The Trixie Motel: Inside the World's Only Drag Queen-Owned Hotel

In the heart of Palm Springs, a bright pink motel rises from the desert landscape like a fever dream made real. This is the Trixie Motel, the only drag queen-owned hotel in the United States, and quite possibly the world.

It's a seven-room passion project in which every surface, fixture, and detail has been dragged through the creative vision of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars winner Trixie Mattel. Think mid-century modern meets Barbie dreamhouse, with a healthy dose of campy sophistication thrown in for good measure.

What sets this place apart isn't just the audacious pink exterior or the themed rooms ranging from outer space to the Wild West. It's the fact that this is a fully realized artistic vision in which you're not just staying in a hotel but sleeping inside what Mattel calls "immersive art experiences."

Each room is bespoke, hand-painted, and meticulously crafted, turning what could have been a gimmicky concept into something genuinely special. And yes, there's a pool that matches the energy of everything else on the property.

A Pun That Became a Palace

The whole thing started as a joke between Trixie Mattel (real name Brian Firkus) and her partner David Silver. In February 2017, early in their relationship, the couple visited Palm Springs and casually tossed around the idea of buying a vacation rental they could paint pink and call the Trixie Motel. The pun was too good to ignore, but it remained just that – a running gag – for years.

Then in 2020, Firkus found a seven-room motel online. It was already pink. It was in Palm Springs. It was owned by a queer woman who had run it for two decades. When they visited the property, it felt, as Mattel describes it, like the universe presenting them with an opportunity too perfect to pass up.

What followed was a several-million-dollar renovation project that became the subject of a Discovery+ series, also called Trixie Motel. But make no mistake: the financial risk was entirely real. Firkus bought the property before any television deal was secured, making this her biggest personal gamble yet. The motel officially opened its doors in September 2022.

The Queen Behind the Curtain

Trixie Mattel is a multi-hyphenate force who has turned drag into an empire. After placing sixth on RuPaul's Drag Race season seven, she returned to win All Stars season three, taking home the crown and a hundred thousand dollars. But her real success came after the show: she's released four studio albums of folk-inspired music, launched Trixie Cosmetics, co-owns a bar in Milwaukee, and stars in the web series UNHhhh alongside fellow drag queen Katya.

As a character, Trixie is equal parts Dolly Parton, Joan Rivers, and what fans call "Capitalism Barbie." Her aesthetic is rooted in the 1960s – big hair, bold makeup, and vintage silhouettes. Firkus describes herself as "a bald man from rural Wisconsin," but the Trixie persona is pure Palm Springs: campy, elevated, and unapologetically retro.

Her first job was at Shaffer's Chicken and Motel in Crivitz, Wisconsin, cleaning rooms. Now, decades later, she owns one. And true to form, she's hands-on with the operation, promising to DJ pool parties, serve drinks at the bar, and even clean rooms when needed.

A Maximalist Vision

The motel sits on a quiet block in northern Palm Springs, surrounded by privacy walls tall enough to make you feel like you've stepped into an alternate reality. The courtyard is painted in alternating shades of pink and white, with the only non-pink element being the crystal-clear water of the heated pool.

Designer Dani Dazey brought Mattel's vision to life, creating spaces that balance bold aesthetic choices with genuine sophistication. Expect custom tufting, hand-painted murals, ceiling art, and details you won't see on standard home improvement shows. As Mattel puts it, drag queen creativity on a shoestring budget made the impossible happen.

The lobby doubles as a communal hangout space, complete with a Ms. Pac-Man arcade game wrapped in Trixie Mattel wallpaper. Gallery walls feature photoshopped images of Trixie with Leonardo DiCaprio, James Dean, and RuPaul. The bar, named Barbara after Mattel's third studio album, serves as both the check-in desk and the evening drinks spot.

