A cluster of Spanish Colonial Revival bungalows in Palm Springs's Tahquitz River Estates neighborhood, originally built in the 1940s and long beloved by European expatriates as a kind of bohemian hideaway, was reimagined in 2017 as Villa Royale under the creative direction of designer Kelli Miller. The renovation kept the low-slung, terracotta-roofed compound intact while layering a graphic mid-century sensibility over its Mediterranean bones — a combination that feels less like a decorating exercise than a natural evolution of the Coachella Valley's design inheritance. The 38-room property works a confident tension between its Andalusian architecture — white stucco walls, arched cabana bays clad in black-and-white Moroccan-patterned encaustic cement tiles, saltillo terracotta floors running continuously from pool deck into guest rooms — and a mid-century modern furniture program that keeps everything from tipping into pastiche. Rooms are anchored by full walnut paneled headboard walls, low-platform upholstered beds in heathered grey, walnut credenzas with brass pulls, and slat-framed sofas in bold black-and-white stripe, olive wingback chairs adding an acid note against teal velvet drapes. The bar, Don Cuco, shifts registers entirely: a coffered oak ceiling, dark paneled wainscoting, a roaring fireplace dressed in the same encaustic tilework that appears poolside, and velvet club chairs around brass-legged tables create a room that carries the atmosphere of a private members' club transported, somewhat improbably, to the desert.

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Set at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains, Villa Royale is a 3.5-acre free-spirited, adults-only hideaway amidst the desert palms of the Coachella Valley. A secluded stomping ground reimagined where Spanish influence and architectural nuances of the Post-War period stand side-by-side with modern design appeal for which Palm Springs is known today. Within the Mission Revival Style villas and geometric tiled courtyards, Villa Royale channels the eccentric history of the destination and mesmerism of the landscape that has long lured wild, free-thinking and creative spirits to the Southern California desert. Studded with flowering desert flora and imbued with mid century decor and vintage furnishings, Villa Royale beckons travelers to the desert for raw beauty and escape. The hotel is comprised of two spaces; the main complex houses 31 of Villa Royale’s 38 villa rooms. Across South Indian Trail Road sits Villa Rosa with seven California ranch style villas that mirror the design cues and playful vibe of Villa Royale, offering travelers an even more intimate, secluded oasis.