The Desert Willows has literally become our winter oasis. Living in the north where days are shorter and weather more severe, it is with great relief when our car pulls into their parking lot, knowing we are only minutes away from checking in. The rooms have the feel of a clean, private apartment as they have everything you need to move in, including a washer/dryer. The beds are comfortable. There is also a lot to do on the grounds themselves even if you don't golf. A tip: if you seek solace and don't want to be near the noise of screaming kids, request a room near the Quiet Pool. It is incredibly soothing sitting out on your back deck watching the sun set.
Recently, my family of four spent our vacation at the Desert Willow Westin in Palm Desert. As a fan of the Westin chain, I had high expectations for this resort. However, I was slightly disappointed with the overall experience, especially considering the cost of our stay, which was well above average. I place great value on my vacation experiences and unfortunately, I felt like I didn't get the value I was looking for at this resort. Although our 1-bedroom room was adequate, it didn't quite meet my expectations in terms of luxury. The rooms could use a refresh to match the high standards of other Westin properties. The grounds were pleasant, with 4 pools to choose from, but I was disappointed to learn that the resort charged for parking, despite ample space in Palm Desert. Furthermore, the additional fee for using the EV charges felt unnecessary and a little frustrating. Westin, please consider making these charges more reasonable to provide a better overall experience for your guests.…
We came to watch the tennis tournament and all the closest places were sold out. I think we booked the most basic suite, yet it was extremely well-equipped for a weeklong stay (kitchen, washer dryer, lounge area separate from bedroom, fireplace, balcony). We had everything we needed, and also appreciated the many eco-friendly touches and opportunities for recycling, which many hotels and resorts ignore. A couple quibbles: as others have noted, it's impossible to reach any live human at this property with questions, which I found really frustrating. (In answer to one of my questions for future guests, the "Quiet Pool" - one of 5 pools on the property - is ideal for lap swimming, although I wish it opened a little earlier than 8am). The onsite bar/grill "Agave" was not the intimate, pleasant atmosphere we were seeking - more like a cafeteria with way too many TVs and slow service - so we just skipped it. And personally I'm not a fan of the "pillowtop" bed cover - prefer a very firm mattress, it would be great if there were a choice. After consideration, I still give it 5 stars because it worked very well for what we needed. Plenty of dining options nearby so can give the Agave a pass. And that POOL....heaven.…
The suite we were in was comfortable and the pool areas are very nice. However, the service was severely lacking especially in light for how much we paid per night. Housekeeping would only come to the room to make beds, remove garbage and do a tidy every other day. Poolside food was poor quality, and the $15 Pina Coladas tasted like they didn’t put any alcohol in them. The waterslide is poorly maintained; the sections are not flush with one another and so it hurts your back when going down. When we brought it up with the staff they told us they got lots of complaints about it, but there wasn’t a plan to fix it. Definitely not worth the price and we will not be returning, especially with so many other options in Palm Desert.
This is a large resort. Grounds are lovely, set within a golf course. The footpaths around the resort are primarily through parking lots - a disappointing walking experience. My primary complaint, leading to three star review is the staffing and functioning. First, to a person, the staff is just wonderful, especially when working in difficult circumstances. We had dinner at Agave, the only evening dining available at the resort. 5 of 6 wines on the list were unavailable. I ordered flatbread with prosciutto and arugula. 25 minutes after placing my order the cook came out to tell server they were out of prosciutto. I asked for chicken instead. 30 minutes later the dish arrived with minimal greens and heaping with heavily seasoned chopped chicken. It became obvious the bartender and cook were handling the bar, dining room and kitchen by themselves. I saw many people come in, sit down, and leave without being served. It feels like a location going out of business and selling off its’ inventory. This is peak season in Palm Springs, there’s no reason to be out of stock on so many items. I do not understand why Marriot Vacation Club is operating this way - lovely grounds, a great product yet so disappointing. In 15+ years of Villa ownership I’ve never experienced such a mediocre situation.…
No one answers the phone. How can you be a hotel and not answer the phone? I've been trying for 2 hours. This isn't the first time I have tried to get a hold of them. We purchased a timeshare and no gets back to me. They promised us we would be able to use points this year and of course we can't. Don't do anything with this hotel or vacation club.
