Restaurant in Palm Springs, United States · Inside Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs
King's Highway
100Pearl PointsAce Hotel's anchor bar, done well.
About King's Highway
King's Highway sits inside Palm Springs' Ace Hotel and draws a creative, LA-adjacent crowd that returns for the mid-century atmosphere as much as the drinks. It's easy to book, best visited on a weekday afternoon to avoid weekend noise, works well as a full-service stop for food and drinks in one place. Skip Friday and Saturday evenings if conversation matters to you.
The Verdict
King's Highway is not a quiet neighborhood bar you stumble upon — it's the anchor dining and drinks spot inside the Ace Hotel Palm Springs, it draws a crowd that knows exactly where it's going. If you're expecting a locals-only scene, reset that expectation now. This is a hotel venue that has earned repeat visits from both guests and Palm Springs regulars, which puts it in a different category than the strictly neighborhood spots on the strip.
Atmosphere and Crowd
The room leans into the Ace Hotel's mid-century desert aesthetic — low-slung furniture, warm lighting, a visual sensibility that photographs well and feels considered in person. The crowd skews creative-class: designers, music industry, weekend escapees from Los Angeles who treat Palm Springs as an extension of their social life. You'll fit in if you're dressed casually but intentionally; overdressing reads as out of place here. The energy shifts noticeably across the day, daytime at King's Highway is relaxed and approachable, while evenings, especially on weekends, bring a denser, louder crowd as the pool scene migrates indoors.
The ideal time to visit is a weekday morning or early afternoon, when the pace slows and the room is easier to enjoy without competing for attention. If you're coming for a conversation-focused meal or drinks, avoid Friday and Saturday evenings when the broader Ace property fills up. Palm Springs' shoulder seasons, October through November and February through April, offer the most comfortable outdoor conditions, which matters here given the desert heat that makes summer visits less appealing unless you're committed to the air conditioning.
Value and Practical Context
Price and menu specifics are not confirmed in our current data, so compare carefully before booking. What King's Highway offers structurally is a full-service venue, food, drinks, atmosphere in one location, which tends to deliver better value per hour than a single-category bar when you're settling in for an evening. For value-focused visitors, arriving at off-peak hours means you get the same room and the same drinks program with significantly less noise and a more attentive service experience.
Booking is easy by Palm Springs standards. Walk-ins are generally feasible outside peak weekend periods, though calling ahead for larger groups makes sense. The venue is located at 701 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264, within the Ace Hotel property.
Quick reference: 701 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs CA | Walk-ins usually fine on weekdays | Weekday afternoons for leading experience | Part of the Ace Hotel property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does King's Highway have outdoor seating?
King's Highway sits within the Ace Hotel Palm Springs property at 701 E Palm Canyon Dr, which is built around outdoor communal space as a central feature. The indoor-outdoor flow is a structural part of the Ace format, making it a reasonable pick for al fresco drinks in the desert. Confirm current patio access directly with the hotel before booking if this is a deciding factor.
What's the crowd like at King's Highway?
Expect a mix of Ace Hotel guests and Palm Springs locals who know the property. The crowd skews design-literate and social — the room's mid-century desert aesthetic draws people who care about atmosphere as much as the drink in their hand. It gets busy on weekend evenings, so arrive early if you want a seat without waiting.
What's the signature drink at King's Highway?
Specific cocktail menu details are not confirmed in our current data, so we won't invent a signature. As the bar inside a well-trafficked hotel property, the drink program is built to handle volume — which typically means reliable classics executed consistently rather than a narrow craft-forward list. Check the current menu on-site or via the Ace Hotel Palm Springs directly.
Is the food good at King's Highway?
Menu specifics are not confirmed in our data, so a precise verdict on the food isn't possible here. Structurally, King's Highway functions as a full-service food and drinks anchor for the Ace Hotel, which positions it more as a dependable all-day option than a destination dining experience. If a serious dinner is the goal, compare it against nearby Palm Springs options before committing.
Is King's Highway good for a date?
Yes, with the right expectations. The mid-century aesthetic, warm lighting, hotel-bar energy make it a comfortable first or second date spot — easy conversation, no stiff formality. It works better as a drinks-and-small-plates setting than a full dinner destination. If you want somewhere more focused on food, Birba a few blocks away is worth considering.
Do I need a reservation at King's Highway?
For drinks at the bar, walk-ins are generally workable, especially on weeknights. Weekend evenings draw a larger crowd given the Ace Hotel's footfall, so booking ahead is the safer move if you want a table rather than bar seating. Call or check through the Ace Hotel Palm Springs to confirm current reservation policy.
Is King's Highway good for groups?
The Ace Hotel property format handles groups reasonably well — communal seating and an open layout give it more flexibility than a traditional restaurant counter. For larger parties of six or more, contacting the venue in advance is worth doing to confirm table availability. For a more intimate group dinner, 4 Saints at the Riviera Palm Springs is an alternative worth comparing.
Location
701 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264
Palm Springs, United States
Compare King's Highway
| Venue | Cuisine | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| King's Highway | Easy | |
| Bar Cecil | French-ish/Modern | Unknown |
| 4 Saints | Unknown | |
| Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs | Unknown | |
| Amigo Room | Unknown | |
| Birba | Unknown |
A quick look at how King's Highway measures up.
Also Consider
- Bar Cecil, French-ish/Modern, French-ish/Modern
- 4 Saints, Notable alternative
- Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs, Notable alternative
- Amigo Room, Notable alternative
- Birba, Notable alternative
Among Palm Springs' hotel-adjacent bar and dining venues, King's Highway occupies a middle ground between the polished cocktail focus of Bar Cecil and the looser, poolside energy of the broader Ace Hotel & Swim Club scene. If your priority is a serious, technique-driven cocktail program in a quieter room, Bar Cecil gives you that more reliably. King's Highway wins on atmosphere and crowd energy when you want something that feels social and visually strong without being a straight-up cocktail bar.
Amigo Room at the Arrive Hotel is the closest competitor in terms of vibe, both attract a design-aware, LA-adjacent crowd, but Amigo Room skews slightly more intimate and lower-key. Choose Amigo Room if you want a quieter evening; choose King's Highway if you want more scale and the option to move between food and drinks in one space. 4 Saints at the Rowan Hotel pitches itself at a more upscale crowd and delivers stronger views from its rooftop position, making it the better call for a special-occasion drink or an impressive first date. For casual outdoor pizza and a neighborhood-feel crowd, Birba is the stronger value play.
The practical takeaway: book King's Highway when you want a reliable, full-service hotel venue with good atmosphere and easy access, not when you need the best cocktail in the city or the most intimate room. It earns its place in the Palm Springs rotation by being consistently solid across multiple occasions rather than exceptional at one specific thing.
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