Lodging Review: Residence Inn – Palm Desert, California

I recently spent four nights at the Residence Inn in Palm Desert, California with a couple of friends. When we travel together we each like our own bed so that can sometimes be a challenge to find properties with this configuration.  It’s one reason we love Residence Inns and Hyatt Places – we know we can have the bedding we want AND free breakfast!

Residence Inn Palm Desert

My two friends had already spent a couple of days in the area at a different property before I could join them late on a Tuesday evening.  So thanks to them for taking most of the room photos you’ll see below.

Two Bedroom/Two Bath Unit with Sleeper Sofa

We had reserved a 2-bedroom unit with queen beds a sleeper sofa.  They do offer 2 BR units with two beds in one room but they are more expensive and one person said she didn’t mind sleeping on the sofa.

Our unit was in building 5, which was at the back of the hotel’s property.  That turned out to be very nice because it meant our back porch was very private and quiet.

Building 5, Residence Inn Palm Desert

Upon opening the unit’s door the kitchen area is immediately to the right.  There’s a full-sized refrigerator and and oven as well as a microwave and a dishwasher.  There weren’t a whole lot of dishes but certainly enough for us as we ate leftovers from the prior night’s meal.

Acting as a separator between the kitchen and the living area was the dining table.  I found it a little odd that the room could theoretically sleep 6 people but the table had only three chairs.  Oh well, that was enough for us!

The living area was compact with a sofa plus a chair with ottoman and the TV, which we never turned on.  The friend who slept on the sofa preferred not to use the pullout but did use the decorative pillows to help level out the cushions.  She said it was fine for our short vacation.

With the curtains closed it makes the area seem quite small but once they’re open it makes the whole space seem larger.  And behind the curtain is the door to the patio which had a couple of chairs and a small table.

The bedrooms were very similar with slightly different layouts.  The bedroom on the left was a little bigger.  The friend who slept in this room noted that there was a large air conditioner intake in this room and it was quite noisy when the fan was running.

The sink area was outside the bathroom, which is great when two people need to share.  Inside the bathroom was the toilet and a tub/shower combo.

The bedroom on the right didn’t have as much extra room but contained all the same elements.  The bed and a chest of drawers and a TV took up most of the space.

Next was the large vanity area with the closet on the other side.

Stepping between those two areas led into the bathroom.

I *loved* that the shower had a setting that allowed for a brisk spray instead of gentle rainfall.  There was good water pressure and plenty of hot water.  Toiletries were by Paul Mitchell, which is the standard for Residence Inns.  I wish they’d switch from a bar of soap to a container of body wash.  Seems like a waste of soap if you’re not staying for a long time.

The Rest of the Property

The hotel had a pool and hot tub, though we didn’t use them on this trip.

There were tennis courts and another court that could be used for basketball and seemed to have lines for pickleball as well.

In the back of the main building was a very small gym with mostly cardio machines.  I could see this being very useful in the heat of the summer.

There was also a large covered patio behind the main building.  It was a lovely place to enjoy breakfast and on at least one night they had a fire going in an open pit.

Inside, most of the main building was used for seating during the free buffet breakfast.  I don’t have photos of the buffet itself as it was always quite busy but it featured scrambled eggs with fixings to make your own breakfast tortillas, oatmeal, sausage, cold cereals, juices, coffee, tea, fruit and make-your-own waffles.

There is also a “business center” which is really just one computer.  Let’s face it, people who are staying here for business are usually here long term and have brought their own computers with them.

Across from the front desk (which had super-nice folks) is another seating area.  There is also a small market area selling some staples and beverages.

The Residence Inn Palm Desert is quite convenient for a stay in the Palm Springs area.  We weren’t far from The Living Desert or Palm Springs proper.  It was a little further up to Mount San Jacinto but maybe only 30 minutes away.

The staff was quite nice and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.  This was the perfect opportunity to try out the 4th Night Free benefit from my Citi Prestige card.  I booked the room through their concierge yet kept an eye on the price.  We used the AAA rate and it would fluctuate a bit over time.  About a week or ten days before we arrived the price dropped yet again and the concierge was able to work with the hotel to get that better rate applied to our reservation.  The room had the same rate for the first three nights and the fourth night was the most expensive.  I will be curious to see how long it takes to get the last night credited to my account and whether or not that includes all the taxes for that night as well.