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Renaissance Esmeralda Resort
Rating Details »
44-400 Indian Wells Ln
Indian Wells, CA 92210
(760) 773-4444
Indian Wells, CA 92210
(760) 773-4444
- Price Range:
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$$$
32 reviews for Renaissance Esmeralda Resort
I have always been a fan of the Esmeralda, but since its recent renovations, my excitement has definitely grown.
THE GOOD:
My favorite part of the Esmeralda has always been the pool area. First, it has a centralized outdoor pool bar, equipped with misters to stay cool. The pool is large and has one of those gradual entries with sand like you're on the beach. There are normally plenty of lounge chairs. It's not difficult to get service from the bar and it doesn't take very long. I also LOVE the fact that the bar stays open until 11 or 12 during the summer. Other pluses are what they call Dive-In Movies where they feature a film on a large screen by the pool at night, and also on weekends they'll have live music by the pool as well.
The lettuce wraps are a MUST TRY. They are amazing and the portion is huge. I can normally share it with someone and still have leftovers.
They have recently redone the lounge bar which is HUGE plus. It used to just have a tiny bar on the way out to the pool. They have converted that to a sushi bar. They have also added large flat screen tvs, several couches, bar tables and bar stools to form a more centralized gathering location resulting in a lounge you actually want to hang out in. The bar menu is delicious, featuring some very very reasonably priced items. I highly recommend the tacos, which come in crispy shrimp, carne asada and carnitas. The carnitas were a little hard but the other two were amazing and for $2 a taco you can't beat it.
They have a club in Esmeralda called Stir that is pretty popular. It's one of the only places in the area where people are always dancing. They have a live band that is pretty awesome that can play a little of everything and always gets a crowd going. That band also plays at the Hyatt Grand Champions on Saturdays I think now too.
I also have to mention that the restaurants in Esperalda because they are soooo delicious. First is Sirocco, a fine Italian restaurant. The chefs are husband and wife and have been cooking together for over twenty years. In fact, I'm going to write a review on that restaurant separately because it is amazing. They normally give you a little sample from the chef and after dinner they give you a shot of lemoncello. They also have a restaurant for breakfast to the left of the pool. They have a buffet that simply cannot be beat. It has everything including a juice bar with all sorts of vegetable and fruit to put in the juicer. They have the BEST BACON in the whole world, I think they call it pepper encrusted bacon. It's almost completely different than any other bacon. But to clarify, the bacon I'm talking about has to be ordered... I know it comes with the bacon and eggs plate, but not in the buffet, although its still good. I also highly recommend the oatmeal brulee. It's like a combination of oatmeal and creme brulee. Sooooooo delicious.
THE BAD:
There are kind of a lot of kids at the pool. Reading these posts it seems like its a huge problem but ironically it didn't bother me that much and I'm not really a kid person. I've struggled to keep from kicking little kids in the chins at Walmart so....
It's location is ok but its as good as it gets. Personally, Palm Desert is MUCH better than Palm Springs. Palm Springs doesn't even really have many good shops. Esmeralda is about a mile from El Paseo which is the Rodeo Drive of the Desert. Esmeralda is located in a Cluster of Resorts including the Hyatt Grand Champions and the Miramonte. The only other good resorts in the area are the Marriotts including the JW, Desert Springs, Shadow Ridge... The Agua Caliente Casino also has a really nice hotel but slightly more out of the way.
An added plus, if you're indecisive on which drink to order at the pool bar, my favorite bartender Shiou is amazing at creating delicious concoctions for every palate. She even won a create-a-drink contest which made the lobby bar menu... a ginger pear thingy I heard was delicious. Tip her well.
Warning and Disclaimer: This is not a family-friendly review
The Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Palm Desert, California - a stab your eardrums with sharp pencil and poison your reproductive organs kind of experiences ensues..............
My Fiance wanted to get out of town for the weekend. I was fine with staying in our beautiful San Diego but since she was pulling her hair out at work, stressed to the nines and frustrated enough to consider spending money on a weekend away, I agreed that it might do us some good. A smart man knows what battles can be won and which ones are best left unopposed. Without much consideration for the matter, I said "go for it, find something, book something and lets get away." She chooses Palm Springs, Palm Desert to be more accurate. A place with words "resort" and "spa" in the name. An all too brief google search brings back a few images that look OK so I go back to surfing the internet for house cats with funny captions and some occasional NSFW images.
