Thompson Palm Springs Weekend: Lola Rose, Pool Time and What to Wear

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A Thompson Palm Springs weekend makes a good case for leaving the schedule loose. My photos go from a lantern-lit terrace to the pool and a table full of colorful dishes at Lola Rose. That is enough of a plan for me: time outside, dinner worth changing for and clothes that work without taking over the suitcase. I would pack around those three moments rather than bring a different outfit for every hour.

Thompson Palm Springs Weekend: Arrive and Settle In

Thompson Palm Springs sits along Palm Canyon Drive in the downtown Design District. The hotel spreads across two and a half city blocks, with bungalow-inspired rooms and an elevated pool setting. It is the version of a desert weekend where I would leave room for the hotel itself, not use it only as somewhere to sleep between reservations. My terrace photo catches the quieter side: pale walls, a long walkway and yellow lanterns overhead.

For the drive and check-in, I would wear the espresso straight-leg jersey pants with the white sleeveless peplum top. The Poppy has a dropped waist and a swingy shape, so it gives soft trousers a little definition without a rigid waistband. The pants are cropped and made from Supima cotton jersey with a sueded finish. Check the inseam against a pair you like; cropped on the product page does not mean the same length on everyone.

The navy cotton-rib cardigan is the layer I would keep within reach. Scout has a closer cotton-rib shape and shell buttons. Navy Night keeps the layer quiet beside the white top and espresso trousers; size up if you prefer more room. Add the brown woven leather mules for an easy hotel outfit. Cammie has a closed woven toe and an open back, so I would use it for the lobby and paved routes, not turn it into the shoe for a long walking day.

This first outfit is deliberately simple. The interest comes from texture: soft jersey, a crisp-looking white top, a cotton knit and woven leather. I would keep the cardigan available even on a warm arrival day and check the actual forecast before leaving home. Palm trees in a photo are not a guarantee that every evening will feel warm.

Pool Time Without Packing a Second Wardrobe

The pool photo is the reason I would protect part of the afternoon from the itinerary. There are palm trees, mountain views and striped umbrellas, with space to sit rather than rush straight back out. I would bring an oversized beach towel and a cooling facial mist and leave the rest of the pool bag alone. My photo records the scene from a past visit, not a promise about today’s weather or pool access. Check the hotel’s current arrangements for your stay, especially if a particular pool or room area matters to the trip.

For time around the hotel, the brown checked button-up shirt works over an existing swimsuit or with the jersey pants. Clemente is the roomier piece in this edit; I would leave it open rather than add another fitted layer. The check gives a mostly solid suitcase something different without a large print. I am choosing it as a hotel layer, not claiming it offers measured sun protection.

The dark green oval sunglasses are a small color shift from the browns and creams. Lichtblick has chestnut lenses and exposed metal details at the temples, which keep the shape from feeling too delicate. For the bag, the natural woven beach tote has the right relaxed proportion for the pool setting. It is the daytime carry here, separate from the smaller dinner bag, rather than an excuse to take every possession to a lounger.

I would finish this part of the weekend with the purple suede flat sandals. Shelly has a lattice upper, an adjustable ankle strap and a low stacked heel. The jewel color is the playful piece in a quiet wardrobe. These are suede sandals for dry hotel paths and meals, not shoes I would put into the pool or use as water shoes. Keep the pieces suited to what you are actually doing and the suitcase becomes easier to edit.

Lola Rose: Color on the Table, a Simple Dinner Outfit

The orange plate in my Lola Rose photo does most of the decorating. There is green sauce beneath the food, bright leaves on top and a table that invites sharing. The photographed cocktail menu includes Her Name Was Lola and a Baklava Old Fashioned, names still listed on the restaurant’s current drinks menu. Lola Rose Grand Mezze describes its cooking as Eastern Mediterranean and sits above downtown Palm Springs at the hotel. I would look at the current menu when planning dinner rather than promise that every dish in an older photograph is still served.

For this table, I would choose the cream halter-neck wrap dress. Odette has an apron-style wrap, an A-line skirt and a ramie-cotton blend with cotton lining. The square halter neckline is the detail, so it does not need a necklace competing with it. The waist tie gives the dress shape, while the fuller skirt keeps it from feeling like a rigid dinner dress. Check the halter and back against the underwear you want to wear before making it the only evening option in the bag.

The small sculptural gold hoop earrings keep the finish clean. Mini Gemma is gold-dipped brass, not solid gold, with a rounded hollowed shape and a hinged closure. I would wear it as the one jewelry detail rather than add several pieces around the halter. The woven suede crossbody bag brings the brown tones back. Florence has detachable straps and a divided interior, so the same bag can stay with a casual outfit earlier in the day and feel smaller at dinner.

If you prefer separates, the black fine-knit merino top with the espresso pants is the alternative. St. Agni’s Deep V Knit Tee is lightweight merino with cap sleeves and a close fit. It is a different line from the roomier checked shirt, and I would let that contrast do the work. Wear the navy cardigan as needed, then choose the purple sandals or woven mules already in the bag. There is no need to buy a second complete set of accessories for one meal.

What I Would Keep in the Weekend Bag

One comfortable arrival outfit, one dinner dress and the layers that make both useful: that is the packing idea. The checked shirt can go over a swimsuit, the white top can go back with the trousers and the navy cardigan changes the cream dress without adding another occasion look. I would bring the swimsuit, practical walking shoes and other basics I already use, then decide which of these pieces fills a real gap. Everything here fits in one weekender duffle bag with room to spare for the drive home. The terrace, pool and table give the weekend its variety; the clothes only need to keep up.

More California Weekends

• Palm Springs Holiday Guide
• Joshua Tree Travel Guide
• Newport Beach Restaurants

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Shop the Post

• POSSE Cream Odette Wrap Dress – Shop here
• FAITHFULL Carob Check Clemente Shirt – Shop here
• St. Agni Black Merino Deep-V Knit Tee – Shop here
• Alex Mill Navy Night Scout Cotton-Rib Cardigan – Shop here
• Loeffler Randall Jewel Suede Shelly Flat Sandals – Shop here
• Jenny Bird Gold Mini Gemma Hoop Earrings – Shop here
• DONNI. Espresso Sueded Jersey Simple Pants – Shop here
• AYR White Poppy Peplum Top – Shop here
• Le Specs Dark Green Lichtblick Sunglasses – Shop here
• DeMellier Hazel Suede Florence Crossbody – Shop here
• FREDA SALVADOR Umber Woven Cammie Mules – Shop here
• L*SPACE Natural Cruz Beach Bag – Shop here