7 Palm Springs rentals that make summer last forever

Sometimes, a vacation rental is just a place to stash your bags while you’re out living your best life. 

Other times – like when you’re in Palm Springs – the place you stay sets the vibe for your trip as much as the people you’re traveling with. Lucky for us all, Palm Springs has loads of slick VRBOs with next-level pools your crew will never want to leave. 

Summer may be winding down where we are, but in Palm Springs, the vacation season’s just ramping up. While much of the nation will soon be hemmed in by fog and snow, Palm Springs will still be toasting the sunny days and balmy nights it’s famous for. And nonstop flights from 30 cities nationwide make it easier than ever to slip away for a long weekend.

Read on for some of Palm Springs’ best places to stay on your next getaway. You’ll find these VRBOs pair perfectly with tropical shirts, flowy caftans and all-day rosé for when you need to escape to pool time and tan lines, and based on all the five-star reviews, they’re sure to set the right vibe every time. 

Are you ready for relaxation? This home sure is, and while it’s a mint-condition icon from 1959, this place is so much more than its mid-century credentials. Vacation mode starts under soaring palms as you step through the turquoise front gate. A left turn will take you into the house, with its retro styling and themed bedrooms, but you won’t have even unzipped your suitcase before beelining to the fully-loaded backyard. The star is a huge open-air pavilion, modern addition that reads every bit as original.

With sofas, swinging chairs, and dining for eight, it creates just as much liveable, loungeable space outside as indoors. And in sunny nooks hugging the pool, you’ll find everything you need for the ultimate backyard hang, including a three-hole putting green, flickering fire pits, swaying hammocks, and a bubbling hot tub. 

An iconic home with a two-fer legacy

This primo pad boasts a double mid-century legacy: It was designed by architect William Krisel who helped cement Palm Springs’ enduring modern aesthetic, and it was also the home of literary legend Ray Bradbury, the author of sci-fi standard-bearer “Fahrenheit 451.” This 1957 home of the future feels just as forward-thinking today as it did a half-century ago. Restored with authenticity (down to the original baby pink stove and cooktop) and outfitted with furnishings true to the era, six sleep comfortably in three airy bedrooms, two with ensuite baths.

Find it: 1837 S. Caliente Road

The Pink Door of Little Beverly Hills

The Pink Door of Little Beverly Hills -

This one’s got TV credits, y’all – it’s one of the actual glass houses you’ve drooled over during your home-reno show binges. This Palm Springs home was one of those heartbreakingly abused masterpieces, wrecked by decades of heinous design choices and hobbled by a termite infestation. You cheered on “Desert Flippers” Lindsey and Eric Bennett as they saved the day, knocking down ill-conceived additions and adding floor-to-ceiling glass, bursts of vibrant tilework, a resort-rivaling pool deck, and backyard citrus trees they called “the cocktail grove.” Here’s your chance to slip through those hot pink front doors and into the home HGTV called “Go Bold or Go Home.”

Private Paradise in Vista Las Palmas

Private Paradise in Vista Las Palmas - vrbo.com

Butterfly roofs hog all the attention, but A-frame rooflines are every bit as iconic. Only 15 so-called “Swiss Miss houses” were built in Palm Springs, the work of Charles DuBois, who designed them to stand out among the neighborhood’s low-lying ranch homes. And stand out they do: The pitched roofs soar above two-story atria that stretch from front to back, with living, dining, and sleeping areas arranged in single-story wings flanking the A.

Opportunities to stay in an A-frame don’t come along often, and an original 1958 Swiss Miss in Palm Springs? Next to impossible. But this VRBO provides exactly that, plus a saltwater pool, waterfall spa, and unbeatable views of the San Jacinto Mountains, for you and seven of your besties.

Find it: 650 N. Dry Falls Road

Architectural Masterpiece With Airliner Views Across The Valley - vrbo.com

This sprawling hillside home is packed with a larger-than-life style. Built into a hillside with incredible views, you enter on the top floor and work your way down into the heart of this contemporary compound. A terrace with treetop views runs the length of the upper level, which includes a massive great room large enough to hangar a small aircraft, with a dramatic fireplace, sundrenched atrium, and grand, modern staircase leading downward into the private spaces.

Two king-sized suites await below, and a detached casita steps from the saltwater pool adds a third, all with lush, green views of the valley below and the rocky mountains above.

Find it: 341 W. Camino Alturas 

A fun and funky family stay

'Banana Cabana' Palm Springs Pool Pad with Treehouse! - vrbo.com

This pet-friendly pad had us sold at “treehouse tiki bar.” Need we say more? With loads of style adults will appreciate and all the outdoor adventure the little ones won’t soon forget, the cheeky Banana Cabana is a firmly family-friendly option for any time of year. Fully fenced with room to roam, the backyard serves up a saltwater pool, all-day sun, shady spots to retreat to, plus an outdoor kitchen and dining area, firepit chill zone, and lawn games like bocce.

Above it all, the treehouse sets the perfect scene for afternoon naps, sunset cocktails, and climbing till the kids are all tuckered out. If you’ve any energy left, downtown Palm Springs, with its shops and restaurants, is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.

Find it: 210 N. Farrell Drive

Best Views And Backyard In The City

A stately showplace with golf-course views

Best Views And Backyard In The City -

Photos simply can’t do this place justice, past guests say. And with photos as dazzling as these – easily mistaken for pixel-perfect architectural renderings rather than a home you can rent – that’s high praise indeed. Tahquitz Creek Golf Course paints a tranquil backdrop for this modern showplace, and unspoiled sightlines across the pool to the fairways and beyond give the feeling this estate is many times its size.

Inside, a chicly minimal aesthetic plays up that sense of spaciousness, with open interiors segueing into three king suites, to offer plenty of room to gather together or lounge apart. Just a five-minute drive east will have you in Cathedral City’s lively Downtown Arts and Entertainment District and its theaters, restaurants, nightlife, brewery, and casinos. 

Miles Walls is a freelance writer and art director with home bases in San Francisco and Palm Springs. Find him on Instagram and Twitter.