Eat well. Explore freely. Come back to something beautiful.
Welcome to Ingleside Estate
Some hotels check you in. Ingleside Estate draws you in behind a row of lush hedges, into a century-old Spanish Colonial Revival estate that has been one of Palm Springs’ most coveted addresses since 1922. Adults only. Thirty brass-keyed rooms. A legendary restaurant. And the kind of quiet that reminds you why you needed a break in the first place.
This is a boutique luxury hotel in Palm Springs built for people who want an experience, not just an amenity list. Steps from Downtown Palm Springs, yet completely removed from it.
“Most Charming Boutique Hotel” – Skift
Melvyn’s Iconic Old Hollywood Dining in Palm Springs
Fifty years in, Melvyn’s Restaurant is still the most interesting room in Palm Springs. A restored 1895 oak-and-mahogany bar. Dim golden light. Live music every single night. The kind of place where the evening arranges itself around you, rather than the other way around.
“A celebrity magnet steeped in Sinatra stories – still going strong.” – New York Times
What Makes It Different
Melvyn’s doesn’t try to recreate old Hollywood glamour; it simply never stopped being it. Frank Sinatra drank here. Marlon Brando had a corner. Today, you’ll find contemporary celebrities, devoted locals, and first-timers all drawn to the same thing: a room that makes every occasion feel like a special one.
The Food & Drink
The menu is classic American dining with a California soul, serious steaks, fresh seafood, elegant pastas, and legendary tableside desserts (the Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee are not to be skipped). The wine list earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. The martinis are precisely as good as they should be.
Live Music, Every Night
Sunday through Saturday, live music fills the Casablanca Lounge from 6pm. On weekends, it runs until midnight. This is one of the only live music dining experiences in Palm Springs where the performance is part of the evening not an afterthought. No reservations required.
Hours at a Glance
- Dinner: Sun–Thu 5pm–9pm | Fri–Sat 5pm–10pm
- Bar Service: Sun–Thu 11am–10pm | Fri–Sat 11am–midnight
- Live Music: Sun–Fri 6pm–10pm | Sat 6pm–midnight
- Pool Service (estate guests): Daily 8am–3pm
Reserve Melvyn’s: (760) 325-2323 | OpenTable | @melvynsrestaurant
“Twenty-Seven Best Bars in America” – Esquire
Where to Dine & Sip in Palm Springs
When you’re ready to venture beyond the estate, Palm Springs’ dining scene delivers well above its size. A few places worth knowing:
Boozehounds
Boozehounds is a dog friendly restaurant and bar located in Palm Springs, California. This multifaceted space has a cabana bar and patio, an atrium, and a main bar, lounge and dining room. Enjoy daily lunch, happy hour, dinner service and brunch on the weekends.”
Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey
Sleek sushi bar meets serious Japanese whiskey program. One of the most distinctive evenings out in the city. Reserve ahead.
Bar Cecil
Bar Cecil is a homage to Cecil Beaton, a renaissance man who was equal parts rebel and aristocrat, an artist who lived between classical charm and new world rebellion, a provocateur, an Expressionist, and an aesthete who incorporated many mediums to create a style all his own.
Bar Cecil is a love letter to Beaton’s vision of life and art: a celebration of what’s good, of eliminating that which is only pomp, and in the process creating memories through food, drink and hospitality. Bar Cecil is for those who follow the beat to their own drum, horn or whatever inspires them to create, to be individuals, and to embrace diversity. Book early as this one fills fast.
Le Vallauris
The gold standard for special occasion dining in Palm Springs. Refined French cuisine in an elegant garden setting. Old-world hospitality done properly.
Cultural Experiences & Local Sights
Palm Springs Art Museum
Better than you expect, and worth every minute. Strong modern and contemporary collections, thoughtful architecture programming, and a permanent home for some genuinely surprising work. During Modernism Week in February, the entire city doubles as an architecture exhibition. Walking distance from the estate.
Architecture & Design The Real Attraction
Palm Springs has one of the highest concentrations of mid-century modern architecture anywhere in the world. The residential streets of Old Las Palmas and Movie Colony, cycleable from the estate on complimentary bikes, are an open-air museum of Case Study homes, Rat Pack-era residences, and civic landmarks. No tour required. Just ride slowly and look up.
Downtown Palm Canyon Drive
Two distinct characters on one boulevard. Head north for the Uptown Design District vintage finds, galleries, Trina Turk, The Shag Store. Head downtown for boutiques, the Walk of Stars, and easy strolling. Thursday evenings, the weekly VillageFest street market takes over several blocks free, local, and worth timing your visit around.
Desert Adventures & Outdoor Experiences
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Ten minutes in a rotating cable car and you’re 8,500 feet above the desert floor, in pine forest, with trails and mountain views that feel genuinely impossible given where you started. The temperature difference alone – up to 30°F cooler at the summit – makes this essential during warmer months.
