{"id":507220,"date":"2026-07-03T03:01:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T03:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/507220\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T03:01:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T03:01:16","slug":"renaissance-esmeralda-resort-review-family-luxury-in-palm-springs-anna-sarjeant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/507220\/","title":{"rendered":"Renaissance Esmeralda Resort review: Family luxury in Palm Springs \u2013 Anna Sarjeant"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re staying at the Renaissance Esmerelda Resort & Spa (a Marriott hotel) in Greater Palm Springs. And boy, are these guys in for a shock when we take them camping at Christmas.<\/p>\n

\" The grand staircase leads up to Seven Olive Modern gastropub. Photo \/ Anna Sarjeant<\/p>\n

Location<\/p>\n

The hotel is located in Indian Wells. You\u2019re not quite in Palm Springs (a 24km drive away), but this is likely the Palm Springs you envisage: luxury estates and lush green golf courses; cloud-tickling palm trees and all the aesthetics of a Paul Fuentes art print.<\/p>\n

\" The view from the balcony: golf greens, palms and the San Jacinto mountains. Photo \/ Anna Sarjeant<\/p>\n

Perfect for <\/p>\n

With 560 guest rooms, the Renaissance Esmeralda seems to accommodate everyone. <\/p>\n

And for parents of young children, if you\u2019re worried high-end is too swish for excitable, sticky-fingered sprogs, to the contrary, they love kids here. The outdoor swimming pool has its own man-made beach, and Camp Esmeralda features dozens of activities, craft workshops and games.<\/p>\n

First impressions <\/p>\n

The main lobby area of the hotel is staggering: the American flag alone spans four floors and the spiral staircase is fit for a Disney Princess.<\/p>\n

\" The American flag spans four floors of the staggering main lobby. Photo \/ Anna Sarjeant<\/p>\n

The room <\/p>\n

Nothing can quite prepare you for (two) rooms of this size. The decor is mellow, albeit with pops of midcentury style and loud prints that pay homage to Palm Springs\u2019 classic aesthetic.<\/p>\n

The separate lounge area is so expansive, I usher the boys off for a swim, simply so I can enjoy it to myself. Over the coming days, I get hooked on morning TV on two large screen televisions, and flicking through a coffee table book titled Palm Springs Life while taking coffee on the balcony. The coffee machine is a Keurig, which delivers a pleasant drip variant.<\/p>\n

\" The sprawling lounge area is a suite unto itself. Photo \/ Anna Sarjeant<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the view. The view. The view. It\u2019s indistinguishable between what I\u2019m ogling in Palm Springs Life. Forgive me, but it\u2019s iconic. Well and truly. From the cloudless sky to the San Jacinto mountain range, it\u2019s picture-perfect. Some days, its brilliance makes me question its authenticity.<\/p>\n

Bathroom<\/p>\n

Two vanities allow me to push the family clobber to one side and preserve my own sanctuary on the other side. The shower is huge, allowing for easy hose-offs when wet swimmers return from the pool.<\/p>\n

The adjoining toilet has walls adorned with black-and-white photos from Palm Springs\u2019 heyday. I find myself spending an inordinate amount of time enjoying them. There\u2019s peace and quiet to be found in the lavatory, too.<\/p>\n

\" Palm Springs’ golden era lines the bathroom walls. Photo \/ Anna Sarjeant<\/p>\n

Facilities <\/p>\n

There are three pools in total, including an adults-only spa pool, but it\u2019s hard to resist the pull of the main resort pool, complete with sun loungers, pool bar and about 150 bare-chested firemen.<\/p>\n

The latter is not a year-round hotel perk, but plan your visit for the annual Emergency Service Convention and you too can forgo the spa and plan a fake drowning.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t try the morning outdoor yoga class, nor the gym, but the latter has been newly refreshed and there\u2019s free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.<\/p>\n

Food and drink <\/p>\n

The Place is the central bar and gathering spot in the main lobby, but it was sprawling with firemen and I had to stay focused for this review. <\/p>\n

My family and I dined at the newly opened Seven Olive Modern gastropub, an elegant yet relaxed (read as: children welcome) venue where we gorged on upscale burgers and fresh salmon. The kids were given crayons for drawing (or eating, if you\u2019re a 1-year-old and feel inclined). <\/p>\n

Cafe Biscotti was our go-to for a quick breakfast before a full day of sightseeing, whereas Cava is the hotel\u2019s sit-down venue for plates of syrupy, strawberry waffles and bottomless coffee. <\/p>\n

Light bites can also be ordered from the H2O Pool Bar and to the right of The Place, you\u2019ll find an intimate nook called Glo Sushi.<\/p>\n

In the neighbourhood <\/p>\n

It\u2019s advisable to rent a car so you can drive to nearby highlights such as the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and The Children\u2019s Discovery Museum of the Desert. A personal favourite was Palm Canyon Drive \u2013 40 minutes from the hotel \u2013 and home to a cluster of boutique stores, cool cafes and Marilyn Monroe statues. <\/p>\n

\" A Marilyn Monroe statue on Palm Canyon Drive, a Palm Springs staple. Photo \/ Anna Sarjeant<\/p>\n

The best bit<\/p>\n

Enjoying every aspect of multi-star luxury, without feeling sheepish about bringing the kids, was refreshing. From ping pong tables to pool inflatables, and genuine warmth from staff and guests alike, children are welcome and no one bats an eyelid (or rolls an eye).<\/p>\n

I won\u2019t lie, bumping into an intoxicated fireman while holding my 1-year-old fortified my love for vociferous Americans. He recognised us from dinner, and while his wife commented on my son\u2019s cuteness, the husband retorted: <\/p>\n

\u201cThis f***er \u2013 he eats green crayons!\u201d <\/p>\n

Room for improvement<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to find fault with luxury resorts – as it should be. Perfection is what you\u2019re paying for. My only qualm was an America-wide grumble: disposable coffee cups individually wrapped in plastic bags. Not limited to this hotel, unfortunately. <\/p>\n

Sustainability<\/p>\n

Aside from the above observation, the hotel had recycling bins in both living areas, linen changed every three days and refillable toiletry bottles (Kevin Murphy) in the bathroom. Towels are only washed if you don\u2019t hang them up … Sorry, if Mum doesn\u2019t hang them up. <\/p>\n

Accessibility<\/p>\n

Facilities include accessible rooms with roll-in showers, elevators and stair-free pathways between entrances and common areas. <\/p>\n

Price <\/p>\n

An executive suite ranges from US$1300-1500 per night. <\/p>\n

Base rates start from US$237-$300 per night.<\/p>\n

Contact <\/p>\n

For more information, visit: marriott.com\/en-us\/hotels\/pspsr-renaissance-esmeralda-resort-and-spa-indian-wells<\/a> or call +1 760-773-4444.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re staying at the Renaissance Esmerelda Resort & Spa (a Marriott hotel) in Greater Palm Springs. And boy,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":507221,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[5845,19393,34521,252843,156,252842,3026,14768,2109,48879,78,56381,206,111,139,69,41136,12605,531,762,67018,55600,9192,4512],"class_list":["post-507220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-anna","tag-coveted","tag-destination","tag-dreamed","tag-entertainment","tag-esmeralda","tag-especially","tag-every","tag-family","tag-greater","tag-in","tag-inch","tag-luxury","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-palm","tag-renaissance","tag-resort","tag-review","tag-sarjeant","tag-springs","tag-writes","tag-youve"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=507220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507220\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/507221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=507220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=507220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=507220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}