After a 2-hour drive from San Diego, we find ourselves in the middle of the still-to-damn-hot-to-breathe-outside desert. "No problemo" I say to myself "I'll just chill by the pool and drink overpriced booze brought to me by bitter and spiteful hotel workers forced to wear polyester outfits in the near-100 degree heat". I said No "Way Jose" to the valet (his name was Jose according to the nameplate) because they wanted 25 bucks a night to valet the car. I park, gather the shit and head towards the nearest hotel entrance. As I round the corner, I come upon a sight and sound that I immediately recognized as confirmation that I would have zero shot at a relaxing and chill weekend......30 Billion screaming/yelling/mostly retarded and totally uncool children, tween and teens.
This is the point where I should apologize to any parents reading this, having sired retard kids or not. I don't hate kids and I am sure you are really proud of yours. Its just that I don't give 2 shits about them and I definitely do not want to hear them screaming poolside. I'm sorry for being this way, I have no excuses, I am not a good human but at least I don't lie about it or cover it up with false sincerity.
Back to the review...yep....I said 30 billion kids. Might be a bit of an exaggeration but, know this ... it was a sea, no, an OCEAN of screaming kids in the pool, around the pool, peeing in the pool. They were everywhere and the sound was deafening. It was like being on the set of a nickelodeon show where the producers, instead of handing out green slime, gave away a nearly unlimited supply of pharmacy-grade meth. Unreal.
The hotel is nice...don't get me wrong. If you love golf (cough-lame-cough) then this is your place. The hotel is very nice (recent refurb) and almost swanky at times. The problem is ...... well.....you know how the kids who get into the most trouble are the ones with the trust fund and the private schooling? Same thing here. Its like The OC or Gossip Girl or the Kennedy's (too soon?). You can take the kids out of the country club but you cant make them not steal your wallet and/or date-rape your daughter.
Anyway, as it turns out, Marriot formed some unholy alliance with nickelodeon and this is one of 5 places in the country where they partner up to make it a "Family Vacation to remember forever!!" I can't forget it soon enough. Throughout the day they would have these contests/events poolside. Some insipid dude would MC with a microphone would blurt out semi-retarded dialogue and after every sentence, somebody would play some DJ-Scratch/Hip-Hop kind of catchphrase (on cue even!!) like "THATTTTZZZ WIGGY-GGGY-GGY-WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK". I was embarrassed for anyone of color who was there because it was just insulting.
Its not on my list of places to return to. Maybe Palm Desert/Springs just isn't my kid of place but I have been here before and had plenty of relaxing fun. I'm guessing that this resort just isn't my thing. The hotel gets 4 stars but because of it infestation I have to retract 3. Call me a dick if you will but that's my experience and the rating stands. Your mileage may vary. If you have kids and are immune to the whole thing, then maybe this is your place. If you're like me on the other hand (very mild to very wild...think white sandy beach all to yourself for miles on each side to ....Rehab at the Hard Rock in Vegas) then this will not be your dream getaway.
Lastly, to any couple out there considering having children and are a bit undecided....come spend a weekend here. Should make up your mind real quick.
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If you love nonstop screaming, being splashed constantly by kids of all ages, loud microphoned events on and off each day, and absolutely no relaxation while on vacation, then you have found the perfect place!
I was thoroughly disappointed during my recent stay at the Esmeralda. After a recommendation from a coworker, I decided to look further into the property, and liked what I saw. A vendor I work with frequently, recommended that I book at the Hyatt Grand Champion, but I had stayed there one time before, was looking to stay at a resort that I had not yet experienced, and have become a loyal Marriott person, so the Esmeralda seemed perfect! I have been kicking myself ever since.
Although the property is nice, has a very large pool, award winning restaurants, and unique outdoor semi-private lounge areas perfect for evening relaxation, these amenities were all quickly overtaken by loads of kids, whistles, microphones, public diaper changing and crying.
