Description: When I left my husband in charge of planning our honeymoon, I was slightly worried about the type of establishment he might select. When he first told me that he had booked a "La Quinta" hotel, I assumed he meant the chain of discount hotel chains and I was automatically disappointed. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
The La Quinta Resort and Club is not a part of the discount hotel chain found in many other places in California. It is actually part of the "Waldorf Astoria" collection of Hilton hotels. "La Quinta" is the name of the town near Palm Springs where it is located and not an indication of the brand. Though it may sound like it would be expensive, the La Quinta resort was quite a good bargain in the off season. Since we were staying there at the end of May (in 100 degree plus heat everyday), we were able to get a deluxe room with private outdoor hot tub for under $150/night.
When we first arrived at the property I was impressed by the beautiful landscaping, recreation facilities, and southwestern architecture that is apparent when you first turn into the resort entrance. The person at the check-in desk was warm, friendly and very informative about the amenities the resort had to offer. We happened to mention that we were on our honeymoon to her and during our stay we were surprised by room service with a complimentary bottle of champagne and beautiful chocolate-dipped strawberries.
The rooms (or villas) at the La Quinta Resort are beautiful while at the same time being unique. Our room came with a small private yard with a hot tub. The layout made it seem like you were staying in your own private bungalow instead of a resort. The room was perfectly made up with southwestern touches like a miniature bunch of hot peppers and crepe paper flowers that guests are invited to take home with them. The room had a nice plasma TV hung on the wall and a working fireplace for added ambiance. The mini bar had everything you could possibly want in your stay including souvenir snacks (for those who couldn’t make it to the gift shop), alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and sun protection. The cleaning staff was very thorough and not the least bit bothersome every day of our stay.
Though guests are given the option of getting their own private hot tub or pool attached to their room, the La Quinta Resort has plenty of other shared-guest pools and hot tubs for you to enjoy if you decide to not spend the extra few dollars. There were more than thirty pools on the property, as well as multiple tennis courts and other recreational areas. During our stay, we always had a shared pool to ourselves and a choice of what tennis court we wanted to use. We did not play golf on the resort’s course because it was a bit to hot for us, but I hear from other friends that the course is quite good.
The La Quinta Resort has many things to do aside from swim or golf right on the property. There are a few shops and restaurants near the center of the resort that are quite good. The spa is also an excellent option for those looking to relax. It’s about a ten minute drive from downtown Palm Springs, so is convenient to other area attractions as well.
My husband and I had a splendid honeymoon at the La Quinta Resort and are looking forward to returning someday in the future. It may be a better bargain to go in the off-season, but I believe we will go during New England’s winter next time to take true advantage of the spectacular weather and surroundings.
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