Im putting this 1 star review because of an extremely disappointing stay, I will be requesting for refund and compensation. Staff were nice at check-in and throughout the stay, but the rest was disappointing to say the least.
Riviera Resort & Spa Palm Springs has seriously gone downhill and did not meet my expectations at all. I would have left the first day i arrived, but because i came with 8 other people and a lot of bags and belongings, it was a bigger inconvenience to leave ( even though we started looking for alternatives and air b&B.
We booked two rooms during a busy weekend because of a Palm Springs College convention, and right away things started off wrong. I didn’t get the ground-floor rooms I specifically requested and usually stay in. That alone was frustrating, but it was just the beginning.
To make things worse, one of the washrooms was already clogged before we even got there. We had to track down a cleaning staff member just to have it unclogged and cleaned, which is something that should have been handled long before any guest checks in.
The moment I walked into the room, I had to kill ants on the bed and multiple mosquitoes flying around. When sunlight came through the curtains, you could literally see thick dust and particles floating everywhere in the air. It was honestly disgusting, and both my kids and I ended up sneezing and coughing the entire time.
One of the room doors didn’t even shut properly. We left at one point thinking it was closed, only to come back and realize it had been partially open the whole time. After that, we had to keep double-checking every time we left, which is unacceptable for safety.
The entire property feels neglected. The hallways smell like mold, and the walls are clearly deteriorating. The room itself had a horrible odor, like a mix of urine, mold, and something else unpleasant… almost like a pet had been left in there for too long. On top of that, basic amenities like a fan and microwave were missing, even though they were available during my previous stays.
At the pool, they were serving what tasted like tap water with ice and lemon. After drinking it, both we and our kids ended up with diarrhea. The pool hours have also been cut down (used to be 24 hours, now limited), which is a downgrade.
The worst part by far was the lack of safety. There was no lifeguard on duty when my 5 year old daughter was drowning in the pool because she can’t swim. That situation could have ended very badly, and it’s completely unacceptable for a resort like this, my daughter could have died.
The jacuzzi near Building 4 was also in terrible condition. The water was lukewarm with yellowish foam bubbling on top, clearly dirty and not properly maintained. There were leaves, oils, and visible grime floating around. It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a long time.
I’ve stayed here multiple times before and used to enjoy it, but this visit made it clear that the quality and service have significantly declined. I originally planned to stay for a full week, but I cut my trip short after just 3 days and moved to a Marriott instead.
I will not be coming back.
