Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs is a mid-century modern marvel. Dressed up with two deep pools, a stargazing deck, community fire pits and an organic spa offering multitude treatments, the boutique hotel is responsive to its Sonoran surroundings — simple, serene, bohemian and swathed in sunlight. We’ve got a refined roadside diner and cool, hideaway cocktail bar, plus poolside bites and drinks. Ace Hotel & Swim Club is an open sanctuary synonymous with the desert’s free-spirited mysticism.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quirky Hotels
Family Resort
Location
701 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, Greater Palm Springs, CA 92264-8811
Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs
1,206 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Fan of the brand and have to admit their properties are getting dated. They know it as some renovations are underway. I was irritated upon arrival to find out the gym was closed for renovations as I chose hotels for their gym and they had not indicated that on line. I got a very good rate on the room (less than $200 a night) as I book well ahead and wait for the sale. I didn't dig however that the morning coffee they offer to bring to your room ended up costing $12. (I would have just walked to the restuarant to get one for $5 to go as their cafe is closed.) I ate twice at the restuarant and it was descent. (There are a few other restaurants in easy walking distance as well as liquor stores. I walked into downtown as it was only 35 minutes away..
Yes it's grungy, and it's noisy and some of the people are slightly odd. (So it really is not for everyone.) But the Palm Springs location is ideal, the DJ spinned great tunes and it's got the hipster vibe one is looking for. I didn't partake of the pool, fire pits nor open allowable cannibis smoking as I was working. But I will return for a recreational stay.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our family of 5 stayed for two nights (Thu/Fri) and were easily accommodated in a Standard King Pls room.
Having spent 7 days in your run-of-the-mill hotels it was nice to stay somewhere that had it's own unique personality and vibe. The hotel's not immaculate like a Fairmont, but it's not trying to be and it makes up for it with cool features that you generally wouldn't find anywhere else. Things like the outdoor communal fireplaces/viewing deck/room stationary are examples.
Our room was comfortable and the king bed was exceptionally large. The shower had great water pressure.
There were two pools to choose from and the the poolside service was very attentive. The coffee they served was phenomenal.
The team was very responsive to our email inquiries as the detials of the booking were confirmed and very friendly upon our arrival.
The standard 12pm checkout was appreciated.
The hotel would be a perfect getaway for a couple wanting to chillax or a girls weekend in a fun/hip environment.
The coffee at Koffi across the road was fantastic as was the breakfast served at Elmers which is a 2 min walk down the road.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Paul Patino, General Manager at Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs
Responded Dec 23, 2023
Good Morning Chchfamily2014, Big thank you to you and the family for choosing to stay with us and for taking the time to leave us a review. Glad you were able to enjoy the property with the unique twist we have showered all over the place and we hope to see you all again in the future. Wishing you and the rest of the family a Happy Holiday as we close out the year.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Upon arriving the concierge staff were friendly, expeditious, and kind. The pool wait service was on point, very gracious, and attentive. The fridge was stacked! I could write pages about the minimalist decor. The details The Ace puts into their properties is bar none. The kleenex box has a army canvas note about linens and every other room detail made me feel at ease. The penny tiles in the shower were like heaven on our feet. The king size bed, pillows and linens were like a hug filled cloud. Get to the pool early to reserve the lounge bed. You will not regret it. Enjoy a delicious breakfast while you wait for the sun to start toasting your skin. The salads are well done. I'd skip the flatbread - not a re-order for me.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2021
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:sorry, keeping that secret to myself. Honestly you can't go wrong in any of the rooms!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Celeste Brackley, General Manager at Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs
Responded Feb 21, 2022
Hi ashleemagee, Thank you for this amazing review! We are so happy to hear you had such a great experience and we hope to see you again soon!
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Do not stay here. A giant roach came out of our shower drain. Room was filthy, dust, and crumbs on the floor. Looked like there was dried blood on the curtain. Anytime a neighbor shut the door the whole room shook and you can hear word-for-word conversations from outside. After we saw the roach at 1am, we spent the night taking out any trash and zipping up our bags and sleeping on top of the covers. Got zero sleep. All of this was over $600 for a ONE night stay. Danielle the manager was absolutely unhelpful when we asked for a refund, continually defending the room when I said it wasn’t as it was represented on the site. The Ace absolutely took advantage of people evacuating the LA fires with these unfair prices. Danielle insisted that they were being accommodating a because they “allowed us to cancel a second night without a fee and allowed our dog to stay in a non-dog friendly room, because of the fires” —while continuing to charge me a surprise changed $100 flat fee for my pet at check-in instead of the $25 per night pet fee previously noted. (Meanwhile, we are going to another hotel that is not pet friendly and welcoming our pet at no additional cost because of the fires.) They offered a $65 breakfast voucher (I said I don’t find a roach appetizing and would not want to eat there) and so instead she took off $65 from our stay and “waived the $45 resort fee” claiming it was the best she could do. We left still paying over $500. The Ace will go down in history as the worst stays and service I’ve ever had, not to mention one of the most exploitative over people whose lives have changed after the fires. I will be contesting this stay with the bank.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Do not stay here. Truly gross
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have been consistently staying at the Ace Hotel for 4 years because of their great pet policy/fee and getting discounts during their Black Friday sale. Overall, I have enjoyed my stays and their service before and didn't have much to complain about before (except when the shower handle fell off and there were bugs one time). The property definitely needs a facelift; dingy rooms and old furniture but I have looked the other way until this recent trip.
