Vacation in Palm Desert

Outstanding family time. Stay at the Villas I and you get free access to the J.W. Marriott Resort and Spa!!! However, not a tremendous amount of activities for young children to do.

Quick Tips:

Local newspaper: The Desert Sun for events and activities.

Best Way To Get Around:

Automobile. We saw very limited public transportation. Marriot has its own shuttle from the Villas to the J.W. Marriott resort (which is adjacent to the Villas).

When we chose to vacation in Palm Desert, there was much debate over whether to stay in Marriott's Desert Springs Villas I or Villas II. Both are at the same property and the public facilities and check-in are the same. Villas II is a bit more modern and hence up-to-date while Villas I units are larger and have free access to all the public facilities at the J.W. Marriott Resort and Spa (http://www.desertspringsresort.com/homeindex.html). We chose Villas I because of the free access to the J.W.

Accommodations: The accommodations were above average for a timeshare but not quite up to what we expect from Marriott. We have previously stayed at Marriott's Grande Vista in Orlando and I am a long-time Silver member of Marriott Rewards. Our unit was not updated...but we were told that the units in the Villas I are in the process of being updated.

We stayed in a two bedroom end unit. 1650+ SF speaks for itself. Our unit had a large sunken living room, fireplace, two large balconies (each fully furnished but no grill). We had wonderful golf course views. Parking, thankfully, was covered and plentiful.

The units at Villas I are not laid out efficiently, but then again the Villas I development was Marriott's early entry into timesharing. The units are two bedroom lockout units...they are made up of two units. One unit is a very large one-bedroom with sunken living room and full kitchen. The second unit is a very large hotel room (a.k.a studio).

Public Facilities:

Pools: Average. There are over seven pools in the Villas complex (not including the pools at the JW Marriott). Compared with other timeshares and our experience at Marriott's Grande Vista timeshare...these pool areas were not maintained well. There was mildew on a good portion of all of the concrete pool areas. When wet the pool areas became extremely slippery. The chairs and chaises were clearly not cleaned on a daily basis and pools towels were hard to get even if you got to the pool first thing in the morning before the large crowds.

All in all one of the better timeshares we have stayed at and we would definitely like to return. We would, however, like to see great improvement in the upkeep of this outstanding property.

Best Things Nearby:
Palm Springs Aerial Tram
Joshua Tree
Patton Museum
Good restaurants

Best Things About the Resort:
Size of the rooms...1650 square feet with great views of the golf course. Many pools and FULL and FREE access to the J.W. Marriott Resort and Spa.

Resort Experience:
The accommodations have tremendous potential! The size is wonderful for a large family; however, the layout is not the best, with one of the bedrooms situated through the entry foyer and not connecting through the living room. Living room was wonderful, well furnished and spacious. Kitchen was well equipped but needed updating. Bedrooms were large and very comfortable.

Finally, I must add that we intend to return...however, we were greatly disappointed with the way the property was maintained (especially around the pools). Mildew was everywhere and became extremely slippery when wet. We were concerned for our daughter’s safety, so we spent most of our pool time at the JW Marriott pools. Without that access, we would have been disappointed with the property.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Fair

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is a must-do when visiting the area. The trip up the mountainside is worth the high price of admission. The tram ascends almost 6,000 feet and the views along the trip are spectacular, although the tram rotation is a bit annoying (even if justified). My three-year-old daughter loved it so much that for the remainder of our week in Palm Desert she wanted to go back each day. The hiking opportunities at the top are outstanding...over 54 miles of trails can be accessed from the top of the tram. Visit http://www.pstramway.com/ for more information.

The cafeteria at the top is mediocre at best, as is the service. We did not try the restaurant. I would recommend packing your own lunch or dinner so that you can experience more of the wonderful outdoors without being tied to having your meal at the tram station. Military discounts are offered on the full priced ticket (not discounted afternoon tickets). Make sure you dress appropriately...the temperature at the top of the tram is significantly colder that at the bottom (as mush as 30+ degrees).

The CDMOD is a simple and safe environment for young children to explore. They have over 16 exhibits that our 3-year-old daughter could not get enough of. From learning how to shop in a grocery store (to include being a "bagger" and "cashier") to making a pizza or pretending to be a veterinarian, a trip to the CDMOD is a day well spent.