The Riviera’s pool was large, warm, and shallow – family friendly.

My kids have always talked about the California desert as if it was a place even more exotic than it is – as if it were the sands of Arabia, and Aladin would soon be sailing a magic carpet over their heads. So a recent trip to the Rat Pack meets fairy tale wonders of the Riviera resort in Palm Springs seemed only to confirm the illusion of exotic magic, close to Los Angeles.

The Riviera was once a true Rat Pack escape, with Frank Sinatra hanging out by the pool drink in hand. While he might recognize the wheel-and-spokes design of the hotel’s twenty four acres, he’d be surprised by the cool changes a recent seventy million spent on hotel restyling and updating has wrought.

While the resort certainly caters to couples, girls weekends, and adults intent on relaxation, it’s also a surprisingly family friendly resort. Nestled in the quieter north end of town, with towering palm trees and shady gardens, the exotic decor is a real lure for adults and kids alike.

The rooms are large and sleek, and many have either balconies or patios. Sure, the kids will enjoy the big flat screen plasma TV, but even more they’ll like the pop art decorating the walls in bright primary colors – Warhol abounds – and light fixtures that look like “popcorn on top of tiaras.”

The kids loved the fantastic design elements throughout the Riviera resort in Palm Springs – lots of amazing light fixtures as art.

Best of all are the public spaces: the moment you walk into the lobby your inner child and children will be captivated by bright tangerine walls and intricate white scrolling; glittering chandeliers line a hall way that leads to the comfortable, casual yet lovely main dining room, Circa 59, with both indoor and outdoor seating. It’s in the restaurant that the wow factor really kicks in: a giant red octopus of a chandelier that could’ve been created by glass designer Dale Chihuly. There’s also a great looking outdoor corridor whose walls are covered with fake greenery – it feels like you’ve entered something out of Alice in Wonderland.

Of course your kids may be most interested in the pool offerings at the hotel. We found a smaller pool furthest from the center of the hotel was filled with families, and the pool was commodious, the hot tub not-too-hot. We also saw a number of families besides our own at the main pool, which is surrounded by large palms and also has the benefit of friendly, fast pool side food and beverage service. Morning egg and cheese burritos, veggies and hummus, fruit plates all make good, healthy snacks and truly serve two. The pool itself is shallow, topping out at four feet, making it child-ideal, and at night, story telling by a glossy fire pit pool side – with perhaps a desert order from Circa 59 to accompany the tale – is a sure hit. Besides loungers and luxurious rental cabanas, the hotel offers an inbetween-option: day beds big enough for a family of four and with overhead shade.

Maybe best of all: attentive service. The kids seem thirsty? Here’s a chilled Fiji water on the house. Need more towels in your room? Coming right up.

Parents can take turns booking a surprisingly reasonably priced massage at the poolside SpaTerre.

Our family loved the relaxing but luxurious vibe, as well as the op and pop art giving a ‘60′s era swagger to the walls, the friendly staff, and the illusion that we were indeed in an exotic place, self-contained and too comfortable to want to hurry away from. The hotel was able to accommodate our desire to linger with an extended check out, too.

Twenty-six feet tall and thirty-four thousand pounds. That’s Marilyn Monroe in Palm Springs through June 2013

We did leave the resort in order to take a look at the giant Marilyn Monroe residing in downtown Palm Springs just behind the mall. Sculptor Seward Johnson crafted Marilyn to be three stories and twenty six feet tall. She’s in town until June 2013, to celebrate what would be the icon’s 85th birthday and the fact that she was discovered and photographed in Palm Springs over fifty years back.

Previously residing in Chicago, the “Forever Marilyn” is even more impressive with palms and blue hills behind her.

We joined the small line of people waiting to pose for a picture op beneath her billowing skirt. Definitely a tourist draw, the sculpture weighs over thirty-four thousand pounds and had to be reassembled after her journey from the mid-west.

