JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa - Palm Desert, California

Katie Z.

Do not believe the negative reviews about this resort! I read some reviews on TripAdvisor just before we left and I was very worried. They are absolutely not true. This resort is fabulous! We left without a single complaint. The resort is beautiful, it is clean, the rooms are modern and updated and the bed is so comfortable. We stayed in a basic king room. The staff is friendly and helpful and there is so much to do! We played mini golf, Pickleball, tennis, rode bikes, went to the driving range and had a wonderful round of golf with friends. Our favourite place to eat was the lounge/sushi bar in the lobby. That was so much fun and has such a great vibe and beautiful views. We would 100% recommend this resort to friends and can't wait to go back. Enjoy your stay!

William S.

The JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa is as desirable of a vacation destination, today, as it was when it opened (and we stayed there) in February 1987.||||I’d struggle to think of a year, between 1987, and today, that we missed a vacation at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa.||||The resort is beautiful, with just about every amenity that you might want (except for the ocean, but, there is plenty of water, with lakes and lagoons). It is well maintained, immaculate, and largely modern. Some aspects of the resort appear dated, worn, and not capitalized. The staff are amongst the greatest asset of the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa; they are warm, welcoming, professional, and efficient; many are very long time, career, Marriott Associates. The rooms are nice, updated, and immaculate, with the need for some modern features. The spa, pools, and golf are superb. There are a number of restaurants, although some of our favorite restaurants from years gone by, are long gone, like Ristorante Tuscany. The quality of the food that we ate was exceptional, albeit expensive, by resort standards (e.g. breakfast buffet = $40.00, a hamburger = $24.00).||||The JW Marriott Desert Springs is a bit of a convention machine, and the hotel does an exceptional job managing large groups and meetings. ||||If I were to reflect on one single exceptional attribute of the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa, I’d say, with unwavering confidence, that it is the resort's current General Manager. This is a man/role who really is the equivalent of the Mayor of a city; there are a lot of moving parts and people at the JW Marriott Desert Springs, and those parts and people, are as precise as a finely tuned Swiss clock. Further, the General Manager is a hands-on, in the trenches, General Manager, who we’ve seen in just about every nook and cranny of the resort; I’d find it hard to believe that he ever sits behind his desk, he appears to manage the resort on his two feet, with cellphone in hand, monitoring the experience of his guests, and staying in close contact with his employees. I know a lot of Marriott General Managers, this GM is absolutely exceptional.||||Our vacations at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa are relaxing and flawless. We look forward to returning, next year.||||Regarding the birds in the Aviary, which several other TripAdvisor reviewers have commented about, I wish the leadership/owners of the JW Marriott Desert Springs would relocate the birds, throughout the lobby, as was previously the case. In that era, the birds had a lot of human interaction, they brought unlimited smiles to adult and children guests, and the birds were not cooped up in that Aviary. It seems clear to me, that the JW can do better by the birds, and bring them back to civilization; they previously were a hit, when they were in the lobby. ||||I wish the JW would reopen the Springs Pool, which is closed, and seems to be a long-ago byproduct of the Covid 19 Pandemic, and reduced staffing.

John V.

The property is beautiful and the golf course amazing. The pools seemed great, but did not use them. All of the staff were great. The building itself and the room was not worth the money. The price at $1,249 a night for a standard run of the mill Marriott room was outrageous. There was nothing special at all about the room. Granted it was during Indian Wells, but I think for that price I could have found options with much better rooms. The building looks like they took a Courtyard by Marriott and converted it into a resort. The rooms in the main building overlook the courtyard, so noise filters up into them. On a Sunday afternoon around 4, we could not get a late lunch. One restaurant was closed and another only had their bar menu which very limited choices and mediocre food at resort prices.

Gigi S.

My husband and I first visited this property last year when we came to Palm Desert for the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament. My quick slice was “this place is too large … there is no way it’s going to provide the experience we expect when we are on vacation”. We were pleasantly surprised 😊so much so, that we returned today for another week stay while we visit the area and attend the tennis tournament. Wow, the staff that greeted us and accommodated my very particular needs when it comes to a room, excelled and exceeded any expectations we had. Kara , the Front Desk Manager, Israel and Daseli who work behind the front desk and checked us in went above and beyond to make sure we were happy with our room. Not an attitude at all. That is so rare these days that I felt the need to acknowledge them in this post.|The property is magnificent and the rooms beautifully decorated however, even with that, if the staff doesn’t perform in a way that makes you feel welcomed and appreciated, you can have a sub par experience. Marriott of every member of your staff operated like these folks, you would have only 5 star reviews. We had two gentlemen, Jack and Randy, help us with our bags. They too, delivered. If I was sent in as an undercover for Marriott Corp, some folks would be getting a raise.|I would imagine all of this might be a reflection of the Hotel Manager. It can’t be an accident. The grounds are so well maintained and not a speck of dirt anywhere. I’ll stop gushing. Just feel confident that this is an excellent choice if you visit Palm Desert/ Palm Springs.

