Christmas and New Year in the Coachella Valley
A desert Christmas is not a snowy one. If what you want is a white Christmas, book Big Bear instead and we will help you do it. What the Coachella Valley offers in late December is something different: short-sleeve afternoons by a heated pool, mountains going pink at four in the afternoon, and a house big enough that nobody has to sleep on a sofa. Here is what the holidays are actually like out here, and how to pick the right home for them.
We manage ten homes across Palm Springs, Indio and Desert Hot Springs, and the last two weeks of December are the busiest of our desert winter. This is the honest version of what to expect.
What the weather actually does in late December
The short answer is that daytime is lovely and night-time is colder than people expect. Afternoons in the valley in late December are usually comfortable enough to sit outside in a sweatshirt, and sometimes warm enough to swim. After sunset the desert loses heat fast, and by nine in the evening a patio without a fire pit is not somewhere anyone wants to linger.
Two practical consequences follow from that, and they are the two things we get asked about most:
- Pool heating is not optional in December. An unheated pool in the desert in winter is cold. Every one of our desert homes with a pool offers heating for an added daily charge, and over a holiday week it is a real line on the bill. Ask us for the figure for your home and your dates before you book, so it is not a surprise at checkout.
- A fire pit changes the evening. The homes where people end up spending the most time outdoors in winter are the ones with somewhere to sit around a flame. Coachella Sol Haus in Indio has a pool, spa and fire pit together in one backyard, which is the whole evening sorted. Oasis Del Sol in Palm Springs has a fire pit beside the pool, and Acacia Retreat has a fire pit and built-in hammocks.
If you want a fuller picture of the season either side of the holidays, we wrote about Palm Springs in the fall and the trade-offs between the two main desert bases in Palm Springs vs. Indio.
Which of our desert homes suits a holiday group
Christmas groups tend to be larger and stay longer than the rest of the year, and the house matters more than usual because you are in it more. A few we would point you to first:
- For a big family Christmas: Indio Oasis House has a private pool backing onto the golf course, and there is a separate Indio Oasis Casita with its own bedroom, kitchenette and dining nook. Booking both gives in-laws somewhere to retreat to, which is a genuine Christmas amenity.
- For a group that wants the evening outdoors: Coachella Sol Haus, with the pool, spa, fire pit and shade sail in one backyard.
- For a smaller family: Coachella Casa in Indio sleeps six across three bedrooms, with a pool, spa and a pergola patio. One honest note from a guest: the hot tub there maxes out at 90 degrees, which is warm rather than hot. If a properly hot soak is important to your group, say so and we will point you at a different home.
- For a quieter, cheaper base: Salida Del Sol in Desert Hot Springs has a pool, turf yard and a mountain backdrop, and you generally get more house for the money than in central Palm Springs.
- For something to do between meals: Game Table Getaway in Indio, or Sip Sip Away in Palm Springs, which has a putting green and cornhole alongside the pool and spa.
If your group is on the larger side, our guide to Coachella Valley rentals for groups of 8 to 12 sorts the homes by real bedroom and bathroom counts rather than headline sleeping numbers.
What is open, and what is not
We are deliberately not going to list opening hours or event dates here, because holiday schedules in the valley change every year and a guide that is wrong is worse than no guide. What we can tell you is the shape of it.
The big resorts and hotel restaurants generally stay open through the holidays and get busy, so a Christmas Eve or New Year table is something to book well ahead rather than walk into. Smaller independent places are the ones most likely to close for a stretch around Christmas itself. Grocery stores keep near-normal hours until Christmas Eve, then close or shorten on the day. Hiking trails and the outdoor attractions are open and are at their best in this weather, which is the real argument for a desert holiday.
Our practical advice: plan to cook at least on Christmas Day itself, do your main shop before the 24th, and treat anything you care about eating out as a reservation rather than a plan. All of our desert homes have full kitchens, and several have outdoor grills. If cooking is not how you want to spend the day, we can talk you through booking a private chef — message us with your dates and group size and we will tell you what is realistic.
For things to do that are not holiday-specific, our guide to things to do in Indio covers the other eleven months and most of it applies in December too.
Booking a holiday week: what to know now
Late December is the tightest week of our desert calendar, and it behaves differently from the rest of the year:
- Minimum stays are longer. Most homes move to a longer minimum over the holidays. If you want four nights over Christmas, ask early rather than assuming.
- Rates are at their annual peak. We are not going to pretend otherwise. If your dates are flexible, the first two weeks of December and the stretch in January after New Year are substantially better value for an almost identical climate.
- Check the live calendar, not a list. Availability moves daily this time of year, so each property page carries its own live calendar. Anything we printed here would be wrong within a week.
- Cancellation terms matter more at the holidays, because holiday plans change. Booking direct with us gets you a 96 percent refund if you cancel up to 14 days before arrival, and 46 percent up to 7 days before. Those terms are shown at checkout before you pay, and we explain the reasoning in our cancellation policy in plain English.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Coachella Valley warm enough to swim at Christmas?
Daytime is often warm enough to sit outside comfortably, and sometimes to swim, but desert nights in December get cold. If swimming matters to your group, book pool heating. Every one of our desert homes with a pool offers it for an added daily charge, and we will quote the figure for your dates before you book.
Do your desert homes charge extra for pool heating?
Yes. Pool heating is an added daily charge rather than being included, and the rate varies by home and season. Over a holiday week it adds up, so ask us for the exact figure for your home and dates and we will confirm it before you book.
How far ahead should I book for Christmas or New Year?
As early as you can. Late December is the busiest stretch of our desert winter, minimum stays are longer than usual and rates are at their annual peak. If your dates are flexible, early December and the period after New Year offer much better value in near-identical weather.
Which desert home is best for a large family at Christmas?
Indio Oasis House with the neighbouring Indio Oasis Casita is our usual suggestion, because the casita has its own bedroom, kitchenette and dining nook and gives part of the group somewhere separate. For a group that wants to be outdoors in the evening, Coachella Sol Haus has the pool, spa and fire pit together.
Can I cancel a holiday booking if plans change?
Booking direct with us, you get a 96 percent refund if you cancel up to 14 days before arrival and 46 percent up to 7 days before. The terms are shown at checkout before you pay.
Spending the holidays in the desert?
Our Palm Springs, Indio and Desert Hot Springs homes are all on the Coachella Valley page and every home we manage is here. Booking direct on our site saves about 10 percent compared with a flexible, refundable booking on the platforms, because there is no platform service fee, and our cancellation terms are shown before you pay. Call us at (949) 407-7448 or email support@ratherbeproperties.com.
Because there’s no place you’d rather be.
