Kimpton The Rowan Hotel opens in Palm Springs

Gorging on modernism in Palm Springs is no new thing. The Southern Californian desert oasis is renowned for its concentration of fab '50s architecture.

But with the opening of Kimpton The Rowan Palm Springs, fans can immerse in a modern take on the style, while staying in the tallest building in Downtown Palm Springs.

The collaboration between ACRM Architects + Interiors and DesignARC, sees a contemporary aesthetic, yet serious homage to Palm Springs' heritage as well as its landscape.

Concrete blocks of the building's exterior are punctuated with pop-out boxes and balconies to add dimension and metal sun shading and filigree screening filter the desert sun.

Interiors by Powerstrip Studio and the Kimpton Design Team feature clean-lined furniture and custom art installations such as a huge macrame owl behind the front desk and lobby-adjacent library display. Guest rooms and suites – all of which have mountain views or private outdoor terraces – are abundant with period-appropriate geometric patterns in a serene colour palette of blues and greens, natural wood, creamy neutrals and cool white.

The seven-storey, 153-room hotel also features the city's first and only rooftop pool, and, as the first new build hotel in decades, is the linchpin of the Downtown Palm Springs revitalisation project.

Executive chef Stephen Wambach heads up Juniper Table, a casual all-day Mediterranean cafe on the lobby floor, and 4 Saints on the rooftop serving share plates. There are two bars: Window Bar, just past the hotel's entrance, and High Bar, on prime rooftop. These areas were designed by Chris Pardo, of Elemental Architecture.

Rooms cost from $US189 low season,$US239 shoulder and $US289 high season.

See KimptonHotels.com