Palms at Indian Head
2220 Hoberg Road, Borrego Springs, CA 92004
Full view
View all photos (153)153
Room & Suite (40)
Pool & Beach (25)
About
#5 of 7 B&Bs / Inns in Borrego Springs
Location
4.5
Cleanliness
4.1
Service
3.7
Value
3.5
The Palms at Indian head is a beautiful hotel at an unsurpassed location. We have a level of privacy and personalized service that cannot be compared with any other hotel. Our property is quiet with outstanding views and off the beaten path. We have a unique setting with 12 rooms and a mid-century modern architecture built on its own twenty acres of natural desert land. Our Hotel is complete with a large Olympic-size pool, oversized Jacuzzi and spacious patio area. $10 off breakfast per person at the Red Ocotillo restaurant off Christmas Circle.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Pool
Hot tub
Bar / lounge
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Pool / beach towels
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Restaurant
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Show more
Room features
Air conditioning
Microwave
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Historic Hotel
Romantic
Location
Full view
Contact
2220 Hoberg Road, Borrego Springs, CA 92004
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Borrego Springs rental cars
193Reviews3Q+A62Room tips
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 79
- 54
- 10
- 26
- 24
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
We enjoyed staying in this classy place. The lobby is wonderful, the rooms are well maintained, the restaurant is good (open Wed-Sun), the pool is lovely and refreshing, and the views are amazing. Will return for sure, the staff also very friendly.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Had loved the look of this property on previous visits -- finally made a reservation and enjoyed three nights of mid-century cool. Check-in was (almost) contactless and that did not bother us at all. If you need to be coddled, this is not the place for you. Great hot tub, amazing views. We'll be back.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Suites are great
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
We have always enjoyed coming to the Palms over the years but experienced something quite different and disappointing on Jan. 26 and 27, 2022: loud, I mean LOUD, Keyboard Pounding, piano music with loud wailing vocals coming from the bar/lounge/restaurant area in the evening--one night past 9:30! The only response I got from the concierge was "..didn't it end at 8:30?). No follow-up to our inquiries and comments after our departure (leaking bathtub faucet, could the pianist bring the volume down, when might we stay to avoid the noise in the future?). So I write this review to alert potential guests that they are in for a noisy evening and, should they want to avoid that, look into staying when the pianist is not there.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Rooms 4 and 5 are over the lounge/dining area so can be noisy at dinner time--nice views though.
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
I stayed here on the advice of a family member and I was not disappointed. The whole place has been renovated with mid-century decor. Yes, as another reviewer has commented it was not the Ritz-Carlton; make your own coffee for breakfast not crepes. But everything was clean and comfortable and small problems were addressed quickly. Coyotes yipping in the early morning and owls hooting at night really made me feel I was in the desert. The no-touch evening checkin with keys and other supplies on the front desk was very smooth. I had a room on the south-facing balcony which had an awesome morning view, but since it overlooked the pool I did get some noise fromthe restaurant and also people enjoying themselves poolside the third night until about 10AM; those rooms might not be recommended for early-to-bed types.…
Read more
Date of stay: October 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
When I was 8 years old I was walking through the BLM desert behind my home with my sister and I found an abandoned hotel. We explored it and I thought even then that it was so cool. Fast forward 40 years when I saw that the very hotel that I had remembered had not only been saved but had been beautifully remodeled and open for business I immediately altered an upcoming trip to California to allow me to spend a couple of nights in Borrego Springs to relax and enjoy the amazing pool and quiet peace. Let me first say that this is a beautiful hotel. It has great international style Mid Century Modern architecture and the famous "Palms" are just incredible as they sway in the desert breeze. It also it nice that its a small boutique hotel as more an more we are used to the XYZ by XYA generic hotels that are becoming the norm everywhere. And most of all the Pool is just incredible. For those who don't know Borrego Springs is tiny town. Tiny might be not strong enough of a statement. No stop lights, just a couple small family owned restaurants as small grocer so if you plan a trip here, especially in the very slow summer season don't expect much choice or many options in town. In the other 3 seasons there is a little more choice and a little more to do like hiking, rental of XUV's and other things. I chose to visit in the summer so I knew it would be quiet. That was what I wanted. I knew there would be enough in town for me. Here in starts the trouble. I understand that there are many travelers including myself who are concerned about COVID and where limited contact options are a plus. Personally, things like housekeeping don't enter your room are good. But just because people don't want lots of physical contact it doesn't give a hotel operator an excuse to abandon their property. When we arrived at the property in the late afternoon (about 4:30pm) we were surprised to find no one working. There