Five years ago we were scheduled to visit Palm Springs and then covid struck. We canceled our trip…read moreand the walking tour with this group. To our surprise they refunded our tickets. We didn't expect that from a not-for-profit. Very nice. So five years later we are back and we booked the Rat Pack walking tour ($40/person) for a 2.5 hour tour. We met our excellent guide David in the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood. We go on many historic and architectural tours/walking tours at home and when we travel and this one was exceptional. David did a great job blending architecture, history and Hollywood glitz in his tour. He knew his stuff and he did it with great humor. The pictures also helped. He also did a good job of keeping us in the shade since it was zooming towards 90 degrees. We cannot recommend this tour enough especially if David is leading it. When we return I will look into other Historical Society tours and hope David is our guide!

What an asset the Historical Society is for Palm Springs. The small museum is packed with…read moreinteresting information . I went on a bike tour today and enjoyed the experience, Lisa, who is a volunteer, was informative and caring. I learned so much about Modernism. We even saw some celebrates homes ,past and present, Thanks for making your visitors feel welcome.

Not much on display. A few fashion photos, no architecture. Cheeky volunteer. No place to sit…read more Bathroom was fine fine

As a valley resident, I had a wonderful time on our tour learning about modern architecture. There…read morewere locations that I never even knew existed, let alone the history of those buildings. Our tour guide Tommy made the experience one of a kind. His passion and expertise kept me engaged throughout the 2.5 hour tour. I want to thank our driver Tammy as she made sure we all stayed on course and on time. I would highly recommend everyone to try this tour and see what Palm Springs has to offer.

I was recently in Palm Springs for a look-around. I told a friend I was going and he said the most…read moreimportant thing I could do was to go on the Modern Tour, to see the wonders of Palm Springs architecture from an insider's perspective. So I joined the caravan, piloted by Michael Stern, a scholar and expert on the subject. He guided us on a curated tour of fascinating places that made me realize Palm Springs is unique in the American experience, a world unto itself. Seeing the design sophistication of these homes was life-changing for me; I felt Palm Springs was the place I'd been looking for, and have begun looking at homes there. Michael's tour inspired me, and made me see the world differently. Don't miss it.

It was very enjoyable tour. It started in their office. Water and snacks available gratis. One…read morelovely book for sale if you want. Copies of the books go with you and are referenced during the trip. There is a car caravan and Bluetooth commentary by a knowledgeable Micheal. A shared transport vehicle is also available. He discusses different neighborhoods and points out notable homes. We signed up for the 2 home tour. They were beautiful and we learned so much during our tour. Pro tip. Wear shoes easy to slip off in case you tour a home where you need to remove your shoes. He will answer all your questions and is obviously passionate about the subject. Was it cheap, no. Was it worth it? Yes. Money well spent.

Great tour! Fantastic guide! Comfy van! Can't go wrong with this tour. You get all the highlights…read morein a short time.

When visiting Palm Desert in mid-February, the concierge recommended the Legends & Icons tour with…read moreFive Star. We met up with Annette and her sprinter van which was packed to the gills! We got the very last seats in the back with our friends. It was an unseasonably cold day with pouring rain. PS gets 1-4" rain per year, and received 1" of that on the day of our tour! Annette said the heat was on (and I did feel it further upfront when disembarking), but I was freezing the entire time in the last set of seats. The tour itself was good - Annette was full of stories and very entertaining. We were glad we opted for a guided tour like this versus a self-guided walking tour. It lasted close to 2 hrs and costs $130/person. Note that the tour did NOT include the tour of the Rat Pack Hideway specifically listed on their website tour description spelled out below. The asterisk they added just lists the people who partied and played, and the elongated plus sign was probably meant to be a disclaimer that we may not see this property, but there is no such disclaimer or explanation of that symbol anywhere that I could find on their site. "The Rat Pack Hideaway: Tour the private property of The Rat Pack Hideaway, where Frank, Dino, and Sammy partied and played.*† ( We are the only company given access to exclusive movie star properties.)" Regardless, the tour was good with lots of info and recommendations for places to eat and explore further (although covered so quickly the none of us could recall specifics after we left!) It was hard to see much of some homes, hidden behind gates/landscaping. A tour of an actual home, such as the Rat Pack hangout, would have been awesome.