Tahquitz Canyon
A two-mile round-trip hike through sacred Agua Caliente land, ending at a seasonal waterfall tucked inside dramatic granite walls. Guided ranger tours are available and recommended for the cultural context alone. Bring water and start before 9am in summer.
Indian Canyons (Agua Caliente)
One of the most beautiful natural environments in the Sonoran Desert, and one of the most underrated. The towering California fan palms of Palm Canyon form one of the largest natural palm oases in North America: lush, dramatic, and completely unexpected. Multiple trails for all levels. Not to be missed.
Moorten Botanical Garden
Half an acre of genuine desert eccentricity: saguaros, cycads, labelled desert species, and the spirit of a place that has been lovingly tended since 1938. An hour well spent – cycling distance from Ingleside Estate, entry is inexpensive, and the gift shop is excellent.
Local Events & Community Experiences
VillageFest Every Thursday Night
From around 6pm, Palm Canyon Drive becomes the city’s living room. Local vendors, artisan food, live performers and a warmth that’s hard to manufacture and easy to enjoy. Free to attend. Five minutes from the estate. Ends naturally with a nightcap at Melvyn’s on the walk back.
Also worth planning around: Modernism Week (February), Palm Springs International Film Festival (January) and Coachella season (April). The estate team can advise and remind you to book early for peak periods.
Unwind the Ingleside Estate Way
There is an ease to Ingleside Estate that never asks more of you than simply to arrive. Just the pool, the garden, the mountains and the particular pleasure of a place that has been perfecting slow desert luxury since before the phrase existed.
The Pool & Gardens
Italian loungers, fragrant citrus, climbing bougainvillea, mountain views. A hot tub, hammocks, fire pits in a shaded courtyard. The Ingleside Estate pool is adults-only, and pool service runs daily from 8am to 3pm. Enjoy cocktails and light bites are delivered straight to your lounger by the Melvyn’s team.
As an estate guest, you also have access to all three pools at sister property Avalon Hotel Palm Springs plus a 24-hour fitness center.
Evening Cocktails at the Casablanca Lounge
As the mountains shift from gold to amber, settle into the Casablanca Lounge. A classic martini. Live music begins to fill the room. The evening finds its own shape. This is old Hollywood Palm Springs not as nostalgia, but as a thing that’s still fully, warmly alive.
Complimentary Bikes & Open Roads
Ingleside provides complimentary bicycles to all guests. The city’s flat grid, dedicated bike paths, and scale make cycling the best way to explore. From the architecture of Old Las Palmas to the path toward Indian Canyons; ask the team for routes and take your time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What makes Ingleside Estate different from other Palm Springs hotels?
A: It’s adults-only, historic, and home to Melvyn’s – a restaurant with 50 years of old Hollywood legacy, live music every night and a bar that’s been named one of the best in America by Esquire. It’s less a hotel, more a private world.
Q: What is Melvyn’s restaurant and why is it famous?
A: Melvyn’s is Ingleside Estate’s legendary restaurant and lounge, open since 1975. Once a favourite haunt of Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, and Marilyn Monroe, it serves classic American cuisine with a California soul, craft martinis, and live music nightly. The New York Times called it a “celebrity magnet steeped in Sinatra stories.”
Q: Does Melvyn’s have live music every night?
A: Yes. Live music plays in the Casablanca Lounge every night of the week – from 6pm Sunday through Friday and from 6pm until midnight on Saturdays.
Q: Where should I eat near Ingleside Estate in Palm Springs?
A: Beyond Melvyn’s, we recommend Boozehounds for casual dining, Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey for a sleek evening out, Bar Cecil for elevated American dining, and Le Vallauris for a special occasion French dinner in a beautiful garden setting.
Q: What are the best things to do in Palm Springs near Ingleside Estate?
A: The blog covers the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Tahquitz Canyon, Indian Canyons, Moorten Botanical Garden, the Palm Springs Art Museum, mid-century modern architecture walks, and the weekly Thursday VillageFest street market – all within easy reach of the estate.
Q: Is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway worth visiting?
A: Absolutely. A rotating cable car climbs to 8,500 feet at Mt. San Jacinto State Park – up to 30°F cooler than the desert floor, with pine forest trails and panoramic views. One of the most distinctive experiences in Southern California.
Q: What is VillageFest in Palm Springs?
A: VillageFest is a free weekly street market on Palm Canyon Drive every Thursday evening. Local vendors, artisan food, live entertainment and a short walk back to Melvyn’s for a nightcap makes it a natural part of any Thursday in Palm Springs.
Q: Can I explore Palm Springs without a car from Ingleside Estate?
A: Yes. The estate provides complimentary bicycles, and the flat city grid puts most key attractions: Downtown Palm Springs, the Art Museum, the Uptown Design District, and VillageFest all within cycling or walking distance.
Q: What is the slow desert luxury experience at Ingleside Estate?
A: It’s the pool deck at golden hour, a martini at the Casablanca Lounge with live music starting up, a morning cycle through mid-century streets before the heat arrives. At Ingleside Estate, we focus on creating the right setting so your experience can unfold naturally.