After some posing and mugging, we walked a few warm blocks to the new Lulu’s restaurant, where a three course, delicious Sunday brunch under a massive space-ship of a chandelier – cool lighting seems to be the norm in Palm Springs these days – is available for just under twenty dollars. Kid friendly? Yes indeed. The kids menu included tasty waffles for the under-twelve set for the bargain price of $5.99. Indoor/outdoor dining in what feels like a pastel colored space ship
includes vegetarian and gluten-free options. We loved people watching as the sun sank below the purple and honey colored hills.

Like everything else magical about the Palm Springs desert – nights almost as warm as days, welcoming staff at a super-cool hotel, our kids were enchanted, and your family will be too.

Desert Springs Marriott Villas 2 along the Valley Golf Course

Palm Desert, California is a very popular destination for snowbirds looking to escape the cold weather during the winter months. With hundreds of golf courses within minutes driving time, a wide range of accommodations from budget motels to five star resorts, plentiful recreational attractions, abundant shopping and dining, and stunning natural beauty, this desert oasis is a great place to visit anytime of the year.

This is the amazing view from our Villa patio looking out towards a lake on the Valley Golf Course

Our family chose the Marriott Vacation Club’s Desert Springs Marriott Villas 2 in Palm Desert for our summer vacation in July of 2012. Conveniently located only 2 hours from the heart of Los Angeles, or 2 hours and 20 minutes from San Diego, it’s no wonder so many Southern California residents make the Desert Springs Marriott Villas in this small town gem their respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. With Palm Springs International Airport a short 10 to 15 minutes driving distance, and the Ontario International Airport one hour away, there is no shortage of travel options for far-away visitors.

The Palmeras Pool pool area – 3 full size pools, children’s wading pool and splash fountains, and 2 large hot tubs

Between two and three weeks prior to your arrival, we recommend contacting the Pre-Arrivals department of the Desert Springs Marriott Villas with any special requests. We were traveling with three families, each with their own villa, so it was very important for us to be in close proximity to each other. We are a high maintenance group, so our requests did not stop there! In addition, we asked to be on the ground floor level, facing the golf course, and walking distance to the Palmeras Pool. Although they offer no guarantee, their friendly staff will do everything possible to accommodate their guests.

Villa Options and Descriptions

Entertaining the family in our villa living room

There are three accommodation options available at the Marriott Villas. The smallest and most economical option is the standard guest room also referred to as a studio villa. These rooms come with either a king size bed, or two double size beds depending on your requirements. A small kitchenette is available with a mini refrigerator, microwave, toaster and coffee maker, as well as a limited number of dishes and silverware. It comes with a full bathroom including shower and separate tub. Each studio villa has an attached private patio with patio furniture. We highly recommend securing one of these villas facing the golf course which will expand your patio into a sprawling scenic landscape of green fairways, palm trees and lakes.

The next step up in accommodations is the one bedroom one bathroom villa. This spacious villa comes with all the conveniences of home, including a full kitchen, living room, laundry room, and separate bedroom. The kitchen is equipped with a full size refrigerator, microwave oven, range oven with stove, toaster, coffee maker, garbage disposal, cabinets with a full set of dishes, glasses, pots and pans, and drawers with a full set of silverware and other basic necessities like spatulas, bottle openers, and a set of sharp knives.

Our kids playing in a small inflatable pool steps from our Villa patio

Book a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom villa like we did, and your family can stretch out and relax in comfort with separate quarters available for your kids during sleep time. Our two kids are both toddlers and still take long naps during the day, so that separate bedroom was a key feature for us. The bedroom walls are very well insulated, and with the blackout drapes, we had no problem entertaining guests in our living room while the kids were sound asleep during the day or night. If you are fortunate enough to have a villa facing the golf course like we did, you can slide open your drapes in the living room and both bedrooms and enjoy marvelous vistas visible through the large windows. My wife and I like our bedroom to be extra cold while we sleep, so the separate air conditioning thermostat in the kids bedroom was a key feature for our maximum comfort.

