The Riviera was once one of the great landmark resorts of Palm Springs. It had history, charm, and real energy. Even during its time as Margaritaville, while the vibe shifted to more of a party atmosphere, the property was still reasonably well maintained and the staff were engaged. The pool area was lively, activities were happening, and the resort actually felt alive.
Fast forward to today and the newly returned Riviera Resort, and our experience was shockingly bad.
We stayed for eight days with my elderly parents, both of whom use mobility aids (my father uses a walker and my mother uses a wheelchair). From the moment we arrived, the property felt like a ghost town. Despite being told the hotel was “full,” there was little activity anywhere.
We were placed in Building 5, which appeared to be one of the farthest buildings from the front desk, main pool, and restaurant — absolutely not ideal for guests with mobility challenges.
Our reservation was for a king room and an accessible room with two queens, adjoining if possible. At check-in we were told we had received a “considerable upgrade.”
The reality of this “upgrade”?
A parking lot view and constant construction happening just feet from our windows.
When we tried to open the adjoining doors between the rooms, they wouldn’t budge. We attempted to call the front desk only to discover our room didn’t even have a phone. So we walked all the way back to the front desk.
We were told:
“Some rooms have phones and some don’t. Oh well.”
Security was eventually sent to help open the connecting door. After struggling with it for quite some time, they forced it open — and we immediately saw why it had been stuck.
The space between the two adjoining doors was filthy.
There was so much built-up grime and debris wedged between them that the doors were essentially stuck together like they had been glued shut. It clearly had not been cleaned in a very long time.
When housekeeping arrived, even they were shocked by the condition of the space between the doors. The housekeeper had to keep going back for more cleaning products before the area was finally clean enough for us to use the connecting door.
Unfortunately, the problems continued.
My father cut his leg on sharp metal edges on the bed frame, and when we reported it, the front desk responded that he “must have thin skin.”
We ended up buying pool noodles ourselves and padding the bed to prevent further injury.
From there, it became a constant stream of issues:
• Broken or ineffective air conditioning
• Bathroom doors that wouldn’t close or wouldn’t reopen
• Safes that didn’t work
• Rooms missing basic furniture
• Phones that didn’t exist or didn’t function
The showers only partially worked and sprayed water across the bathroom floor, creating a serious slipping hazard, especially for older guests.
Because of this, we were moved into another set of adjoining rooms.
These rooms were somewhat cleaner, but still full of problems:
• Only one phone between two rooms, and it initially didn’t work
• Advertised in-room dining that didn’t exist
• Laundry bags provided for a service that was not offered
• A patio that sank under your feet when stepped on
• One drawer for four people
• A nightstand that couldn’t be reached from the beds
• A closet located inside the bathroom
The air conditioning issue continued, running in short bursts.
The toilet ran constantly — until it was “fixed,” at which point it wouldn’t flush unless we manually added water to the bowl.
Housekeeping was inconsistent at best. Over an eight-day stay, the room was “cleaned” a total of three times, and even then it often meant beds made but no fresh towels, no coffee, no water, and dirty items left behind.
Getting basic items like towels became an ordeal. We were told to “hurry” before housekeeping closed at 10pm, only to wait hours and still receive nothing.
Breakfast was equally frustrating. One morning it took an hour and a half to receive a simple order. The next time, the order was wrong and repeated requests for water were ignored until after we had already handed over our vouchers.
Those “free breakfast vouchers,” supposedly provided as compensation, were barely worth the effort required to use them.
Even using them for takeout became an issue. At one point, the hostess refused to take my order until she had seated all other guests. I had to push the issue just to be served.
The pool — one of the main features of the resort — felt poorly maintained. We used it twice but were uncomfortable with the cleanliness.
The pool menu offered no non-spicy options, making it unusable for anyone with dietary restrictions.
During our stay, there was also a teenage party taking over the property, with constant yelling, door slamming, and chaos in the hallways and pool areas late into the night. Security did little to manage it.
On multiple nights, someone attempted to enter our room thinking it was theirs, which was unsettling.
One of the most telling moments came when I saw a staff member “mopping” a lobby floor using a towel tied to a pole and a spray bottle.
That image summed up the entire experience.
I also spoke with a long-time employee who shared that things had become very difficult for staff, and that they hated seeing what guests were experiencing. Management had apparently been promising renovations for over a year, always saying they were coming “next year.”
At this rate, it felt more likely the property would be condemned before any meaningful renovation happens.
After returning home, I read through recent reviews across multiple platforms.
There were pages of negative reviews describing many of the same issues. Interestingly, the only reviews that seemed to receive responses from management were the occasional glowing ones that felt completely out of step with the majority of guest experiences.
What made this especially disappointing was that we knew how good this resort used to be.
We had stayed here six times in the past ten years and had even hosted two conferences at this property.
Today?
I wouldn’t host a monkey poop fight here.
It didn’t just feel disappointing — it felt genuinely sad to watch what was once a vibrant Palm Springs destination turn into something that now felt closer to the Bates Motel than a resort.
If you’re planning a trip to Palm Springs, heed our warning:
Run. Don’t walk to almost any other hotel / motel / resort. There are far better options.
The Riviera today is a ghost of the landmark it once was.
