(GREATER PALM SPRINGS, CA) Renowned for sunny days and moonlit nights, Greater Palm Springs is long sought-after by travelers for its inspiring scenery and sense of adventure. Within nine resort cities, visitors can choose from a wide array of accommodations, from luxurious resorts to intimate boutique hotels with world-class amenities. Check out what’s new and coming to the oasis in 2023.
NEW AND RETURNING EVENTS
A full slate of events returns to Greater Palm Springs in 2023, including events at a new venue. The Acrisure Arena, a state-of-the-art, 11,000-seat sports and entertainment arena opened in December 2022 in Palm Desert. It has begun hosting major concerts presented by Live Nation and is home rink to the Seattle Kraken’s American Hockey League franchise, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The first professional sports team in Greater Palm Springs, the hockey team’s inaugural season consists of a full schedule through April.
Modernism Week’s annual 11-day festival from February 16-26, 2023 will feature more than 350 events including the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale, tours of iconic homes in more than thirty neighborhoods, and the popular Signature Home Tour on both weekends.
The return of Desert X from March 4-May 7, 2023 will present site-specific art installations across the desert encouraging visitors to consider the interconnectedness of life and the presence and absence of water.
Now through May 7, 2023, the Palm Springs Art Museum presents Phillip K. Smith III: Light + Change featuring the desert artist’s spectacular experiments with light and change spanning almost two decades from 2004 to 2022. Inspired by the daily light phenomena of the desert, the exhibit of free-standing objects, wall-mounted works, and immersive installations throughout four galleries slowly shift from hue to hue as determined by Phillip’s precisely paced color choreography.
Desert Open Studios provides an opportunity for art lovers to visit artists’ studios across the Coachella Valley over two weekends in March. Featuring more than 120 artists, Desert Open Studios designed a self-guided tour so guests may interact with artists, observe their process, purchase artwork, participate in demonstrations and explore spaces usually not open to the public.
The BNP Paribas Open is one of the largest tennis tournaments in the world scheduled for March 6-19, 2023. As the next generation of superstars emerge on both the ATP and WTA Tours, a new era of the sport is rapidly approaching. The 2023 tournament is set to commemorate the significance of this evolution with a new brand campaign that signifies Tennis Paradise’s place in this progression of the sport.
HOTEL AND RESORT UPDATES
Drift Palm Springs will open in February in downtown Palm Springs and will feature a variety of room types ranging from single units to four-bedroom suites, making it a great option for families and friend groups alike. A sun-drenched pool area with poolside bar and cabanas; an all-day restaurant serving Baja Mexican fare; and a lawn space with fire pits and yoga studio round out the hotel amenities.
Hermann Bungalows is a modern, 24-room ultra-luxury resort within the midcentury L'Horizon Resort and Spa in Palm Springs. Designed with a nod to architect Richard Neutra and midcentury modernism, the Hermann Bungalows are designed and finished to the highest standards in the world, with walnut walls, Venetian terrazzo floors, and custom furniture pieces.
La Quinta Resort & Club, a Curio Collection by Hilton property in La Quinta, is a longtime anchor of the Greater Palm Springs region with a total of 796 guest rooms, casitas, and villas. In summer 2023, the resort will begin a large-scale, $70 million guest room renovation project in phases set for completion in 2029.
Set to open 2023 in the heart of downtown Palm Springs and under the World of Hyatt umbrella, the trend-setting Thompson Palm Springs will cater to influential locals and sophisticated globetrotters alike. Designed by B2 Architecture + Design and SMS Architecture with an estimated budget of $55 million, the 168-key hotel will embrace the history and spirit of Palm Springs.
Blackhaus Hotel Palm Springs is set to open in early 2023 in downtown Palm Springs. Designed by Chris Pardo, known for his work on the ARRIVE hotel and Fleur Noire Hôtel, the 20-room, one-story Blackhaus project is a new build. Each of the four 1,655-square foot buildings features five rooms set around a pool.
Late in 2023, Tommy Bahama will launch their first resort concept with a re-imagined Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. For 30 years Tommy Bahama has brought the resort lifestyle to its guests through a wide range of products, combined with extraordinary hospitality in its retail stores, bars and restaurants. This expertise has uniquely positioned the authentic lifestyle brand to cross over into the resort business.
DINING OPTIONS
Sports fans will love the expansion of the Beer Hunter Sports Bar and Grill to a second location in Rancho Mirage early in 2023. In addition to creating an exceptional sports bar and dining venue, the restaurant will continue a tradition of community support and partnership with local businesses associations and non-profits.
Tucked away at The Gardens on El Paseo, Hide Out Kitchen + Bar offers flavors and inspirations of American food and drinks with a twist. The laid-back restaurant features open and social dining spaces and all-day menus to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and weekend brunch.
Varraco Coffee + Roasters specializes in premium specialty coffee from the Philippines, directly sourced and roasted to order. Located in Palm Desert, Varraco Coffee + Roasters carries on a centuries-long tradition of selecting rare specialty coffee that goes beyond Arabica and Robusta beans.
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) has announced plans to double the number of restaurants and bring in more local representation with a new concessions program set to begin in 2023. Palm Springs Farmer’s Market will be featured as a curator of local gourmet foods and snacks, and downtown Palm Springs Favorites Trio and El Mirasol will join the airport as well. Amazon’s Just Walk Out shopping technology will be added to some retail locations, and a seasonal local ice cream truck will be offered along with the airport’s first Duty-Free shopping experience.
NEW ATTRACTIONS
Celebrate the unique heritage of the original inhabitants of Greater Palm Springs at the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza, slated to open in Spring of 2023. The plaza features a 48,000-square-foot museum that’s destined to be California’s most impressive Native American cultural facility. It will include an interpretive trail and a spa at the site of the healing hot springs the tribe has used for thousands of years.
The 36,000 sq. ft. Berger Foundation Iceplex at Acrisure Arena is the official training center of the Coachella Valley Firebirds; and a fun and safe environment for the community to enjoy ice sports. In addition to daily public skating sessions, the Iceplex is also home to the CV Skate Academy, adult and junior hockey leagues, birthday parties and more. Opportunities for private ice rental for tournaments, broomball, corporate, nonprofit and other special events are available.