Our daughter enjoying one of the pools at the Palmeras in her comfortable shaded floaty

The Desert Springs Marriott Villas and the adjacent JW Marriott Desert Springs Hotel have invested millions of dollars in renovations over the past few years. Our three families stayed in villas that were completely remodeled with brand new carpeting, new tile floors, kitchen appliances, flat screen TVs, furniture, cabinets and granite counters throughout. We are a tough family to please, and from the moment we arrived, every one of us was thrilled with the clean, bright and modern upgrades. There was also free and ample covered parking for guests throughout the complex. Guests looking for a cardio or weight lifting work-out have free 24 hour access to the on-site gym located next to the main lobby.  Another bonus that cannot go unmentioned is the free WIFI broadband Internet service accessible from anywhere in your villa or the pool areas.

On-Site Recreation, Shopping and Dining

The one foot deep Palmeras children’s wading pool perfect for toddlers

With 7 enclosed pool areas strategically located throughout the resort grounds, a refreshing swim or soothing hot tub is always walking distance away. The Palmeras pool area is our favorite, with three large pools (one with a volleyball net), a 1 foot deep children’s wading pool, splashing water fountains, two hot tubs, and an outdoor bar and grill called the Water’s Edge just steps away. There are always plenty of lawn chairs available for you and your family to stake your claim. We recommend arriving to the pool before 11am to secure one of the many the umbrellas for shade.

Children running and playing in the water spray fountains at the Palmeras pool

Guests of the Villas can enjoy deep discounts at the two golf courses that meander their way throughout the resort connecting all of the villas and the adjacent JW Marriott Desert Springs Hotel. These two challenging golf courses, the Valley Course and Palms Course, lure golfers of all skill levels with their well maintained verdant greens and fairways, numerous white sand bunkers and picturesque lakes.

Our kids running free on the golf course outside our Villa in 89 degree weather and high humidity. It felt like we were in Hawaii!

Villa guests looking for spa, dining and shopping options within walking or free shuttle distance have full access to the Desert Springs JW Marriott Hotel. Our family favorite is the Mikado Japanese Steakhouse where you can enjoy good steak and seafood dishes prepared table side by skilled and entertaining chefs on their teppan grill. Mikado also has a sushi bar, and fresh sushi is available for order anywhere in the restaurant. Guests of the Villas can also enjoy a discount of up to 20% on dining at the Hotel as well as certain other restaurants in the Palm Desert area. Look for the discount card in your welcome package which also includes a list of the participating restaurants and attractions.

Nearby Shopping, Dining and Attractions

The Market Place shopping center with a Ralph’s supermarket, Rite-Aid, and several restaurants and other small shops are located less than 5 minutes drive from the Desert Springs Marriott Villas. Drive 10 minutes away to The River at Rancho Mirage, a fashionable center with a wide variety of food choices like P.F. Changs, Flemings and Babe’s Bar-B-Que, and plentiful boutique shopping outfits and entertainment including the Century Theaters at The River with over a dozen movie theaters.

Palm Springs Tramway rising 8,500 feet

For families with kids, we recommend a visit to the Children’s Discovery Museum Rancho Mirage less than 10 minutes drive from the resort. The Living Desert Zoo & Botanical Garden Palm Desert is also a great family attraction minutes from the resort with 1,200 acres of natural desert beauty, plants, and animals from all over the world. Another family favorite is the rotating Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, climbing 8,500 feet to the San Jacinto Peak. This scenic and unforgettable ride up the mountain is just the beginning. There are both Winter and Summer activities including hiking, camping, guided nature walks and even cross country skiing! Nourish both your body and soul at the Peaks Restaurant, with a good variety of food choices and breathtaking views of the valley below.

Family Tips

Celebrity Sitters is a wonderful on call babysitting service for in-room childcare in Palm Desert and other nearby cities. They are CPR and First Aid certified, but best of all, they are all very reliable, friendly, loving and experienced child care specialists. For reservations call (760)251-4567.

Families traveling with very young children and staying in a 2 bedroom 2 bath villa should bring along a baby monitor for the spare bedroom so parents can hear/see the kids when they wake.

Although there are high chairs and pack and plays available free at the resort, it’s always a good idea to request these items ahead of time to insure availability. Families with toddlers too big for a pack-and-play can request a villa with a trundle pull-out bed. Not all villas are equipped with one, so make sure to arrange this in advance. The Pre-Arrivals department is very accommodating and can handle this along with all of your other requests.