was a large envelope with laminated cards taped all over it sitting on 2 towels. On top was my name. Inside along with keys was a document listing all the rules. We had some trouble lugging our stuff through the main building out to the patio. Down stairs and around to pool to get to our room because all the doors to the pool and property were locked with rusty padlocks. It turned out we could have used a back door on our room but with nobody to show us or help, well we didn't know. I want to add that during this whole time it was over 115 degrees . The first night there were a couple of other guests at the property and mostly they kept to themselves but the next morning when they checked out were alone. And for the rest of our visit it was that way. I understand that I property owner has no control of the occupancy of the hotel and actually I didn't mind no other people it was cool. But, its another thing to no have anyone working at the property. By that night as the dark desert nigh started to close in, it started to get a little creepy. A totally dark hotel totally isolated in the middle of the desert with no homes near it in a town that only has a handful of people in the middle of a huge empty valley. The pool lights were working and so the place was creepy and very dark. What if someone got hurt? What if there was a rattlesnake bite (not unheard of in this area). Of is someone had a heart attack? It was really spooky. That next morning, someone who I guess worked there showed up for about 15 minutes with 2 paramedics to show them the property and move a couple of chars around the pool. She never welcomed us to the property, didn't ask if there was anything we needed, or even say hello. She just complained that someone had moved t he chairs and disappeared. In addition to the abandoned nature of the hotel, was the fact that it desperately needs some work. The buildings themselves are beautiful but they need to be fully remodeled inside. We were in one of the 2 casas next to the pool and they were dirty, run down and the decoration was in no way modern or in line with the rest of the hotel. The pool was also filthy as well as the hot tub. Also, there is a chain link fence next to the deep end of the pool with a cover over it. It covers (I peeked between the crack) a broken, weird staircase down to "room" by the pool" It really should be fixed and this ugly dangerous thing should be fixed. After my visit I really started to dig into other guest reviews and I noticed that I wasn't the only one with the same experience. I saw that the owner regular replies to guests who complain that there is no staff with "well due to COVID we can only staff to 3pm)" Proactively, I understand how in the pandemic we need to expect a change in the amenities that hotels provide and I also am understanding that in a town that all but rolls up the sidewalks from June - August I shouldn't expect things like the restaurant being open or there to be someone selling food poolside but I don't think it is unreasonable to expect someone onsite at a hotel to assist guests and in case of emergencies. If this place spent a few dollars to remodel the rooms and got someone to actually staff the place it would such a gem epically for someone looking to get away and I mean really get away. Sitting in that beautiful pool in the desert breeze really was magical. I really hope they fix this place up because it really could be something special…
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip: Casitas have great location but I would pick the Mid Century Modern room
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from David Leibert, Owner at Palms at Indian Head
Responded Aug 9, 2021
Hi Charles, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your stay here. We take pride in offering the best location in the valley with an awesome pool. People come here expressly for the peace and quiet as we only have 12 rooms and we're far from road traffic. In fact, most of our rooms are booked by repeat customers who come here every year if not multiple times per year. We try to communicate with guests as much as possible. We not only send out a confirmation email but an additional 'About Your Stay' email that discusses things like after hours check-ins, and we have a large sign on the front desk with information. We also put directions to your room right on the front of your packet with your keys; sorry you missed that. More information can also be found in your room book. Yes there is construction going on at the far end of the pool that our repeat guests are very excited about but that's a surprise. It is fenced off and not a safety issue at all. We've also upgraded most of our rooms over the past year with new paint, new carpeting, new furniture, new AC. Yes it is dark around the pool area at night because people come here to view the stars at night since we are a dark sky community. And also, the pool closes at night. Our guests understand we're not a corporate 200 room hotel and that is part of our charm. We would love to staff the frontdesk in the evenings but our guests appreciate us keeping the room rates lower instead. Hopefully this helps, Management
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The reviews of this hotel are all over the place, but we had a very positive experience for a one-night trip from San Diego. We were looking for a hassle-free quick trip away from crowds, and we didn't want to spend a lot, so this place was perfect for us and our 14 year old daughter. The prices should tell you that this isn't a full-service luxury resort. The location is beautiful and remote, tucked up against the mountain on the outskirts of Borrego Springs. Self service check in was no problem. The front desk isn't staffed after 3pm. We had one issue, and someone answered our call and then showed up promptly to fix the issue. Room 4 is a remodeled king room - very nice with a comfy bed and excellent pillows and plenty of space for a rollaway. The pool is huge and the scenery around it is lovely. Because the property is so small, you have a chance of having the pool all to yourself, and at dusk or in the evening it's so peaceful. The night sky from the property is amazing. We enjoyed the pool to just ourselves in the morning too. For dinner, we picked our food up from Red Octotillo and enjoyed it on the patio overlooking the pool. Even though it had been a very hot day, eating outside was very comfortable. We hope to come back in the winter when the steak restaurant is open and there's live piano in the lounge.…