We had a great tour with Rosemary! What a fun and fabulous way to see Palm Springs. We arrived…read morethere a few minutes early and check in was a breeze. We got to meet our hostess Rosemary, had fun dressing up, and taking pictures with her before our tour started. She was a wonderful guide and we learned so much about the rich history of Palm Springs. She also threw out recommendations for restaurants and activities to do while we were in the area, which we really appreciated. It was a smooth ride around town in their air conditioned bus. We were provided with fans and water bottles as well. Bonus that you can bring your own alcohol! We each brought a cup of wine with lids with us. And don't forget to tip your hostess!

As part of a friend's 75th birthday, a group of seven of us went on the Drag & Fly tour of Palm…read moreSprings. We had a great time. Our tour guide, Danity was wonderful and the tour was fun and informative. We would recommend this tour to others either visiting the city, or for just a fun afternoon.

We recently had the opportunity to visit Palm Springs for a few days. My wife and I brought our own…read moree-bikes along, and so we followed the local bike trails that we knew. For lunch we made a stop at Sherman's Deli which shouldn't be missed. Upon starting our 6 mile ride back to the hotel, we discovered that one of our bikes had a rear flat tire. It's always the rear, isn't it? What could be harder to change than a rear flat on a 65 lb e-bike, assuming I had brought a wrench. I could have ridden back solo, brought back the car and bike rack, picked up the broken bike and then drove back to the hotel. But, then we'd still have a bike with a flat with a few more days left in our trip. (sigh)... Hoping for the best, we did a Google search for bike shops in the area. That's when we found BIKE Palm Springs nearby. They were a bike rental shop, but maybe they'd help us. I rode the working bike over to BIKE PS and asked, and they said "no problem"! About 20 minutes later, Tony had put in a new heavy duty up-graded tube, replacing our thin standard tube that wouldn't hold up to the 'goat heads' that can be found on the trail, and had us ready to go again. We had some time to look their shop over while we waited - great helpful staff, clean shop, and nice well-maintained RAD and Aventon E-bikes. You couldn't ask for much more, we've ridden both in the past and liked them. So a big thank you to Tony and the rest of the staff that helped us at BIKE Palm Springs. You saved our day!

It was so easy, renting our bikes all ages grown-ups down to 10-year-olds. They were so…read moreknowledgeable and helpful with ideas on where to ride. I absolutely recommend them. The price was great as well.

Yummy place! If I could I would come here weekly because it's so delicious. Nice staff and the…read morestore is clean.

MY 600TH REVIEW!!!!…read more I wanted to save #600 for someone special and Desert Star is the best! I was looking for a quality, reasonably priced hotel for a quick trip to Palm Springs and Yelp sent me the right way on this one for sure! These are just some of the things we loved: -calm atmosphere without being stuffy -bikes to use while you are there -bungalows with all the cooking facilities to make you feel at home -postcards pre-stamped in the room so we could write our friends -super stylish digs -nicely maintained pool area with fire pit -our own private patio with fire pit and BBQ -really, really sweet hosts who made us feel totally at home I just can't say enough good things about out experience. I have stayed at some super expensive 5 star hotels all over the world and nothing compared to this. This is hands down my favorite place I have ever stayed. When I am stressed out and wanting a vacation, being at the Desert Star is what I fantasize about!

We had just started our trip in Palm Springs and made a stop here. It is very unique building at…read morethe beginning of the road to the aerial Tramway. Tons of parking, and a great view of the mountains from the parking lot. They even have a cool art display on one wall outside by the bathrooms for photo opportunities. The center itself is not large, and is filled with your typical T-shirts, sweatshirts, books, Christmas ornaments, etc. We did pick up a really cool Palm Springs Christmas ornament that was very unique and I didn't see anything like it when shopping downtown. The people at the desk have a large map that they draw on to show you how to get to certain places as they were giving us information which was helpful. I did buy a map that showed homes of past celebrities such as Doris Day, Elvis, etc. We did try to drive around and identify some of these homes, but it's not as easy as you would think. House numbers are not very apparent, and some of these streets are quite narrow, and with traffic behind you, you don't really have the opportunity to go slow and or stop to look. So we eventually gave up and just drove around to observe the unique architecture ourselves. I would say this is definitely worth a quick stop!

