This 28-room boutique hotel in downtown Palm Springs feels like a hidden oasis, despite its prime real estate. First opened in 1951, it was purchased and revamped in 2016 by Sparrows Lodge creators Jeff Brock and Richard Crisman, who enlisted interior designer Mark D. Sikes to create a communal atmosphere. The vibe is indeed convivial, and when we visited in December, guests traipsed from the pool to the bar, drumming up conversation between refills of rosé.
Holiday House is also full of quiet masterpieces by the likes of Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Herb Ritts, Alex Katz, and Donald Sultan, whose minimalist sculpture holds court on an outdoor pavilion. Brock and Crisman, owners of a massive collection, divided between Holiday House and Sparrows Lodge, like that it allows guests to interact with the work. “It gives us great pleasure to share the art with others,” said Crisman. “The hope,” he adds, is “to create a space where the guest wants to learn more, not only about the art but also about others that are staying at the hotel with them. The art is often a conduit to start conversations.”
200 W. Arenas Rd., Palm Springs, CA; holidayhouseps.com.