Shopping the Fantasy

The gift shop, which doubles as the hotel office, is a shrine to all things Trixie. You'll find motel merchandise like tumblers, robes, tank tops, bathing suits, and bucket hats alongside products from Trixie Cosmetics and Mattel's books. A showcase of vintage Barbies lines the walls, and clocks display the time in what Mattel considers the LGBTQ+ capitals of the world: Palm Springs, Provincetown, and Mykonos.

It's unabashedly commercial, but that's part of the charm. Trixie as a character is, after all, about owning businesses and celebrating capitalism with a wink and a smile.

Queen of Hearts Room

This intimate queen room lives up to its name with a heart-shaped, shag-carpet-framed mirror hanging above the bed. It's royalty-themed without being precious about it – custom furnishings and a vintage shower and vanity complete the space. If you're looking for something fit for a queen, this is your room.

Atomic Bombshell Room

Step into a celestial universe as blues, purples, and peaches create an otherworldly atmosphere. The centerpiece is an oversized circular bed that faces expansive courtyard windows, giving the sense that you've landed a chic spaceship at the motel for the evening.

Custom wallpaper carries a galactic pattern through the bedding, curtains, and bar tray. A UFO chandelier offers multiple color settings, and a hyper-modernist portrait of Trixie holding a cocktail hangs over the vanity.

The powder room connects the bedroom to the bath, serving as closet, kitchenette, and dressing room all at once. In the bathroom, pink tile lines the shower, and stained glass artwork emits blue light.

Malibu Barbara Room

This cozy room brings beachy vibes to the desert. Custom furnishings, a vintage shower and vanity, and a queen bed create a space that makes you question whether you're in Palm Springs or blocks from the Pacific Ocean.

It's designed as a home away from home with a relaxed, coastal aesthetic.

Pink Flamingo Suite

This suite offers private indoor-outdoor living with stunning pool and mountain views. A full kitchenette and semi-private outdoor patio give you room to spread out. The pink and green color scheme with flamingo accents throughout captures the essence of both Trixie and Palm Springs. The vintage tub and vanity add a retro touch to the large bathroom.

Flower Power Suite

Transport yourself back to 1970s Palm Springs in this groovy suite. Retro flower designs cover the space, complemented by a vintage bathroom with tub and vanity. Like the Pink Flamingo Suite, you get a full kitchenette, semi-private outdoor patio, and pool and mountain views. The design commitment to the flower power theme is thorough enough to make you wonder if you've actually traveled back in time.

Yeehaw Cowgirl Suite

Southwest design takes center stage in this suite, which is notably larger than the standard rooms. Hand-painted murals of colorful cow spots adorn exposed brick walls, while custom wallpaper features cacti and guitars (look closely and you'll spot Trixie's likeness woven into the pattern). A chandelier draped in cerulean fringe, a hand-painted leather-wrapped bar, and a guitar tucked in the corner complete the Wild West atmosphere.

The bedroom connects to a kitchenette via an open-concept bar with high-top seating. A powder room provides extra space for getting ready. In the bathroom, a shower-bath combo features stained glass depicting mountains and cacti, emitting pink and teal light. The suite also includes a full kitchenette, semi-private outdoor patio, and those same stunning pool and mountain views.

Oh Honeymoon Suite

The largest offering on the property, this suite features a king bed and multiple sitting areas. Hexagonal orange wallpaper lines the walls, an orange velvet bench sits at the foot of the bed (which has an upholstered frame), and the bathroom is tiled in a honeycomb pattern of rose and terracotta.

The bee and honey design motif with honeycomb accents captures everything people love about Trixie Mattel – it's sweet, clever, and completely committed to its theme.

The Pool

The heated pool is open daily from 7am to 10pm for hotel guests. Day passes are available for those who want to experience the property without booking a room – access runs from 11am to 4pm and includes a reserved lounge chair with plush cushions and towels, dedicated server for poolside food and drinks, and complimentary pink popcorn.

The pool area captures the full Barbie dreamhouse energy of the property, with pink umbrellas and lounge chairs surrounding that crystal-clear water – the only non-pink element in an otherwise completely committed color scheme.