Azure Palm Hot Springs

What to expect

Azure Palm Hot Springs is a spa resort on Miracle Hill, the older, hilly northeast side of Desert Hot Springs. It is adults only, and the whole place is set up around soaking: a big mineral pool, indoor and outdoor spas at different temperatures, and roughly an acre of gardens with flow-through soaking tubs under thatched palapas.

The water comes from two private wells on the property. The resort says it comes out of the ground at 174°F79°C, which it calls the hottest in the region, and that it is high in sulfur but has no smell. It lists silica, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and lithium among the minerals. The resort sits a few hundred steps from the well that homesteader Cabot Yerxa dug after he arrived in 1913 and struck hot water.

What a day pass covers:

• The resort pool. A large hot mineral spring pool, which the resort describes as the largest in Southern California. It is the one to swim in.
• Indoor and outdoor spas. Two of each, kept at different temperatures, so you can move from warm to hot.
• Flow-through soaking tubs. Mineral water runs through these tubs continuously rather than being recirculated. They sit at 101-104°F38-40°C under palapa shade.
• A Finnish sauna with cedar benches and a bucket shower to cool off.
• A reflexology stream, shaded lounges, a fire pit courtyard, a yoga studio and the Azure Palm Café.

ResortPass puts the total at five mineral pools and five flow-through tubs, with temperatures from 85 to 104°F29 to 40°C. Overnight rooms each have their own mineral water tub, and overnight guests also get the Himalayan salt room, which day guests cannot use.

The mood is quiet. People come to lie in the sun, rotate between pools and book a massage. It is not a party pool.

Getting there

Azure Palm is at 67589 Hacienda Avenue in Desert Hot Springs, about 15 minutes from Palm Springs and roughly two hours from Los Angeles.

• From Interstate 10: Take the Palm Drive exit and drive north into Desert Hot Springs. At Hacienda Avenue, turn right and head east toward Miracle Hill. The resort is on Hacienda Avenue.
• From Palm Springs: Take North Indian Canyon Drive north across the valley floor toward Desert Hot Springs, then cut across to Palm Drive and continue north to Hacienda Avenue.

All roads are paved and parking is free on site. The pools are a short walk from the lot.

When to go

Desert Hot Springs is in the low desert, and the weather shapes the experience.

• November to April is the best time. Cool mornings and evenings make the hot tubs and spas a pleasure, and daytime sun is warm enough to lie out by the pool.
• February and March are the busiest months. The private villa tubs are not available on weekends during those two months.
• Summer is very hot, often well past 100°F38°C. The large pool helps, but the hot tubs are best saved for early morning.
• Weekdays are cheaper and quieter. The $69 Monday to Thursday rate does not apply on holidays.

The town hosts a Wellness Weekend on Miracle Hill each October, when Azure Palm and other spas offer events and discounted soaking passes.

Prices and booking

Prices below are from the resort’s own pages in 2026:

• Day pass: $79, or $69 Monday to Thursday outside holiday periods. It includes the pools, spas, sauna, lounges, yoga studio and café access, plus a locker, robe and slippers for the day.
• City surcharge: $1 per pass for a local children’s program. You can ask to have it removed.
• Spa discount: $10 off the day pass when you book a spa treatment.
• Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for day guests.
• Private villa tub: $200 for two hours, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., last booking at 3 p.m. Up to six people, each with a day pass or room. Includes reserved lounges, towel service and iced green tea. Book at least 48 hours ahead. Not available on weekends in February and March.
• Half-day spa suite: From $229 for up to two people, Monday to Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m. on select dates, with blackout dates.

The spa menu has more than 35 treatments. Examples: a 60-minute Swedish massage is $145, the 60-minute Azure Signature Massage is $150, and a 60-minute couples massage is $300. Evening appointments until 9 p.m. are for overnight guests.

Booking rules worth knowing:

• Nobody under 17 is allowed on the property, and you must be over 18 to book a spa service.
• Book spa services ahead to be sure of a slot, by phone at (760) 251-2000 or online.
• ResortPass also sells the day pass, with free cancellation until 11:59 p.m. the day before, and requires 24 hours’ notice to cancel spa treatments.

Where to stay nearby

The resort has overnight spa suites, each with its own mineral spring tub, and room guests get the salt room and evening spa appointments. Rates are not posted on the site, so check the booking page or call.

Desert Hot Springs has many other small spa hotels using the same aquifer, several of them within a short drive of Miracle Hill. Palm Springs, about 15 minutes south, has a far wider choice of hotels and restaurants. For camping, Joshua Tree National Park is about 45 minutes away and has campgrounds inside the park.

Safety notes

• Heat on heat: The spas and tubs run up to about 104°F40°C, and summer air can be hotter than that. Keep soaks short, drink water often, and cool off in the shade between rounds.
• Sauna and hot water together: Moving between the sauna and the hottest tubs is hard on your body. Take breaks and get out if you feel dizzy.
• Alcohol: Drinking and soaking do not mix well. Go easy if you plan to spend the day in the water.
• Footing: Wet decks and stone paths around the tubs get slippery. Wear the slippers that come with the pass.

Nearby stops worth adding

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum, nearby on Miracle Hill, is the adobe home that Cabot Yerxa built by hand after finding hot and cold water on his homestead. The Long Canyon trail is about five minutes away for a desert hike before a soak, and Joshua Tree National Park is close enough for a day trip.