Colony Palms Hotel

It’s been a journey for the Spanish Colonial gem that is the Colony Palms Hotel. Founded in 1936 by the (alleged) mobster Al Wertheimer, it became a favorite of the Hollywood in-crowd before they eventually decamped for more distant destinations. But now, a couple of name changes later, the refurbished and redesigned Colony Palms is once again a luxe and stylish destination, one that consciously recalls the glamour of the golden age of Hollywood — and Palm Springs — even as it attracts a new generation of boutique-hotel travelers.

The rooms and suites are decorated in an elegant, contemporary style, with echoes of the Art Deco style that was current at the time of the hotel’s original heyday. They’ve also got all the modern-luxe trimmings, from Nespresso machines, pillow-top mattresses, and down duvets to marble-clad bathrooms stocked with Le Labo bath products. For extra space and privacy (and a hot tub on the patio) book one of the bungalows, and for more, book the hotel’s crown jewel, the Hermann Residence.

There’s a pool and a spa, the former a 65-foot salt-water affair, the latter decorated in verdant, calming greens. And the hotel’s restaurant, the Colony Club, is more than a hotel kitchen — it’s an upscale Mediterranean fixture on the Palm Springs dining scene, serving inventive modern dishes paired with wines from California and around the world.

How to get there: Colony Palms Hotel is a mile and a half from Palm Springs International Airport.