Read more
Date of stay: June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Just look. I needed to cool off. I was so looking forward to this pool and jacuzzi. Its disgusting. 9sm no one cleaning it. Last time I pulled dead kangaroo rats out of the pool. Only 1 coffee creamer for my coffee. It won't let me upload any pics. Says they are too large. I will.post on Yelp.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
This is not the Ritz Carlton, nor would one be expected in the middle of the Anza-Borrego Desert. We stayed for a long weekend while several family and friends were camping at the nearby campground. An easy walk between the two. Hotel was very quiet even on full occupancy days; our room (#12) a bit dated but clean and comfortable with a functional kitchenette; bedding and towels were pristine. Appreciated the eco-friendly bulk soaps but would have been nice to have body lotion as well. No room service due to covid but everything worked and staff were very friendly and responsive to requests.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Room #12 (also #11) open to pool and parking without having to traverse lobby. Small table and...
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
+1
This place piqued our curiosity when we stopped by to look at it last year while in the area. First, the saying “you get what you pay for” comes to mind. It is one of the lower priced lodging options in town. They have about 12 rooms and two casitas. The rooms need some TLC & could use new carpeting & replacement of: tattered & dirty throw rugs, sagging curtain rods, door locks (practically falling off their hinges), lampshades & bed skirts. I can picture a group of college kids partying here & being quite happy. The positive features of the room (#10) is that it is spacious, has a couch and chair to sit on & the bed is comfortable. The lobby and pool area are kept up very well. The Olympic sized pool has two little water spouts, a kiddie pool & custom tile reading “The Palms”. The location of the former diving board still has the original engraving of names of original owners (1947) in the cement! There is also a unique shaped jacuzzi. There is also an art gallery on site and they provide good quality bike rentals which is nice as they are located near the state campground. I like the fact the owners have tried to maintain the mid-century charm of the place. It does have a popular restaurant on site (trout dinner is superb) which has great outdoor ambiance & beautiful views. The big surprise was the entertainment—a pianist performed inside & he was phenomenal playing Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” & also sang soprano while performing which floored everyone who was listening! I also like the history of the grounds & think it’s cool Marilyn Monroe & Clark Gable & other famous yesteryear Hollywood celebrities used to stay here (read the history). This is one of those places that leaves you feeling impressed with a very unique experience. Don’t let the condition of the room color your overall opinion of the hotel for in the end we enjoyed our stay very much & we would gladly return in the future! NBC…
Read more
Date of stay: April 2021Trip 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.
Helpful
My husband and I stayed here for a quick getaway over President's Day Weekend. We loved the vibes of the hotel. We were able to walk to a major trail head and were close to the town and other trail heads. It was too cool to use the pool, and the spa was marked as closed, but people were in it, so who knows? The room was spotless and comfortable. The walls are paper thin, as we felt as if we were part of the romantic action taking place nextdoor. 😆. Definitely signs of wear and tear on the exterior of the hotel, but it didn't bother us. I'd love to return when the weather is warmer to use the pool!
Read more
Date of stay: February 2021Trip 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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
ALSO KNOWN AS
the palms at indian head desert hotel borrego springs
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaBorrego Springs
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
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.
Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Palms at Indian Head
Which popular attractions are close to Palms at Indian Head?
Nearby attractions include Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (1.1 miles), Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail (3.4 miles), and Hellhole Canyon Trail (4.1 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Palms at Indian Head?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Palms at Indian Head?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a flat screen TV, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Palms at Indian Head?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Palms at Indian Head?
Conveniently located restaurants include Red Ocotillo, Carmelita's Mexican Grill, and Kendall's Cafe.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Palms at Indian Head?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Palms at Indian Head have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the mountain view available here.