We were directed here from the visitor centre at the state park. You can just imagine the Brat Pack and Marilyn relaxing by the pool in that stunning desert setting - in fact there are pictures.

This is a great pace to stay for a couple of nights. The restaurant is particularly good and is always busy with RV people. There are actually two restaurants - an expensive upmarket one and a middle market one. As it was empty, we ate the upmarket restaurant food in the other restaurant as it was livelier - delicious and good servers.

The room is a bit past its best (particularly the bathroom) but was clean, large and comfortable (it was a corner room upstairs). Also the reception was not manned before nine in the morning which made it a bit difficult to check out early.

The visitor centre is just a mile or two away and has some great walks.

If you are passing through Borrego Springs I would highly recommend The Palms as an interesting and comfortable place to stay.

What a treat! Old school feeling, with class. Best pool! The views are breathtaking. Each room is different! We loved the corner suite. Food is amazing in the restaurant, too.

Beautifully maintained mid-century hotel in the desert. Delightful room. Great restaurants. Rabbits and birds all around. Looking forward to restoration of the outbuildings.

I would have loved to give this place five stars, but that wouldn't be fair to all tripadvisor users, not all of whom have my tastes. So...a solid four stars, with growth potential! The Palms is a wonderful project, a loving restoration of a desert hideaway for Hollywood types having quiet affairs back in the late 1940s and 1950s. The architecture is "high modernist," the sort that went into upscale resorts back then--a lot of glass. The advent of jet travel killed a lot of these get-there-by-Cessna getaway spots and, over the decades, the buildings fell into ruin. Just over a decade ago, an enterprising couple saw restoration potential. At this point, all of the primary buildings have been beautifully restored--plus the grand Olympic-plus swimming pool (seriously Hollywood). Decor is simple, but appealing (only complaint: Our room was utterly deficient in reading lights, but I was told changes are coming). We took an upstairs room and, from the huge sliding glass doors had incredible desert-sunrise views (the motel is situated on the far edge of town and borders the state park, so you get great air and a view). Every member of the staff was helpful, everything was clean (save a few windows on the side of the building--hard to keep them spotless with the desert dust), and the bed and bedding were excellent. My wife and I loved the nostalgic feel and, should we return to Borrego Springs, definitely would stay at The Palms again. Downsides? Look, it's a restored mid-century upscale motel, not The Four Seasons. You're not going to get 24-hour room service or Frette linens. And breakfast is only served on weekends (see separate review of Koyote Kafe restaurant in the motel/resort)...but there are great options for breakfast in town and the desk will make recommendations. Bottom line: If you're a bit adventurous and a romantic at heart, you'll get a huge kick out of staying here for a few days. We did. Jogger's tip: Great air, great sunrise runs--one mile to the main road, then run into the state park or downtown and back; there also are wide residential streets to run which have close to zero traffic. In the wonderful January right-at-sunrise air, I had some of my best runs in years. Just do it.