The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs

It's new, hip and cheap, even by Palm Springs standards. That's the new 180 room Ace Hotel in Palm Springs. The Ace is testing the boundries that exist between boutique hotels and the cheap Palm Springs motels.

In fact, the Ace was indeed a motel before it's recent makeover. Also, rooms at the Ace start from $89, which considering it's location on Palm Canyon Drive, and the kind of amenities, facilities and service that the hotel offers, is a very motel-y price.

They have their own 'Swim Club' with two saltwater pools open to the public for swimming, sunbathing and outdoor dining. Guests lounge on poolside hammocks and sip cocktails. Speaking of which, the Amigo Room Bar at the hotel serves up fresh and original cocktails using locally grown fruits and herbs from their own garden.

The spa offers treatments and juices which make good use of locally grown fruits and vegetables as well. And the spa also has Mongolian yurts for hot stone massages, facials, body scrubs and other natural treatments. The mountains and Indian Canyons loom in the background and offer excellent prospects for hiking and exercise.

A rickety van shuttles guests to and from the downtown attractions in Palm Springs. To top it all off, the hotel is extremely dog friendly. All said and done, a fine place for a relaxing spa getaway coupled with a weekend family vacation. And did we tell you about the excellent golf courses in Palm Springs?

Info: 701 E. Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs CA 92264; (760) 325-9900; www.acehotel.com/palmsprings/