Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa

The Hyatt Regency Indian Wells (formerly known as the Hyatt Grand Champions) is sort of oddly located, as it is right next to the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa (a Marriott property).  In fact, they share the same entrance with the Hyatt located to the left.

Entrance

The Hyatt Regency Indian Wells boasts two golf courses, three tennis courts and seven swimming pools.

I booked the room using a Virtuoso agent, so benefits included an upgraded room, 4 PM late check-out, free breakfast and a $100 resort credit per stay.  Many of the benefits are redundant with being a Hyatt Diamond member, with the exception of the $100 resort credit, and in this case, the 4 PM late check-out since this does not apply to resorts.

I also used a Hyatt Diamond Suite Upgrade for this stay.  When calling to apply the upgrade I was told that I would either be placed into a Hospitality Suite or an Executive Suite, with the Executive Suite being the nicer of the two.

Upon entering the hotel, the front desk is located to the left.  All Hyatt Diamond and Virtuoso benefits were clearly explained, however when given the welcome letter it stated that I had booked my room through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts which was clearly wrong, but both include the same benefits.  I was told that the Regency Club was closed during the summer, so I would get an extra 2,500 Gold Passport points.  The $10 self-parking fee is also waived for Diamond Members, but unfortunately there was no discount or waiver of the resort fee.

I inquired about the possibility of a further upgrade, and after speaking with the manager I was upgraded to a 1 bedroom villa.

1 Bedroom Villa

The villas are located away from the main hotel and is in a quieter location.  Transportation to the villas is provided via a golf cart.  In addition, the villas come with butler service.

Guest Bathroom

Upon entering the villa, there is a large entryway with a half bathroom located to the left.  Although spacious, it is not well laid out as there is only a toilet and very small sink that is about the size of a small drinking fountain.

Living Room

Dining Table & Welcome Amenity

Microwave, Fridge, Coffee Maker

Coffee Supplies

The entryway opens up into a large living room with a sofa, three chairs, fireplace, dining room table, microwave, small refrigerator and wet bar.  There is also a coffee maker with pre-ground coffee.  The refrigerator does include complimentary drinks which included 4 bottles of water, a Diet Pepsi, Pepsi and 2 cans of Iced Tea.  There was also a welcome amenity of three pieces of fruit - a tangerine, peach and apple.

Patio

Jacuzzi

There is a large wraparound patio that includes another door to the bedroom.  There is a patio table, chairs and best of all, your own Jacuzzi.  I had a room that overlooked the lake which was quite nice.

Hallway

Before entering the bedroom, there is a hallway with 2 sets of double doors to provide noise insulation from the living room and bedroom.

Bedroom

View to Bathroom

The bedroom is very spacious and includes two chairs, a ceiling fan, and a dresser with flat screen TV.

Bathroom

Bathroom

Shower

Bathtub

Toilet

Dresser

Walk-In Closet

The entrance to the bathroom has no door, and there are plantation shutters that open up from the bathtub.  The bathroom is extremely large with double sinks, a separate shower and bathtub.  There is also a TV in the bathroom.  The toilet is separate from the bathroom area.  There is a dresser in the bathroom area, and best of all a large walk-in closet that is bigger than most standard bedrooms.

Breakfast is in Lantana and offers a buffet or one can order off of the menu.  If choosing the buffet, there is an omelet station, along with the standard eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes.  There are also pancakes, which are some of the best I’ve ever had.  They are light, fluffy and almost melt in your mouth.  They actually have real maple syrup as well.  Other options include cereal, muffins, bagels, oatmeal, bread, fruit, yogurt and smoked salmon “martinis”.  While the selection is not large, the food is fresh and well prepared.

The only negative experience came at the time of check-out.  The front desk agent was rather inept and not big on customer service.  She was writing in some type of notebook and took a couple minutes before acknowledging me, and kept telling me that she would be with me “in a minute”.  She then took a phone call from a guest, and took off to make him a key, while still telling me that she would be with me “in a minute”.  After finally dealing with the other guest and finishing up with her notebook, she finally got around to helping me.  The whole experience at the time of check-out put a damper on an otherwise marvelous stay.

Despite the flaw at check-out, this is an amazing property and I would not hesitate to stay here again.

JW Marriott at LA Live

The JW Marriott LA Live is located with the LA Live complex, so there is ample entertainment and dining options right at your doorstep.

Valet parking is rather slow.  When I pulled up to the hotel, there were 4 or 5 valet attendants but only one of them was working.  The other 3 or 4 were just standing around.  The supervisor was there as well, and he didn’t seem that concerned that cars were starting to get backed up into the street.  At $40, you would think, and hope, that not only would valet parking be very efficient but they should also throw in a free car wash.

Upon entering the hotel, there is a large atrium with a staircase on the right.  The hotel is mainly white, with splashes of bright neon colors throughout.  It almost has a South Beach feel to it.

