Nighttime exterior entrance of Thompson Hotel Palm Springs, with desert landscaping of columnar cacti, barrel cacti, and agave plants, a palo verde tree in the foreground, and warm lobby lighting visible through open pivot doors and steel-frame windows.

Palm Springs, California

Thompson Hotel

A Desert Escape Through Art

Project type

Wayfinding Signage Design

Project sector

Hospitality Signage Design
Nighttime porte-cochère entrance of Thompson Palm Springs hotel, with a wood-clad canopy, illuminated hotel signage, columnar cacti, and a colorful mosaic artwork visible through the open lobby doors.

Project info

Client HALL Group

Architect SMS Architects

Landscape OJB Landscape Architecture

Other Hyatt Thompson

Other B2 Architecture and Design

An art-forward hotel situated in the
center of Palm Spring’s main stretch

RSM Design crafted a wayfinding system for the Thompson Hotel Palm Springs that complements the hotel’s bold art collection and expressive visual character. The signage integrates seamlessly with the property’s curated interiors, using refined forms and thoughtful material choices to support an elevated yet playful guest experience. Every touchpoint was designed to align with the Thompson’s high-end, sophisticated spirit while embracing the hotel’s distinctive creative edge.


Located in a prime setting in downtown Palm Springs, the Thompson benefits from exceptional real estate that places guests steps away from the desert’s cultural, dining, and architectural icons. RSM Design’s approach enhances this strategic placement by creating clarity, cohesion, and a sense of discovery throughout the property. The result is a navigational experience that feels both intuitive and artfully connected to the energy of Palm Springs.

Exterior facade of Thompson Palm Springs hotel featuring a sweeping curved roofline, a large-scale colorful mural wrapping the upper story, and a black monument sign for Hall Napa Valley and Thompson Palm Springs, flanked by golden barrel cacti and palm trees.
Aerial view of the Thompson Palm Springs and Hall Napa Valley monument sign surrounded by golden barrel cacti, with two guests walking along an adjacent brick pathway and bold graphic wayfinding arrows painted on the concrete drive.
Large-scale exterior mural on the Thompson Palm Springs hotel facade, featuring vibrant concentric arcs, bold stripes, and star motifs in a full spectrum of colors, framed by palm trees against a bright sky.

"The Stars Are Our Ancestors" by Jeffrey Gibson

Vibrant yellow-orange guest room door numbered 283 at Thompson Palm Springs, with a chrome lever handle and modern room number placard against a white stucco exterior wall.
Outdoor courtyard corridor at Thompson Palm Springs with white stucco architecture, a sunburst mural in warm yellow and orange tones, desert plantings of agave and columnar cacti, and the San Jacinto Mountains visible in the background.
Two silver figural relief sculptures mounted on a dark accent wall at Thompson Palm Springs, set within a white pergola structure, with outdoor lounge seating, aloe planters, palm trees, and the San Jacinto Mountains in the background.

Poolside sculpture by Steinunn Thorarinsdottir

Graphic composition of a white stucco exterior staircase wall at Thompson Palm Springs, with columnar and barrel cacti in a desert gravel bed and a bold orange-red guest room door numbered 343–344 in the corner.
Exterior stucco wall at Thompson Palm Springs painted with a large sunburst mural in radiating stripes of pink, coral, red, and brown, with a desert planting bed of blue-grey agave and succulents and an orange guest room door at the corner.
Three dark bronze metal directional wayfinding signs mounted on a white plaster wall at Thompson Palm Springs, with left-pointing arrows directing guests to Lola Rose, Swim Club, and Elevators.
Illuminated oval blade sign for Lola Rose Grand Mezze — Kitchen, Lounge, Pool — in deep plum typography on a pink background with a dark metal frame, suspended from the ceiling against a white brick wall.

RSM Design did the wayfinding signage for the restaurants and bars at the Thompson Hotel, including the Lola Rose.

Market

Food & Beverage Design
Bronze freestanding wayfinding totem at Thompson Palm Springs directing guests to room ranges and upper stories, set among agave, flowering desert shrubs, and columnar cacti with the white stucco courtyard and stairs in the background.

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