Plenty of cities tout their history, but in Palm Springs, California, the history is lively but fairly recent. With Midcentury Modern architecture and Hollywood before the jet set age as the stars, a property dating back to 1958 is considered legendary. “Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin drank here,” puts Riviera Palm Springs in the middle of the heyday.
A resort approaching its 70th birthday in a few years has been through plenty of changes, of course. Riviera Palm Springs has changed ownership, management, and even names at times, including a strange stint as a Margaritaville resort. (This definitely doesn’t feel like a Jimmy Buffett kind of town.) I recently spent a few nights here in June, a time of year when the pool and crisp room A/C were both welcome, and it was a great base for exploring the Greater Palm Springs area.
You get a great first impression here, with a lit retro sign out front by a fountain, a big porte-cochère with valet parking, and a lovely lobby that fits the area vibe perfectly. Then, as you navigate the place, you see it’s set up like a wheel with spokes, anchored by the pool complex and with rooms and public areas around the wheel.
The Biggest Hotel Pool Complex in Palm Springs
Since The Riviera went up back when the land it sits on didn’t have much else around, they had a big footprint to work with that allows plenty of swimming pool space in the middle. Most of the houses and hotels in this hot area have a pool, but you usually have to get out into the suburbs (like at Grand Hyatt Indian Wells) to find a pool complex as you’d see in Orlando or Cancun.
Here you have more than a place for a quick dip. There are pool areas for adults and kids, and a whirlpool too for the cooler months. You don’t have to struggle to find a lounge chair, and there’s a dedicated bar and restaurant for the pool area.
If it’s not blazing hot and you want to get some exercise, you can borrow a bike from the lobby crew and take a spin past all the interesting houses — those not hidden behind a tall hedge, that is. Downtown is close enough that you could ride there and check out the excellent Palm Springs Art Museum and the nearby giant Marilyn Monroe statue. There’s also a gym on site.
Dining and Drinking at Riviera Palm Springs
Palm Springs is often derided by the locals for having a lot of overpriced restaurants that end up being underwhelming. So you’re probably not coming here for the food, especially if you’re used to the high level of competition in Los Angeles or San Francisco. We did have a terrific dinner when we went out to the stylish Eight4Nine, but otherwise, there wasn’t a lot that was memorable from my nights outside the conference (except for the big bill on my credit card).
The few catered banquet meals I had at the Riviera were just okay, but in all fairness, I didn’t experience dinner at their sit-down restaurant Circa 59. I was busy with other things at night and just had to look longingly at their lovely outdoor sitting area with hanging basket lights under the trees. The second restaurant, Palmetto Cafe, is a bright and cheerful breakfast spot, plus there’s a take-out coffee bar with pastries and sandwiches.
The bar off the lobby looks nice, but it’s an oddity with its giant TV dominating the space and limited opening hours. It definitely doesn’t follow the “It’s 5:00 somewhere” attitude, for when it opens and when we went to get a drink at 9:15 on a weekend night, it was already closed. We had to leave the resort and walk downtown since the only other bar is a daytime one at the pool complex. (The website says the Tropic Lounge is open at night, but it wasn’t when we were there.)
Rooms Worth Lounging In
In some older hotels, the rooms can be small, but that’s not the case at the Riviera Palm Springs. Our Premium Studio room had a king bed, a full sleeper sofa, a desk, and an outdoor sitting area with two tables and a chair. (Ones on the second floor have a furnished balcony.) Closet space was ample, and there was a mini fridge.
The standard rooms have a bit less space and no sofa, plus a few don’t have an outdoor area, but are still more than 300 square feet and have the same amenities, like a large TV and coffee maker. The Yucca Suite and Indigo Suite are twice the size, with a separate living room area.
We did see the local labor shortage in action, though, with fewer immigrants coming into California. Several times we had to call the front desk when housekeeping never showed up, plus several in our group had to wait around an hour or more past check-in time because the rooms weren’t ready. When added to the early closing bar issue, this made the resort feel understaffed once we left the lobby. Staffers who were there were helpful, though.
- Get a Car Rental
- Buy Travel Insurance
See all the details at the resort’s home page and expect to pay as little as $133 in low season, $325 in high season, including an annoying $20 resort fee. That add-on fee gets you “extras” like access to the gym, Wi-Fi, and “use of poolside loungers, towels, and umbrellas.” The resort is now affiliated with the IHG Hotels group, which means you can earn or cash in loyalty points if you belong to that program.
Check rates online at Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda.com, or Hotels.com.
Review and photos by Tim Leffel, who paid a group rate to stay at the property when attending a trade group conference. As always, all opinions are his own.
