JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa

My wife and I came for a 2 week get-away from Michigan. We weren't aware of how limited we would be while here due to my own oversight and not asking in advance. This is a beautiful property, with an attentive staff and we were given an upgraded room due to my Titanium status. The view from our room is amazing. Everything I love about Marriott. Although the gorvernor's shut down was lifted two days ago, all the restaurants, bars, boats, spa, gym and shops are closed. So unless you're good with a pool, golf, tennis and doing work from your room I would hold off coming here for now. We went into the old town section of La Quinta last night and all the restaurants were reopened for outdoor dining. For that we were very grateful. Hopefully they will reopen here soon as well. We have 5 days to go. I could provide a photo of how eerily empty the place feels, but let's just say there are only 5 vehicles in the vast underground garage. You get the picture.

First off, I got bed bugs bites (I'll attach a pic) all over my legs and I was not contacted about the situation. I emailed them and they just responded "We hope to see you again the next time you are in the area."  Why on earth would I stay there again after getting bed bug bites all over my legs?! Second, the extra fees/taxes they charge is ridiculous. I booked on Hotels.com, and it showed my total would be $795 (room, taxes/fees, and resort fee).  I got my final receipt (after talking to them 5 times because they kept sending me a corrupt PDF file)  and I was charged $928.  I finally had to talk to their accounting department. Hotels.com said the resort fees were included, but they ended up charging me a $38 resort fee plus 2 additional fees/taxes on top of the resort fee, PLUS 3 other bogus fees/taxes. The room itself was $700, and I ended up paying $228 in additional taxes/fees.   We were there for 3 days and they didn't clean our room ONCE!  In fact, we didn't even see a maid cart the entire stay.  We had to call and ask for towels and such. Plus everything was closed (jacuzzis, gondolas, restaurants, spa, etc.)  Not sure how they substantiate a resort fee and two other taxes/fees on the resort fee (plus 3 other taxes/fees) if all the amenities aren't available.  The reason we stayed there in the first place was because of the gondolas, which were closed. The pool was open but it was unbearable. It is supposedly heated but it is still ice cold.  I jumped in and had to get right back out. It was so cold I was shaking and bit my tongue and the inside of my mouth because my teeth were chattering so bad.  It felt like I jumped into an ice bath! I should have known it was a mistake to stay there before we arrived because they sent me an email informing me that I was coming from out of state and they were required to extend my stay for a "14 day quarantine" which is ridiculous.  I live in CA, so I wasn't coming from out of state.  I emailed them, and they emailed me back claiming they got the info from a "third party" yet I was born and raised in CA.  There's absolutely no way they could have gotten out of state info. I will definitely not be returning to this hotel!

We spent 2 nights here in Nov 2020 and loved it! Flamingos, Ducks, Geese, Swans and a Pelican. We walked around almost the entire 2 golf courses (we do not golf, but we like to walk). So beautiful. The lagoon was huge and tranquil The breakfast café is right on the lagoon. I had 2 memorable breakfasts with hot and delicious coffee, and they leave the whole pot. This my mini-heaven: breakfast with my wife, outdoors, nice view, and a pot of hot, fresh and delightful coffee. Did you know that every Marriott in the world has the exact same coffee? This is what I learned at breakfast from the waiter. We have another PS trip in a few weeks, and on the advice of friends we booked La Quinta. But on the advice of other friends, we went back to TripAdvisor and read the reviews. They are #3 of 4 hotels in La Quinta. Weird, right? And #1 is Homewood Suites with a higher rating! The reviews mentioned shabby rooms, broken outlets, poor Internet, 7 hour wait for a room, and way too many kids. So just now, we happily cancelled La Quinta and booked another stay here at JW Marriott. I am already smelling that coffee!

We had to cancel our trip to Hawaii, and decided to try this JW Marriott as a backup getaway. Wow, we were so impressed. The resort is fabulous, with wonderful pools, amazing grounds, and best of all so many fun on-site activities. The kids loved the table tennis, horseshoes, and most of all, the putting green. Most importantly, the resort did a fabulous job ensuring COVID protocols were followed. 99% of guests wore their masks indoors, and the vast majority wore them outdoors. Staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. I believe only a portion of the hotel is open due to COVID, and when we visited the hotel was nearly "full". But it was never crowded and we never felt like we couldn't maintain proper social distance. The free breakfast for Titanium members was fabulous, but hopefully next time there is a room upgrade overlooking the main pools. We are already planning our return trip.

The grounds are immaculate, and their commitment to clean made us feel safe during our stay. It's a little bit of paradise with well-appointed rooms and amenities and a fantastic pool layout. The staff was always going out of their way to ensure we were comfortable and even things like super clean rugs and fast elevators did not go unnoticed. We will definitely return.