Holiday House Palm Springs

At Holiday House, a 28-room boutique hotel in downtown Palm Springs, there’s no messing about with superior, deluxe, and the like: the room categories are Good, Better, and Best. And the good is pretty good, indeed. Good means bright and cheerful, with original artwork, bath hardware by Waterworks, and custom textiles by Mark D. Sikes, the same Hollywood-based designer who reimagined the hotel’s interiors during recent restorations. Better means bigger, in this case, with a wet bar for good measure. And Best means mountain views, plus a private balcony or patio where you can properly enjoy them. (If the Best isn’t quite good enough, look into one of Holiday House’s top-of-the-line options, the aptly named Big Room or The Suite.)

The tongue-in-cheek room categories are a new addition, but Holiday House has been around for decades. The hotel first opened its doors in 1951, during the resort town’s golden age — original amenities included a shuffleboard court and English bicycles for guests. Much of its midcentury character remains. But now, thanks to the design overhaul, it caters to the whims of modern travelers. Cozy communal spaces where you can catch up on work, check. A cool tile-lined bar serving classic cocktails all day, check. A healthy continental breakfast and the requisite swimming pool to lounge around in your vintage-inspired swimwear: double-check.

We’d like Holiday House just fine without its art collection, but it just so happens that, yes, that’s a David Hockney painting, and over there, an original Lichtenstein print. The hotel also has works by Herb Ritts and Mr. Brainwash, not to mention a Donald Sultan sculpture in the garden. Well-chosen, we think: there’s nothing like Hockney’s shimmering blues to put you in the mood for an afternoon swim before retiring to your room to dress for a night out on the town.