Hope Springs Resort

What to expect

Hope Springs is a small motel turned boutique hotel on the east side of Desert Hot Springs, the town north of Palm Springs that sits over a large natural hot water aquifer. It was built in 1963 by two women from Los Angeles and first ran as La Bella Sari, a 10-room retreat for winter visitors who came for the water. By the 1980s and 1990s it had slipped into use as low-income apartments. In 1999 Steve Samiof, founder of the Los Angeles punk magazine Slash, bought it with a partner, stripped it back to a clean mid-century look and renamed it Hope Springs, keeping an old roadside sign that still reads Cactus Springs. New owners upgraded the property again in 2020, and it is now run by a group of four friends from the East Coast.

The layout has not changed much. Ten rooms wrap around a central garden courtyard, and every room opens onto the pool area through a semi-private patio. The look is mid-century and pared back: low platform beds, white walls, no TVs. The Michelin Guide lists it, and the hotel cites coverage in several design and travel magazines.

The rule that shapes the whole stay is quiet. There is no music on the grounds, no TVs in rooms, phone calls are not allowed near the pools or spa, and staff ask for quiet voices everywhere. Service is deliberately light. There is no room service or nightly turndown. If you want a lively pool scene, this is the wrong hotel.

The pools

All three pools are filled with naturally hot mineral water from the hotel’s own well. The hotel says the water has a high sulphur content in a form that leaves no smell, and it posts a mineral breakdown on its website. The same water feeds three filtered drinking fountains.

• Hot pool, 104°F40°C: The hottest of the three, set in an enclosure. This is the evening soaking pool.
• Middle pool, 92°F33°C: Close to body temperature, comfortable for long, slow soaks.
• Large pool, ambient: The biggest pool is not kept at a set temperature. It follows the air, so it is cool in winter and warm in summer, and works for laps or floating.

Pools are open 24 hours to guests. Quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Prices and booking

• Day use: Not offered. The pools and grounds are for registered guests only, and outside visitors need to be arranged with the hotel in advance.
• Room rates: Seasonal, and set through the hotel’s online booking engine. The hotel says it does not run AAA or discount pricing and that rates drop in summer. As one data point, the Michelin Guide’s booking page showed patio rooms from about $240 a night before tax, and kitchenette rooms about $285, for a two-night stay in mid-November 2026.
• Minimum stay: Two nights. Single nights are sometimes possible for a flat $50 extra, paid in advance and non-refundable.
• Rooms: Six patio rooms with a mini-fridge, and four kitchenette rooms (rooms 1, 4, 6 and 8) with a small fridge, countertop oven and induction plate. All have one king bed and sleep a maximum of two adults. No extra bedding is allowed.
• Included: Continental breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. (bagels and coffee only from June to August), snacks and tea all day, robes, Wi-Fi, a shared kitchen, a barbecue and free on-site parking.
• Check-in and check-out: Check-in at 3 p.m., with arrivals after 6 p.m. arranged ahead. Check-out at 11 a.m. Late check-out, when available, costs $40.
• Cancellation: Free 14 or more days before arrival. Between 7 and 13 days out, the full amount is charged as a gift card for a future stay. Under 7 days, or a no-show, is non-refundable. Promotional non-refundable rates cannot be changed.
• Payment: Card only. The hotel is cashless except for staff tips.

The spa

Treatments are booked by email with the spa and take place in a dedicated treatment room on site, with an in-room couples option. On the current menu, a signature massage is $185 for 60 minutes or $225 for 90 minutes, and a 90-minute in-room couples massage is $475. Body scrubs start at $190 and a 60-minute facial is $180. Changes inside 24 hours carry a 60% fee, and same-day bookings cannot be cancelled once confirmed.

Rules and etiquette

• Adults 21 and over only. No children and no pets.
• Quiet at all times, with no outdoor music and no phone calls near the pools.
• No photos of other guests. Professional shoots need permission and a fee.
• No smoking anywhere on the property from September 1, 2026, including vaping and cannabis.
• Maximum two people per room. Bookings of more than three rooms are handled as a full property buyout.

The hotel’s published policies do not spell out a swimsuit rule, so pack one and ask at check-in if you want to know more.

Getting there

Desert Hot Springs is about 2 hours from Los Angeles and roughly 20 minutes from downtown Palm Springs. Leave I-10 at Palm Drive and drive north into Desert Hot Springs, then head east through town to Club Circle Drive. The hotel is at 68075 Club Circle Drive and has its own parking lot. Palm Springs International Airport is about 8 miles away. There is no EV charging on site.

When to go

October to April is the main season, with warm days and cool, clear nights that suit the 104°F40°C pool. Summer brings lower rates and very hot afternoons, when the ambient pool is the only one most people want in the middle of the day. With only 10 rooms and a two-night minimum, it pays to book winter and spring weekends well ahead.

Where to stay nearby

Hope Springs is itself the place to stay. If it is full, Desert Hot Springs has many other small hotels with their own mineral pools, several of which do sell day passes. Palm Springs, 20 minutes south, has the widest choice of hotels and restaurants.

Safety notes

• No lifeguard: The hotel has no lifeguard or pool supervision. You are responsible for your own soaking.
• Heat: At 104°F40°C, keep soaks short, drink water and get out if you feel dizzy, especially after alcohol or on a hot day.
• Wet surfaces and glass doors: Paths around the pools get slippery, and the property has many glass doors. Watch your step.
• Desert setting: Bees, insects and the odd coyote turn up. Wear shoes on the grounds at night.