I've always come to the desert to seek relaxation but learned a fast, and expensive lesson here. In many prior visits to the desert, I have never experienced children, toddlers, tweens, etc., so nothing led me to believe that I should be concerned and seek out an adult only pool hotel. Perhaps my 2nd biggest disappointment was when I realized that our parking lot was shared with they Hyatt, mentioned above, and upon looking them up during my stay to seek out a property change, they do in fact tout their adult only pool. All rooms were booked, therefore we did not have the option to move hotels.
I hope this review prevents other couples from the same disaster and poor weekend that we endured. It is truly a waste of what otherwise would be a great Marriott property.
My husband and I decided on Palm Springs as a quick weekend getaway in August...probably not the smartest choice but we figured we needed something low key and laying by the pool all day sounded fantastic seeing I was about 7 months pregnant. the hotel was quite pretty but they were in the process of some further remodeling on the restaurants and one area in lower floor of the main lobby. didn't bother us too much and there wasn't any noise from it. Our room was quite nice, large, nicely decorated and of course has the fabulous Marriott comforter on the bed that I want to steal every time i stay at a marriott!! The walk to the room felt like a mile from the elevator but whatever. The bed wasn't all that comfy but i'm chalking part of that up to my trouble sleeping while being pregnant so no knock for that really. The pool was very nice and there were a good handful of kids but we never found them to be distracting or a nuisance. You can tell the resort caters to families which i think is nice. Movie night was a nice touch, even though we didn't go. The drinks at the pool even virgin ones were a bit pricey but the guac there was yummy. I did have a pedicure at the spa and it was very nice. The relaxation room stocked with cucumber water was delish! The staff were very nice and eager to accomodate. The buffet at Lava ( i think that's the place) was really yummy...lots of fresh beautiful fruit, a juicer to make your own juices, omeletts, lox, etc. it was one of the better hotel buffets I've had.
All in all a nice experience,but we'll go back when it's not 105 :)
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My friends and I had a really relaxing one night stay here this past weekend. Mind you that this is the summer and it was about 100 degrees out, but it was about $90 a night. We got adjoining rooms, one with a king size bed and the other with two double beds. We used the pool area for a little while and then moved one to the spa. They have monthly specials, so I got the $55 25 minute head, neck, and shoulder massage. Chris did an excellent job on those areas. Just fyi, when you pay for your spa treatment, they already tack on the gratuity. The Spa is not very big, but they do have there own relaxation area, spa and cold plunge pool. I would definitely go back again.
It had been a while since my last trip to Esmeralda. I had fond memories of this place (see previous review) so I was really looking forward to it again. I was pretty disappointed. I went for the 4th of July weekend when it was 108 degrees so that didn't help, but the hotel has gone down. This time I got a much bigger room so I was actually very pleased with the room. I don't like how the windows are barricaded with spider web-filled bricks so you feel like you're in a dungeon. The pool hadn't changed except that they removed all the free floaties. You now have to bring your own or buy one for $16! Now I know it was really hot, but the water was way too warm. With all the little kids around, you can imagine how much pee was in the water. And I didn't smell much chlorine either. The kind of people you encounter there has also "cheapened" the place. Cheap people, rude people. the kind of people who get into fistfights over lounge chairs. C'mon now.
The service was also disappointing. The valet man crushed my son's toys piling heavy items over it when loading the van, and didn't apologize.
I will NOT be returning here.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/21/2008
Upon entry to my room, I must say that I was somewhat disappointed. I had to change my room because… Read more »
OK here we go this review is long overdue. I'm going middle of the road here because the pool at this place is nice but the employees leave a lot to be desired. One very small proportioned meximidget named Adrian who I refer to as merely "the pitbull" was a real pain in my ass. This little fruitcake had the nerve to literally follow me and my boy around the whole resort like a fly on shit. Apparently having a good time at the Esmeralda is not in the itinerary. When I pay $500 a night to stay at a place I fully expect to be able to bring in my own blue tasties and drink them 24/7 (or as I deem appropriate...which is usually 24/7). Everytime Senor Shorty saw us consuming an adult beverage his lip started to quiver, he puffed his chest out, and he would threaten to call the police on us. Hey Sammy Skidmark guess what.....sorry your life sucks but don't take it out on me bra. Ready for the kicker? I misplaced my wallet and was certain I knew where I put it however when I returned to the scene of the crime it wasn't there. The next day the hotel was kind enough to call me to say they had found my wallet. A couple days later I noticed a charge on my debit card for over $200. I didn't make this charge and it doesn't really take Inspector Gadget to figure out that Gaydrian himself put the charges on my card. In short (no pun intended you little freak) this place is OK but the staff (specifically Adrian) gotsta go.
