PARKER PALM SPRINGS
WHERE MID-CENTURY COOL MEETS MODERN MISCHIEF
Some hotels have personality.
Parker Palm Springs has attitude.
A fever dream of Jonathan Adler’s most fabulous design fantasies, this mid-century playground is pure Palm Springs in eclectic technicolour. From cheeky art and secret hammocks to a confessional booth (yes, you read that right), it’s impossible not to grin as you wander through.
The mood? Irreverent.
The style? Fun, flirty and not afraid of a little innuendo.
On arrival we were swept straight into a kind of delicious weirdness that only the desert - and a designer with a flair for vintage mischief - can deliver. Think fire pits and suggestive artwork, palm trees and bougainvilleas lining winding garden paths, and shady corners that feel tailor-made for misbehaving.
The grounds are something else entirely. Spanning 13 acres (but who’s counting?), wildly lush, perfectly manicured and full of surprises - like stumbling upon a french boules court and a giant croquet set or a hidden swing under the palms. It’s a bright and colourful escape from the desert heat, and somehow feels both whimsical and wildly grown-up.
Then there’s Mister Parker’s - a sultry, dimly lit restaurant that feels like a naughty secret. With a hidden entrance, velvet banquettes and moody lighting, it’s a throwback to the prohibition era with a decidedly modern wink and a vibe that says ‘meet me at midnight’ even if it’s only 7.30pm. It practically demands a martini and a well-placed whisper.
Rooms range from hammock-happy hideways and poolside oasis’s to villas suited to larger families or groups of friends (or solo escapes if you are feeling a bit extra). Each has it’s own flavour, but all come with that signature Parker twist - just the right blend of polish and play.
And because no trip to Palm Springs is complete without a little desert detour, we headed for Joshua Tree. Think Mars meets magic - raw, otherworldly landscapes by day and the original dark sky country by night. We joined @jtreeastronomy for a night under the stars that left us with cricks in our necks and a renewed sense of cosmic wonder.
Our stay was short, but oh-so-sweet.
If you like your hotels with a sense of humour, a splash of glam and cocktails that don’t hold back - this one’s for you.
As a member of one of my favourite hotel collections, The Leading Hotels of the World — Parker Palm Springs leads with flair, fun, and just the right amount of fabulous. It’s proof that five-star doesn’t have to mean buttoned-up, and that great hotels can be wildly stylish and wonderfully un-serious.
Big thanks to the team at @parkerpalmsprings and @leadinghotelsoftheworld for a stay that was anything but ordinary.
Let’s talk Palm Springs!
@parkerpalmsprings @leadinghotelsoftheworld @jtreeastronomy
