Hotel at a Glance: Avalon Hotel Palm Springs

Although it's nestled in the heart of downtown, the 4-star Avalon Hotel Palm Springs feels like it's completely tucked away from civilization. It sits on four acres of manicured gardens, with citrus trees, blossoming flowers, and rich greenery creating a natural curtain that hides it away from the outside world. During your stay, you can take advantage of this natural calm by strolling through the gardens or whiling away the days poolside.

• Pamper yourself with a custom massage, body scrub, or relaxing pedicure from the full-service spa (additional fees apply).
• Have a poolside meal at Chi-Chi, the on-site restaurant and bar.
• Commune with nature during a long hike through Mount San Jacinto State Park, which neighbors the resort.
• Splurge a little: The neighboring town of Palm Desert is known for its world-class shopping on El Paeso Drive, which is sometimes nicknamed the "Rodeo Drive of the desert"; it's just 13 miles away.

Palm Springs, California: SoCal Resort Town with Midcentury Charm

Palm Springs is an oasis of outdoor recreation and old Hollywood glamour located about 100 miles from Los Angeles. Once the stomping grounds of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and the Rat Pack, the town still attracts A-list vacationers today. A stroll through the Movie Colony—which had its heyday between the 1930s and 1960s—will take you past the former homes of Dean Martin, Bob Hope, and Marilyn Monroe.

Palm Springs is also the birthplace of desert modernism, a Bauhaus-influenced architecture movement. You can explore the area's famed midcentury-modern landmarks on a self-guided tour; grab a map at the Palm Springs Official Visitors Center, itself housed in an iconic building—a retro-futuristic Tramway Gas Station designed by Albert Frey. Furniture and clothing boutiques along Palm Canyon Drive embrace Palm Springs' trademark aesthetic—what you might call Mad Men West. Nearby, the small but impressively curated Palm Springs Art Museum features works by Pablo Picasso and Robert Rauschenberg along with significant contemporary and Native American collections.

The sun shines more than 300 days a year in Palm Springs, which means you can play a round of golf or hike in the nearby Agua Caliente Indian Canyons no matter the season. It’s worth taking a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, whose cars rotate 360 degrees as they carry passengers to Mount San Jacinto’s Mountain Station, located 8,516 feet above sea level. About 40 miles northeast is the nearly 800,000-acre Joshua Tree National Park, which spans parts of the Colorado and Mojave Deserts. Hit one of the 12 nature trails for a chance to see desert bighorn sheep, snakes, and black-tailed jackrabbits.