Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage

I recently had the opportunity to have multiple stays at the newly re-opened RitzCarlton Rancho Mirage.

I will break down the hotel in three posts: the rooms and property, the food and finally the welcome amenities since I booked the room through a Ritz Carlton Stars agent.  I was told that the hotel does want to be part of Virtuoso, but has not yet been accepted into the program.

The hotel is located up in the hills, which is a semi-private road in that the only houses in the neighborhood are part of the Ritz Carlton Residences.

As you pull into the driveway of the hotel, you are immediately greeted by the friendly valet staff.  Luggage assistance is gladly provided.

As you enter the hotel, the lobby looks like a warm and inviting living room rather than a hotel lobby.  There are large sofas surrounding a fireplace.

Lobby

Lobby

The front desk is to the right.  There is usually no line to check-in as the property is somewhat small with 244 rooms.  Check-in is generally very friendly and quick.  There are also flavored waters at the front desk, which is rather refreshing on hot summer days.

There are two basic room types, which only differ in the set-up of the bathroom which does affect the rest of the room to one extent.

Deep Tub

Shower

Toilet

The first room type has a separate tub and shower.  The shower is on the smaller side.  There is a glass encased toilet.

Sink

The sink area for both room types are identical.  There is somewhat limited counter space, which is helped by the addition of a shelf to add more room for smaller objects.

With this room type, the closet is next to the bed which decreases the size of the bedroom a little.

Shower/Tub Area

The second room type has a tub with shower area next to it.  The shower area is much larger, but there is only a partitioned piece of glass separating the shower from the rest of the bathroom so water tends to flood the bathroom area if not directing the water towards the tub.

The tubs in both bathrooms are so deep that you can almost go scuba diving in there.

Toilet

This bathroom has a separate toilet area.  What I noticed in some of the rooms is that the toilet paper holder is so close to the toilet that you have to sit somewhat sideways so the holder doesn’t stab you in the leg.  Not a very well thought out plan.

The now standard Asprey bath amenities are provided.  What I have noticed at the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage is that razors, a toothbrush or slippers are not provided in the room, which comes off as the hotel is cutting corners even though they just opened.

Closet

Closet

With this room type, the closet is located in the hallway.  The closet is large and also contains a set of drawers.

Desk Area

Coffee Maker & TV

Once in the bedroom, there is a long desk and counter area in which the TV and Nespresso coffee maker are located.  There are two complimentary bottles of water, with a third hidden bottle in the drawers underneath the coffee maker where the ice bucket is held.

Desk

As previously mentioned, the desk is long but not deep so working space can be somewhat limiting.

Sitting Area?

There is a chair next to the desk which doesn’t seem to serve much purpose other than another place to store things.

There is also a small refrigerator in the room which comes in handy, which is located beneath the coffee maker.

Sitting Area

There is a sizeable chair and ottoman in the corner.

Bed

The bed is very soft and luxurious, something one expects at a Ritz Carlton.  The bedding is high quality and ones just melts into the bed.

View

Views from the room vary depending on room type.  Views can either overlook the Ritz Carlton Residences and valley or the resort.

Terrace Fire Pit

Terrace Fire Pit

The Terrace Firepit room is located on the ground floor, and comes with a large patio area and two lounge chairs.  There is a firepit located forward of the patio which is gas.  You have no control of turning the firepit on or off, but could be used to roast marshmallows at night.

Gym

Gym

Gym

Gym

Gym

The air conditioner in the room is not very strong.  There is only one vent in the room, and while the room would get cool, it would never get cold.  This is a huge disappointment during the summer when temperatures can get over 110 degrees.

The gym is located away from the main hotel building and is located next to the spa.  The gym is fairly large and was surprisingly busy at times.  There is a variety of equipment including weight machines, treadmills, bikes, elliptical machines, gym balls and a small free weight area.  There is also a “studio” of sorts with spinning equipment.  There is a small refrigerator which sometimes held cold, wet towels while other times held bottles of water.

There is a Club Level at the hotel which is not yet open.  I believe it is scheduled to open in October along with their steakhouse, The Edge.

The Club Lounge is rather small but most club lounges that I have been to have never been overcrowded so I do not think this will be an issue.

This is a great addition to the hotels in the Palm Springs area.  The only downside of the hotel is that there is a $30 resort fee, along with $30 for valet parking which is mandatory as there are no self-parking options.