The Thompson Palm Springs – A New Concept in Luxury Palm Springs Hotels     

By Barbara Beckley

Set to open September 26, 2024, the Thompson Palm Springs is poised to deliver a new experience in luxury vacations and events.

It is chic and minimalist on the outside. But surprise, surprise – step inside, and you’re in an expansive luxury resort! Plus, it is in the heart of Palm Springs, located between downtown and the Uptown Design District.

“Elevated resort luxury and lifestyle, with a cool city vibe” is how Kelly Teo, Thompson Palm Springs director of sales, describes the Thompson brand’s first low-rise (four stories) horizontal urban resort. It stretches across 2 1/2 blocks with South Palm Canyon Drive to the west and Indian Canyon Drive to the East.

“You feel the reality of Palm Springs,” Teo said. Immersed in views of South Palm Canyon’s buzzy street life, the San Jacinto Mountains, palm trees, the residential Movie Colony, and sweeping vistas across the valley to the Little San Bernardino Mountains.

The property features extensive outdoor spaces. “We even have a second-floor grassy lawn with immersive mountain and city views. It is an unexpected experience not often associated with city hotels,” Kelly continues.

The new Thompson Palm Springs takes full advantage of its horizontal profile, creating an open-flowing design in two sections. There is the Main Building and the Upper Stories, as in “upper class,” Teo smiles.” There are 168 bungalow-inspired rooms, including luxe suites, all in 11 stylish sub-groupings.

Valet parking is available at the hotel entrance. Oh, and the Thompson Palm Springs is pet-friendly, too.

Main Building

A sweeping circular ground-level entrance on South Palm Canyon Drive connects everything. “Ideal for seamless guest and gala event vehicle access,” Teo said. This is where you will be greeted in the gorgeous adjacent hotel lobby.

This is also a sleek event center with more than 8,000 square feet of indoor space and more than 30,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. “This is unique to any meeting/event space,” Teo bragged. Contemporary in style, the naturally lit Event Center is purposefully located in the Main Building on the street level adjacent to the Palm Canyon Drive circular entry. Like in a resort, it’s “Perfect for galas and gatherings without interfering with the leisure experience,” Teo explained. “The catering kitchen is adjacent for quick, fresh food and service.”

Every sink in the hotel’s elegant mosaic Event Center bathrooms has its own air dryer! Splash. Soap. Dry your hands. All in one place. No waiting. No sharing. Thomas Edison would be proud.

Hall Napa Valley Tasting Room

A Palm Springs first! Sip and savor award-winning cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, merlot, and more at Palm Springs Hall Wines Nappa Valley Tasting Room. Even more exclusive, this is the only Hall Wines tasting room outside the Napa Valley. And how fun. The indoor/outdoor space is designed to resemble its stunning Napa Valley cave-like tasting room – smack on South Palm Canyon Drive Varietals from HALL, WALT, and BACA Wines.

Upper Stories

Ride the elevator one floor up. Wow! “The second floor is where the resort journey begins,” Teo enthused. It is a playground with two rooftop pools, bars, and cabanas, including an adults-only pool. You will find a top-of-the-line fitness center with TRX Training and Peloton bikes. Enjoy numerous sunny outdoor spaces and a lawn for relaxing and gathering.

And… A Greek surprise. “Yes,” Teo smiled. “Strolling along the Main Building’s second-floor outdoor promenade, people tell us they feel like they’re in Santorini, Greece.” The pure white colors and simple architectural lines, with outdoor stairways leading to third-story rooms and suites, are reminiscent of the streets of Santorini. But it’s Palm Springs all the way everywhere else.

Additional rooms and suites on the third and fourth floors have similar spectacular city and mountain views.

Rooms with a View

Open the door to your guestroom or suite, and whoa! Watch the Palm Springs excitement unfold. Wide sliding doors and unexpectedly spacious terraces. The 168 guest rooms range in size from 350 to 540 square feet.

There are also 18 luxury suites, including the 1,700 square foot San Jacinto Suite. The Thompson Suite puts you directly in the downtown Palm Springs scene, backed by the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains.

