Excellence Luxury Villas · Cathedral City
Luxury Villa Rentals in Cathedral City
Pool villas beneath the San Jacinto mountains, between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage
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A desert city named after a canyon, not a church
British visitors expect a cathedral, and there isn't one. In 1939 Robert Ripley put it in his Believe It or Not column: no church in Cathedral City, named after a canyon. The canyon is in the foothills to the south, and in the 1850s an army surveyor thought its rock formations looked like the inside of a European cathedral. A flood in 1946 changed most of them, but the name stayed. Locals just call it Cat City.
Our Cathedral City collection runs to 120+ villas. They range from single-storey desert houses with pools, hot tubs and views of the mountains to golf villas on the fairways and larger homes for family gatherings, and almost all have their own pool. Many sit right on the Palm Springs border, so the restaurants and mid-century streets of the neighbouring town are only a few minutes' drive away.
Here is a guide to the city, the golf and the best months to come.
Cathedral City at a glance
- Villas
- 120+ with pools, with up to 9 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £3,600 to £7,700 a week, from around £2,900
- Best areas
- The golf communities, the streets bordering Palm Springs and the downtown arts district
- Best time
- October to May; high summer is fiercely hot
- Airport
- Palm Springs International, around 15 minutes from most villas
Browse all 120+ villas in Cathedral City
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
Manor Tahquitz CathedralCity: Luxury 4-Bedroom Villa with Pool & Hot Tub – Palm Springs4 bedrooms
House Chuparosa Cathedral City: Luxury 4-Bedroom House with Pool & Tennis Court – Palm Springs4 bedrooms
Villa Cramoisi Deep Canyon Cathedral City: 5-Bedroom Luxury Apartment with Pool & Hot Tub – Palm Springs5 bedrooms
House Cahuilla Cathedral City: Elegant 3-Bedroom Apartment with Infinity Pool – Palm Springs3 bedroomsWhere to stay in Cathedral City
The golf communities of Desert Princess and Cathedral Canyon for fairway views, the western edge of the city for easy access to Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and La Quinta just down the valley.
An artists' colony that grew into a town
Cathedral City was first laid out as a housing subdivision in 1925 and only became a city in 1981. It is one of the largest places in the Coachella Valley, but it still feels like a working town and not a resort. Roughly a quarter of its land is part of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians reservation.
Painters got here early. Agnes Pelton and others formed an artists' colony in the Cathedral Cove neighbourhood nearly a century ago. The downtown arts district now has the Mary Pickford Theatre, the CVRep Playhouse, a community amphitheatre and the Agua Caliente Casino, along with a growing list of restaurants that are easier to book than those in Palm Springs.
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Fairways on the doorstep, more down the road
The city has several golf clubs of its own, including Desert Princess, Cathedral Canyon, Cimarron and Date Palm. A villa on or near the fairways means you can tee off early, before the desert heat builds.
Highway 111 runs east through Rancho Mirage to Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta, which together hold some of the best-known courses in California. Indian Wells hosts the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament each March, and Indio, further along, is home to the Coachella festival every April.
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Modernism, film and a rotating cable car
Palm Springs begins right at the western edge of town. The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs in January and Modernism Week in February, when the mid-century houses that made the town famous open their doors.
Behind it all rise the San Jacinto mountains. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway has rotating cars that climb from the desert floor into pine forest, which is often a good deal cooler than the valley below. Joshua Tree National Park is around an hour's drive north, for a day of boulders and very large skies.
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Balloons in November, Pride in March
The local calendar is busy in the cooler months. The International Hot Air Balloon Festival lifts off each November, and LGBT+ Days in March is billed as California's first Pride of the year. Taste of Jalisco celebrates the food and music of the Mexican state that many local families come from, and the city's taquerias are worth seeking out all year.
October to May is the season, with warm days and cool evenings. In summer, temperatures often pass 40°C, so plan a summer stay around the pool and an early start. Our concierge can arrange tee times, tramway tickets, a private chef, desert tours and transfers.
Ask our conciergeFeatured villas in Cathedral City
Villa Boreas Ocotillo Cathedral City: Luxury 3-Bedroom House with Pool & Hot Tub – Palm Springs3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £11,074 a week
House Magnesia Cathedral: Luxury 4-Bedroom Apartment with Pool & Hot Tub – Palm Springs4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £10,808 a week
Villa Zephyros Orocopia Cathedral City: Luxury 6-Bedroom Villa with Pool & Sauna – Cathedral City6 bedrooms · sleeps 14From £10,731 a week
Villa Gloaming Edom Cathedral City: Luxury 5-Bedroom Apartment with Pool – Cathedral City5 bedrooms · sleeps 10From £10,500 a week
Manor Mesquite Cathedral: Luxury 4-Bedroom Villa with Pool & City Views – Cathedral City4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £10,332 a week
House Mesquite Cathedral Cathedral City 2: 2-Bedroom Apartment with Pool & Hot Tub – Palm Springs2 bedrooms · sleeps 4From £9,905 a week
Villa Aurore Josuah Trail Cathedral City: Spacious 4-Bedroom Apartment with Pool & Mountain Views – Palm Springs4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £9,562 a week
House San Jacinto Cathedral: Elegant 3-Bedroom House with Pool & Hot Tub – Cathedral City3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £9,485 a weekWhy book your Cathedral City villa with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
Cathedral City's villas range from fairway homes in the country clubs to houses on the Palm Springs border, and we know which are a short drive from dinner and which suit a quiet week of golf. With 120+ properties in Cathedral City, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Tee times, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway tickets, a private chef, Joshua Tree day trips, restaurant reservations, car hire and transfers from Palm Springs airport. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to stay in Cathedral City?
Golfers should look at the country club communities such as Desert Princess and Cathedral Canyon. For restaurants and nightlife, choose the western side of the city, which is only a few minutes from Palm Springs. Downtown is handy for the theatre, the amphitheatre and the festivals.
When is the best time to visit Cathedral City?
October to May is the best time, with warm, dry days and cool nights. January to April is the busiest stretch, with the film festival, Modernism Week and the spring tennis and music festivals. Summer is very hot, often above 40°C.
Why is it called Cathedral City?
The city is named after Cathedral Canyon, in the foothills to the south. A US Army surveyor in the 1850s thought its rock formations looked like the interior of a cathedral. The city has never been known for a cathedral of its own.
Can you arrange a private chef at a villa in Cathedral City?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury villa in Cathedral City cost?
Across our 120+ villas in Cathedral City, weekly rates typically range from £3,600 to £7,700, with the most affordable from around £2,900 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
How do I get to Cathedral City from the UK?
Palm Springs International Airport is around 15 minutes from most of our villas. You can reach it from the UK with a connection in a major US hub. You can also fly into Los Angeles and drive, which takes around two to three hours depending on traffic. Our concierge can arrange transfers and car hire.
Are there villas in Cathedral City for large groups?
Yes. Our Cathedral City collection includes properties with up to 9 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
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Find your villa in Cathedral City
120+ pool villas between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, booked direct with our concierge on hand