Late Nov, 2025. Palm Springs (PS), CA…read more *Location. Conveniently-located at the intersection of N Palm Canyon Dr and the road that goes up to the aerial tramway. *Exterior. Sufficient parking, even on a weekend, with EV charging stations available. Views of the San Jacinto Mountains from the parking area. Outdoor rest rooms available without having to go into the Visitor Center. A few outside photo opps. Architecturally-interesting building. It was apparently a former gas station but, with its update, has the feel of a mid-century modern building. *Interior. (1) There were two manned information desks, with friendly and somewhat helpful staff who offered maps and recommendations of things to see and do in PS. The young man who helped us pulled out a map that had PS proper on one side, and the greater PS (to Coachella) area on the back. He went through a seemingly rehearsed spiel about what we should see/do without first ascertaining what type of activities we were interested in. It was helpful that he informed us that VillageFest, a weekly downtown event with artists, artisans, entertainers, food vendors, and more, would not be held that week because of Thanksgiving. But, we were disappointed that he couldn't answer some of our basic questions about the San Jacinto National Monument area. Also, in asking if the Visitor Center had a map for a self-guided walking tour of attractions, we were directed to a brochure of (paid) walking tours offered by the local historical society. (2) There was a separate desk run by the Agra Caliente Band of Cohuilla Indians, offering tickets that allowed access to hikes in their ancestral lands, including Indian Canyons and/or Tahquitz Canyon. The woman at the desk was very friendly and helpful, and we bought tickets for Indian Garden (valid for one year). Tickets are normally $12 (adults) and $7 (seniors 62+), but a $1/ticket discount is given if purchased at the visitor center. (3) there is a small gift shop with books, maps, and souvenirs. (4) locally-relevant exhibits and brochures to local attractions.

Annette is an extraordinarily gifted tour guide. My 92 year old aunt and I loved every minute of…read morethe information packed, Tour #1, "Legends and Icons" We saw Palm Springs through the eyes of longtime resident, Annette, who shares her deep affection for her town and its people, history, and unique geographic features. We actually felt genuine pathos as she shared the little known and very touching details of each location along the tour. The way it works is to travel in a super modern luxury van while Annette drives and comments and stops at points along the way. This is not a walking tour. This is not a go-inside-the homes/businesses tour. This is a thorough overview of the Palm Springs area including parts of adjoining locals. The brochure is clear and accurate. What I can add to it is that Annette makes the experience really special and makes you feel like she really cares that you have a great tour. It's proof of the old saying, "nobody cares how much you know unless they know how much you care." Annette cares a lot about Palm Springs and about her business of giving tourists an outstanding tour of the area. We are so glad we took this tour.

Great company! Five Star creates wonderful experiences for people...the tours are interesting and…read morehelpful and their dinner events are entertaining!! Great company with wonderful people.

