How To Spend 48 Hours In Palm Springs | International Traveller

Nestled in the heart of the California desert, Palm Springs is a sun-drenched oasis that blends mid-century modern design with a vibrant arts scene, luxurious spa and natural beauty.

Head two hours east of Los Angeles for a culturally intoxicating stay in this desert oasis, which has been Hollywood’s playground for a century.

Day one

9am

Wake up in your private bungalow at the Avalon Hotel, a favourite hideaway for the brightest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, from Joan Crawford to Errol Flynn. At a poolside table, welcome yourself to Palm Springs with a date shake, made from the fruit of the city’s namesake trees. Double down with an American classic to set the tone of the day: French toast smothered in whipped cream cheese, bananas and candied walnuts.

the Avalon Hotel’s pool against a backdrop of towering palm trees — Take a dip in Avalon Hotel’s pool. (Image: Tara Howard)

10AM

To get your bearings, join PS Architecture Tours for a fascinating overview of the city. The mid-century modernist buildings reveal the backstory of Palm Springs’ iconic aesthetic and celebrity influence. Drive past the former homes of Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, Elvis Presley and Barry Manilow, whose distinctive property was the main setting in the movie, Don’t Worry Darling. Leonardo DiCaprio’s six-bedroom house is available for holiday rentals.

a mid-century modern building in Palm Springs — Marvel at mid-century modern architecture.

1PM

The Pink Cabana is a modern take on a 1950s tennis club, set (game, match) in the courtyard of the Sands Hotel & Spa.

the bar and dining at Sands Hotel & Spa — Sands Hotel & Spa evokes Mediterranean style with a Moroccan twist. (Image: Jaime Kowal)

Lunch is Mediterranean with a Moroccan twist, so the club sandwich is a tasty mix of turkey, za’atar-glazed bacon, saffron aioli, crushed avocado and Gruyère.

If it’s not too early for a cocktail, Pushing Buttons is adorned with an edible flower that provides a tongue-numbing sensation and changes the flavour of the drink.

a table-top view of food on the table at Pink Cabana, Sands Hotel & Spa — Dine at Pink Cabana. (Image: Jaime Kowal)

2.30PM

Hitch a ride up the steep cliffs of Chino Canyon on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world’s largest rotating tram car. On the 10-minute ride, admire the views of forest and desert in Coachella Valley below. At the top, the tram station is designed like a Swiss chalet, with an observation deck, natural history museum, two documentary theatres, a cafe and bar. Consider exploring the surrounding Mount San Jacinto State Park along a 1.2-kilometre-loop nature trail.

4PM

Back at ground level, the Uptown Design District is a must-shop destination for visitors. Browse the beautiful boutiques and (not cheap) vintage stores that line North Palm Canyon Drive. Attached to an art gallery, Shag Store is great for colourful coasters, books and gifts, while Trina Turk is jammed with vibrant clothes and accessories.

6PM

On the same street, Eight4Nine, in the city’s former post office, exudes a mid-century ambience with mountain views. The West Coast menu has specialties from Alaska to Mexico, including Pacific Northwest oysters and mesquite-smoked steak, plus wines from Oregon to California.

8PM

Work off dinner with a 15-minute walk to the all-pink Trixie Motel, owned by Trixie Mattel of RuPaul ’s Drag Race fame. Open to the public, the intimate bar looks like a lounge room in Barbie’s Dreamhouse.

the Trixie Motel drag show lounge — Trixie Motel rivals the Barbie Dreamhouse. (Image: Louise Goldsbury)

On Saturday nights, Three in the Pink is a fun and raunchy revue starring three drag queens. Get your dollar bills ready to tip the performers as they strut around the room lip-syncing to sexy songs.

the vibrant deep pink-lit Trixie Motel at night — Step into the vibrant Trixie Motel at night. (Image: Louise Goldsbury)

Day two

8AM

Before a morning hike, grab a coffee and pastry at the gorgeous Cafe La Jefa with mountain views. I recommend the organic chagaccino (made with chaga mushrooms, Peruvian cacao, cinnamon, monk fruit, milk and a double shot of espresso).

8.30AM

Beat the heat at Indian Canyons, where the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians built complex communities thousands of years ago. The easiest option is the two-kilometre Andreas Canyon trail to a creek, shaded by magnificent fan palms and skirted palms (which really do look like trees wearing hula skirts), unusual rock formations and more than 150 species of plants. Keep an eye out for roadrunners and rattlesnakes.

a backdrop of palm trees in Palm Springs, USA — You’ll be backdropped by mountainous scenery.

10.30AM

Nip back to your hotel to shower, change and pack your swimwear for the afternoon’s activities.

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11AM

Opened at the end of 2023, the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza houses a museum with an extensive collection of Indigenous artefacts. Owned and operated by the Agua Caliente people, this new facility sits on the sacred site of the tribes’ hot mineral springs, Séc-he. (Yes, that’s why it’s called Palm Springs.) If you skipped the hike, an outdoor exhibition features full-scale replicas of the canyons where the tribe lives.

Noon

Next door is The Spa at Séc-he, which pumps these sacred waters into 22 private baths. Buy a day pass to enjoy a soothing soak, followed by relaxing in the salt cave, sauna and steam room. Take a break by the pool and order a fresh salad or poke bowl to your cabana. After lunch, settle into a reclining massage chair in the acoustic wellness lounge, pop on the headphones and zone out to a pre-recorded meditation. Among other amenities are two flotation suites, a cryotherapy chamber, four jacuzzis and 15 rooms for massages and beauty treatments.

5PM

With body and mind relaxed, get your creative juices flowing at SUPERBLOOM. This studio offers a 90-minute experience to splatter-paint an item for the ultimate personalised souvenir. Transform an old T-shirt or sneakers, or select from the range of tote bags, luggage tags and passport- holders. The founders are on hand to help beginners, bring drinks and make the class a lot of fun.

Meet the founders of SUPERBLOOM, Alexis Palomino and Chris Ramirez. (Image: Louise Goldsbury)

7PM

Boozehounds is where the locals socialise with their dogs on an open-air patio. Inside, the human-only restaurant serves Californian–Asian cuisine using locally sourced ingredients.

the Boozehounds Palm Springs signage against a backdrop of tall palm trees — Find locals and their furry friends hanging out at Boozehounds.

Try the spicy Korean rice cakes, Filipino-style adobo chicken, tuna tataki or coriander salmon. Don’t miss the list of frozen cocktails on a hot evening.

Live music enhances the atmosphere on Thursdays and Sundays but may be too loud for conversation around the indoor dinner tables.

the tropical interior at Boozehounds, Palm Springs — The bright interiors feel tropical.

9PM

Finish with a nightcap and the smooth sounds of the resident pianist at the Casablanca Lounge.

One of Sinatra’s old haunts in the 1970s, the bar is located inside the historic Ingleside Estate, where Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor and Salvador Dalí stayed in the 1940s. It’s an easy stroll to bed; sister property Avalon Hotel is less than 100 steps away.

the bar interior of Melvyn's Restaurant & Casablanca Lounge, Palm Springs, USA — Melvyn’s Restaurant & Casablanca Lounge is a popular haunt. (Image: Ingleside Estate)

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

How to spend 48 hours in Palm Springs, USA