In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- Suite 335 feels like your own canyon-side apartment, with plush leather chairs and a huge bar. It’s greedy in the terrace stakes – it has one with a hammock off the bathroom, and another off the bedroom with a fireplace and picnic table. If there’s a group of you, book a Patio with Garden or Fireplace and then some of the smaller rooms on the second floor – you’ll have a party pad with living space and somewhere for everyone to crash afterwards. Be sure to book a room away from the pool if you want a quiet sleep.
- Packing tips
- Your guitar for fireside strumming; your old LPs to stick on the old record player if you’ve booked into a Patio room or above.
- Also
- The fabulous ‘Swim Club’ of the hotel’s name consists of two pools, a hot tub, a spa with a steam room and sauna, and assorted massage yurts – plenty to keep you happy for at least a day.
Current offers
- Smith card offer
- 10 per cent off rates and a glass of champagne each on arrival
More photos
Ace Hotel & Swim Club
Palm Springs, United States[view map]
- Style
- Hipster’s canyon commune
- Setting
- South of downtown
Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs is a motel that died and went to hotel heaven. The two-storey 1960s whitewashed architecture remains, as do the bones of an old diner, but it’s been brought back to life with more than a lick of paint. Draped fabrics on the walls give a luxe campsite feel, vintage furniture makes each room unique and the ubiquitous arts and handicrafts reveal just how creative this community is. And we haven’t even started on the Swim Club…
Need to know
- Rooms
- 180, including 11 suites.
- Rates
- Low season, US$109–US$180; mid season, US$119–US$369; high season, US$149–US$559, not including breakfast (US$10 each), taxes (16.51 per cent) or the US$20 resort fee.
- Check-out
- 12pm, but flexible based on availability (half-day rates apply if you check-out after 4pm). Earliest check-in, 3pm.
- Facilities
- Vinyl record library, gym, spa and WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV, Rudy’s Barbershop bath products, iPod and MP3 docks.
- Poolside
- There are two outdoor pools, a Jacuzzi and hammocks to lounge around in. The pool at the Commune is quieter and more relaxed, and it has trampoline-like circular parasols (but jump on these at your peril).
- Eco-friendly
- Lots of the furniture is made from reclaimed wood and everything that can be is recycled.
- Also
- Pets are allowed for an extra US$25 a day; there’s even a park for them to play in.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- The King’s Highway was once a roadside Denny’s diner, and remains true to its roots, dishing up classic American fare (burgers, steaks, club sandwiches) with a dash of the unexpected (harissa lamb and pan-seared tilapia). It’s a casual diner setting, with toffee-coloured booths and random but entertaining performances from the old-Hollywood hostess.
- Dress code
- Hippie or hipster, as long as you don’t look like you’ve tried too hard.
- Top table
- Snag a saddle-leather corner booth so you can people-watch inside and out. On the patio, you’ll be privy to magnificent mountain views.
- Last orders
- Food is available all day: breakfast is 7am–11am, lunch is 11am–5pm, and dinner lasts until 10pm. As for drinks, order them in between 4pm and 2am.
- Room service
- Anything you like the look of on the restaurant menu can be whisked up to your room between 7am and 10pm. DIY barbecue kits can be delivered to rooms with terraces.
- Hotel bar
- The Amigo Room is a cavernous, old ranch-hand bar with booths around the perimeter to hide out in. The clear resin tabletops have Mexican dinero layered within. Try the King’s Highway Ale or one of the cocktails made with the freshest ingredients.
Also worth knowing
- Children
- This hotel is better suited to couples - leave the children at home!
- Weddings
- This hotel is suitable for weddings. More…
Smith members offer
10 per cent off rates and a glass of champagne each on arrival
Our members get a little something extra at every hotel they book with us. Just show your Mr & Mrs Smith card at check-in to claim.
Not a member? Join now
Book online
To book this hotel please click here, or contact our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you'll get the best available rates, and we don't charge a booking fee.