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I have never actually stayed here just gone to the pool and jazz club/bar many times. I love both! Great atmosphere, good people, even on a crowded day you can still find a private corner in this top rate pool with all the nooks and crannies, waterfall, and fake beach.
Once I attended a wedding reception which was lovely and I also got a chance to see the spa where they gave me some discount coupons.
I've been here a few times on family vacations and always had a good time. The layout of the hotel is very interesting, albeit not great for escaping swiftly when your younger brother knocks on a hotel room door that has a "Do not disturb" sign hanging on it (Yes, that happened to me).
There are some cute little shops, a bakery/cafe thing, a spa, and a golf course all on the premises. The pools are probably the highlight of course. There are a few different options. There's a little wader pool that's meant for the little kids that's only like 2 feet deep, a couple of regular pools, and a beach pool, complete with swim-up bar. They're all in the same big area and I can't remember whether or not they're connected. There's also a jacuzzi but when you're hot in Palm Springs (Indian Wells, whatever) who wants to go in there?
There's a nice little grass area right across from the beach pool that we used to play boccie ball. The lobby is really pretty and I always thought the stairway was gorgeous.
I've never experienced unpleasant staff members. I remember one specific occasion where they gave us free uber yummy chocolate strawberries as a thank you because my family booked 4 different rooms or something.
I like this place and look forward to going back again someday.
It's all about fam at this place. They have lots of stuff for kids. Its a pretty big hotel, the grounds are pretty nice. The pool was cool prob the best part, and they have a movie night at the pool on Tuesday night which was nice. I would go again if or when I have kids but not at 115 degree weather. :)
The room was nice. But who goes to the desert for a room? The pools are amazing. Astounding. Worth the high cost of the hotel.
There are huge comfy lounge chairs and sofas around the pool, a long wide waterfall at one end of the pool, another part is a beach with sand! There are tables where you can order a drink and kind of pricey food. And a bar if you want to mingle. It was an oasis.
Stay in an upper floor and the noise from the ground level pool bar won't bother you, and the view is better.
Speaking of views , we took the tram up to the mountain top in Palm Springs and could see the whole valley! Try that also.
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I was here for a conference in October 2009 and it was an absolutely fabulous venue. From Ali the concierge with her friendly helpful suggestions for local bike rides (with a beach cruiser loaned by the hotel) to the delicious food at each and every meal...this place is pretty top notch. The pool is great fun, and looks like a fantastic place to spend a weekend with young kids; the adults thoroughly enjoyed hanging out at night around the outdoor fire pits. The basil mojito was outstanding. My room was very comfortable and I was thrilled to discover Aveda products in those tiny bottles in the bathrooms. My only complaint is the spa -- holy cow is it overpriced! I get a lot of massages, and I'm sorry but $150 is way, way too much for a 50 minute "sports massage," which was the worst massage I've had in a decade. On the other hand, I did thoroughly enjoy my facial -- ask for Aparno, or Arnalda, or something like that (I'm sorry I forgot your name!) -- She's lovely and does a very nice facial. Tell her Julie from Santa Cruz says hi!
This was definitely a disappointing hotel stay for me. I was super excited... on my way to a nice resort in Palm Springs. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as expected. Overall, the price level for everything was a bit high for what was received. The rooms were very nice, with cozy beds and clean bathrooms. However, the walls are very thin and we could constantly hear ruckus from the room next door. As noted in another review, the bar also gets very loud from all of the townie visitors. If you have a room near the courtyard, it is very hard to sleep.