It’s not uncommon for Summer temperatures in Palm Desert to rise above 110 degrees. Make sure to bring sunscreen, hats and mosquito repellant. Mosquitoes are not usually a problem throughout the day, but they do come out for a short time around dusk and can be a nuisance. A convenience store is also available on-site next to the lobby.

There are no screen doors at the villas, so we recommend always closing the patio door immediately after use to avoid attracting crickets, flies, mosquitoes and other unwanted desert creatures.

The Marriott’s Desert Springs Villas 1 and the Marriott Desert Springs Villas 2 are located at 1092 Pinehurst Lane, Palm Desert, California 92260.  Their phone number for reservations, or to reach the Pre-Arrivals department is: (760)779-1200.

One of the new stylish additions to Palm Springs, and surprisingly child-friendly, is the Ace Hotel and Swim Club located in the southern end of town. This is the least windy enclave in town, which makes an afternoon at the pool perfectly pleasant, regardless of the time of year you visit.

Where to Stay and Splash

Ace Hotel & Swim Club is a quirky and cool update from a former Howard Johnson’s motel. From the outside, it may look as if little has changed – it’s just a two story beige motel. But with rooms a comparative bargain in this vacation mecca, we weren’t expecting all that much. It’s once you check in that you see how much fun this stay is going to be. The rooms are ample in size, and each of them unique. A night table shaped from a tree trunk? Vintage issues of old magazines? A canvas “tent” over the bed? All this and more. My kids were especially taken by the fake animal skin runs tossed across a springy dark cork floor.

The pool area of the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs

The hotel also offers adjoining suites with private patios, and something called a “king lounge room” – besides the king bed, there are two twins with curtains to separate them from the king. Nice choice for a small family. We also enjoyed the all day breakfast available at the hotel’s restaurant, once a Denny’s, now an organically sourced roadhouse.

Where to Explore

When you can lure the kids away from the pool, Indian Canyons oasis is also on the south end of Palm Springs, and it’s a fantastic destination for kids of all ages. Fan palms and gurgling streams and hiking trails are easy enough for the little ones and interesting enough for adults and bigger kids.

There are four separate canyons to explore, depending on your children’s ages and stamina. No matter which trail you choose, do make a stop at Palm Canyon’s trading post and watch humming birds in the garden and succumb to the demands – I did – for a retro souvenir, although you may regret a purchase like mine of a toy tom-tom drum. The trail leads into a shady oasis, with lizards to watch and great views of the surrounding hills and rocky crags. The lush palms and a variety of springs will keep things cool. Older kids will enjoy Murray Canyon, a two mile trail that serves up a rocky path to a small water fall.

Feed the Giraffes at the Living Desert in Palm Desert

If you’d rather your nature a bit more contained, you’ll enjoy the Living Desert museum in Palm Desert about half an hour from the Ace. An easy to stroll nature trail offers mountain views and glimpses of plant and animal life. It’s a combination botanical habitat and zoo, with a mellow, out-in-nature vibe. And little kids will love the play park area, replete with a cactus shaped slide. You can’t find that at home in your neighborhood parkette!

Or, for something completely different, make a stop at the fascinating miniature world of nearby Cathedral City’s Big League Dreams Sports Park. Here, in small sized replicas of famous baseball parks like Wrigley Field, you’ll find batting cages to hit some balls as well as a look at America’s Favorite Sport in different settings.

A view of Indian Canyons in Palm Springs

If your kids aren’t up to try a home run, how about a home flight? Potential pilots and air passengers alike will love the Palm Springs Air Museum, a well run attraction featuring a variety of restored planes, most from the World War II era. The museum is next to the airport, and houses most of its displayed planes in large air conditioned buildings, although some are outside.

The museum has a variety of hangars dedicated to Army, Navy, and B-17s.  There’s also some fascinating WWII memorabilia such as period cars, military uniforms and a USO stage.  My kids loved walking through the massive Flying Fortress bomber. Possibly best of all was the chance for them to chat with docents, some of whom had first hand experience of the World War. Small children under age five are free, another plus.

Lunchtime

There’s Norma’s, which also offers a great blueberry pancake breakfast served on a patio made comfortable with misters, and conveniently located in downtown Palm Springs.

