SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
VisitPalmSprings.com; @VisitPalmSprings—“Long known as a haven of relaxation and revelry for Hollywood A-Listers past, Palm Springs is a thriving destination perfect for anyone with a hankering for mid-century modern architecture, a variety of cultural experiences, outdoor adventures, wellness offerings, vintage shopping, epicurean delights, and more,” says Kimber Foster, director of tourism for Visit Palm Springs.
Palm Springs Convention Center is located less than 2.5 miles from Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) and within walking distance of 1,600 hotel rooms. It offers a 112,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a 20,016-square-foot ballroom.
Citywide, Palm Springs offers 6,591 guest rooms.
Adjacent to the convention center is the 410-room Renaissance Palm Springs, offering 38,048 square feet of event space and 14 breakouts. Its 12,636-square-foot Grand Ballroom can accommodate 1,500 guests for receptions or 1,050 for banquets. Hilton Palm Springs, just one block from the convention center, offers 260 guest rooms, 17,558 square feet of event space, 14 breakouts, and two ballrooms (4,788 and 5,418 square feet, for up to 240 or 360 guests, respectively). Hyatt Palm Springs offers 197 guest suites, 12,000 square feet of event space, and 10 meeting rooms. Its Grand Salon can host 170 guests for banquets.
Reflecting Palm Springs mid-century aesthetic, Margaritaville Palm Springs offers 398 guest rooms, 20 breakout rooms, and 33,000 square feet of meeting space. The 19,670-square-foot Compass Rose Ballroom can accommodate 2,500 for receptions. Featuring a rooftop pool, Kimpton The Rowan Palm Springs Hotel has 153 guest rooms and 16,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, including the 2,300-square-foot Sky Ballroom, a boardroom, and a rooftop events room and outdoor terrace. Drift Palm Springs opened in spring 2023, one block from S. Palm Canyon Drive and Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center. Blending minimalism with modern design, the boutique property does not have a front desk or lobby; instead, it uses a digital concierge called Eve. Guest rooms include studios to four-bedroom suites and surround a central pool. The hotel’s restaurant and bar, Maleza, serves Baja-inspired cuisine and can be rented for small meetings or full buyouts. Outdoor events can be hosted on the Desert Lawn, whose cacti fence encloses 3,576 square feet of flexible event space.
The Mission Revival-style Villa Royale recently completed a $1 million refresh of its grounds, restaurant, and 36 guest rooms. The long-awaited Thompson Palm Springs opened recently on N. Palm Canyon Drive between downtown and Uptown Design District. It offers 168 rooms and suites and more than 8,000 square feet of meeting and event space, ranging from a 1,100-square-foot studio space with a capacity of 120 guests to a 6,200-square-foot ballroom for up to 600 guests.
Palm Springs Art Museum displays its permanent and visiting collections in 28 galleries on three floors and showcases live performances in its Annenberg Theater. Rentable event space includes the museum’s lava rock-walled atrium, which can accommodate 200 guests for seated dinners or 500 for receptions; 88-seat lecture hall; 430-seat theater; and two sculpture gardens, both of which can host a 100 for seated dinners or 200 for receptions. The museum’s footprint also includes Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center, Edward Harris Pavillion, approximately a half-mile away from the main museum, and the 4-acre Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden, featuring 14 outdoor sculptures and an array of desert plants.
Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza, featuring a garden and special event and activity space, opened downtown in October 2023. It is also the site of Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, which showcases objects and artifacts, including baskets, beaded items, pottery, fine art, and textiles; and the site of The Spa at Séc-he, offering 22 private mineral hot springs baths and numerous treatments and amenities, including float pod suites, halotherapy salt caves, a cryotherapy chamber, an acoustic wellness lounge, a grounding room, and a eucalyptus steam room. The 17,000-square-foot pool deck contains the main mineral pool, four luxury cabanas, and a separate zero-edge mineral pool. Séc-he means “sound of boiling water” in the Cahuilla language.
The 10,000-seat Acrisure Arena opened in December 2022 in nearby Palm Desert. Home to American League Hockey’s Coachella Firebirds, it also hosts concerts, family shows, and other entertainment.
Regular events on the Palm Springs calendar include the year-round Thursday-night VillageFest, a street fair featuring vendors, buskers, and food trucks. Modernism Week in February features more than 350 events throughout the 11-day festival, including the four-day Palm Springs Modernism Show, a classic car show, home tours, talks, architectural walking tours, garden tours, and parties. Coachella Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Festival take place every April in nearby Indio. Palm Springs Festival of Lights Holiday Parade takes place on the first Saturday of December.
If there is extra time in the event schedule, consider these nearby attractions: The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens, Shields Date Garden in Indio, Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, BMW Performance Center West in Thermal, and Joshua Tree National Park.