The food was not so great for the prices charged. Also, even though the hotel states they have many restaurants, in all reality they all serve the same-old tired, restaurant food.
I had a similar instance with another reviewer where the hotel pool was not large enough for the guests. There were not enough lounge chairs to go around.
Overall, the hotel was very nice, and the pool was great. However, I didn't feel it had the extra oomph to be a high class resort.
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We go there twice a year during the summer and love it. It is a family place, and we only go during the week. Weekend are too loud for us. San Francisco summers do not allow you to get ever close to any water, so the temperatures are fine. Our now 5 year old son loves it there. All the swimming pools are wonderful, rooms are nice and modern - not 'W' hotel spectacular, but very nice.
So I decided that I wanted a quick and relaxing getaway one weekend. I packed my overnight bag and I was off. I arrived at the hotel to a very nice bellman who grabbed my bags and whisked them inside. I checked in and my room had not been cleaned yet. I am a gold member at Marriott so I asked politely for an upgrade was quickly given one. I self parked my car and walked up to my room. The elevator by the pool was very slow so I used the main elevator and had to walk for ever to get to my room. Once in my room I was very impressed. There was a nice little sitting area and a huge King bed. My room overlooked the pool and the pretty man made lake.
I was enjoying my $150 room until I went to the pool and felt like I was at Disney Land. I was surprised at the number of young teenagers at this hotel. I have stayed at many a Renaissance properties and I have never been inundated with such a large group of eclectic and random people. One of the pools had to be closed because child peed, and when you went to the Pool Bar drinks were an outrageous $8 to $10.
Food at the restaurant was very tasty and the service was excellent. I was very happy with my stay just not happy with the crowd that was staying at the hotel with me. I will also honestly say that the hotel is very pretty in certain areas but not as elegantly stated on the website. I felt the website made this place look like the nicest hotel ever but when we arrived the check in area was bland and the halls were average. The area where the stairs and the shops were was beautiful. the pool area was also very nice.
I would stay here again just want to find if it is spring break/ family weekend first.
Bobby Cockrill
I really liked this hotel, the room, the grounds, the golf course. But one thing did me in. It was not long after I had seen a news report on how glasses in hotel rooms are not washed correctly. so I did a test and sure enough, the markings I put on a glass the night before (from brushing my teeth) were still there the next day ever though the maid had serviced the room and turned the glasses back over.
Starting with the positives, the front desk staff I experienced was pleasant and efficient. The valet was great. Several valet attendants on the spot to park the car. When calling from the room, the car was ready 10 minutes later every time we called. The pool is lovely with several different pools for different types of swimmers (even a beach for the kiddies). The reason I gave 3 stars though is that the room was not as clean as we were expecting. I got the feeling that maybe the housekeeping staff was overwhelmed a bit.
I'm not exactly sure what to think about this place. It has all the trappings of a decent hotel but a lot of the subtle things you expect from a top notch hotel just aren't here.
The hotel itself is nice but it is starting to show signs of its age. The lobby seats seem a bit worn. The cushions on the outdoor seating areas show noticeable stains. The walls, doors and bathroom cabinets of the guest rooms are showing above average scuffs, dings and wear.
The staff are all friendly but nothing was out of the ordinary. They don't seem to take pride in representing the hotel and don't go the extra mile to set their service apart. You basically get the minimum level of service from a hotel. Valet parking attendants are nice but I don't understand why it takes so long to get your car. In the evenings, we waited 15-20 minutes for my car... I guess my consistent tips over the past few days didn't help.
The rooms are cookie-cutter hotel rooms. Sheets are decent and it's great that they fully encase the comforters with a fresh cover. They provide Lather bath products with yuzu or mint scents which are pleasant and neutral. The downsides are that the A/C is loud and the mattresses are uncomfortably firm. The strangest part of the rooms are the closets (which are part of the dividing wall between the room and the bathroom). The closet can be accessed from either side - main room or bathroom - which means that you can walk through the closet from the main room to the bathroom. So why even bother with a lock on the bathroom door?
Since this room was paid for by another company, I can't comment directly about the price but it sounds like the rooms tend to be on the pricey side. I don't know the Palm Springs area well but there has to be better at this price point.