They had construction in the main pool area with sledgehammer noises and dust blowing everywhere. They didn't tell any of the guests ahead of time. Instead, they texted when it was happening instead as it was happening. The front desk was deducting the resort fees for that day as a "sorry." I thought fine, it'll be okay. We needed to leave by 4:30am the next day to get home and the front desk said there's no need to come to the front, we'd be able to leave when we want in the morning. (This isn't the first time we have done this, we've always left early to avoid traffic).
Come 4:30am and we are unable to get out because the gate to where our car is parked is locked with a chain and padlock. We walk to the gate near the pool and it's also locked with the same thing. Insane! The door to get to the bar that leads to the front desk is also locked. There was no way to get to the front desk, we were locked in. There was no notice whatsoever. I run around trying to find an exit and it's all the way in corner at the edge of the hotel where I ran the other way to get our car. Lugging our stuff back and forth was a nightmare. To say that I was FURIOUS was an understatement.
In addition to that, the room had a dingy mini fridge that didn't work and there were random stains on the walls in our room. I won't ever be returning, I'd now rather pay so much more for the convenience of being relaxed. Crazy thing to say....
I have already called the hotel and best they can do is take off a night fee. I'd rather not have be charged at all for this crappy place. Don't bother staying here. To management: you lost a faithful guest.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:They use Resort Pass now so depending on the day, the cabanas may be reserved and guests would...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Paul Patino, General Manager at Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs
Responded Aug 10, 2024
Good Morning Vacation41377148406, We are sorry to hear of this and that you wont be returning. We do want to say thank you for all the years of support and would be happy to discuss more with you directly should you wish to reconsider. We will certainly work with both our team from a booking engine message and also on property to make sure in future we do not miss out on any related construction information as you unfortunately encountered. Would like to learn more about the gates being lock issue as well. We do lock Pool gates and the Bar door after closing hours. Any vehicle parked around the hotel though is accessible as all entry and exit gates are only locked from the outside that would require a key card to gain access. We are currently renovating rooms and the stained canvas wall issues that you also commented on. We are sorry that the renovation impacted your stay but we do agree with you the renovations are long over due and we hope once completed you may reconsider as we would love to have you back.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Do yourself a favor and find a different hotel to stay at unless you enjoy throwing away your hard-earned money, then by all means stay at the Ace. As a teen/20s, I and my friends would stay here during Spring Break back when it was a Howard Johnson's and we didn't have much cash, and as far as I can see not much has changed on the outside, except for a coat of white paint! Seriously. Fast forward to present day, all I can say is the owner who bought the HJ, had the carpets ripped out to the bare concrete floor, hung up a heavy canvas covering for the window, picked up some wooden crates from the back of grocery stores and placed them in the rooms and called them 'coffee tables' and thought to himself, I know I can charge $600+/night, not provide any cleaning service, provide only a 1"x1" soap bar, place only two bath towels that only cover a single thigh and we'll call it 'cool' and the millennials will love it! They say it's "the vibe" you're paying for! WTF?
We booked a room, paid an additional $100 more each night for what we thought was going to be a private fireplace patio area, only to get to our room and see it was shared with all our neighbors - we never had any private fireplace or patio!
Regarding the restaurant, we were not told by the concierge or anyone who checked us in that we had to make reservations to eat at the restaurant. We got to the restaurant at 11:20am. Thought it was a good time between breakfast and lunch and only 2 tables had people, no one at the counter, and when my husband and I were asked if we had reservations and said we didn't, we were told the wait was 1 1/2 hrs! I came back a half hour later to check if any tables were taken, and no the same people were still at them. So we ordered our food to go and had no where to eat it!
There was also 2 weddings last weekend. So the only pool we could use was the main pool as the other one was 'reserved.' So unless you got your towels out on the lounge chairs by 7am, you really were s* outta luck. So our two nights cost us $1,400 and it pains me to think how that $1,400 could have served us better.
Bottom line, there are so many better options with better "vibes!"
Read more
Date of stay: March 2022
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Make sure you know what you're paying for.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This hotel masquerades itself as a 4-star hotel with all its fluff advertising and marketing, while in reality it is worse than a motel. I fully agree with another review which said that they have saved money by skipping the remodeling and passing it on as a cool vibe. Even Saguaro, which we skipped because it felt cheap and weren't sure of the quality, looked bigger and nicer than this hotel. Similarly priced hotels like Zoso don't even compare, they looked so nice (at least from the outside), we immediately regretted our decision.
