Paradise in the Desert: Where to Stay in Palm Springs

by Rachel McCarthy
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Happy Tuesday! I’m switching things up a little this week to recap our trip last month to Palm Springs. Stay tuned, there will be a new sweet treat food post for you next Tuesday!

Last month, we traveled to California to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. We typically plan a trip around our anniversary and most of the time, we head to Napa for a jam-backed week of winery visits. But this year, we wanted something more relaxing. We spent part of our honeymoon in Palm Springs {we actually stayed at La Quinta Resort} and decided it would be fun to go back. As much as we liked La Quinta {and would definitely recommend it!} we wanted to stay somewhere new and try out a different desert city. I should also mention that when I say we were in Palm Springs, I’m using that city loosely. There are several desert towns around Palm Springs and for this trip, we stayed at the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage. 

Overall, we had a great experience and are looking forward to going back one day…maybe even next year for our anniversary! I will highlight a few aspects of the resort below and also share some snaps that I took while we were there!
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Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage 

Location: Located in Rancho Mirage and only 10 miles from downtown Palm Springs, you are close to all of the historic and famous restaurants and attractions of Palm Springs. When we stayed at La Quinta, we were about 20 miles from downtown Palm Springs and never actually made it downtown during that trip. Rancho Mirage is definitely more centrally located in the desert.
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Rooms: There was nothing to complain about when it came to the rooms. They were spacious and we had a beautiful view of the pool and a cute porch with seating. The greatest part about the room was the in-room Nespresso machine that they restocked each day with new pods! My husband and I love coffee so this was such a treat to have it in the room. I missed the Nespresso so much when we first got back, I even considered buying one! 
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Adult-only Infinity Pool
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Pools: The resort had two pools: a larger, main pool and a smaller, adult-only infinity pool. We actually stayed at the larger pool throughout our entire trip! The adult pool was pretty small and too quite for us — or maybe we are just too loud for the adult pool!! And the adult pool was where Air Pool Bar, the poolside restaurant, was located, so there was no chance I was going too far away from the food 🙂 I will get to the food in a separate section, but the pool food was pretty tasty with super fast service.
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Outdoor Seating at State Fare Bar + Kitchen
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The Edge Steakhouse
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Outside of The Edge Steakhouse
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View from The Edge Steakhouse Overlooking the Coachella Valley
Restaurants: We tried all three of the restaurants at the resort, and like most resorts, the food was over-priced. I will say that typically, resort food is over-priced and not that great, but overall, the food was delicious and the serving sizes were average to large, which is pretty unusual when it comes to resort food. We went to the State Fare Bar + Kitchen two of the afternoons for a happy hour menu with discounted appetizers and drinks. The avocado fries were amazing! For our anniversary dinner, we ate at The Edge Steakhouse. Situated on the cliff overlooking the Coachella Valley, this restaurant did not disappoint in the food or view categories. I will say, I was skeptical about making reservations here. When checking out the menu beforehand, the prices seemed totally outrageous, which totally turned me off. But, my husband said we should give it a try since it was our 5th anniversary and we had heard it was fabulous. I guess you could say it was one of those “once in a lifetime dining experiences”. Well, I’m glad he convinced me to go because it was probably the best restaurant we have both ever been to. The service was impeccable — the staff brought out a small plate for each of us, as compliments of the chef. When I had to turn mine down because it was shrimp {I’m allergic!} the chef brought out a specially-created vegetarian plate for me. I was shocked! They even gave us a card that was signed by all the staff wishing us a Happy Anniversary with a beautiful picture of the views from the restaurant. It was definitely a wonderful dining experience!

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Spa & Exercise Facility
Spa & Exercise Facility: Although I did not try the spa while visiting, I did spend a lot of time in the exercise facility. Included in your resort fee {$30/day} you have access to a free fitness class! I read about this awesome feature before even arriving and was so excited at the prospect of attending a fitness class each day. This is something I can only dream about when back at home! Our instructor, Bill, was great and we did both Pilates and Yoga throughout the week. We attended class each day {except the last day — class didn’t start until 11am that day and since I never really adjusted to the Pacific time zone and was up at 5am each morning, I was ready to head to the pool by 10am!} and used the fitness center before class. The fitness center was absolutely amazing. It was basically a full-sized gym with all new equipment! Another highlight: it was connected to the spa and there was a large dispenser that was always filled with fresh coconut water. It was so delicious, I can still taste it!
It was a wonderful anniversary trip and we are both looking forward to going back one day. For those of you who have never been to Palm Springs, it is definitely a place to add to your bucket list. The weather is wonderful with no humidity and just a gorgeous place to visit! Let me know if you have any questions about the resort or if you are planning a trip and looking for restaurant suggestions and attractions to visit! 

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Here are some of my favorite looks from the desert:

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off the shoulder dress, sold out online more from Everly HERE {similar dress & $68 HERE} | Urban Expressions tassel clutch c/o | pink tassel earrings | white Jack Roger sandals | Karen Walker sunglasses | YSL pink lipstick {#31}, YSL pink lipgloss {#205}

FULL POST HERE

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black dress {similar style — under $50 & available in 6 colors!} | studded sandals {also available in black} | denim jacket, last season {similar style} | Tory Burch bag | Karen Walker sunglasses via DITTO {first month of Endless Eyewear free with code ABLONDESMOMENT} | earrings | YSL lipgloss {#09}

FULL POST HERE

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J.Crew Factory orange chevron dress {under $60!} | citron bag, last season {similar style} | Jeffrey Campbell wedge sandals | Karen Walker sunglasses | floral statement earrings, no longer available {THESE would look fabulous with this dress!} | MAC lipliner {barely bare}, YSL lipstick {beige tribute}, NARS lipgloss {turkish delight}

FULL POST HERE
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As always, thanks so much for reading and have a fabulous Tuesday!

16 thoughts on “Paradise in the Desert: Where to Stay in Palm Springs”

  2. Looks spectacular, wish I was there now, lol!! You had the perfect outfits for the trip, light and colorful…love them!! Happy Tuesday!!

  9. Rachel, thanks SO much for sharing!!! This post is amazing!! The resort looks beyond beautiful! I followed your travels on Snapchat and they looked so fun! I'm leaving to L.A. next month and I'm pretty excited! Also, you looked GORGEOUS in all of your look! Total babe!
    xoxo, Vanessa
    http://www.WhatWouldVWear.com

  12. I've never been to Palm Springs, but I feel it starting to call my name! The adult infinity pool looks so awesome, and that's so cool that they stocked a Nespresso machine in your room for you! The Ritz Carlton is definitely a beautiful resort!

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