Sands Hotel & Spa

The Sands Hotel and Spa is the most stylish small hotel in the eastern Coachella Valley, and a love letter to Moroccan-inspired desert glamour. Set at 44-985 Province Way in Indian Wells, it was reimagined by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, named one of Architectural Digest's top 100 designers in the world, who layered pattern, color and North African influences into a small desert hotel to create something closer to a private villa than a resort. There are 46 guest rooms and suites, and the hotel caters to an adult environment: all registered guests must be over 18. The social center is The Pink Cabana, the hotel's restaurant and bar, whose pink-and-green palette and poolside terrace have made it a destination for locals as well as guests; the pool is framed by cabanas and palms. The Spa at Sands Hotel, in the Olive Grove, has three treatment rooms, including one for couples, and builds its menu around naturally sourced Moroccan ingredients: the Royal Rhassoul Body Treatment is a 90-minute hammam-style service with dry brushing and a jasmine-infused rhassoul clay mask, the 150-minute Moroccan Indulgence Ritual adds a full-body massage and argan oil hair treatment, and facials include the Marrakesh Radiance and a 24K gold option. Treatments run daily from 9am to 7pm by appointment, booked by email. The location puts you close to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and El Paseo, and a short drive from the polo grounds in Indio that host the spring festivals, making it a favorite for tennis and festival weekends.

The Sands is all about atmosphere. Bullard's interiors mix bold prints, tilework, lanterns and lush color in a way that feels exuberant yet relaxed, and the property is small enough that it never feels crowded. Days drift between the pool and the spa, with lunch or cocktails at The Pink Cabana; evenings feel like a well-dressed dinner party. Photographers and design fans will find plenty to admire, and the spa's hammam-inspired rituals make it a natural choice for a couples' getaway.

Book spa treatments when you book your room, since three treatment rooms fill quickly, and note the strict policy: changes or cancellations within 24 hours are not accepted, and no-shows pay in full. Hotel guests can arrive at the spa in robes and slippers and charge treatments to the room. Ask for a room near the pool if you want to be in the scene, or further away for quiet. During the BNP Paribas Open in March and the Indio festivals in April, rates rise sharply and the hotel books out, so reserve early.

Who should stay: couples, design lovers, friends on a girls' or guys' getaway, and tennis or festival travelers who want character over size. Who should not: families with children (guests must be over 18), and anyone who wants Palm Springs' midcentury neighborhoods on their doorstep, which are about forty minutes away. For a walkable Palm Desert base with more amenities, compare Hotel Paseo; for the full resort experience nearby, La Quinta Resort and Club.