The rooms are Ace are dingy and dark and very old, and the bathroom barely has any space. They immediately try to lure you to their restaurant with a free dessert option, but it's not at all worth it because they serve mediocre bar food in a casual setting for the prices of fine dining. There is no elevator, and we had to haul two heavy suitcases up a flight of stairs. The service staff is unprofessional and untrained, and we received a dirty look for requesting extra towels to be delivered to our room. Parking is tiring at night, they give you a permit to park in front of your building, but there aren't enough spaces and no enforcement and the spaces are taken up by people not staying in the hotel.
The only saving grace of this hotel is that the front desk staff is nice, they helped us find an item we left in the room, so thank you for that.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Paul Patino, General Manager at Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs
Responded Dec 2, 2023
Good Morning, Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We are sorry to hear your perspective on our property as it's important to us that you do enjoy your stay especially when its items with in our control like the service and hospitality or the quality of our food offerings. While we do hear your feedback on the rooms we realize that we are not for everyone as this property is an original Howard Johnson from the 1950's that we had reinvented when Ace took over, so there our some items like elevators that are not apart of the building. We are also working with ownership on renovations to add exciting elements and refresh not only to our rooms but public spaces as well starting next summer. We do hope that you may reconsider in the future as we would love to have you again. Once more thank you for your feedback
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The Ace Hotel & Swim Club is a modern desert oasis with 2 deep pools, a spa, a gym and close to downtown Palm Springs. I enjoyed my Ace Suite with King bed, upscale living area with vintage furniture like a steamer trunk, guitar, record player and more. There was a private patio, fireplace and bath with a shower & tub. I relished the meals at the onsite Kings Highway (modern roadside diner) especially the Belgian waffles and breakfast burritos. The Feel Good Spa offers guest a laid-back massage and other spa treatments. I opted for the Deep Goodness Bodywork treatment to alleviate my tension and soreness.
So, if you are looking for a hotel with a desert chic, natural hot springs and a mountain backdrop............then try the ..........Ace Hotel & Swim Club..............a resort framed by a mountain backdrop and modern homes.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My recent stay at the ACE Hotel in Palm Springs was, to put it mildly, underwhelming. Initially, the prospect of spending our final night in this supposedly iconic hotel, as a group of four, filled me with excitement. However, the reality fell short of expectations, revealing the establishment to be an overhyped relic catering to those who aspire to a facade of coolness and hipness rather than substance.
Upon arrival, the reception staff—comprising individuals who could easily fit the stereotypes of a 'Valley Girl', 'The Old and Frustrated', and a 'Try-hard Edgy'—exhibited a level of incompetence matched only by their apparent self-absorption. Their inability to extend their attention beyond the confines of their desk set a disappointing tone for the visit.
The property itself appears to have seen better days. With its shabby facade, mediocre rooms, and a patio reminiscent of a penitentiary cell (accommodating two chairs for four guests), it fails to live up to its legendary status. The pool area, a crucial aspect of the Palm Springs experience, further exemplified this decline, with a significant portion of the loungers either broken or discarded. The pool water, a dubious mix of chlorine and what one might optimistically call 'saltwater', underscored a lack of proper maintenance.
This veneer of affectation extends to almost every facet of the hotel, save for the music, which remained a delightful constant throughout our stay. Kudos to the DJ, who proved to be the lone ace in an establishment otherwise characterized by misses.
It's worth noting that the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains provides a breathtaking backdrop—a stark contrast to the hotel's lackluster ambiance. One can't help but feel that if this establishment were located elsewhere, it would have long since faded into obscurity, buoyed only by guests who perhaps haven't yet discerned what truly constitutes 'cool'.
In conclusion, while the ACE Hotel may continue to trade on its once-coveted vibe, my experience suggests that this legacy is now more historical footnote than living legend.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Paul Patino, General Manager at Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs
Responded Apr 27, 2024
Thank you for the detailed review Daniel and we are sorry to hear you feel this way. We will review with our team in order to improve. Not sure if we agree with any stereotypes as our staff truly do care about our guests. Perhaps there was a mis there during check in but happy to share the feedback with them. Property will be undergoing renovations this summer so we are excited about that and do hope to see you again in the future.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
You can tell this was once a nice place to stay. Not anymore. We only stayed one night after arriving late after a long travel day and strongly recommend booking somewhere else.
- The safe was under a leaking sink and flooded, so completely unusable. - the lock on the patio door was broken, we ended up wedging a desk chair beside to feel safe - the main door was cracked near the lock - the tile choice in the shower would be impossible to keep clean, it was so mouldy we had to wear shoes in the shower
While the two twin + king bed was the perfect bed combination for us, I have to advise you to book a different hotel. The kids remarked it was the dirtiest hotel we had ever stayed at.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Don’t stay here
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Palm Springs area.
PRICE RANGE
₱15,957 - ₱30,347 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
ace hotel and swim, ace resort and swim
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaCalifornia DesertGreater Palm SpringsPalm Springs
NUMBER OF ROOMS
179
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including any mandatory fees. Taxes not included. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.