The room was beautiful, roomy and clean as usual. We love how big the studio is, bigger than the Westin in Cancun. Property itself is gorgeous and in a perfect location. Everything close by. Food on the resort: Everything we ate for lunch and dinner was really good, especially the salads. Prices seemed very reasonable. Didn’t like having to go to bar to order at dinner due to lack of staff. Loved the welcome cocktail before dinner Saturday evening. Not sure if this is weekly or because of Christmas. There were even Christmas carolers. We had the most magical experience one day as my daughter was asked by one of Santa’s helpers if she’d like to write a letter to Santa. Hours later, Santa’s helpers came to our room and gave her a stocking filled with chocolate and candy. If they do this every year, we will certainly be back for Christmas!…
Visited the desert for 1 night with out of town guests. Took a wonderful trip to Joshua Tree, Palm Desert and Palm springs. I needed 2 rooms for 5 people and this was perfect. Had 2 1 bedroom Suites with full kitchen, large bathroom and sitting area, nice balcony with amazing views. . It even had a washer dryer (which we did not use). Room was very clean and bed was comfy. Resort is very clean and welcoming. I wish we had stayed longer to take advantage of all the wonderful activities provided. Convenient location - 5 minute drive to El Paseo and many other attractions. 30 minute drive to Downtown Palm Springs . Only issue was that room was not ready until close to 5:30 PM. Hotel gave us a late checkout to compensate.
Our entire family traveled here for Christmas. We had four units. The resort grouped us so we would be close together. We had reservations through Marriott and Interval so the check in was confusing. Ryan at the front desk took this in stride and worked everything out. He was fantastic. He even waived our parking fee because of the confusion. This was not the fault of the resort. I knew it would be hard to explain because of the interval weeks and the Marriott reservation. Our family enjoyed the pools and recreational facilities. The pools are heated perfectly which made it enjoyable. The Palo Verde pool is especially good for toddlers. The hot tub at the Ironwood pool is huge. Our units were well furnished and comfortable. One suggestion is they should pull out the carpeting and replace it with vinyl plank as it is worn and dirty. The Agave bar and grill is a great place to eat. The service is super and Stephanie at the bar is exceptional. The gym is well equipped and spacious. We enjoyed the different machines for working out. The grounds are perfectly kept. Every employee seems happy to work here. The location in Palm Desert is convenient to all amenities. We would definitely stay here again. I can’t say enough good things about this resort.…
We visited over the Christmas holiday, arriving on 12/25. There was no fully functioning restaurant and had to dine in their Agave bar where there was no table service and we had to essentially order at the bar - 2 of the entrees were not ordered and we had to remind them 20-30 mins later and have the order re-made. Kind of surprising that the property didn’t even have a full-service restaurant. Overall, the property simply didn’t seem to have enough staff or staff on par with a Westin-level staff with the exception of front desk staff. The only thing the property seemed to do exceptionally well and consistently was timeshare-related upsells. Villas were clean but dated (12-14 years ago). Although Marriott’s financial performance was up 66% YOY that doesn’t necessarily mean they will invest a tiny percentage of those earnings into attracting and retaining (and possibly even relocating) team members to some of their destination properties. In 4 nights at 2 of their Palm Springs resorts I’m noticing that there’s a pretty significant difference pre and post-pandemic in terms of overall guest experience and going forward while I’d use Westin as a business stay, I’m feeling pretty reticent to use them as a family resort brand unless I either know the resort manager or if the resort was at 50-60% capacity. There are some very real guest experience and quality control problems across the brand and it is very clear that this is an industry wide problem, and Marriott property owners cannot afford to take losses to rectify this right now. It’s a tough situation, and unfortunately both guests and property owners suffer.…
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