The Drift Palm Springs hotel in downtown Palm Springs is home to the relaxed, upscale Baja restaurant, Maleza. It has a modern design, with fire pits and a bar that has various agave-based drinks and a selection of dishes that are perfect for sharing. The hotel has been constructed with the help of San Jose del Cabo-based Roots and Roads, and is slightly away from the main, busier part of the area, providing stunning views of the mountains. Other Drift hotels can be found in Cabo and Santa Barbara, with plans for a future location in Nashville.
Of the 39 units, 30 are suites that come with a fully-equipped kitchen, including a stove, oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, and a dining area. These suites come in three- and four-bedroom sizes, able to fit six and eight people respectively. The master suite includes its own private bathroom, while there is a shared bathroom in the main living area. The balcony offers views of the cactus garden and the huge pool.
The homey all-day menu features breakfast items like chilaquiles and a quinoa/oatmeal bowl along with adobo shrimp, mushroom, pork belly and charred steak tacos for lunch or dinner. Popular dinner options include grilled corn esquites with smoked bone marrow, jalapeno and queso fresco, served with grilled sourdough. Other noteworthy dishes are the purple sweet potato with adobo shrimp and trumpet mushroom in a poblano crema sauce and the slow-roasted pork shank with Coloradito mole and a herb and snap pea salad.
In addition, the pool menu offers some amazing appetizers and signature cocktails that are perfect for lounging. These include the Guava Mama (a mix of spicy tequila, lime, and guava), Permanent Vacation (made of gin, pineapple, lemon, passion fruit and Ponche de Guayaba) and Burnt Summer (a combination of navy strength vodka, lime, pineapple, watermelon liqueur, charred pineapple and serrano cordial).