The best Palm Springs hotels for solo travel have a few things in common. My top picks are boutique hotels in walkable locations with great amenities and relaxing environments. I’m particularly fond of historic Palm Springs hotels as well!
I’ve stayed in many different hotels and rentals in and around the Palm Springs area, including Palm Desert, Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Morongo Valley. Growing up in California, we’d go to Palm Springs yearly for group gatherings in La Quinta. Then living in Los Angeles it’s always been an easy weekend getaway for group trips or attending events like Bhakti Fest. Within the past decade, my family members started buying property there, giving me even more reason to spend time in the desert.
Eventually, I also started going on my own, finding it a great place to enjoy solo as well.
1. Korakia Pensione
Korakia Pensione is a Mediterranean-style resort near downtown Palm Springs with 28 total rooms. It is first on my list of Palm Springs hotels for solo travel as it is my recent solo stay. It also tops the list as one of my favorite hotels in general—I have only amazing things to say about it.
Korakia Pensione History
Korakia Pensione dates back to the 1920s. The original house was called Dar Maroc and was created by painter Gordon Coutts to resemble his life in Tangier. He built this next to the Mediterranean-style house of screen star J. Carol Naish. Now the properties are joined as a 1.5-acre resort but still maintain the two different style influences.
The property has been hosting artists and musicians since its inception. Even Winston Churchill (who painted) is said to have stayed there.
The Rooms at Korakia Pensione
There are two different parts of Korakia, which sit across the street from one another. The main part of the hotel is the Moroccan side of the property, while the Mediterranean part is right across the street.
The accommodations at Korakia Pensione include rooms, bungalows, and guesthouses.
Mediterranean Villas
The Mediterranean Villas are named on theme with rooms like Santorini, Paxos, and Mykonos. Each has its unique qualities.
If you’re looking for a room with a writing desk that looks out towards the pool, go with the Sparta Studio. For a private gated patio, book the Kalymnos Room. For both mountain and pool views, the Ionean Bungalow is a good choice.
I stayed in the Aegean Bunglaow on the Mediterranean side of the property. (Shortly thereafter my stay I got the opportunity to go to Greece for the first time—I went from the Aegean room to the Aegean Sea within a couple of weeks. Coincidence or the magic of staying at Korakia?)
My room had a separate bedroom and living room space, as well as a full kitchen with a full-sized refrigerator. The bathroom contained a Japanese dipping tub. It was all stunning.
One of my favorite parts about the room was that it was surrounded by French glass doors that could be flung open for a more indoor-outdoor experience. I was working for part of my stay and it was nice to enjoy the privacy of the living room while still being right next to the pool. This also made it easy to come and go from the sunshine without having to fully lock up the room.
Moroccan Villas
The Moroccan Villas are on the main portion of the hotel property and include rooms, studios, and suites. They too offer different perks that may include private balconies, full-sized kitchens, and gorgeous four-post beds.
One particularly unique room on the Moroccan side is the Artist Studio, which looks like the perfect artist studio. It has a large sitting and dining area with a beautiful window looking right at the Jan Jacinto Mountains.
Korakia Houses
Korakia also has Houses, some of which are located on the Mediterranean side of the hotel, and another that is located nearby in the Historic Tennis Club neighborhood. The latter sleeps up to 12 and has a private pool.
Korakia Pensione Location
Korakia is located in downtown Palm Springs, just a few blocks from Palm Canyon Drive. It’s walking distance to the Palm Springs Art Museum and many, many places to eat.
Address: 257 S Patencio Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Korakia Restaurant
Breakfast is served daily in the Moroccan courtyard, and you can opt to have it sent to your room as well. (One of the days that I stayed there it was so hot that they sent it to our rooms anyway.) The food was delicious with substantial options like eggs with avocado toast.
They also have a poolside menu from which you can order food to the pool or your room.
Other things to know about Korakia
- There are no TVs at Korakia but you will find record players.
- Breakfast is included and is served daily in the Moroccan courtyard.
- There are two different pools to choose from.
- The treatment room offers massages and other spa services.
- The Mediterranean pool becomes a screening area by night where classic movies are played. I was charmed by the fact that all my neighbors came out to enjoy this.
- Bike rentals are available to explore the neighborhood.
- Pets are not allowed at Korakia.
I found Korakia to be far more social than many other boutique hotels but in a very low-key way. This is a quiet and relaxing place that draws a lot of couples, but it also draws a lot of artist-types of various interests and mediums.
When I stayed in a Mediterranean Villa, all of my neighbors chatted and connected while spending time out at the pool. During my stay the bungalow right across from me was also occupied by another solo female traveler from Los Angeles. So it seems to attract plenty of solo people who enjoy a retreat-like place to relax.
Korakia Pensione reservations can be made directly on their website as well as on hotel booking platforms.
