The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage

I want to try and be balanced in my review. I’ll start by saying there is nothing wrong with the Ritz in Rancho Mirage. Having said that, it seems that all of the amazing things, like first rate service, and attention to detail, that the Ritz brand used to represent have now been “Marriott-itized” and unfortunately the hotel is more like a 4.5 star that has lost its way. Don’t get me wrong. Marriotts are perfectly serviceable and reliable. But I wish, instead of dumbing down the Ritz Carlton brand, Marriott decisions makers had made space to allow the elegance, service, traditions of the Ritz brand to lead the group.

I expected much more from The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage, especially for nearly $1,000 a night. The room was disappointing—poor quality overall, with a leaking shower head and a drain that wasn’t working properly. It definitely didn’t feel like a luxury experience. The only reason I’m giving more than 1 star is because the pool area was nice and somewhat made up for the stay.

We just returned from celebrating my 50th Birthday at the Ritz Rancho Mirage. We had the most incredible time. I just love this resort. It is small enough that it feels boutique but with all the Ritz extras. It's definitely my favorite of all the Ritz-Carltons. I have a little bit of the "my house is very comfortable, so if I leave it, the place better be nicer" attitude. Let me tell you, they deliver! When we checked in, we were greeted with the biggest smile from Ruben. He was just incredible, so kind and took the time to chat with me and make sure my stay was as magical as possible. He really started the trip out right! He set up some surprises for my birthday, made sure we had a great room that was nice and quiet, and offered us a delicious welcome drink. We planned to go to the pool while we waited for the room, but the reception is so nice, vibe on point, and everyone is so friendly, we ended up hanging out there in their sitting area with our drinks! So funny We had a wonderful time at the pool the next day and met some really nice people, great crowd. Dinner and breakfast at the State Fair were awesome (love the menu), and dinner at The Edge was incredible. I don't know where they find the amazing staff, but they all impressed. Everyone stops to say hi or take that extra step to help. The beds are super comfortable, great bath tubs, and all the little things you need. The gym was great, and the spa is really nice. All in all, we had the best time. One more huge thanks to Ruben!!! We will definitely be back!

Stayed here Sunday-Tuesday. No upgrades available, but we had a balcony overlooking the pool. We feared noise but it was nice and quiet. Shower is tiny, there's a big bathtub I doubt anyone uses. Great hot tub with VERY strong jets and nice views. On site astronomer with telescopes was friendly and informative. Lunch at the pool not cheap but SO convenient and good

Lovely setting, very comfortable rooms and good service with some great features for kids.

Only one pool for kids and all the food and drinks were very expensive for the quality.

Overall great!. Room was great. Desert View nice balcony. great resort. 1)A little squished with the furniture near the window. 2) no plugs for phones etc on left side of bed. Big no-no 3) housekeeping so so nice. Always a smile. Really impressive 4) Should not have to open the door entering lobby. Over 5 days, maybe twice the door was opened for us. Should be 100% always. Valet parking $50/day. I thought that was a bit much. But for that $$ someone should open the door for my wife as she enters the car. 5) while others did not like the shower bath design we actually did. Very spacious. Wish the center wood blinds would open as would have been great to let the light flood into the shower. And to be able to see outside while showering. Can that be worked on? 6) please put up a second hook for robes. Only one. Thanks ! Keep it up Ritz Carlton. You are almost there. Bump up your service and you are 5 stars.

This is one of the better Ritz Carltons I've stayed at, which is not a high hurdle as I've had multiple bad experiences with them in the past year or two. The property itself is beautiful, in a dramatic hilltop setting. The rooms are nice enough, and they've done a good job remodeling but it's an older building which shows in some aspects like the plumbing and electrical. We booked a Desert View King, which looks out over the quieter pool and grounds, not the main pool/restaurant side. It was lovely but cramped - they put too much furniture in here for the available space. There was a couch crammed in between the bed and the window, making it difficult to walk on that side of the bed, with a heavy end table partially blocking access to the balcony door. We had those items removed, which made it much more pleasant. Then there's a chair shoved into an odd dark little niche between the built-in desk and the outside wall, not an inviting place to sit but it was handy for storing a backpack. Good closet and drawer space, but when the closet doors are open, it's hard to squeeze by to get to the bathroom. The bathroom was a bit odd, with the shower and tub sharing an enclosure - you had to walk through the shower to get to the tub, which had a window into the bedroom. The shower was crap, old plumbing and poor water flow. There was good lighting and plenty of counter space, and they did provide a scale and a makeup mirror, but no robe hooks. I left my robe on the bed and the housekeeper just rolled it up and left it there. And they only put power outlets on one side of the bed, a big pet peeve. Interestingly, a friend had a Resort King room facing the main pool, and it was similar but larger than ours. The couch fit nicely there, and the bathroom was laid out more conventionally. And yet, we paid a premium for the Desert View room. I did like the view, but something is out of whack if you pay more for a smaller room. Service was good, as were the restaurants. Each afternoon they put out bowls of assorted candies at the concierge desk, which is fun. We enjoyed our stay, and I would likely pick the Ritz next time I come to Palm Springs.