The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage

The famous Ritz Carlton has become no better than a Ramada Inn, in terms of service. The location is amazing and the decor and grounds are fine. But the customer service is abysmal. They nearly poisoned my dog by leaving chocolates on the bed while I was out for dinner. Housekeeping surely knew there was a dog in the room, because they were the ones who brought in the doggie bed and bowls. I tried to make spa reservations a week in advance. The spa phone always went to voice mail and they never returned my calls. I tried to make dinner reservations at the steak house for either Wednesdsay night or Thursday night and I was told that the restaurant was closed both of those nights. It wasn't. The power went out one night around dinner time and the restaurant closed down. Even though they could still prepare food (salads, sandwhiches, anything cooked on a gas stove) they said they couldn't process the orders because the computers were down. First: why don't they have backup generators for 250 people paying an average of $1,000/night? Second: why can't they just write down the orders on a piece of paper, and the room number of the guest? There were no towels out by the hot tub. It took them 20 minutes to bring them after I asked. There is annoying, awful music piped into the outdoor public areas all the time. The spa is closed two days a week. There is no longer a mini-bar in the room, just a QR code. Self-service is not customer service. The QR code only has big party items, like a charcuterie plate or a huge bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries. It does not have any of the typical minibar fare, such as a can of mixed nuts. The onsite convenience store doesn't have those either. The two floor lamps in the room didn't work. The telephone didn't work. The HVAC is on all the time, even if you raise the set point to 80 degrees, it continues to blow freezing air into the room. The only way to fix it is to turn it off completely. There was a disgusting stain on the desk chair.

For the rates this hotel charges it is pure thievery. $1600 a night once you add in fees for their cheapest room category. The room you get for that price is small, crowded, and extremely dated looking. There is no mini bar just an empty fridge. Housekeeping is horrific. There is an old Band-Aid from some other Guest that has been in the shower drain since I checked in and it seems like it will probably be there for the entire duration of my stay. Some days they don’t come. Some days when they come they don’t replace things like dirty coffee cups. Twice now they have taken away the bathrobe and not replaced it. That’s an uncomfortable fact to discover when someone is knocking at your door. These might seem like small details but for these prices, it’s absolutely unacceptable. You can hear everything that happens in the hallway from inside the room. At this particular hotel, there seemed to be a lot of small children, running up and down the hallway and screaming. Utter lack of soundproofing is part of the very dated feel. Probably worst of all, is that when you point out an issue or ask them to fix something no one apologizes. They’re just like OK and are borderline rude. literally everyone that I’m traveling with has had some similar issues. Avoid this hotel. No character, no charm and enormous rip off for the price. The grounds are lovely, but this is Palm Springs. You could find more character and lovely grounds at a better price with management that actually cares about its guests.

Our stay at the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage as a lifetime Platinum Elite was fantastic. December 12th to 14th. Valet grabbed our luggage the second we pulled up. Madison at the desk was incredibly friendly and accommodating, acknowledged my status and upgraded us to a fireside room without missing a beat. The bellhop on arrival was super friendly, knowledgeable, wheeled everything up, unloaded it, walked us through where the spa, gym and club lounge were. Room service had one tiny glitch, Jason at front desk apologized, credited us back, no questions asked. The club lounge staff though? Above and beyond. Always smiling, kept it pristine, everything stocked, made us feel like regulars, we met some really cool people in there, talked travel all night. Food selection good, just shy of Ritz quality but hey, they made up for it tenfold in warmth. State Fare Bar & Kitchen was lovely, great selection and tasty food. Trails wrapped around the hill, valley views at dusk, stars everywhere, quiet, tranquil, pure peace. Our dogs got fluffy beds, towels, dog treats, the works. Checkout? Just as smooth. Jim the bellhop came up quick, got our bags, loaded 'em into the car, valet had it running, safe and ready every single time, even when we went out shopping and for dinner at local restaurants. Karen in the California Style Boutique? Warm as a hug. I spotted these vibrant paintings, classic Palm Springs haunts in full color, and since I grew up here we shared stories about what those streets used to feel like. Classic Ritz charm. Zero cracks. Heading back soon.

We arrived at the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage, a magical oasis in the heart of the desert an exquisite retreat boasting captivating architecture and indulgent luxury. The rooms were impeccable, offering unparalleled comfort and elegance. Service excelled at every touchpoint, from seamless valet parking to refined dining experiences. Victor Lozano was exceptional, ensuring our stay was nothing short of extraordinary. Thank you for this unforgettable memories! Miriam Lebrun

I stayed here with my husband for a fantastic 4 nights in early December 2025 while he attended the nearby BMW driving experience. Our room was comfortable and well appointed - one night I slept for nearly 11 hours! I don't think I've done that in years, if ever. The room doors do close loudly and I thought this would have been an issue during our stay, though it never was. I initially thought of booking a room with a fire pit, but in the end I'm glad I didn't as those rooms are all open to a main open area and didn't feel as private and cozy as I would have wanted. We love Palm Springs and have previously enjoyed staying near to downtown in a boutique hotel, but we wanted to try something different on this trip. While the Ritz Carlton was a great hotel for us on this stay, it is a bit far away from everything. There's also a $50 per day parking fee, which seemed excessive given the location.