Not a bad place but it wouldn't be my first choice.
I had a great, relaxing experience here. The rooms are bright and spacious, the staff is so accomadating, and pool area is very nice. Also, it IS afforadable. During the summer two of my friends and I decided to take a mini-vacation there. We had a fabulous room with two queen-sized beds for about $110 a night.
***Also I have some advice: Although the desert obviously gets very hot, I suggestion you go to this hotel during the summer. The rooms are A LOT more affordable-huge discounts. Also, because there are much fewer people who come during the summer, the staff will upgrade you to the best room available for free. Originally we three were going to get a room with one queen bed and switch off who gets to use the cot. The incredibly nice girl at the front desk upgraded us to an amazing room with a view and two queens.
The restaurants around the area are unique, delicious, and well-priced. This hotel is IDEAL if you are going to Coachella. It's about a ten-minute drive to the festival!
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The resort was great. The room was spacious and nicely decorated. The flat panel HDTV was a nice touch but the remote interface sucked butt. The staff was friendly all the way down to the maid staff and bell hops. The front desk was superb at taking care of our every need on the spot. The pool was clean clean clean. Did I mention clean? No harsh chlorine stank on my skin for hours, or gum wrappers floating, it was really nice. We intend to come back.
Stay far far away from Cava, their "restaurant"...if you can call it that.
I stayed here for the Republican Leadership Conference over a weekend. Aesthetically pleasing hotel. I had no complaints at all regarding the service here during my stay. The staff were attentive and very accommodating (esp. the bellmen). Comfortable beds. Clean, spacious bathrooms; esp. liked the walk-through closet to connect the bedroom to the bathroom.
As a reviewer mentioned below, the walls are a bit thin. Luckily, my room was located on the 6th floor away from the noisy bar and ground level area.
The pool area is a beautiful place to hang out after hours, the outdoor sitting areas have heating to keep you warm for the cold desert nights. I don't recommend the night club, the music ranges from live performers to hip hop music..the crowd is a strange mix of conference goers and locals.
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A fave of my families for over 20 years! We have seen this hotel change hands and be remodeled. It has stayed pretty consistent.
Large rooms, fabulous swimming pools and overall pleasant decor.
The downside, it is Spring Break and the prices of food and drinks has gone up dramatically from last year. The hotel is packed and they are now giving out wristbands to keep non-hotel guests from stealing chairs at the fab pool. Our girl goes down at 7 a.m. to sit on our chairs so that we will have somewhere to sit. :(
Update....
Our daughter got really sick here one night. The hotel staff was very nice bringing up supplies that we needed and after deciding at 5 pm to leave for home, they didn't charge us for our last night stay. Then we realized we left a bunch of stuff in the room after we left. We called and they are shipping it back to us free of charge. That is super cool!
The Renaissance Esmeralda Resort was not designed for me or anyone else in their 20s-30s. It was designed for families with husbands who want to golf close by (Is on the hotel grounds close enough?) and wives who have 4 children to chase around. The pools seemed to be good for the wives and their children - the beach pool was filled with little kids in floaties, undoubtedly also replacing all the chlorine with urine as their mothers drank mai tai's on lawn chairs near the pool bar. Their on site golf course actually looked pretty nice - the grass was all the right color, unlike a lot of PS courses which look like dust bowls - and very well groomed. It took me and my companion about 40 minutes to check in when we visited (too long), and the room they originally sent us to wasn't ready (annoying), but they did send us up champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries, so at least I felt like they were trying to make up for it. The rooms have patios, which is a plus too, but pretty much every room has either a view of a road (and the associated road noise) or a view of the pool (and the associated pool noise). We got the room for $99 on priceline - but they do have an extra $20 charge per night resort fees (or some such ridiculous thing). I definitely wouldn't pay over $150 to stay here.
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I just finished up a visit at the Renaissance as part of a conference.
This has been my first visit to the Palm Springs area and overall seems to be a nice place to visit - the people are friendly and there seems to be a variety of things to do.
The hotel - check in was nice friendly, the bellmen pretty much everyone I encountered was super nice and ready to help me. The entryway is beautiful with these dual staircases that allow you to look out over the pools and just below is a fabulous fountain.