Sherman’s Deli in Palm Desert has salads and potato pancakes as well as classic sandwiches, including some that can be made vegan. If it’s close to dinner time, try the cushy but welcoming

Palm Desert spot Villa Abbate, with terrific homemade marinara sauce that pleased the whole family, served over spaghetti. We found the service impeccable, and kids welcomed. Alternatively, the Mexican fare served al fresco at Las Casueles in downtown Palm Springs never disappoints. An added pleasure are local cover bands playing nightly under the stars.

Small children dancing along never seems to be frowned upon.

And if it’s not too late, you can finish the evening with a dip in the Ace pool before heading off to a good night’s sleep in a stylish and fun room.

When our children were very small, we enjoyed simply driving through the park pointing out the strangely shaped rocks and the groves of unique trees. Pull over to the side of the road, roll down the windows, and enjoy the silence and the desert heat for a few minutes. Watch the stars pop out in a deep aqua sky just after sunset. But from the moment our kids could sit up in their strollers we began to take them along the twelve short nature trails, many of them paved, to see all the scenery up close. As in most National Parks, the visitor center can provide a Junior Ranger booklet which is great fun for slightly older children. A good place to start for all ages is the quarter mile Skull Rock Loop. This easy trail provides wonderful views of rock formations.  Nearby, Split Rock has a pleasant picnic area and more interesting rock views. Another brief and easy trail is the Keys View Trail which offers an expansive look at the desert floor and Coachella valley and the Salton Sea below. While sunset views are spectacular from this point, mid-afternoon the view can be hazy. A half mile walk takes you to the Desert Queen Ranch, homesteaded by immigrant William Keys in the early nineteen hundreds. The ranch, school and store he built are intact; you can explore the area in a ninety minute, easy and interesting ranger-led walking tour. Make reservations at the visitor’s center. Our kids were fascinated by this living history. The Cholla Cactus Garden in the south-eastern end of the park is also a wonderful ramble, filled with interesting plants. Closer to the town of Twenty Nine Palms, The Oasis of Mara is behind the Oasis Visitor Center. Here a paved half mile loop trail is stroller friendly, and features signage that describes history and scenery in the area.

Exploring the magical rocks at Joshua Tree National Park

Hungry for lunch? Stop in the town of Joshua Tree and check out the Crossroads Cafe for salads, sandwiches, and smoothies. Casual and cozy, you can also get lunch to go.

Outside the park boundries, The Integratron continues the otherworldly feeling the park inspires. This dome structure offers thirty-minute “sound baths” on many weekends, during which dome preservationist strike crystal bowls to create a peaceful wash of sound in the acoustically perfected dome. Our toddlers loved lying on the floor on a mat inside the structure listening to pleasant but alien sounds. The structure was built by an aerospace engineer reputedly following instructions communicated by visitors from Venus in 1953; and the result does look like something blue-printed on another planet. It’s a memorable desert sight even if you don’t take a sound bath.

Just across the road from the Integraton is the Gubler Orchid Farm, a large, fragrant and visitor- friendly orchid farm open Monday through Saturday for tours. The flowers are lovely and families are welcomed to learn about the different types of orchids and growing conditions as well as simply being allowed to smell the flowers.

A storefront in Pioneertown - the town is great fun to explore

Just north of Highway 62 and the town of Yucca Valley, you’ll find Pioneertown. Built as a Hollywood Western movie set in 1946, to accommodate stars of the time like Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Bud Abbott (of Abbott and Costello fame). While Mane Street is private property, it’s always open to visitors to explore the dusty store fake store fronts; on weekends spring through fall, mock gunfights are staged here. Pioneertown also includes a small motel, not elegant but comfortable and furnished with kitschy antiques. It’s inexpensive and many rooms have small, spotless kitchenettes. Across the “corral” from the motel is Pappy and Harriet’s, a well known restaurant and entertainment venue with blues bands, folk singers, and country acts the dominant stylists. Kids are more than welcome at the long plank tables, and their french fries are awesome.

We saw many a babe-in-arms dancing in their parents’ arms to the afternoon band on a sunny Sunday. The restaurant looks like an expansive miner’s cabin with its rough wooden walls and uneven floors. Tri-tip, burgers and fish are grilled outdoors.

