We recently stayed at Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas and left feeling very disappointed. Based on the reputation of both the resort and the World of Hyatt program, we expected a luxury experience. Unfortunately, that wasn't what we received.
The most frustrating part of our stay was waiting more than six hours for our luggage to be delivered to our room. It completely delayed the start of our weekend. If the resort is unable to deliver luggage promptly during busy times, guests should at least be given the option to transport their own bags with a luggage cart rather than spending hours waiting.
The dining experience was equally disappointing. We don't mind paying resort prices when the quality matches the cost, but it simply didn't. The pizza was less than mediocre, and the Caesar salads were shockingly overpriced for what was served—mostly romaine lettuce with a few Parmesan shavings and croutons. Spending over $50 for two very basic salads felt like very poor value. (We would highly recommend Tia Carmen, one of the hotels restaurants.) We recently stayed at Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas and left feeling very disappointed. Based on the reputation of both the resort and the World of Hyatt program, we expected a luxury experience. Unfortunately, that wasn't what we received.
Another issue was the lack of enforcement of the resort's non-smoking policy at the pool. Guests in the neighboring cabana repeatedly smoked despite it being a non-smoking area. We notified the pool attendants several times, and while they told us they had spoken with the guests, the smoking continued. At some point, simply talking to guests who repeatedly ignore the rules is not enough. Resort policies should be enforced so that all guests can enjoy the facilities without being exposed to cigarette smoke.
What disappointed us most wasn't just these individual issues. It was the lack of proactive service and meaningful recovery. Luxury hospitality is about anticipating guests' needs, responding effectively when things go wrong, and making guests feel valued. Unfortunately, we never experienced that level of service.
We have stayed at luxury resorts over the years and don't consider ourselves unreasonable. We simply expect the level of hospitality that a resort of this caliber advertises. We are happy to pay premium prices when the experience reflects that investment.
The property itself is nice. Not as big and expansive as the images on their website advertise. The hotel is located in a great location. Unfortunately, beautiful surroundings alone cannot make up for service that consistently falls short. There are many excellent resorts in the Palm Springs/Coachella Valley area that provide a much higher level of hospitality and value. We have always enjoyed the JW Marriot Resort just down the street that over delivers, ever time! Based on this experience, we would absolutely choose one of those for our next visit.
