Palm Springs Desert Resort Hotels
The Top 5 Best Palm Springs Resorts, by Spa, Casino, or Golf Course
The best resort hotels in Palm Springs vary by vacation desires, be them top golf courses, luxury spas, casinos with loose slots, or child-friendly family activities.
There are many resort hotels, spas and casinos in the Palm Springs area, but a select few provide the 5 star luxury accommodations and amenities worthy of a first-class desert vacation. Luxury Travel recently experienced several of the best resort hotels in Palm Springs, California, and is happy to provide desert vacation planning readers with the scoop.
The best hotel resorts in the Palm Springs area vary; some are tops for their luxury spas, while another makes the list for its entertaining casino. Championship golf courses play their role as well. All, however, must offer a friendly and knowledgeable staff, as well as satisfying hotel restaurants and luxury accommodations.
The Top 5 Best Luxury Resorts in Greater Palm Springs, by Spa, Golf Courses, Casino or Child-friendly Activities (in no particular order):
- Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort & Spa, in Palm Desert CA - A great, fun weekend is easily had for young couples who enjoy pool parties here, and it's quieter and more family travel oriented during the week. The grounds are landscaped to resemble a desert oasis; flamingos, ducks, swans, and even the odd heron make their home in its private lakes. The real standout for this luxury hotel resort has got to be its recently renovated spa. Luxury Travel was impressed with the immediate sense of tranquility upon entering this Desert Springs spa. Offering more than the usual massages and body treatments, the JW Marriott Desert Springs Spa offers complete full - and half-day spa experiences, group, and special event services. It's also an incredibly well designed spa - as large as it is, one never loses the sense of coziness.
- Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, in Rancho Mirage CA - It's just been renovated, top to bottom. This is just about the best Palm Springs resort hotel for families who travel with young children. Seriously; if you are planning a luxury family vacation in the desert, you've got to at least consider this resort's new Splashtopia. Two 100-foot water slides, a "beach," jacuzzi and waterfall, all throughout a 425-foot lazy river - replete with floating inner tubes. It's not just young children that love Splashtopia - water slides are hard to resist. For adult activities, of course, there are all the usual suspects for a desert resort hotel; high-end spa, championship golf course, tennis, and a restaurant called BluEmber (Luxury Travel did not get a chance to eat here, but it's supposed to be quite good).
- Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas, & Spa, in Indian Wells CA - This is one of the better Palm Springs golf resorts, and there are plenty. The two golf courses (Celebrity Course and Players Course) just opened in November 2007, making the Indian Wells Golf Resort here one of the most updated golf resorts in the Palm Springs area. The Agua Serena Salon, Day Spa & Medical Skin Spa is notably classy, pampering, and luxurious as well. Don't take just Luxury Travel's word for it; this Palm Springs hotel spa was voted for, and featured in, "100 Best Spas of the World."
- Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa, in Rancho Mirage CA - Notable mostly for its rollicking casino, this resort hotel in downtown Palm Springs is ideally located for desert vacation lovers who enjoy the bustling nightlife and scene of this fun town. The 1,000 slot machines seem at least 60% occupied even on a late Wednesday morning, and the atmosphere wasn't as depressing as is in some other, more downtrodden casino hotels. The Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa was voted Best Casino by Palm Springs Life readers, and a travel partner reported highly enjoying losing money at a blackjack table here.
- La Quinta Resort & Club, in La Quinta CA - This is a luxury resort par excellence, and many a California desert vacation seekers' top choice. And why not? It's in the the all day kids' day camp, the popular destination spa, and 5 golf courses. It's also in the incredibly gorgeous landscape design, some of the best hotel restaurants you'll find, and the always knowledgeable, professional staff: La Quinta doesn't miss a beat. Rooms are arranged around pools, so that no one pool gets too busy (request a room in the 600s; not too far from the hotel center, yet not too close either), and even with children around, there is something so special here that the atmosphere stays serene and peaceful. This really is just about the best of the best, in terms of Greater Palm Springs luxury resorts.
Note: Ritz Carlton is opening a 5 star hotel resort in Rancho Mirage; planned for late 2008, this may put another "best" Palm Springs area resort on the list. We'll have to wait and see!
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