What happens when Howard Johnson gets a facelift and downs a shot from the fountain of youth? He emerges as Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs’ newest boutique hotel (from $140).

Less than a year old, the third installment in Alex Calderwood’s plucky Ace Hotel mini-empire espouses the joie de vivre of desert living, with the rough-hewn localism and DIY sentiment that keeps design-savvy guests coming back.

Inside the Rooms

Decorated in Navajo-meets-Lawrence of Arabia, with a hint of mid-century modern, some of Ace’s 180 rooms are stocked with vintage essentials: a record player, a mini-fridge of Pabst Blue Ribbon and an intimacy kit labelled “XXX.” 

With two pools and a rooftop deck, there’s no shortage of places to worship the 350-days-a-year SoCal sun while sipping margaritas delivered by a hottie on a longboard.

Cool Amenities

Attached to the Ace is King’s Highway, a former Denny’s outfitted with reclaimed wood tables, macramé light fixtures and a giant elephant head. Like its predecessor, King’s Highway serves up seriously good deals, now more gourmet than greasy spoon.

To work off an afternoon of poolside excess, grab one of Ace’s free cruiser bikes to explore East Palm Canyon Drive.

After dark, mosey into the Amigo Room, a taxidermy-filled homage to the 1970s California hotel bar, where serrano chilli-infused vodka “Anemic Marys” warm up the cool high-desert night.

Room to Book

Rooms 423 for fire or 421 for flora. The Ace features 26 suites with private outdoor gas fireplaces, and 21 rooms with private outdoor desert garden areas.