2. Casa Cody
The historic Casa Cody Inn is the oldest operating hotel in Palm Springs. The boutique hotel is set right up against the San Jacinto Mountains while still being a very short walk from downtown. It’s one of my other suggestions for Palm Springs hotels for solo travel because of its location, charming property, and relaxing pools.
Casa Cody history
The hotel was named after pioneer and founder Harriet Cody—a cousin of Buffalo Bill. (See, another historic hotel in Palm Springs!)
Cody arrived in Palm Springs by way of Philadelphia in 1916. Her husband Bill had come down with Tuberculosis, then Pneumonia, and they thought the California air might do him good. They first landed in Hollywood, and later headed to the desert. (In a wagon!)
When Bill did not immediately recover, his architectural projects started falling by the wayside, and Harriet decided to get entrepreneurial. First, she opened a livery stable, where she would rent horses to guests staying at The Desert Inn. When Bill died in 1924, she bought four cottages from the California Exposition and opened Casa Cody.
The timing was perfect. The popularity of Palm Springs had heated up in that era because European travel was limited during World War I. And then the bigger Hollywood got, the more people vactioned out in Palm Springs.
I love this story. This woman took her future into her own hands and just did the damn thing. Casa Cody has been in operation now for almost 100 years.
And not just that…but it’s a lovely place to stay.
The rooms at Casa Cody
The hotel, a favorite of other legends like Charlie Chaplin and Anaïs Nin, has 30 unique rooms. These range from studios to two-bedroom cottages, all on a single level. If you’re looking for Palm Springs accommodations with a kitchen (outside of the Airbnb world), that can be found at Casa Cody.
Casa Cody Adobe House
The Adobe House once housed a stage and the piano of opera singer Lawrence Tibbett. (It’s called being party prepared.) With two bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room (with a fireplace) within 971 square feet, there is plenty of space for up to four guests at a time.
There are also two patios for outdoor relaxation and even a cellar that hosts wine tastings. (Those can be reserved at the front desk.)
Casa Cody Olympic Cottage
One of the cottages, aptly named the Olympic Cottage, also housed athletes during the 1932 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. It has a kitchen, private patio, and outdoor shower among its 531 square feet.
Casa Cody Harriet’s Cottage
Harriet’s Cottage is one of the most popular rooms on the property. The 281-square-foot space has a gorgeous outdoor soaking tub.
Casa Cody Winter’s House
Winter’s House has also had quite a history. Built in the 1930’s it once housed officers training for WWII. Later it became a private residence. This is the second biggest cottage at 733 square feet, which also has the option of being booked alongside the studios that flank it.
It has a kitchen as well as both indoor and outdoor dining spaces.
The Studios
Each of the studios is slightly different but they’re all outfitted in modern Spanish revivalist decor. My room had a large bed, seating area, wet bar, and a nice bathroom.
It was facing the Mountain Pool, which is one of the most commonly photographed areas of the property. There are chairs outside of the rooms which are shaded, and you are steps away from the pool.
The hotel offers all the classic comforts, big cozy beds, extra blankets for winter nights, and expedient room service. (Or poolside service—wherever you might happen to be.)
Casa Cody Location
The location of Casa Cody could not be better. It is two blocks from Palm Canyon Drive and even closer to the Palm Springs Art Museum. This is right dab in the middle of downtown Palm Springs but set back enough that you wouldn’t know it when you’re on the property.
I find this super convenient while solo traveling since you don’t need a car to get food, drinks, or check out some local activities. The neighborhoods set a couple of blocks from Palm Canyon Drive are also very charming for walking around or riding bikes.
They’re wide, quiet streets that are easy to navigate. I particularly love walking around Palm Springs at night in the summer. There’s something about that warm summer air with the buzz of the cicadas after the blaze of the sun has set.
I’m sure that I hold nostalgia for the place because I’ve been vacationing there since childhood. I even drove for the first time there. But it’s quite special with or without the ingrained emotional connection.
Address: 175 S Cahuilla Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Casa Cody Restaurant
The Marketplace is Casa Cody’s on-site restaurant. Guests are offered free breakfast each day from 7-10 AM. Their all-day menu serves things like charcuterie and alcoholic beverages from 7 AM-10 PM each day. And some of the food is grown right on the property.
Other things to know about Casa Cody:
- While some boutique hotels in Palm Springs are adults only, at Casa Cody both children and pets are allowed.
- There is an edible garden on the property as well as fruit trees that you’re welcome to pick.
- You will find TVs at Casa Cody.
- Casa Cody has an on-site treatment room that offers both massage and reiki sessions.
- Breakfast is included and is served in The Marketplace each day from 7 – 10 AM.
- The property has two pools and a hot tub.
- Casa Cody is a nine-minute drive from the airport.
Casa Cody reservations can be made directly on their website as well as hotel booking platforms.
Both of these hotels are both close to the airport and located in a great area of Palm Springs. You can walk or ride bikes to many nearby attractions, as well as drive to sights like the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Joshua Tree National Park, or the Integraton.