The room - The bathroom is as big as my kitchen back home. I like the shampoo/body wash and soap they offered all high quality. I had a king bed that was very comfy and aided me in a good nights rest each and every night. I also had a chaise in my room I was so excited when I arrived to see one of my fav pieces of furniture. I went over and sunk into the chaise staring out the sliding doors at the beautiful golf course and mountains. Then...... I adjusted my position and moved the pillow around--- SURPRISE a previous guest had left a clothing item tucked behind the pillow hmmm not too happy about the lounge chair now. Called housekeeping they came up and re-cleaned my room. So you are probably wondering why the 4 stars - well had that not happened I would have given the hotel 5 so there you go.
Food -Room service - Great, timely and the food was good try the pear salad, and breakfast is yummy too. You get these delicious cookies with room service. restaurants on site - both were good
Spa - walked in looked around - seems very posh and it should be the prices are outrageous but watch for specials during the week makes a spa visit much more affordable.
Conference facilities - great!
Pool - awesome, beautiful, inviting
Overall, I enjoyed my stay here. If its for a conference you will have a great time and enjoy the amenities if you are coming for pleasure - if its a weekend getaway great - if its much more than that seems you could run out of stuff to do pretty quickly here.
I stayed here a couple of times on business, once in the middle of summer, and once at the end of summer when it was much cooler out (i.e., a few weeks ago when the high was only 100 instead of 115). I have to agree with what others have noticed: The best time to stay here is in the summer, when there are no tourists. Otherwise, the pool is way too crowded, and the noise from the restaurant/bar downstairs will prevent you from sleeping. I was on the 5th or 6th floor during my second visit and could still hear the noise. The room prices are much more reasonable in the summer, for obvious reasons. I wouldn't get a room there in the fall or winter; although I did like my room very much, it's just not worth the money that they're asking for now that it's tourist season. If you're going to spend that much and you really really want to stay at a Marriott, I'd go over to J.W.
i stayed here for 2 nights, 12/10-12/12, middle of the week, and almost winter, so not exactly peak season, and i really liked the place. oh i also didn't pay for it so that could also be a reason for the high number of stars :)
the room was very nice, the beds were very comfortable. we stayed on the top floor (7) so no noise from the bar on the lower level, which seems like other reviewers were complaining about. the walls ARE thin because i could hear other ppl (perhaps the only other person at the hotel :) ) walk to their room..
i really liked how they had apples and lemon-water set every where for ppl to enjoy.
I can see why ppl were complaining about the pool being small, it was. but there was nobody there at this time so it worked for me. lots of recliners with a towel folded on each one of them. i didn't really go in the pool much because i thought it was a little cold. i was just in the jacuzzi which was nice. i believe there were 2 of them.
i was very impressed by their gym! all new equipment and the cardio equipment had built in tv's! and they had free headphones there for you (one time use ones) there was also apples and lemon-water there.
the locker room was very clean and it had a sauna and a steam room which i enjoyed.
the xmas decoration was beautiful and the staff seemed very pleasant.
oh i also LOVED the comfy sitting areas outside by the firepits! especially since it was so cold out. they had pretty lighting on the palm trees and in the pool...
very beautiful hotel. i went there to escape my stressful work and it sure was relaxing :)
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Situated in what is supposedly the wealthiest town in the U.S.--Indian Wells--the Renaissance Esmeralda is a somewhat lavish hotel that somehow garnered a 4-star rating from AAA. Located directly off Highway 111 in the ever-expanding Coachella Valley, rooms here are very expensive--no--everything is expensive, ranging from a $6 frozen lemonade at the pool (Year 2000 price, I cannot fathom what it is in 2008 $$) to other pricey accoutrements scattered about, whether it be daycare for the kids, tennis, or a round of golf on one of the courses nearby. It is very loud inside and out, and many, many families invade the increasingly dirty pool when the mercury hits 110 in the summer. To top it off, I believe that I tasted urine while swimming, and now have sought to avoid public pools anywhere I go. Save your precious dinero and stay at one of the 800 other hotels in nearby Palm Springs/Palm Desert/Rancho Mirage/La Quinta.