Our favorite entertainment venue however is the Pioneertown Bowl, built to entertain those Western movie stars back in the ‘40′s. Open only on the weekends, you’ll love the four antique bowling lanes and old fashioned pinball machines. On the wall artist Wallace Roland Stark painted some fantastic cowboy murals. The owners say Roy Rogers himself christened the lanes, rolling the first ball down lane number one, wearing cowboy boots. Beautifully preserved, it’s a slice of life from another era, and a truly enjoyable one at that.

If the Stark murals have inspired you to take a look at some more art, check out the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum near the town of Joshua Tree. This seven plus acre outdoor site features more than sixty unusual assemblage sculptures created by this desert loving artist. You can find other examples of Purifoy’s work in art museums across the country; here they embrace the desert landscape. Kids will enjoy the treasure-hunt-like viewing aspect of the pieces and the pleasure of viewing art in the open air.

From man-made art to the nature sculptured pinnacles and boulders of Joshua Tree National Park, your family will love spending time in the visual wonderland of this desert community.

Your Palm Springs experience can start lunch at one of the many Mexican restaurants around town. One of the best is Las Casuelas Terraza, a patio restaurant bursting with bougainvillea and usually showcasing a mellow bar band – excellent for listening and relaxing. Early in the evening you’ll see lots of little kids dancing. Overhead misters keep the scene cool, and the homemade salsa is tasty. Chips and guacamole, tacos or tostados, you’ll find something the kids will love that won’t break the bank.  

Or if you’re feeling more energetic, take a cool and cooling trip in one of the three hundred and sixty degree rotating cars up the Palm Springs Tram Way. On top of the mountain these cars transcend, the temperatures are a good fifteen to twenty degrees cooler than on the desert floor. Bring a picnic, take an easy hike, follow a mountain stream or sit on a rock and look down at the shimmering valley below. There are plenty of safe, easy trails for the little ones and some great look out points. The big bonus is the ride up and down the mountain face. It’s like going on a great amusement park ride – with a view. Thrilling but safely behind glass!  

Palm Oasis in Indian Canyon

However you’ve begun your weekend, you’ll want to continue your getaway by unwinding – preferably by the pool. Good spots for just such an escape include La Quinta Resort, the Doral, the Hyatt Suites, and our favorite, the pool at the ultra modern Hotel Zoso, in downtown Palm Springs, a sleek setting in chrome, magenta and black. It’s only three feet shallow and perfect for the kids. Some families prefer the larger resorts in Palm Desert or Cathedral City , with the large scale pools and water slides, but we like a more mellow scene. We also like staying close to the historic downtown area, which allows plenty of leisurely strolling past cafes and restaurants and small shops. Another option are rental houses, which abound at reasonable rates this time of year, many with private pools.  

But if you go with the Zoso, you’ll find the pool practically private anyway once the sun goes down. Its easy to star gaze and swim or wade in the shallow pool, and go for a simple room service repast to finish the day. There’s kid friendly sandwiches along with the more sophisticated adult entrees. The Zoso’s rooms are comfortable, large, and modern.  

But if you’d rather go out for dinner, try the traditional kid friendly fare at The Chop House in a room with elegant Greco-Roman accents; the fanciful Middle Eastern themed dishes at the St. James with its colorful butterfly and rainbow walls; or the Italian food at the Kalora bistro.  

Finish up with a carriage ride up and down Palm Canyon and across the shadowed residential streets that parallel it. Gentle horses pull a velvet lined livery on fifteen to thirty minute rides. Kids are allowed to stroke the horses’ manes.  

Next day, rise early before the sun gets too intense. Take a stroll with plenty of water and sun screen – among the palmy oases of Indian Canyon. Although some trails are challenging, many are easy, flat loops past meandering streams. You’ll get a map and instructions from the attendant on the way in.  

And if you don’t feel like a walk, of course there’s always that pool!  

