Desert Riviera Hotel

It was very clean, and I love how intimate the grounds were. Our room was very spacious and comfortable. It was also very quiet. The staff was very friendly, and were only a text away when we had questions.

We’ve stayed at the Desert Riviera Hotel many times over the years, and we keep coming back because it's consistently welcoming, comfortable, and well-managed. This is a true boutique hotel, not a large resort, and it delivers exactly what it promises.

A shout-out to the staff: Misty, Lynda, Michael, Corbin, and Teri keep the hotel running smoothly, and Monica, Sara, and Leo keep the rooms and property tidy. The staff is warm, friendly, and attentive without being intrusive, and the property always feels calm and well-maintained. Rooms are spacious, bright, and very clean, with classic mid-century Palm Springs style. A thoughtful touch is the Welcome Basket with snacks on the table and water and sparkling water in the fridge to hold you over until you can get to the nearby grocery store.

Each room includes a practical kitchenette with a sink, coffee maker, electric teapot, small fridge, microwave, and a table for coffee or casual indoor meals. Outdoors, there’s an excellent shared kitchen with barbecues, an electric pizza oven, a covered fire-pit table, and a community pantry with a shared fridge and basic condiments.

Breakfast is a self-serve continental breakfast, not a hot buffet. It typically includes good local coffee, juices, milk, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, fruit, bagels, toast, and spreads — simple and convenient. A coffee thermos is also available at the fire pit early each morning.

The location is walkable to nearby amenities. Food options are especially convenient. Ralphs and Jensen’s grocery stores are nearby, making it easy to shop for cooking at the hotel, or several very good restaurants and coffee shops are within easy walking distance. Try nearby Gabino's Creperie for delicious savory crepes!

The pool is comfortably warm for relaxing or swimming laps, while the hot tub, fire pit, and gardens create a peaceful, enjoyable atmosphere from early morning to late evening.

Nearby is the CV Link, a 40-mile car-free network of paved paths for biking and walking throughout the Coachella Valley. You can use the hotel’s free bikes, take a 7-minute walk to Big Wheel Tours to rent an e-bike or a specialty bike, or book a guided bicycle tour. It’s a fun, easy, scenic way to explore Palm Springs’ neighborhoods without getting in the car.

It’s no surprise that Desert Riviera consistently ranks among Palm Springs’ top hotels on TripAdvisor and has earned Travelers’ Choice and Best of the Best honors. That reputation reflects years of consistent care, character, and genuine hospitality, which 99% of guests have appreciated.

For travelers seeking a relaxed, welcoming, and unmistakably Palm Springs hotel, Desert Riviera is an excellent choice.

excellent on all levels

This is a small hotel. There was no noise from the adjacent rooms. Staff were always hospitable and engaging. I love the fact that they have kept the layout and feel from a by-gone era, but have also kept the room up to date. Although the bathroom looks like it is from the 50's, the shower is awesome. Bed was comfortable, Two large closets. Fridge, coffee maker, and dishes were nice. This was our second stay and we expect to be back again.

Imagine a hotel with an attentive staff, free beer by the pool, a drink handed to you on check-in, yummy snacks in the room, tasty popcorn every evening by the pool, a spotless pool, free bikes, spotless rooms, and an enticing breakfast.

Well, that's not the Desert Riviera of today. Those are the qualities that helped the Desert Riviera gain 5 stars in the past. When you visited, you felt like you were stepping into a premium hotel. You felt taken care of. It was not just a hotel; it was an experience. The Desert Riviera is merely resting on the laurels of previous ownership and management's laurels.

We've been coming here for years, so we can outline the hotel's changes. First, it is not a 5-star hotel, by any stretch of the imagination. Relative to Palm Springs, it rates 4 stars, maybe even 3 stars.

The hotel's previous qualities are now this:

* A non-existent staff, likely attending to the sister property, the Hotel California. For the first couple of days, there was no staff on premises, other than housekeeping. On the third day, a staff member did occupy the front office. On check-in, we had to text a number to get a staff member to show up, and this took 20 to 30 minutes.
* No free beer by the pool.
* No drink handed to you on check-in.
* So-so snacks in the room that are more like airline snacks.
* Popcorn likely popped in the microwave and dumped into the poolside popcorn maker.
* A pool that's still nice, but with a few small weeds growing up on the coping.
* Still free bikes. But every morning, we had to unlock the giant cable holding all of the bikes together by ourselves. Not an easy task.
* Spotless rooms. One afternoon, we rested poolside while housekeeping spent a long time on the room. The room was in fantastic condition when we came in. They forgot to replenish the snacks, but we were able to flag someone down and get them.
* A pitiful breakfast. Without exaggeration, we've had better breakfasts in Best Westerns. Weak coffee, Otis Spunkmeyer muffins, plastic-wrapped bagels, over-sugary energy bars, cream in tiny cups. This one is easy to fix. Simply order one bagel per guest from Townie Bagels and Bakery. Upgrade the coffee to a local brand or, at the very least, Starbuck's. Put the cream cheese in one nice container. Cream in carafes. Add fresh fruit. The breakfast is not even adequate; it's so embarrassing that no breakfast would be a better alternative.

In short, it's not a horrible experience. It's simply: A Palm Springs Small Hotel. Nothing delightful, nothing magical, nothing creative and inspiring, and not worth the cost.

With this last experience, we resolved never to come back to the Desert Riviera. Palm Springs has plenty of other options.

Muito bom

Location: away from the crowds yet close to the action.
Staff: very friendly.
Room: nice and large. Separate kitchen area was nice. All basic kitchen accessories, plates, bowls and cutlery were provided. So, we could make sandwiches before leaving for the trips. At night we could take carryout on the way back and eat in the comfort of our room

Excellent facilities, very thoughtful amenities and great staff. Coffee carafe nearer to the fireplace every morning, popcorn at 4 and a great assortment of breakfast everyday with a very friendly staff and a beautiful pristine pool.. we had the best stay !!

Beautiful place. We stayed only one night, passing through on our way from LA to Vegas. It was a short stay but we enjoyed it very much. We took a dip in the pool in late afternoon / evening and it was very nice and relaxing. After checking-in, we got a quick tour of the nice facilities, by the nice gentleman who greeted us. Not much time to experience the hotel but we did have some popcorn from the machine by the pool. We loved the stylish 70's decor. We will certainly be back for a longer stay.

This place was a gem! It was secluded but close to everything. We loved our stay!

Beautiful grounds and excellent location.

Very cute and comfortable! The room was more like an apartment and had everything.
The staff go out of their way to make sure their customers are enjoying the property.

breakfast was pretty good & very very spacious room

Full of character, from the colour design layout the pool and all the add-ons such as inflatable toys -the lounges, bbqs, pizza oven popcorn maker outdoor TV
The position of tables allowing for privacy and shade, fire pit tables to enjoy a drink at in the evening. A communal kitchen available for storing food, supply with a ready supply of ice and unlimited complimentary bottles of water.
The room was tastefully designed and well equipped with a basket of complimentary treats to snack on.
Breakfast Selection great bagels, muffins, fruit, yoghurt , eggs and muesli bars for those in a hurry.
They have bikes you can borrowing and i
noted golf clubs as well.
And one of the nicest things is the attitude of the staff especially Linda …nothing was a problem and given how small the Desert Riviera is -the atmosphere amongst the guests is light and friendly.

cet hôtel est un havre de paix

Everything. It was truly a little Melrose Place style oasis. Pool and amenities were exceptional. And the popcorn!