Review: The Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage

Hotel Review: The Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage

If you're looking for a luxurious stay in the greater Palm Springs area, The Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage checks all of the boxes including a stunning location with picturesque views, firepit terrace rooms and all of the amenities one would expect when staying at a luxury hotel.

Hotel Overview

The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage is located just a short drive away from the Palm Springs Airport and up on a hill in the city of Rancho Mirage in a secluded residential community away, making it an ideal destination for those looking to take in the nature of Palm Springs and escape the outside world.

One of the first things you'll notice as you arrive is the desert-chic ambience that embraces its beautiful natural setting overlooking the Coachella Valley and Palm Desert region.  

When staying at a luxury property, like the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage, the main things you'll notice that set it apart from regular run-of-the-mill hotels are its list of expansive list of amenities, exceptional dining options and personalized service level.

Amenities you'll enjoy during your stay here include:

• The Club Lounge with dedicated concierge service and culinary offerings (when booking club level accommodations)
• Upscale dining featuring seasonal cuisine and curated wine lists
• Two swimming pools, VIP-style cabanas and poolside dining
• Adults-Only Vista Pool overlooking Palm Desert

• Air Pool (for everyone), located near the main resort area

• A luxury spa with holistic therapies, indigenous ingredients and hillside views

• State-of-the-art fitness center with personal training and yoga classes
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• Lawn Games, Candy Garden, Guided Hikes, Stargazing Experience, Bike Rentals, Fitness Classes, Golf Bag Storage, and More
• These items are covered by the $40 daily resort fee, but you can enjoy a hike at your own pace.  Be sure to grab an area hiking map at the Concierge or the Front Desk

• More than 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space
• During our stay, a wedding was being set up on the lawn outside our room

Accommodations

The hotel features 244 guest rooms and suites, with most featuring feature private balconies and patios.

Standard rooms are decorated in a neutral color palette and are luxurious in design, featuring marble floors and baths, sleek wooden furniture and plush, 400-thread-count linens, Nespresso coffee makers, standard flatscreen TVs and a separate 22-inch flat-screen TV in the bathroom.

While the hotel grounds are expertly manicured and well-kept, my initial thoughts about the room when walking in was that it could use a small refresh, mainly to the headboards and room decor.  Now, don't get me wrong, the rooms are nice, but booking into a Terrace Firepit Room with a private patio and firepit made our stay that much more enjoyable, as we spent all of our time outdoors.

Dining

The hotel has a few different dining options, including 24-hour in-room dining for guests who prefer to dine in the privacy of their guest rooms.  

State Fare Bar & Kitchen serves California cuisine made from seasonal ingredients and offers indoor and outdoor dining.

The Edge Steakhouse (closed during our stay in January 2022) features an upscale dining experience with unparalleled views of the valley serving fresh meats and seafood with an extensive list of wine and cocktails. 

Air Pool Bar serves an Asian-inspired menu and provides poolside drinks.

We enjoyed breakfast at State Far Kitchen and took advantage of in-room dining and enjoyed lunch and evening drinks in our outdoor patio overlooking the firepit.

Overall Impression

Overall, I would have to say this hotel met all of our expectations and we enjoyed a quick birthday stay during a longer Palm Desert trip.  I knew booking a short birthday stay here would be memorable, luxurious and a nice way to end our trip in Palm Springs.  The Ritz Carlton as a brand knows how to take care of their guests and you can always expect personalized luxury service here.

If you're considering a stay here, I highly recommend booking into the terrace firepit room category - I cant recommend it enough!  Booking into a terrace firepit room made our stay that much more enjoyable.  We enjoyed evening drinks and smores around the firepit and during the day enjoyed lunch outside on our patio, which made it easy to stay socially distant during Covid times and allowed the kids ample space to walk around and enjoy themselves.  

The hotel's setting is beautiful and walking around the hotel grounds during the day and again at night makes for some spectacular scenes.

The only thing that could of made our stay better, in my opinion, is having a lower resort fee and not having to use the mandatory valet parking.  The $40 daily resort fee can add up fast, as well as the $32 daily valet parking fee.  I knew these costs going in and have no problem paying them, but the cost/benefit for most hotel guests just isn't there (This goes for most hotel resort or destination fees).