The moment I see the wind farms on the way from Los Angeles to Palm Springs I breathe a sigh of relief and the stress melts away. To me, Palm Springs is like a warm bath that I can just soak in for relaxation. I just spent Thanksgiving weekend there and I realized even in high season you can enjoy a cheap Palm Springs vacation.
Cheap Palm Springs Hotel Options
Palm Springs can also be outrageously expensive, after all it was and still is a playground for the rich and famous. We went with some friends for a few days over Thanksgiving and we had essentially the same vacations but we stayed in different hotels, because that can make or break a budget vacation.
We stayed at the Caliente Tropics Hotel just a little south of downtown Palm Springs but still within walking distance (1 mile). We booked long in advance because of the holiday week and got a fantastic price of $57 per night for the weekday nights and $79 per night for the weekend nights. And the hotel does not charge extra resort fees, which are so bogus. On the flip side, our friends stayed a few blocks from downtown at the Orbit In for $170 per night. Both hotels offered king beds, heated pools and a jacuzzi spa. We were upgraded to a suite for free, which had a separate living room. The Orbit In offers a continental breakfast, free use of beach cruise bikes and an afternoon happy hour.
I have done exhaustive research for hotels in Palm Springs and the Caliente Tropics is among the least expensive choices. We’ve stayed at the Motel 6 just south of downtown many times before I discovered the Caliente Tropics and the latter is much better for often the same price. However, the Motel 6 is a better deal on some weekends. Of course, check before booking anything. Once you get into the mid-$100 range, you’ve got dozens of options, which we won’t talk about in a cheap travel blog.
If you are planning to stay for more than a week or two, you might want to check out VRBO. You can find 1-bedroom vacation rentals for approximately $1200-1400 per month.
Breakfast
We are cheap travelers so we almost always have a light breakfast in the room of foods we’ve purchased at the local grocery store. We had a mini-fridge at the Caliente Tropics and a coffee maker so we had fruit, yogurt and breakfast bars to start the day. Total cost about $10 for 4 days. If you want to go out for breakfast, it’s hard to beat Elmer’s Restaurant. It’s a chain but the Palm Springs location is filled with locals and has hardy home-cooked favorites like waffles, a farmer’s omelet and a German pancake to die for.
Lunch/Brunch
This trip we discovered the Pinocchio In the Desert restaurant that has a killer menu for breakfast/brunch/lunch. They offer an all-day happy hour from opening until closing at 2 p.m. with $3.95 bottom-less champagne and $2.50 well drinks. Hamburgers, sandwiches. salads and omelets run about $9. Their “Forever Marilyn” deal includes the bottom-less champagne deal plus half a stromboli sandwich and a small salad for $13.95.
Happy Hour
There are a lot of good happy hours in town. I really like Lulu California Bistro with happy hour from 11 a.m. until closing. It’s chic, has a large diverse crowd and tons of exotic half price drinks and a cheap bar menu priced between $6-9 if you decide to have a substantial meal there. Of course, you may just want to bring your own bottle of wine or beers to drink (in plastic cups) and stay lounging at the pool at your hotel until the sun goes down.
Dinner
Palm Springs is not famous for great food even though there are plenty of upscale restaurants with fine dining prices. I’ve been to many of the upscale offerings and in my opinion, they are not worth the money. They are not bad but you can get more for your money if you get away from Palm Springs a little bit. Our new favorite restaurant is family owned and operated, La Tablita in Cathedral City, about 7 miles from Palm Springs. Big, strong margaritas are $5 and most dinner items are under $10. Currently you can get a discount for La Tablita on Restaurant.com.
Activities
Hiking–There’s a great 2-mile hike on the mountain right above downtown Palm Springs. It’s a steep up hill climb if you start at the end of the trail next to the art museum and then a gradual decent down to the other end of the trail at Ramon Road. Just walk back to your car through the nice neighborhood.
If you have a car and you love nature, you need to take an excursion about 15 miles away to the Coachella Valley Preserve to see Thousand Palms Oasis. Entry is free and you can spend several hours walking on the easy trails and through the oasis. You can even hike along the actual San Andreas fault.
Art–The Palm Springs Art Museum is free Thursdays from 4-8 p.m. and the second Sunday of the month.
Festivals-–Villagefest is every Thursday night from 7-10 on the main street through downtown. There are tons of arts & crafts, food stalls and entertainment.
Golf–Always check for last-minute cheap tee times online but a few courses in the area routinely offer excellent golf at low prices. Cimarron Golf Resort is never more than $35 for their short course. Escena Golf Club is typically under $60 and often has online discounts.
Shopping–It’s fun to window shop at the designer boutiques but the real bargains are off the main drag. Bob recently picked up two Tommy Bahama silk shirts for $19 each (new over $100 each) at the Angel View Thrift Store downtown. For furniture, I’ve never been to a place with as many consignment stores as the Coachella Valley. Do a Google search and you can find a dozen within a few miles of Palm Springs.