Weekend Getaway: Palm Springs

Have you seen this brightly colored beacon in the desert? It's the new Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs, and I'm dying to check it out. Not just because of its happy color palette or that it's been all over Pinterest and in-the-know blogs of late, but because I stayed there a few years ago, when it was a much more low-key Holiday Inn. Crazy, isn't it?

By The Saguaro

I came across a picture of the new Saguaro and, despite the shocking new facade, it looked familiar, so I did a little sleuthing and discovered it was the place where we had stayed.

The Holiday Inn was nice enough. I'll admit that when I travel, finding the chicest hotel isn't my top priority. I like clean, comfortable rooms in a good location at a good price, and that's what we got. Plus it had a nice pool area, and the mountains in the background are pretty spectacular.

The only bummer was that the poolside bar was closed when we were there. I had imagined sipping mai tais by the pool. I don't think I've ever had a mai tai in my life, but it seemed like the thing to do. So instead I went to the indoor bar and got a pina colada and brought it out to the pool.

The new version, brought to us by the folks behind the nearby Ace Hotel, retains the great pool area and, from what I can tell, the reasonable price, but adds a whole lotta personality. It's also pet-friendly, which I always like, even if traveling with our dogs is out of the question.

If you're planning a trip to Palm Springs, I recommend stopping by Pomme Frite for a decadent croque monsieur (mmm, melted cheese!), and don't forget to save time to check out the area's midcentury modern houses. We saw a road runner on our tour!