Kate T.

Our family had a pleasant first stay at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa during the Indian Wells Tournament Championship weekend. We chose this hotel last minute due to its proximity to the stadium and tennis club reviews. While the price was high, it was expected for a busy weekend. ||Our room in Springs Tower was a long walk from the parking lot, but it was quiet and in good condition. We didn’t have enough time to fully enjoy the resort but look forward to returning to try golf, mini golf, more tennis, pickleball, and the spa, which was among the best I’ve visited internationally. ||Highlights: |- Friendly and helpful staff |- Free self-parking |- Beautiful lobby and comfortable beds |- Convenient Starbucks with ample seating |- Excellent Tennis Club facilities (special mention to director Jim and coach Tim Gottesman) |- Fun arcade for kids ||Downsides: |- Early closing times for Starbucks, the pool bar/grill, and the arcade |- A large conference disrupted the resort’s atmosphere |- Unfriendly check-out experience ||We’ll definitely return but will check for major conferences beforehand to avoid disruptions.

nikkie H.

As a loyal Marriott Elite member, I have always trusted in the quality and service that the Marriott brand represents. Unfortunately, our experience this time fell far below those expectations.
We checked in after dinner at approximately 8:30 PM today , as my son was attending a golf camp the next day at 9 AM. After a long day, we tried to sleep around 9:30 PM, but we were met with an excessive amount of noise coming from the lobby area. Despite our hopes that it would subside, the noise continued unabated until 11:45 PM, making it impossible for us to get any rest.
When we called the front desk, we were informed that the lobby had been rented out to a large group and that the noise would continue until midnight. Given the circumstances, it seems unreasonable that we were not offered a quieter room upon check-in, especially knowing there was a significant event happening in the lobby area. The front desk staff later indicated there were indeed quieter rooms available, which raises further concerns about why we were not relocated sooner.
Having to pack our belongings and move to a different room at 11:50 PM, after enduring the noise for so long, was incredibly inconvenient and disappointing. As loyal guests, we expected a level of consideration and attentiveness to our needs that was clearly lacking during our stay.
This experience has led us to question our decision to stay at JW Marriott. Very disappointing!

Additionally, I have attached a photo showing the large number of guests still socializing in the lobby area at 11:45 PM. Despite the late hour, the noise level was unacceptable, and our rooms were situated in close proximity to the lobby, exacerbating our discomfort. The fact that the hotel continued to allow this level of disturbance while surrounded by guest accommodations is concerning.

You-effd W.

Warning: this hotel will try to sneak you into an unrenovated room with no notice, even as Marriott members!
We booked a $900/night + fees room. We paid extra to have the king bedroom have a little living area (with the table and 4 chairs).
The hotel was sold out of most rooms during our stay, but Expedia had availability for the size we wanted.
Not only were we put in one of the rooms that didn’t match 90% of the hotel, but the entire place was draped in red and business logos for an “Agency” conference that was going on. There was red film on all the windows, a massive red flag that hung over the pretty boats/bar area, stairwell wraps, elevator wraps, “The Agency” logos everywhere. You couldn’t even walk down the atrium hallways without “props” and large stickers for the conference attendees.
It was over the top.
The whole stay was being covered up in conference-goers, not other vacationing families.
Before you book (if you still want to), you will have to CALL the hotel and specifically ask for rooms “as described on the website.”
And check to make sure a red company hasn’t taken over the place.
Manager told us “all rooms have been renovated, but some of them ‘twice.’” That was the answer. So, you have to ask for a “twice-renovated room.”
What a buzzkill. We were so looking forward to this Marriott stay and vacation.
Giving more than one star only because I got a small refund for our overpriced, unrenovated room that was unfortunately doomed “because we booked with Expedia.”

Larry B.

Hands down! Without a doubt. 1000% The most beautiful property I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes. I was on a business trip with my wife. So for four days I had to keep myself busy…honestly I was happy to do it. The pools, the gym, the restaurants, the mini golf ⛳️…. Everything is better than advertised.