Pool deck at the Hotel Zoso

One way or another you’ll burn off enough calories to enjoy desert, and there’s plenty of choices in downtown Palm Springs, from gelato to our favorite at Kalora, the Italian cafe that’s also worth noting for dinner. In our book, nothing beats their orange, lemon, or lime ice in a hollowed frozen fruit. If you’re up for a short drive you can try a different kind of sweet fruit, dates – at either the Oasis Date Factory and gift shop near Thermal or Shields near Indio. There’s a tasting room to help you and the kids select the perfect and healthful treat. From Medjool to Khadrawi, the dates are as much fun to eat as they are to learn how to pronounce! And while you’re “dating” – be sure and try an incredibly rich chocolate date ice cream shake. Warning: one small is large enough for two kids to share easily, maybe even two adults.

Balcony pool view from the Hyatt Indian Wells

If you live in Southern California and need a primo vacation spot for your family that’s a short drive away, then the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort in Indian Wells is the place for you!  We were there with our entire family in late August of 2009. We rated it very high on the “kid friendly” scale and will definitely be going back every chance we get!

My wife was about 8 months pregnant with our first child, and we were travelling with my parents, my sister, her husband and their two kids. My parents were staying in a large penthouse suite overlooking the mountains, and pool.  The view from their balcony was truly breathtaking and the picture I’ve included doesn’t even do it justice!  My sister and her family were staying in a large two bedroom Villa on the other side of the resort.  Their Villa was the ultimate in luxury, with all new and stylish furniture, kitchen,  large bedrooms with flat screen TVs, as well as a large and inviting patio with built in Spa.

View from our Villa Patio

My wife and I were lucky enough to be upgraded to one of their one bedroom Villas after the maintenance people were unable to fix a problem with our air conditioning system.  We both need it to be no more than 68 degrees in order for us to have a good night sleep, and unfortunately we find that many hotels in California have a motion sensor activated air conditioning system installed.   The Hyatt’s air conditioning system was no different, and the air would shut off periodically if there wasn’t enough motion detected to keep it running.   We had the hotel maintenance person come to our room about three different times to fix the problem, and of course they failed to resolve it each time. Late in my wife’s pregnancy she found that it was more and more difficult to sleep through the night and the temperature issue became amplified as a result.  Thankfully we were rescued by a very eager to please hotel manager who agreed to upgrade us to a one bedroom villa.

After we packed our belongings, a hotel staff member shuttled us over to the new Villa in one of their golf cart type vehicles.  Our jaws dropped with glee when we entered the Villa not only because it was nice and cool inside, but because of how plush and luxurious the place was!  The best part of it was our patio area, which had a built in Spa just like my sister’s place, and the best view on the resort!  There was a bubbling  river with rapids flowing just outside the railing in a picture perfect scene of lush green vegetation that made us want to stay there forever!  We were praising God every moment of every day after that for our good fortune.

Poolside Grand Champion Hyatt Indian Wells

I should mention that there was an incident earlier that may have contributed to our good fortune.  No one was hurt, but one of the guests in the main hotel standard rooms accidently set their room’s mattress on fire.  Apparently this couple lit some candles in the room and one of the candles fell over causing their comforter to go up in flames.   The fire department arrived at the scene shortly afterwards and everyone in the building (including us) were asked to evacuate.  After the emergency was over a couple of hours later, people were allowed to return to their rooms but at least one entire floor of guests had to be relocated to other rooms resulting in a shortage of standard rooms.  This is why the hotel manager moved us to that wonderful Villa!

We had a glorious time with our family each day.  When we were not in our patio area or in the Spa, we were at the kid friendly pool area enjoying the wonderful weather and cold margaritas under a large canopy of Palm tree branches hanging high over us like a natural umbrella.   The men in our group like to smoke a good cigar on occasion, which we were happy to indulge under the approval of the hotel rules. 

My sister’s two kids absolutely loved the pool area especially since there were plenty of other kids out there to befriend.  And perhaps the biggest attraction that will keep the children begging to come back  is that giant waterslide equipped with plenty of exciting twists and turns.  There is also an adult only pool at the resort for those people travelling without kids, so it’s safe to say this resort can cater to a wide range of guests.  All in all this was a wonderful trip and the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort is now permanently on our favorites list!  The location can’t be beat between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage.