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I just got back from a mini-vacation for one night with my friends before some of them head back to school. We decided to visit Palm Springs, and I found a 2 Bedroom Villa at the Marriott Desert Springs 1 and decided it would be great for us!

Palm Springs in the summer? Isn’t it HOT? Well yes, but my friends and I got super lucky as it was only 98 degrees the first day and 102 the second day! (versus 110+ the week before).

Originally I booked the Marriott Desert Springs 2 because the rooms seemed to look nicer, but I found out they don’t have complimentary access to the JW Marriott’s pools so I switched to the Marriott Desert Springs 1! I’m so glad I did, and I got a newly renovated room too!

MARRIOTT DESERT SPRINGS VILLAS 1 SHORT REVIEW WITH SCORES (OUT OF 5, 5 BEING THE BEST)

MY OVERALL SCORE: 4.5

5: Excellent, Highly Recommend
4: Very Good, Solid Choice to Consider
3: Ok, Check Other Options Before Booking
2: Below Par, Try to Avoid
1: Terrible, Run Far Away

Rooms: 5/5
Amenities: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Location: 5/5
Cleanliness: 4/5
Sleep Quality: 4/5

QUICK SUMMARY: Overall, the Marriott Desert Springs 1 has amazing villas for friends and family and the access to the JW Marriott’s pools is a definite plus! I highly recommend! And there’s no resort fee or parking charges!

Arrival:

My friends and I arrived at 2 PM, and I hoped they would check us in early as it was a Tuesday in the summer which is definitely not a peak time for Palm Desert. I was very happy when I was told our room was ready already! Normal check-in is at 4PM, but as we were only staying a night we wanted to do all that we could at the resort.

Check In:

Again I’m always bad with names but the lady who checked me in was really nice and explained the features of the resort. There’s a shuttle that runs around the villas, pools and to the JW Marriott. There are specific shuttle stops and a nice timetable! The shuttle stops at each stop twice an hour, from 6am to 10pm on Sunday-Thursday’s and 6am to 12am on Friday and Saturday’s.

Since we were staying at Marriott Desert Villas 1, we get complimentary access to the JW Marriott’s pools Monday- Friday! Awesome!! On weekends there is a fee for Marriott Desert Springs 1 guests. If you stay at the Marriott Desert Springs 2, access to the JW Marriott has a surcharge. You can also use the tennis court as guests.

I was also told that my room request was granted. A couple days before arrival, the front desk emailed to ask my villa location preferences and I requested for a renovated 2nd story villa. I saw a TripAdvisor review that said some of the villas are renovated so I really wanted one of those!

My Villa: 2 Bedroom Lockoff

The villa was a lockoff villa, meaning it was 2 rooms that shared a foyer. A “2 Double” normal studio and a 1 Bedroom villa. They were connected by a small foyer.

I’ll start with the 1 Bedroom Villa portion:

The living room was very nicely appointed, and I absolutely loved the stone wall with fireplace! Even in the 100 degree heat, it was very aesthetically pleasing. There was a full kitchen as well, and a washer and dryer in the kitchen. I love how all the plates and cups seemed of good quality. Perfect for making breakfast!

There’s also a huge dining table for 6, but we even sat 8 comfortably by bringing in 2 chairs from the patio.

My pictures make the villa seem small, I should have taken a shot from the living room that could also showcase the kitchen and dining area. Oops 🙂

 

The living room sofa turns into a double sofabed and my friends Joey and Michael got stuck with it. The mattress was quite thin and Joey complained his back hurt a bit the next morning. So, not your best sofabed. But a very comfortable couch to watch movies 😀

Bedroom:

The bedroom was large and nice. It is a king sized bed but I felt like it was a bit small. It was comfortable and the sheets were of good quality. The pillows were a bit too hard for my taste but that’s just a personal preference. My friend Montse said the king bed was comfortable.

What I really like about the room is the bathroom. It’s designed very well and perfect for sharing with friends. So, there’s access from the living room/kitchen area to a Sink/Shower/Toilet which also connects to the Master Bedroom. The master itself has it’s own sink and large tub. It’s perfect for friends and family and very practical!

My other favorite features of the room are the motion sensor nightlights under the nightstands and plenty of USB and charging ports!

2 Double Studio Portion:

On to the 2 Double Studio! The studio is nice, with its own kitchenette! The two double beds were nice according to my friends, but my friend Amy said the bed was a bit lopsided and sagged. I tried her’s out, and it did sag more than my King bed. Other than that, everyone else loved their beds. The studio also has its own small balcony.

There’s a nice bathroom with a sink and tub in the room and then a sink/toilet/shower inside. Again, very practical! Especially when 4 girls need to get ready in the morning.

Amenities:

There are 7 pools in the Marriott Desert Villas spread out around different villa buildings. 3 of them are in Villas One and the closest pool to our building was just 2 buildings over. Pools are open til 10 everyday.

The pool was an okay size, a bit small and there was a jacuzzi. I didn’t like that it was quite dirty with lots of leaves. But as I was leaving a staff member came to clean the pool so maybe my timing was just off.

 

My friends and I headed to the JW Marriott at night. It was just a short 10 minute walk from our villa. The pool at the JW was way better! 3 main pools, and it was way cleaner. We had a lot of fun at the JW’s pools. The pools at the JW close at 11.

 

Before our night swim, we did tour the JW a bit and took a boat ride! The boat ride went around the hotel and the driver would point out hotel highlights. Certainly a fun experience. And it was free! On the boat ride we saw the summer vacation rental Justin Timberlake had!

Service:

Service was great, the front desk was very helpful and they even called the room to give us a heads up that maintenance was going to quickly replace an air filter. And on the day of departure I asked for a late checkout as we were running a bit late and they gave me an extra hour. To top it off, they greeted me by last name on the phone (Unlike at the Waldorf Astoria Berlin?!) I’m still shocked that the Waldorf didn’t greet me nor know my room number when I called them from my room’s phone….lol

The Verdict:

The Marriott Desert Springs 1 was a great place to stay for my friends getaway. The villas are well appointed and spacious and the access to the JW Marriott is a plus!

 

You can check out Marriott Desert Springs 1’s TripAdvisor reviews here! Additionally if you want to see some reviews of the JW Marriott, you can view TripAdvisor reviews here too!

 

Happy travels,

theresorttraveler