We drove out to Palm Springs for the Independence Day holiday and tried out the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, located about 20 minutes beyond Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley.
Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa Review
Admittedly, these are usually the type of hotels I avoid. First, it was hot. Second, it was crowded. But there are four people in my family, not just me, and I was outvoted: they wanted to go to a place with a lot of swimming. This hotel certainly has that covered. Due to the holiday, the paid rate was about $350/night so we used 18,000 points per ticket, which got me about two cents per point.
At the outset, I will say that I liked the hotel staff, breakfast, and spa…but I would not come back. Heidi is more agnostic. My kids, however, ask often when we can go back. So that probably means we will return…
Parking
Parking is controlled via a gated lot and runs $27/night, though it was waived for me due to my Globalist status and because I was using points (both are required for free parking).
If you have an electric car, an on-site Tesla charging facility is available.
Check-In
It felt a bit like Las Vegas at check-in, with a massive line in the general queue to check-in. That made me quite happy I had World of Hyatt elite status and was able to use the near-empty line on the left side, saving me at least 20 minutes.
In addition to room keys, I was given an armband to show I was a hotel guest (and access the pool). Children do not have to wear one.
Room
There are some suites here, but as it was a holiday they were all occupied. I had requested a ground-level room facing the golf course (instead of the pool) prior to check-in when responding to the “welcome” email that is automatically sent to each guest prior to their arrival.
A representative responded back that my request was confirmed, however when I checked in we were assigned a third level room. The agent explained that there had been some flooding…
… which I shortly found on my way to the room. The smell was not pleasant and it did not look like the hotel was pulling up the carpet. No way I would stay in that wing again (the 21XX rooms)…
Our room, 2332, was fine. Not at all special…with a big bed and a sleeper sofa that transformed into a second bed. I appreciated that we had plenty of space, a substantial end table, and a large desk.
Outside, the balcony overlooked the golf course.
The bathroom included a shower, toilet, and tub with Balman bath products.
There was literature on the desk explaining the hotel’s amenities, spa menu, and special Fourth of July festivities (we skipped the fireworks).
Pools (HyTides Waterpark)
You really do come here if you have kids who like to swim. Otherwise, the spa and gym are nice (see below), but not worth the hassle. On a hot July day with 112ºF heat, the pools were packed.
But on this day and every day, my children had such a fun time in the pool that it just brought a smile to my face (as I sat in the shade watching from afar during the heat of the afternoon). I was thankful there were 1-foot-deep kiddie pools, so I did not have to worry about my three-year-old drowning (she does not know how to swim yet).
Augustine loved the water slides!
Here’s how the hotel describes the waterpark:
Dive into Greater Palm Springs’ newest attraction. The largest resort pool area, HyTides Plunge, is breaking records as the tallest waterslide in the desert.
Featuring a set of 30-foot dueling waterslides, the three story attraction also includes a 450-foot lazy river and splash pad filled with dumping buckets, water cannons and more.
Guest access is included after 2:00 pm on your day of arrival through 1:00 pm on your date of departure (no showing up early or staying very late).
Again, the kids loved it while I found it too crowded and sunny…
Spa + Wellness
The hotel offers a full-service spa called Auga Serena. Treatments are available or you can just use the sauna, steam room, and plunge pool at no extra cost as a guest (yes, I sit in the sauna, even when it is 112ºF outside…).
Fitness
Connected to the spa is a large fitness center with a wide selection of equipment and a separate room for pilates and yoga.
When I went to grab some pictures of the spa, I left the kids alone for about two minutes and when I returned I found they had decided to “exercise.”
Dining
Breakfast was included for my family as a Globalist member and I was told I could either take it in Lantana, the hotel’s main restaurant located near the lobby, or to-go food (plus Starbucks coffee…) at Citrus Marketplace and Café.
Breakfast included a buffet and an a la carte menu, of which I was invited to order whatever I wanted. Service and food were excellent, despite the crowds.
Lantana is also open for dinner:
Agave Sunset is the hotel lounge and bar, located directly across from Lantana.
Near the pools, food and drink are available at Roadrunner Cafe and Oasis Pool Bar.