And not to worry. When it’s time to sleep, slide the soundproof windows shut. Voi la’ – your room is totally quiet.

Neutral tones and sleek furnishings custom-designed in a mid-mod style reflect the Palm Springs vibe. Luxe amenities add to the memorable stay, including marble baths, marble-top mini-fridges, premium mini bars, and 500-thread-count linens.

Choose a corner suite with an immersive view of nearly 360 degrees. For example, the 1,047 square-foot corner Alejo Suite (on the corner of Alejo Road and South Palm Canyon Drive) is almost double that size when you include its expansive wrap-around terrace living space.

The 1,420 square-foot corner Hardy Suite (named after Palm Springs’ Ruth Hardy) boasts a huge balcony/terrace, wrapping around seemingly a quarter of the building, overlooking the main pool area, downtown Palm Springs, the San Jacinto Mountains, and even the Little San Bernardino Mountains across the valley.

Lola Rose

The expansive Lola Rose cocktail lounge flows into Thompson’s flagship restaurant, the Lola Rose Grand Mezze. The menu features Mediterranean cuisine, and guests can enjoy 10,000 square feet of outdoor event space with expansive views of the city and surrounding mountains.

Celebrating Palm Springs Art & Design

“The authenticity of Palm Springs is what our hotel is all about,” Teo said. Thompson does it with meticulous detail. “The buildings are pure – white, simple, sophisticated.” Neutral desert colors define the interior spaces. You see it in the mosaics, tiles, marble, and light wood. Just about everything is custom-designed. We have exquisitely made furnishings for the guest rooms, public spaces, restaurants, bars, pools, and each function room. Custom-designed wallpaper, “wallpaper as art,” to Teo. All reflecting the city’s midcentury modern style.

Perhaps most impressive is the art. A spectacular collection of museum-quality work commissioned to reflect Palm Springs’ heritage. “Art is huge with Thompson Hotels and the hotel’s major investor, Hall Wines,” Teo divulged. Teo explained that the Hall family turned to Virginia Shore, who curated art in 79 U.S. embassies, to commission works specific to the Thompson Palm Springs.

A beautiful example is “The Land is Speaking. Are You Listening,” a multi-panel mosaic by Native American artist Jeffrey Gibson in honor of Palm Springs Native American heritage.

Thompson hotels also support “culture shifters,” Teo continued. “People who shift the conversation to ‘culture.’ Be it art, fashion, history, drag, or LBGQ.”  It’s a perfect match for Palm Springs.

Meetings, Weddings & Events

Like a resort, the second floor’s open spaces are framed by stunning views. Each picture is perfect for small to medium size weddings, receptions, events, and celebrations. Perhaps the Lola Rose Courtyard for up to 250 guests. The Podium Courtyard has a grassy event lawn for ceremonies of up to 100. An as-yet-unnamed corner patio with an adjacent suite, “ideal for a wedding brunch,” Teo recommended. And poolside at the Upper Stories for a reception of up to 100.

Insider tip: “If you book 42 rooms in the Upper Stories, you get the pool for yourself,” Teo said. “Buy out the entire hotel (for meetings, socials, weddings), and you get everything!” he added.

Yet more dazzling details – each function room boasts chairs, tables, wallpaper, mosaics, and other décor designed just for that one room.

The main San Jacinto Ballroom measures 6,200 square feet and can accommodate up to 600 guests. It is divided into three: San Jacinto 1 and San Jacinto 2, each accommodating up to 150 guests, and San Jacinto 3, which can accommodate up to 300 people.

The smaller 1,100-square-foot Las Palmas Studio welcomes up to 120 guests.

Ask about their wedding package, including every detail for the big day.

Phase 1 Opening September 26, 2024

“We’re taking room, function, and wedding reservations for September 5,” Teo said. The Thompson Palm Springs is scheduled to open in two phases. Phase 1 will be on September 5, including 100 guest rooms in the Main Building and the Main Building Event Center. According to Teo, phase 2 for the entire hotel is expected sometime in October. “How’s business?” I asked. “Great! We have leisure guests and a convention already booked for September 5.”

414 N. Palm Canyon Drive

Hotel Reservations

All Images Credit Thompson Palm Springs

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