Have a sand blast

Lodging

Andalusian Court, 458 W. Arenas Road, Palm Springs, (760) 323-9980; www.andalusiancourt.com. Decorated in a Spanish Revival style, this 25-suite property in the Tennis Club district was restored and reopened in 2004. Rooms have fireplaces and villas have kitchens and spa-sized tubs.

Del Marcos Hotel, 225 W. Baristo Road, Palm Springs, (800) 676-1214; www.delmarcoshotel.com. Designed by William F. Cody in 1947, this 16-room boutique hotel one block from downtown retained its midcentury charm in recent renovations.

Movie Colony Hotel, 726 N. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (760) 320-6340; www.moviecolonyhotel.com. The cluster of Albert Frey-designed buildings has been painstakingly restored and filled with period furnishings.

Orbit In, 562 W. Arenas Road, Palm Springs, (877) 996-7248; www.orbitin.com. The complex in the Tennis Club neighborhood includes two properties -- the Hideaway and the Oasis -- and features detailed period renovations, expansive grounds and private studios.

Parker Palm Springs, 4200 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (760) 770-5000, www.theparkerpalmsprings.com. Remodeled to resemble the quirky estate of a fictional, well-traveled rich aunt -- Mrs. Parker -- the 132-room hotel with 12 private villas offers top-level luxury, a gourmet diner (Norma’s), the upscale dining room for her wastrel husband (Mr. Parker’s) and the Palm Springs Yacht Club, a spa named for its fortuitous acronym, P.S.Y.C.

Pepper Tree Inn, 622 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (760) 318-9850; www.peppertreepalmsprings.com. A three-year, $3-million renovation reopened this main-drag boutique hotel in 2003. Now it has 34 rooms, a 50-foot pool, a day spa, Jacuzzis, a cafe and the Pepper Tree Bookstore.

Viceroy Palm Springs, 415 S. Belardo Road, Palm Springs (760) 320-4117; www.viceroypalmsprings.com. This 74-room desert outpost of the Kor Hotel Group was launched as the Estrella, now the name of its spa, and will be expanding with more villas, a bigger spa and a just-opened meeting facility. Done up in blazing yellow, white and black, the high-style hotel also offers a bar, a restaurant and a choice of three pools.

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Restaurants

Melvyn’s Restaurant, Ingleside Inn, 200 W. Ramon Road, Palm Springs, (760) 325-2323; www.inglesideinn.com. This 30-year-old marvel of Continental cuisine inside a 30-room inn continues to attract crowds to its upholstered comfort, cozy piano lounge and reliable food.

Spencer’s Restaurant, 701 W. Baristo Road, Palm Springs, (760) 327-3446, www.spencersrestaurant.com. Remodeled two years ago, it offers a peek into the private Palm Springs Tennis Club with breakfast, lunch and dinner on a choice of patios.

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Fun stuff

Kraft Nabisco Championship, Mission Hills Country Club, 34-600 Mission Hills Drive, Rancho Mirage, March 21-27, (760) 324-4546; www.kncgolf.com. Known colloquially as the Dinah Shore Tournament, this LPGA championship has become the centerpiece of a de facto lesbian party weekend that manifests in many backyard barbecues and a few hotel parties.

Moorten Botanical Garden, 1701 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (760) 327-6555. The Moorten family turned its home into a garden with 3,000 varieties of desert plants that surround the landmark Stephen Willard Spanish Revival house.

PSModerntours, A minivan takes architecture fans on a 2 1/2-hour driving tour of Palm Springs’ midcentury buildings; $55. For information, contact Robert Imber at (760) 318-6118 or psmoderntours@aol.com.

Spa Resort Casino, 401 E. Amado Road, (760) 883-1000, and Hotel, 100 N. Indian Canyon, (760) 325-1461; www.sparesortcasino.com. Part of the nearly 10 1/2 square miles of Palm Springs that belongs to the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is represented in the downtown hotel, spa and casino complex.

The famed hot springs remain the focal point of the spa at the 228-room hotel, while the new indoor casino has seven bars and restaurants, slot machines, blackjack and mini-baccarat.

White Party, www.jeffreysanker.com. Part of the so-called circuit parties, the three-day Easter weekend event at the Palm Springs Convention Center and Wyndham Hotel attracts 30,000 gay men, who attend parties throughout the city.

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More information

Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism Visitors Center, 2901 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (800) 347-7746; www.palm-springs.org. Find a calendar of events, visitor information, lodging, dining and a guides to gay and lesbian Palm Springs on the web. Brochures are available at the visitors center.

Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority, 70-100 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, (760) 770-9000; www.palmspringsusa.com. This valley-wide tourism bureau prints comprehensive glossy brochures detailing activities, lodging, dining and more across the region; its website expands on the information.

Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, P.O. Box 1122, Palm Springs, 92263, (760) 837-7117; www.pspf.net. This nonprofit foundation helps promote the preservation of historic and architectural structures and publishes the Palm Springs Modern Maps, $5 including postage.

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--Valli Herman