Who wouldn't want to chill in a beautiful pool with an awesome view?

When life calls for poolside downtime, no place hits quite like Palm Springs. This desert resort town has elevated #SundayFunday into a way of life. Palm Springs has sunshiny warmth the whole year long, with more than 350 fog-free, sun-drenched days each year. It’s got loads of slick, modern hideaways for your whole crew, with next-level pools you’ll never want to leave. 

If, on the off chance, you’re looking for more than lounging, you won’t be hurting for things to do in Palm Springs. There’s a unique food and craft beer scene, more than 100 tournament-tested golf courses, monumental hiking to alpine peaks and hidden desert waterfalls, and bucket-list festivals like Coachella and Stagecoach. And with easy, nonstop flights from the Bay Area and beyond, it’s never been easier to escape to good times and tan lines.

Go for a long weekend, or stay a whole month. Bring your SO or your entire crew, and fill a house for less per person than a budget motel stay. Scroll on for some of Palm Springs’ hottest rentals with the chillest pools and "rosé all day" vibes. 

All are hosted by top-rated hosts, with dozens of five-star reviews to back them up. Each property is within easy reach of fine dining, trendy bars, ice cream parlors, art galleries, casinos and more. And unlike other endless-summer hotspots, Palm Springs is easily drivable with parking everywhere, so 15 minutes will have you most anywhere you want to be.

Chill in one of North America’s best pools

Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5, with 70+ reviews

What you might spend: Sleeps 10, from $1,158 per night

Neighborhood: Movie Colony, so named for the slew of Hollywood celebrities who once owned homes in this neighborhood.

Why it's great: Brand-new construction in a can’t-beat location, and every inch designed with vacation in mind. A monumental sliding door pockets entirely to unite the open floor plan with the sprawling pool deck. At 3,800 square feet, this slick home sleeps 10 in five bedrooms, each with bathrooms ensuite for maximum privacy. But really, it’s all about that pool.

About the pool: These 2,000 square feet of azure would put any resort to shame. This Palm Springs pool was named North America’s best in swimmingpool.com’s Pool Wars 2019 contest. No shock there, right? Just look at it: The tree-enveloping design wraps around an island of palms with a roomy 10-person spa, three tanning shelves and a sunken lounge with underwater views and a swim-up bar.

What to know: As night falls, the pool explodes with LED lights, fire bowls and maximum party vibes. It’ll be tempting to bump Harry Styles and Lizzo, but it’s best to keep it tight, and keep it right, because no outdoor music is allowed in Palm Springs – at any volume, on any device, not even cell phones, at any time of day. Palm Springs is cracking down on party houses citywide and strictly enforcing noise ordinances, parking rules and occupancy limits, with hefty fines for violations.

Find it: 387 E. Valmonte Sur, Palm Springs

Historic Villa with Famous Pink Door and Mountain Views

The Insta-famous house with #thatpinkdoor

Rating: 5 stars out of 5, with 1 review (More about that below, but long story short: This historic home is rarely available for rent. Lucky you!)

What you might spend: Sleeps eight, from $1,630 per night

Neighborhood: Indian Canyons, a quiet enclave of immaculate mid-century estates, towering palms and majestic mountain vistas.

Why it's great: This is *that* house with *that* pink door that’s earned its own hashtag and legions of stans. Villa Sierra is 5,300 square feet of peak Palm Springs style spread across two spacious lots. One of Palm Springs' most photographed homes, Villa Sierra is a coveted selfie shot for every Instagram grid, and you can be among the first and few to stay in this envy-inducing VRBO. This place pops up on rental sites periodically, then vanishes just as quickly, so snag it while you’ve got the chance.

About the pool: Sun-soaked pool views are the focal point of every room, thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass spanning the entire back of the house. The linear pool runs a stunning 75-foot stretch, centered on a tented Moroccan-style cabana for shady lounging. Leafy ficus walls envelope this al fresco wonderland in privacy, with poolside dining, fire pit seating, outdoor bars and greenspace aplenty.

What to know: This showplace sleeps eight like Hollywood royalty in four cushy suites, each with backyard access and its own retro vibe. Chances are, you and your crew will want to rotate bedrooms each night so you can experience all the glamor. Oh, and did we mention there’s a bonafide billiard room?

Find it: 1100 E. Sierra Way, Palm Springs

A modern showplace with iconic architecture

Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5, with 90+ reviews

What you might spend: Sleeps eight, from $752 per night

Neighborhood: Historic Tennis Club, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, now home to dozens of upscale boutique hotels

Why it's great: Check that roofline: The V-shaped silhouette is the iconic butterfly roof that set mid-century hearts aflutter. Swipe through the photos and check off all the modern details you could ever want in a Palm Springs rental: Sharp geometry, supersized windows with amped-up art to match, exposed beams in soaring, sloped ceilings, and roofline skylights serving slices of blue sky.

About the pool: This sleek pool’s long and lean, earning high marks for its infinity edge and minimalist style. It spans the length of the walled backyard, bookended by an elevated spa at one end and an L-shaped hardwood deck at the other. Poolside seating wows with spectacular southerly views of the San Jacinto Mountains, with an in-ground fire feature to keep you toasty warm on chilly desert nights. 