All that aside, my room was very comfortable and eloquently designed, despite its high price.
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Our goal was to spend a relaxing weekend in Palm Springs, hanging out by the pool. Our experiences were mixed: Nice room, lousy pool area.
The hotel was easy to find and looked nice from the outside. I was a bit suprised upon check-in about the additional daily resort fee. After checking in, we went up to our room. The room was very nice -- clean, spacious, well-decorated, nice view of the mountains, had extra computer cables if you had left anything at home, comfy bed, etc. (Note: We later found though, that the room wasn't always quiet. Noise from the downstairs restaurants / bars could be heard in our room, despite being several floors up.)
While I liked the room, I was disappointed with our pool experience. The literature may state that there are 3 pools. In actuality, there is one pool area with the pools fitting together. Each day we went to the pool area, we found that there were not enough lounge chairs and that they ran out of towels. The one time we were able to get a lounge chair was late in the day and in the shade.
The resort offers fitness classes. I decided to try the "Sunset Yoga" class offered by the pool. When I could not find the class, I asked multiple people and none of them knew what I was talking about. (Another general complaint about the hotel -- Whether trying to find a chair, a towel, a yoga class, etc., the staff was not helpful or friendly.) Ultimately, I did find the class and from speaking with the instructor later, it sounds like this was not the first time the wrong meeting spot was listed. I am glad that I did find the class. While the class did not meet my definition of yoga (no downward dog, no sun salutations, no balancing poses, etc.), I enjoyed it. There was work done at a ballet bar and then excercises using a circular ring that I had not used before.
For one of our meals, we decided to try the Prime Rib Buffet. There were a number of tasty treats, but I was disappointed that the only prime rib option was a slice well done. I would have preferred a slice medium rare. Despite the tempting desserts on the buffet, we decided to order the banana ginger creme brulee off the menu. At first, it appeared that the dessert consisted of a few pieces of banana and a spoonful of creme brulee. Then, we realized that the creme brulee was in the container lid. Nice presentation, but we almost missed dessert. I would have preferred that it had a stronger ginger taste, but I did like it.
I recently stayed here for a work event and would not have selected this place if I was on vacation. With that said this was a nice hotel, it happened to be under construction while I was there. The rooms are nice size with an over sized bathroom. There was only one restaurant on propriety while i was there. The staff was attentive and friendly. I had a massage which was amazing. Since this was not my first choice for a place to stay I was surprised and enjoyed my stay at this hotel. I felt the room rate was a little high so shop around but a good hotel overall.
Relaxing enviornment; nice hotel; good but expensive poolside service. The breakfast buffet was excellent, but pricey! The rooms are kind of far from the elevators. There is one central elevator, but it seems like it's miles away from your room. We visisted on a normal weekend and it wasn't overly crowsed. The pool was kind of green instead of blue....I guess people are too lazy to use the restroom. Yuk!
stayed there while attending the pac life open, friendly staff, nice restaurants on site albeit rather pricey. i'd stay there again but be forewarned there are many families with the little tykes running about
ah renaissance esmerelda, it's quite confusing these modern times - people now like to stay at hotels that are aesthetically pleasing as well as comfortable. at some point there must have been a meeting, I imagine, where some bigwig said, "we can make the esmerelda just as hip as the parker?" But sadly a modern rug and some sleek toiletries do not an architecturally distinct hotel make. this hotel is pure '90s, with pink and mint detailing on the exterior. the rooms are comfortable - mine had a view of the santa rosa mountains, which was lovely upon wakening. the beds are also quite comfy, but every hotel is doing the super-comfy bed thing these days...my main gripe is that the pool was a lame 1990's semi-beach affair - hey, salwater pools are where it's at reniassance, with tanning shelfs and large umbrellas over the pool...c'mon...these ideas are FREE. everyone knows that when you go to the palm springs area you rent a mid-century modern house, like an Alexander, maybe in the movie colony, deepwell or old las palmas areas, with it own pool. this hotel is only good staying if you are at a conference otherwise do some research, recuit some friends and stay at a house...
