flight and room + lots of books. After doing a bunch of research and assuming I’d end up in Florida, I chose Palm Springs. One of the greatest things about a trip here, is that the hotels are all within walking distance of SO MUCH to do. I only took an uber twice during my week long stay, and the whole area is so laid back and relaxed.
There are a lot of Marriotts to choose from, but I’ve now stayed twice at the Renaissance Palm Springs. It’s only a 7 minute uber ride from the airport, and while it’s a bit further from the main drag, it has the best pool in my opinion. I wanted a large pool with plenty of seating, plus it’s set back far enough that you can get sun for pretty much the entire day, as opposed to some of the smaller pools that are set closely next to the rooms at spots on the main street. Another plus – both times I’ve stayed at the Renaissance they’ve given me fantastic upgrades with my status. Not all Marriotts do this anymore, but both times here I’ve ended up with pretty nice suites.
The hotel has a great restaurant for breakfast, and even during COVID they were making delicious breakfast burritos every morning to grab and go. It’s a great option if you’re planning to just grab something before vegging out at the pool.
If you have time to walk out a bit, I highly recommend Koffi. It’s a small chain just in Palm Springs, and there is one only a few blocks from the hotel. They have amazing coffee and pastries. I stopped by for various flavored iced coffees almost every morning.
For lunch on both trips, I never left the hotel. My main goal in Palm Springs was to lay in the sun and read as many books as humanly possible, and honestly their lunch food was pretty good. I really enjoyed their chicken sandwich, and I think I ordered that most days I was there.
For dinner however, there are SO MANY great places to choose from. I’ve highlighted my favorites, but I’m sure I’ll be adding more with each trip back. I also LOVE dining out alone, which I know most people find weird, but I think it’s a great way to really enjoy and immerse yourself in the food and the people watching is always fun.
Hands down my absolute favorite restaurant in Palm Springs is Sandfish for sushi. I LOVE sushi, and this spot honestly lands in my top 5 sushi spots worldwide at this point. I opted for the tasting menu, because when that’s an option, why do anything else?! They are also known for their whiskey, but to be honest, I drank enough sake that I couldn’t justify trying any. The table next to me did a whiskey flight, and that is definitely on my to-do list for the next trip out.
The menu is super unique, and a lot of the dishes had flavors you wouldn’t expect, like feta in the tuna tostada, and octopus over an edamame hummus. The first half of the tasting menu was fun appetizers like this, followed by some rolls, and then sashimi.
The sashimi dishes were SO fresh, and I even ordered a few extra at the end as a substitute for dessert since I don’t really like sweets.
They also had a great sake menu. I picked out a fantastic bottle, and then on top of that they brought me a free espresso martini as an extra.
I’ve found that a perk of traveling alone is definitely freebies at restaurants. I’ve found that I get free drinks pretty often, usually when the bar has accidentally made an extra, which is hard to bring to a table with multiple people. It was definitely one of the prettiest espresso martinis I’ve had!
For Italian, I highly recommend Birba. The entire restaurant is essentially outdoors, and set back in this beautiful garden. They have a great Italian wine list, and the food is all so fresh. I went with the truffle arancini, and one of their pizzas, which was way more than one person could eat, but I just had to try a pizza after walking by so many tables with them. This spot was so good that I ate it twice on my last trip.
For steak, Mr. Lyons is absolutely delicious. The service left much to be desired, which may have been a one-off, but I’d still recommend for the food. It’s not uncommon for waiters to seem uncomfortable or confused by me dining for dinner alone, but this was the first time I had someone tell me that I’d ordered too much and they were just “not going to bring the appetizer.” I was a little taken aback and told him that no, I definitely still wanted it, and then he tried really hard to talk me out of getting two sides, and recommended I “just stick with a vegetable” which I thought was incredibly rude. That being said, the food was outstanding, and exactly what I was craving, so I’d for sure go back and give the service another chance.
Del Rey is a fantastic spot for cocktails and Spanish tapas. Their martini was the drink that the waiter recommended I try, as they’re known for their olives, and they make the martini with fresh olive oil rather than olive juice. It was definitely interesting, since the oil and liquor don’t mix, so you get full drops of oil with your sips. I enjoyed it, but switched to wine afterwards as it was WAY strong. For food, I had a bunch of small plates, and the lamb albondigas was definitely the stand out for me. You really can’t go wrong with any of the options! I am definitely coming back here when I’m with more people so I can try more items.
King’s Highway is a super unique upscale diner that is located in the Ace Hotel. The decor is all old school diner, and the kitchen is exposed so you can watch the food being made, but it’s definitely not your typical diner fare. When I went here, I was with a larger group, so we ended up ordering basically one of every appetizer, plus a few salads and entrees, and EVERYTHING was delicious. They also have a lot of healthy options, which is definitely unique for a diner.
The Amigo Room is the bar also located in the Ace Hotel. The Ace Hotel itself is a super cool space, so I recommend checking out the bar and walking around a bit if you can. The cocktails here were a mix of the classics and some very unique new twists, plus they have a bunch of local and craft beers on tap. Worth a stop after dinner!
For after dinner drinks, I tended to stop by the Rock’s Lounge in the hotel if I decided I had room for one more bevvie. When I’m traveling alone, I don’t tend to go to bars at night, just during the day in between sight seeing. That being said, there are definitely a lot of options in Palm Springs, so please let me know your favorites in the comments for my next trip with Eric!
While I did go only for the sun and pool, there was one rainy day where I had to find some non-pool activities, of which there are many!
For shopping, there are a lot of cute boutiques on Palm Canyon Drive, and I stopped into a few when I was walking to dinner most nights. If you’re looking for the BEST shopping however, I highly recommend making the 20 minute drive out to Desert Hills Premium Outlets. They have super high end outlets like YSL, Gucci, and Neiman Marcus Last Call. It was pretty cold and drizzly, but I still waited in line for the Gucci outlet, and found some GREAT steals.
Outside of shopping the two items on my list that I didn’t get to on this last trip were the Palm Springs Ariel Tramway and the Moorten Botanical Garden. The Tramway looks SO cool, but unfortunately during COVID they had limited tickets, and the entire week I was visiting was already sold out when I arrived. Make sure you book way in advance if you’re planning a trip! The Botanical Gardens were similarly closed the day I wanted to go, and had some limited hours. These both came highly recommended, so make sure to check ahead!
Overall, Palm Springs is a fantastic destination for a weekend getaway. It’s easy to get to, great walkability, sun, and fantastic food. I’m already planning my next weekend here, so let me know what other restaurants and hot spots I need to add to my list!
