The Saguaro, Palm Springs, CA

Drenched in a rainbow of 12 hues inspired by the colors of desert flowers, the hotel pops against the mountain backdrop, and the rooms, more fun than fancy, are splashed with color right down to the brightly striped bedding. The pleasures here aren’t purely visual—James Beard winner Jose Garces presides over both the hotel bar and restaurant. El Jefe is the place for Mexico City–style tacos, tortilla soup, and tequila flights in a kitschy biker-bar setting. Tinto is for finer dining, with Basque pintxos (tapas) like boquerones (marinated white anchovies) and chuleta (ibérico pork loin), and a hyper-regional Spanish wine list. From $149 (high-season rates from $249); thesaguaro.com