We just stayed at the Hideaway property in early December for 2 nights and loved it. We booked the Orbit In but were moved because Palm Springs was having a "Walk of the Inns" annual event where the public is invited to walk through many different Palm Springs vintage hotels. The Hideaway and Orbit In are separate properties on W. Arenas Drive, only about 500 feet apart. We actually liked the Hideaway better than the Orbit In and would request the Hideaway again for our next stay.

The difference between the two properties is the size and ambience. Both are late 1940s motor courts that have been smartened up with 21st century amenities without losing the mid-century modern vibe. The Orbit In is a cozily grouped set of rooms clustered right around a pool; the proximity encourages social encounters with other guests at the poolside cocktail lounge. The Hideaway is on a much larger lot, with more open space and privacy.

We loved our room 101 (Dino's Den), as it was on a corner and had two windows. Most of the other rooms have a single window. The room had a spacious sitting area and kitchenette; it seemed a shame not to cook while we there, but the Palm Springs restaurants were all with an easy walk. Although it directly abuts West Arenas street, the place is private and quiet, situated in a courtyard surrounded by a high wall. On the night of the Walk of the Inns, with thousands of people walking around the street just outside (I'm not exaggerating, it's a big event) we didn't hear a thing.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Hideaway and would go back.

When I made our reservations, I wasn't sure what to expect. Even though the inn received solid reviews, I was concerned that it was going to feel/look too vintagey. I initially messed up the reservation, but the hotel staff worked with me to get everything resolved. The staff was uniformly very polite and accomodating. When we arrived after the drive from LAX, my concerns quickly disappeared. We stayed in the Bossa Nova room which was serene and relaxing. I'm not sure about the other rooms, but I liked ours particularly because it was so quiet. I slept much later than I wanted to because it was so peaceful. The Orbit Inn hosts a poolside cocktail party and, unless I opened my door, I had no idea that anything was going on. Our room was that quiet. I'm not much of a socializer, so I did feel badly about not joining the cocktail party, but I wasn't made to feel badly about it. As a nice touch, the inn has a fridge stocked with complimentary drinks by the pool. We also took ourselves on a mid-century modern tour with the complimentary cruisers and maps provided by the front desk. Also, if you're interested in visiting Joshua Tree, there are tours from Palm Springs to Joshua Tree. We got up early and did the very easy drive ourselves and spent a great day at Joshua Tree. The only thing that I would recommend to the hotel is to consider upgrading the bathrooms. As they are, the bathrooms were absolutely fine but a bit dated. Upgrading may take away from the MCM feel, but as someone who likes a plush bath, it may be worth it. If you are thinking about Palm Springs, I suggest that you check out this amazing gem. I am looking forward to our next visit.

Excellent stay. My husband and I spent one night at the Orbit In and one night at the Hideaway right after Christmas and both evenings were wonderful. The Orbit In has a younger, more fun feel (with bar at pool) and the room we stayed was more spacious with full vintage kitchen. We enjoyed having the record player, which wasn't in the Hideaway room. Our stay at the Hideaway felt a bit more authentic, an earlier building (1949?) than the Orbit In building (1957?). We were pleased to learn that the Hideaway was featured in Architectural Record in 1949 and photographed by Julius Shulmam. My husband preferred the open space and privacy of the Hideaway. I preferred the Orbit In for the color and liveliness of the place. Both excellently appointed rooms. Very clean and super nice and helpful staff -- Kevin, Jeanne, Jade and staff at Hideaway. They made us feel right at home. Also, we recommend taking a short hike (2.5 mile loop right behind the hotel on the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains), riding bikes downtown and lastly, a fabulous dip in the SALTED pools....it's like being at the beach but without the sandy mess and just outside your room! Although we typically stay at places with full breakfasts, we were pleasantly surprised of the nice continental breakfast. With all the amenities offered, we thought the place was a great value. We can't wait to go back!

Great clean rooms with a fun mid century flair. We stayed at the Atomic room (105) which faces the mountains and had a great time. Owners Kevin and Jeanie (sp) and manager Bill were friendly and helpful with recommendations. We stayed three nights at the Orbit and one night at the Hideaway, their sister location and it was nice too. Its pool is surrounded by grass and more plants and might be better suited to some. Our room there didn't have a DVD player, like ours in the Orbit did.

The hotel (motel) is walking distance from the strip so we never had to get in our car for eating or shopping. As someone who drives a lot for work, this was a huge plus.