Regency Club
The Hyatt Regency Indian Wells has no Regency Club lounge.
Business Center
A single desktop with a printer was located near the lobby. Nice to have, just in case…
Nearby is also a self-dispensing CVS Drug Store, which was kind of cool for all your sunburn and hangover needs…
CONCLUSION
Mission accomplished in terms of letting my children swim. This is not my kind of resort, but this is certainly a very family-friendly resort with a lot of fun for the littles ones. I have a feeling we will be returning sooner rather than later…
Ohhh boy!! I would avoid this place like the plague. Not only the hotel looks nothing inviting but the crowds. Also, $27/night for parking is plain robbery.
Sometimes you have to give way to the kiddos!
Gee. What a weekend to go to Palm Springs. I’m surprised the pool wasn’t boiling.
Great review! Yeah that hotel looks crowded.
On the other hand, you’re lucky you didn’t stay at the Hyatt in Downtown Palm Springs. I just checked out yesterday, and although they upgraded me to a VIP suite, the room looked like it hadn’t been touched since the 90’s, as did the rest of the property. The pool was very crowded as well.
How was the breakfast? Did you try it?
Yeah the breakfast was definitely the highlight of our stay. The breakfast staff was friendly, and we were given $30 a person. Entrees were reasonably at about $15. I can send you the menu if you’re interested.
I need to send you an email with my stay at La Quinta Resort from the same time period. Much quieter and very nice accommodations plus a Summer rate that included $100 FB credit and spa credit daily.
My wife and I have done this hotel twice. The only way to make it work as a “relaxing” trip is to get a cabana in the adults only pool area. We used points for the room and spent the money on that. It worked out pretty well. Also, the golf course side is a good call. Pool facing rooms are VERY loud.
You went to Indian Wells in July and no one was holding a gun to your head?
what an incredible review of the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa! It sounds like an absolute paradise and a dreamy escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I’ve been searching for the perfect destination for my next vacation, and after reading your review, this resort has definitely climbed to the top of my list.
I thought the same and it looked so good online – but it is not – at least not over a busy holiday weekend. It’s way way too crowded, pools are shoulder to shoulder, forget about getting a chair! Think Florida spring break and you get the idea.
And the breakfast restaurant has a 2 hour wait by 9 am – which essentially means no Globalist breakfast for you, unless you want it at lunch time and can convince your children to wait hungrily for 2 hours.
I am staying here right now. Just an update on Globalist breakfast. When we got there at 9 am they said “it’s a 2 hour wait and the a la carte closes at 11 – but buffet is open till noon”. I was really surprised because while there was a long line – everyone in front of us was seated right away. How do you go from zero wait to 2 hours? I then asked if Globalists get some priority seating which I essentially was laughed at. We got some takeout stuff at the coffee shop but biy was I disappointed.
That whole overcrowding theme continues to the pools. Forget about getting a seat anywhere – even the pools and lazy river are shoulder to shoulder – think spring break crowds in Florida. I don’t know if it’s because they sell day passes to locals and on Labor Day weekend everyone comes in – felt a bit that way given all the folks rolling their coolers in. It doesn’t matter – it is not enjoyable.
I would avoid this place at all cost over any type of holiday – the crowds are insane. When you design a hotel, you need to plan the number of rooms vs pool capacity and restaurant sizes.
At the Grand Hyatt Kauai for example, it is never crowded, not even when the hotel is sold out.
Yes, this isn’t the Grand Hyatt but it still is unacceptable at any price
One more thing about this hotel. I had applied a Globalist suite upgrade about 9 months before. What was really bizarre was that the Hyatt agent came back and said “the hotel refused the upgrade” – and I replied “but suites are available, so they have to honor it” – she agreed with me but they have to manually call up the hotel and the hotel flat out refused. They then tried again and ultimately she came back saying they budged and are honoring now. I was nervous expecting that at checking I get a nasty surprise but luckily everything was ok. It made me wonder though – how can the hotel have the balls to flat out refuse official rules – not to me, the customer, but to the parent company, Hyatt. Wow, that tells you something about this hotel.