The front desk is to the right and can be easily overlooked.  There are only a couple of kiosks.  Like valet parking, one front desk agent was more interested in looking at her nails, while the front desk agent who helped me very pleasant and efficient.  All Marriott Platinum benefits were clearly explained.  I was asked if I wanted 500 points or a $10 food/beverage credit.  He also explained that the lounge was closed on the weekends, but breakfast could be had at LA Market.  There was a $24 credit per person for breakfast, which I felt was rather generous.

I had booked a junior suite, since it was only $30 more than a regular room.  I have read that Platinum members often got upgraded to a junior suite, but with the cost minimal it wasn’t that big of a deal.  I had also booked a package where I received a $50 credit, so in essence I got free breakfast for being a Platinum member, and free lunch with the $50 credit.

Junior Suite

Sad View from Room

My room was located on the top floor in a corner room with views from two sides.  Unfortunately, the view from each window was of the 110 freeway.

Coffee Maker & Water

Upon entering the room, the coffee maker and two complimentary bottles of water are waiting.

Sitting Area

There is a small foyer with a bench that can sit three people next to it along with a small table.

Bathroom

Bathroom

The bathroom is rather large, with only a walk-in shower, however counter space is at a premium.  Water temperature in the shower is great, but water pressure is somewhat lacking.

There is a large closet that contains the safe, iron, ironing board and several drawers

Desk/TV

The desk area is wide enough to hold the flat screen TV, a few drawers and a small refrigerator.  The thing I don’t like about Marriott’s is that the desk is at a height that makes working on it almost impossible unless you are Manute Bol.  There is a small pull out table that you can use as a work surface but seems to defeat the purpose of the desk.  There are multiple outlets on the side of the desk that makes plugging in multiple devices easy.

Sitting Area

There is a sitting area with a chair, sofa and large ottoman and coffee table, perfect for having a small get together.

Bed

The bed is super comfortable as are the pillows.  At first glance, there does not appear to be any outlets in sight, but underneath the small lights mounted on the wall, there is an outlet underneath the fixture.  It is close enough to the bed that you are still able to use your phone while it is plugged in.

Breakfast in LA Market was rather good.  Service was great, and our server Jason was very accommodating.  The breakfast buffet is $26 but you can also have cooked to order eggs or omelet, pancakes or French Toast in addition to the buffet for the same price.  The pancakes are light and fluffy, and come loaded with blueberries, as well as blueberry or regular butter and real maple syrup.

My dining companion order the French Toast but indicated that she wanted it very soggy which is rarely done by restaurants.  When the French Toast came out rather dry, Jason happily exchanged it for her second choice, the Eggs Benedict which were very good according to her.

Entrance to Pool/Bar

Rooftop Pool

View from Rooftop Pool

There is a “rooftop” pool and bar, but it is on the fourth floor.  No great view of the city, but you can see the action happening down in the LA Live area.

The one thing I do not like about Marriott is that although it is indicated that late check-out for Silver, Gold and Platinum members, if available, there is nothing set in stone, like with Hyatt or Starwood where a 4:00 PM check-out is guaranteed with the exception of resorts.

I asked for a late check-out and was told they best extend it to 1:00 PM.  I then asked, even for Platinum members.  After doing some digging, I was then given an extension to 3:00 PM, COMPLIMENTARY which was highly stressed.

Overall, this was a great stay and would not hesitate to stay here again if I needed to be in the area.  Check rates early and book them if possible.  As my stay was nearing I kept a casual eye on rates, and it more than doubled in the week of the stay.

The Westin South Coast Plaza

The Westin South Coast Plaza is conveniently located across the street from South Coast Plaza, and next to Segerstrom Concert Hall and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

As you enter the hotel, the front desk is located to the right.  Although there were three front desk agents, and only one other guest checking in, the other two front desk agents weren’t very proactive in helping customers.  One front desk agent walked away while the other was helpful once the check-in process began.

The lobby is somewhat small, and missing was the flavored water located in most Westin hotels.

Bathroom

Upon entering the room, the bathroom is located to the right.  The bathroom is on the smaller side, but there is ample counter space.

Shower/Tub Combo

They must have taken leftover tile from the Brady Bunch to tile the bathroom as it is rather outdated.  There was no “Heavenly Shower” but there is a rainfall shower head in addition to the normal shower head, providing an impromptu Heavenly Shower.

The bedroom is fairly large with ample space to walk around and maneuver around the bed.

Dresser/TV

There is a small dresser with flat screen TV with a small sitting area.

Desk

The desk is fairly wide, but does not have very much depth to it.

Heavenly Bed

The Heavenly Bed was just that.  It is nice that the lamps next on the nightstands each have 2 outlets, which makes plugging in electronics easy and convenient.

I wouldn’t say that Customer Service is a strong point of this hotel based upon this stay.

Parking options are rather limited, either valet or there is covered garage parking.  However, at $20 a day, it is rather steep.  Since there are no other parking options, the hotel certainly have you by the “short hairs” when it comes to this property.Howevdfs