I have been planning our nonprofit organization's annual conference and board meetings for almost a…read moredecade, so at this point I have booked a LOT of hotels. We are a good-sized group, usually around 30 rooms, and we have some very specific and occasionally weird needs. I also travel constantly and have been lucky to stay in some incredible hotels around the world. So when I say the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs gave us one of the best hotel experiences I have ever had, and hands down the best I have ever had as the person responsible for making one of these weekends actually work, I mean it. First of all, the hotel is gorgeous. The rooms are modern, beautiful and spotless, the views are ridiculous and the rooftop feels like you have somehow floated above Palm Springs. You can walk out the front door and basically the entire downtown is at your feet. And then there are those mountains, changing colors throughout the day and turning pink and gold in the evening, reminding you that Palm Springs really has no business being this beautiful. But as much as I loved the hotel, the thing I cannot stop talking about is the staff. Every single person we encountered was warm, kind, helpful, funny and gracious. It never felt scripted or transactional. People genuinely seemed happy we were there and wanted us to have a wonderful time. Our board noticed it too. All weekend I heard stories about staff members who had helped someone or gone out of their way to be kind. By the end, everyone was raving about the hotel and essentially informing me that we would be returning next year (which is great, because I want that, too!). Apparently the committee has spoken. And then there is Megan, who worked with me on our group from the beginning. If you have ever planned a hotel event, you know the person on the other end of those emails can either make you feel like everything is going to be fine or slowly remove years from your life. Megan gave me years BACK. She was thoughtful, responsive, flexible and incredibly easy to work with. She understood our group and what I was trying to create, made things easy that are so often unnecessarily complicated and never made us feel like another block of rooms on a spreadsheet. We felt genuinely welcomed and cared for, and as the person ultimately responsible for everyone having a good experience, I cannot explain what a gift that was. Also super important: the food. Apparently the Rowan decided hotel banquet food did not actually have to taste like hotel banquet food. We had lunch on Sunday and I have eaten enough conference meals to know the drill and adjust my expectations accordingly. This was legitimately delicious. People went back for more. Multiple people asked if they could get the recipe for the white bean soup. THE WHITE BEAN SOUP. At a hotel banquet. If you have attended enough conferences, you understand how extraordinary this sentence is. Our executive team also had dinner Friday night at 4 Saints and it was wonderful from beginning to end. The food was beautiful, the staff was attentive and lovely and during dinner the sun began disappearing behind the mountains while we sat high above Palm Springs. Everything turned pink and gold for a few minutes and it felt almost otherworldly. It was one of those moments where the setting, food and people you are with all come together and you realize you are going to remember this particular dinner for a very long time. And I think that is what I loved most about our weekend. Beautiful hotels exist all over the world, but ultimately what stays with you is how a place made you feel. Somehow this team made 30 rooms full of people feel like they were genuinely happy we were there. They made my job easier. They gave our board a beautiful place to work and laugh and reconnect and sit under the desert sky together. When it was time to leave, nobody really wanted to. I travel a lot and plan enough of these events to know how many moving pieces have to come together behind the scenes for an experience to feel effortless. This one did. The Rowan is special, but the people who work there are what make it extraordinary. We came for a board meeting and left already talking about when we could come back. Five stars, obviously. And if someone will please send me that white bean soup recipe, maybe six.

*Price: $300-700 per night. It is variable baes on week days or weekends and room type. Midrange…read more for palm spring. 4 stars * Accommodations: roof top pool, small gym on second floor, 2 restaurants on site and roof top bar. The room is spacious but lack storage and small bathroom. Toiletries, coffe maker, no fridge. Abth robe but no slippers. Pet friendly. 4 stars. * Location: in the middle of the downtown PS, accross from PS modern art museum. Very convenient to shops and restaurants. 5 stars. * Motif: modern and minimalist. 4 stars. * Service: average, not exceptional. 3 stars. We visit PS often since it is about 2 hour drive from LA. We stayed here a few times. It is definitely due for a review. I'm conflicted about Kimpton. The hotel is small and artistically design. It is nice to look at but lack for function. The room is very spacious and minimalist but lack of comfort and luxury. There is not enough storage space (I'm not into exposed shells and storage. Cloths and stuff should be tucked away in my opinion). Sofa and patio chairs are so uncomfortable to sit on. The roof top area is quite nice and modern. The view of the mountain and PS is quite nice. We stayed at different rooms here. City view, balcony, and spa room. Not every room has views. Some room is looking down parking lot or shops. They have 2 restaurants in site, 4 Saints and Juniper Table. We had breakfast and brunch at Juniper Table and really enjoyed it. 4 Saints is on the Micheline guide. We have not eaten here yet. - the goods: Convenient location. Close to everything. Nice roof top view. Pet friendly Clean and spacious room with minimalist decor, hypoallergenic. Free wifi Free self park available. There is a vending machine in lobby for wine! The bads: Lower floor rooms are very loud (since it is closed to the street), either look at garage or stores. No fridge. Lack storage Spacious room but not well function. Service is so so (minimalist and sterile like the decor of the hotel... you get the idea!) Final verdict: The location is excellent. Nice spacious, clean and modern room. Ask for high floor room with balcony.