Some hotels are best enjoyed as a vacation spanning weeks, the sort of far-off destination needing check-in baggage and a passport. Others are best enjoyed over a weekend, requiring nothing more than a change of clothes and an itch of wanderlust ready to scratch. Two Bunch Palms falls in the latter, an open secret amongst desert lovers drawn by the property’s therapeutic spring-fed water, mini-architectural enclave vibes, and dreamy oasis landscape.
The Desert Hot Springs property made news at launch with a splashy $2-million renovation headed up by Los Angeles-based interior design firm, Studio MAI. Paired with the transformative landscaping realized by award-winning landscape architecture studio, TERREMOTO, the property’s immersive eco-resort charms have unsurprisingly become a popular destination of weekenders looking to unpack, unwind, and un-anything else they’re burdened by upon arrival. But it was only recently I had the opportunity to experience the property’s refreshed accommodations and rejuvenating landscape firsthand.
California’s Desert Hot Springs sits upon two tectonic plates. You might even know it by its common name: the San Andreas Fault. The combination of hydrological and geomorphological conditions results in plenty of hot mineral spring water to soak in.
Tucked into its own tranquil corner, Two Bunch Palms is in some ways a miniature counterpart to Los Angeles itself: an architectural hodge-podge of structures spanning decades and styles. The resort includes within its limits mid-century, Moroccan, and a new addition of contemporary structures dedicated to the property’s spa program. Unlike the City of Angels, the property sources most of its water on-site, sourced from a 600-year-old natural spring bubbling forth from underneath.
Buffered by the shoulder of a sandy hillside, groves of palms hide turquoise brushstrokes of water and hot spring-fed basins often discovered by their steamy signatures.
Guests arrive in numbers throughout the year to stay and soak in Two Bunch Palm’s lithium rich hot mineral water, day and night. The intimate privacy enjoyed at the resort is created by the property’s network of meandering paths, with a reservation-based system allowing guests to feel like they’ve staked a corner of Shangri-La all to themselves. This being California, the resort’s spa menu offers everything from a CBD Wrap to a Superfood Facial. It’s easy to imagine never having nor wanting to set foot off the property limits during the span of a weekend.
Photo: Gregory Han
Photo: Gregory Han
Each of the 70 Two Bunch Palms rooms are decorated with the casual air of a California modern home rather than a formal hotel room, furnished with an eye for a desert modern aesthetic expressed through slatted wood, stone, and tile embellishments. The organic modern palette references the landscaping right outside the door.
If privacy is of the utmost importance, you’ll want to reserve one of Two Bunch Palm’s luxurious Villa Suites. The home-away-from-home accommodations include a dining table, living room furnished with sofas and armchairs, and a separate bedroom paired with an adjoining shower large enough to host its own party. A Villa Suite comes with the luxury of your very own teak soaking tub situated in a private enclosed patio. If that is not enough, there is a second patio located just outside the bedroom for sunbathing or stargazing.
Photo: Gregory Han
Two Bunch Palms also stakes claim as the first carbon-neutral resort in America, with an adjoining field of solar panels to provide power.
What: Two Bunch Palms
Where: 67425 Two Bunch Palms Trail, Desert Hot Springs, California 92240
How Much: Starting at $375
Highlights: Wake up early and follow the languorous but short Roadrunner Trail where desert blooms and glorious sunrises are on full display. Beyond the property and rooms themselves, a stay is marked by the resort’s attentive and friendly service. Staff warmly invite visitors into their realm from the property’s private entry gate onward. A surprisingly delicious and healthy on-site restaurant deserves morning and night visits for their addictively tasty espresso-tinged date shake and farm-to-table seasonal menu.
Design Draw: Palm Springs is just a 20-minute drive away, offering a mid-century enthusiasts dream list of architecture with the likes of Neutra, Frey, Lautner, Wexler, and Williams dotting the city. Sunnylands Center & Gardens nine-acre Impressionist and Post-Impressionist inspired garden features more than 70,000 desert plants as designed by landscape architect James Burnett, great for a leisurely late afternoon stroll. Plan accordingly, and a visit during February can coincide with Modernism Week.
Book it: Two Bunch Palms
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All photos by Stephanie Pia except where noted.