What to know: This home feels every bit like a 1960s original all glowed-up, though it was built new in 2009 in the style of William Krisel, one of the Mod-fathers of Palm Springs architecture. This 2,250-square-foot home sleeps eight in four bedrooms and three baths. This one scores bonus points for the standalone casita, a tiny home designed as a second main suite, with a full bath, indoor and outdoor showers and its own private entrance.

Find it: 421 S. Cahuilla Road, Palm Springs

One-of-a-Kind Palm Springs House w/Private Pool!

A hillside hideout with unsurpassed views

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5, with 50+ reviews

What you might spend: Sleeps four, from $483 per night

Neighborhood: Cahuilla Hills, a pocket neighborhood in the hills of South Palm Springs known for panoramic views of the Coachella Valley.

Why it's great: Just imagine the sunrises and sunsets. Hillside Oasis is perched among the crags and palms of the San Jacinto foothills, and every window offers views upon views of the rocky hillsides above and Palm Springs below. This elevated hideout is truly one of a kind. The architecture, the scenery, the pool, the spa, the grounds — each amazing in its own right. 

About the pool: We’ll bet you’ve never swum in a pool quite like this one. This rough-around-the-edges swimming hole has the rugged good looks of thermal desert spring, distinctly different from the pristine blue rectangles on the valley floor. Follow a small crevasse upstream to find a sweet jetted spa cradled by boulders in a palm-shrouded oasis.

What to know: Hillside Oasis is made for those who treasure nature and value privacy. Wonderful hiking kicks off at the end of the driveway and solitude abounds, but don’t forget that superb restaurants and shopping lie only minutes away.

Find it: 2469 Cahuilla Hills Drive, Palm Springs

Brand New Luxurious Home with Breathtaking Views

A magazine-worthy home with a scene-stealing pool

Rating: 5 stars out of 5, with 35+ reviews

What you might spend: Sleeps 10, from $1,225 per night

Neighborhood: The Mesa, a residential hideaway at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains, near the Moorten Botanical Garden and canyon hiking trailheads

Why it's great: This is the kind of slick, modern home you’ve drooled over in magazines, as glossy IRL as they look in print. Every room is a front-row seat to mountain views if you can take your eyes off all the gleaming marble and the killer resort pool. At 4,700 square feet, this home sleeps 10 in five bedrooms, each with its own private bath, and walls of glass completely recede to turn the home into an open-air pool pavilion.

About the pool: The scene-stealing pool is 2,000 square feet of drama, with waterfalls spilling from fire bowls, a 14-square-foot spa and a 30-foot-long tanning shelf for sunning, selfies or splashing with the kids.

What to know: Several chill zones are stashed throughout this split-level landscape — a row of chaises fronting the pool, another in a nook behind the spa, a sunken grill area with benches lining a fire table — with plenty of space to gather together or lounge apart. There’s even a three-hole putting green in one snug, palm-shaded corner.

Find it: 350 W. El Portal Road, Palm Springs

A loveable, livable family compound with a saltwater pool

Rating: 5 stars out of 5, with 70+ reviews

What you might spend: Sleeps eight, from $580 per night

Neighborhood: Chino Canyon, a hillside neighborhood nicknamed “Little Tuscany,” where Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy once owned estates.

Why it's great: Oasis del Sol is a colorful hideaway practically begging for folks to fill it with good vacation energy. It’s cool and modern, but playful and comfy, because who wants to spend summer vacation feeling like you’re tiptoeing around a museum? The open floor plan wisely puts plenty of space between the main suite and the two bedrooms in the guest wing, and a private casita gives groups even more breathing room.

About the pool: This pool’s saline, for silky soft water that doesn’t reek of chemicals or burn your eyes on marathon swim days. Surrounding it are modular sofas, chaises to laze in, umbrellas to chill under and plenty of seating for meals hot off the grill.

What to know: Past guests say Oasis del Sol is loaded with every amenity imaginable: Cookware, dinnerware, utensils — everything from party platters down to birthday candles — plus floats for the pool, loads of board games and plenty of towels.

Find it: 590 W. Vía Olivera, Palm Springs

LUXURY Villa in Palm Springs!

Outdoor living at its cushiest

Rating: 5 stars out of 5, with 90+ reviews

What you might spend: Sleeps eight, from $899 per night

Neighborhood: Racquet Club Estates, one of Palm Springs' most notable mid-century neighborhoods.

Why it's great: The hosts of Casa Simms thought of everything during its 2020 full-house remodel, and their imagination paid off. The result is a tricked-out backyard and outdoor living at its cushiest. A swinging outdoor daybed pavilion? Check. A romantic outdoor bathtub? Check. Four-hole putting green lit for nighttime play? Check. A pool table? Yep – and ping-pong, too.

About the pool: All of this outdoor activity revolves around the home’s sizable swimming pool, with its laid-back sunshelf, waterfall and 12-seat spa backed by a roaring fire feature. Tucked about the pool on two levels, the masterfully planned backyard includes a grillmaster’s barbeque, outdoor bar, three lounge areas, two fire pits and a meditation garden.

What to know: As well-appointed as the pool deck is, eventually you’ll have to go inside. When you do, you’ll find Casa Simms comfortably and tastefully updated with bursts of color among the cheery touches, and four bedrooms sleeping eight.

Find it: 611 E. Simms Road, Palm Springs

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