Hip Rental Apartments in Palm Springs You'll Want to Call Home

Just like the Eagles’ classic song, you might never want to leave Hotel California, styled like an old Spanish mission and surrounded by lush gardens at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains. There’s a private courtyard with heated pool and hot tub, a guest kitchen and outdoor gas grill, plus a lounge with a complimentary DVD library, card games and board games. Beach cruiser bicycles are also available if you fancy exploring Palm Springs.

This place has a real “oasis in the desert” vibe, with many of the villas opening directly onto one of the pools at the center of the complex, one of which does look like an oasis, with limpid waters surrounded by rocks and cacti. There are hot tubs, tennis courts, racquetball, a fitness center and table tennis. All the one- and two-bedroom condo units have views of the grounds or the mountains.

Again the Spanish mission feel is strong here, with those distinctive clay barrel roof tiles, adobe-style walls and varied mosaics. There’s greenery everywhere too and it’s flawlessly maintained. Every villa has a private garden patio and there are outdoor soaking tubs as well as a pool. There’s a grocery delivery service available to guests and in-room massages and facials can be bought at a discount from nearby Studio M spa.

This Marriott bills itself as offering self-catering accommodation with all the facilities of a luxury hotel but without the price tag. Rather than self-contained villas, all the rooms are studios or suites with their own kitchens. Of course there’s an outdoor pool but there’s also a pet-friendly lawn, a large fitness center, and dining at the Gatehouse restaurant, which has a social area with a patio and outdoor firepit. Next door is the Desert Willow golf course, of which some rooms have a view.

This retro hotel was built in 1951 by local architect Herbert W Burns and still maintains its mid-century style, right down to the funky entrance sign. The grounds are landscaped, with plenty of palm trees and flowers. There’s also a pool, a secluded hot tub and fire pits. The outdoor barbecue grills have fresh herbs and condiments provided and there’s even a pizza oven you can use.

This large resort sandwiched between two golf courses has eight outdoor pools and five tennis courts. The air-conditioned studios and apartments have a full kitchen and living area, with barbecue facilities available, plus billiards, cycling, and a fitness center and spa to keep you occupied. The palm-tree studded grounds are great for a stroll or taking in the mountain views, and there’s excellent hiking on the Araby Trail nearby.

While this resort may lack the ambience of some of the smaller, mission-themed vacation apartments in Palm Springs, it makes up for it with the amenities you get. That means basketball and tennis courts, a fitness center, barbecue area and pool table. The outdoor pool is heated and there’s also a children’s pool and hot tub. It’s also got a great downtown location right by the Palm Springs Art Museum and Agua Caliente Casino.

Close to downtown, you get the clas­sic Palm Springs experience of immac­u­late rooms, mountain views, a pool and hot tub with no fuss. The communal areas favor pretty native blooms and protruding rocks for a proper desert vibe, rather than the environmentally unfriendly green lawns favored elsewhere. The Aerial Tramway, the largest rotating tram car in the world, is a 10-minute drive away.