Sparrows Lodge

About Sparrows Lodge

Sparrows Lodge began as Castle's Red Barn in 1952, built by MGM actor Don Castle and his wife Zetta as one of the original getaways for the Hollywood crowd. The property has lived several lives since then, cycling through names and owners before it was fully restored in 2013. The barn, the original stone structures, and the courtyard layout are all still in use. The result is a property that reads as anti-Palm Springs in the best possible sense. There are no TVs in the rooms. No phones. No spa with a treatment menu. What there is: a salt-water pool, an outdoor fire pit, a communal breakfast each morning, and The Barn Kitchen, which the Michelin Guide has taken notice of. The property runs on a pace that visitors either love immediately or spend the first afternoon learning to accept. Adults only.

What Sparrows Lodge Is Known For

Sparrows earns its designation not by mimicking boutique hotel conventions but by shedding most of them. The decision to remove TVs and phones from rooms in a market saturated with amenities arms races remains genuinely unusual. The Barn Kitchen's Michelin Guide recognition arrived because the food is rooted in the Coachella Valley and executed with focus. The restoration preserved the bones of a 1952 barn while making every surface worth noticing.

Amenities

• Breakfast Included
• WiFi
• Salt-water pool
• Hot tub
• Fire pit
• Complimentary bicycles
• The Barn Kitchen (restaurant and bar on site)
• Private patios
• SMEG mini fridge
• Rain shower
• Italian linens
• Grown Alchemist toiletries

The Room

Rooms are built around the aesthetic of a California barn: exposed beam ceilings, raw stone walls, concrete floors with inlaid pebbles, and wooden paneling painted white. Everything is bespoke: the furniture was built for the rooms, not sourced from a catalog. Each room includes a private patio, a SMEG mini fridge, Italian linens, Grown Alchemist toiletries, and a rain shower. No televisions or in-room phones. Rooms have queen beds; the Owner's Suite is the exception.

The Grounds

Two courtyard spaces anchor the property. The first opens onto the salt-water pool, the centerpiece of the place, surrounded by chunky palms and potted plants with a hot tub and plush lounge chairs poolside. The second courtyard holds The Barn Kitchen, where communal breakfast happens each morning and guests drift back for drinks through the day. After dark, the fire pit draws whoever isn't already in bed. Bikes are available for guests who want to explore beyond the gates.

The Experience

Staying at Sparrows feels like being let in on something before it was widely publicized, even though it has been. The no-phones, no-TV setup sounds like a gimmick until the second day, when guests stop reaching for either and realize the pool and the Swiss army blanket and the stack of magazines are genuinely enough. Service is unhurried and warm without crossing into performative hospitality. This is a property that works hard not to feel like it's working at all.

Details

Frequently Asked Questions

Things to Do Near The Coachella Valley

Palm Springs Art Museum

1.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.

The most compelling cultural institution in the desert, with a permanent collection anchored by works from Alexander Calder and Henry Moore and rotating shows that regularly bring in major contemporary names.

Indian Canyons

3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.

Sixty-five miles of trails through the ancestral homeland of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Andreas, Murray, and Palm Canyon offer everything from easy streamside walks to serious desert hikes.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

5 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.

A ten-minute tram ride from the desert floor to the alpine forest of Mount San Jacinto State Park: a temperature drop of nearly 40 degrees and access to 50 miles of wilderness trails.