Parker Palm Springs

I’ve stayed at the Parker for years, hosted summits, and retreats there. The staff works hard and is great and I’ve always had a great experience. Not this time. They put me in a room with no windows and the air conditioning system outside. At 2am I tried to find somewhere else to stay, but no luck, and I’d already spent $ 500 on the room. It’s a shame. the Parker was my go to in Palm Springs. I recommended it to anyone going there. This experience turned me from a brand ally to a brand enemy. If you go there, do NOT let them put you in the same building as the lobby. But, better yet, move on to somewhere less interested in profit and more on hospitality.

Unfortunately, this property has lost it’s luster, service, and purpose. As a guest nearly a dozen times over the past 6 years, I’ve watched this hotel continue to devolve and I will likely not be returning. For me, the cornerstone of this property is its outdoor gardens and pools. However, given recent issues with the local Fire Marshall, there are fewer chairs around the adults-​only pool and only half of them are in the sun. The family pool is small, full of children, and equally packed tight. We went for a long weekend and checked out early instead of staying for the third day because our names were on the wait list for pool chairs two days in a row and were never called. It would not be relaxing nor was there food and beverage service simply sitting on a towel with our feet in the crowded area around the pool. The pool manager — as kind and trying to be helpful as he was — only was able to seat us fairly far away on a grassy patch without food or beverage service, other people, and without a pool. I could have done the same on my own lawn. Most significantly, staff and management didn’t really see empowered to help or care about the fact that a regular customer had a poor experience and I was still charged for the third unused night. The rooms have also deteriorated in quality and they are clearly not refreshing the furniture and bedding. Otherwise, the spa is still nice, as are the two good (but fairly overpriced) restaurants. If you’re looking for a warm weather pool getaway there are far superior options in Palm Springs these days, including the Riviera and Colony Palms, or easily rent a beautiful mid-​century modern house (nearly all come with pools and hot tubs at good values).

Guests beware!!!
After exclusively staying here anytime I was in town, for many years now, they’ll never see another dime of my business ever again. I’ve been coming here for years and the service has always been great. But over the last few months, some friends I’ve recommended said that the front desk and booking people were complete jerks to them and were wondering how I could recommend such a place. Well, now I know exactly what they were talking about.
Let’s dig in, shall we?
Called to get a quote on a room for the weekend. Was told they were booked solid but had Friday night available. They quoted me 389 for a patio room — which I requested. I said great, let me check with the old lady to confirm that just Friday night is okay and I’ll call you back. Got the greenlight and called back, no joke, 3 minutes later, spoke to the same person.
Said, I’ll take the 389 patio room.
«I’m sorry sir, but that room is now 559. We have another, non-​patio room for that price, though.»
«But I literally just called and you said 389 for a patio room. Is the room not available anymore? Anything we can do about that?»
«Let me check… Nope, still available, but I guess our system changed. Nothing I can do about it.»
«May I speak to the manager, please?»
Long story short, manager said there’s nothing they can do and rates change all the time. I asked if maybe there was some concessions or something since I was quoted something else. Maybe some drinks, champagne, anything?
Nope.
I booked the lesser room anyways — shame on me.
I think it’s all over and get to the hotel to get a little R&R with the misses. Yeah, it wasn’t over.
I’m checking out on Saturday morning and ask if they had any rooms available since we loved our visit and would like to extend. The front desk guy says, «We have a villa available. Literally everything else is booked solid.»
I ask how much is the villa. He says 1300 for the night. I say thank you but I’ll pass.
I’m in the lobby waiting for my lady and casually looking on the HotelsTonight app for other last minute options. Guess which place appears and says they only have 1 room open for tonight, which is normally 1300 but has been reduced to 500 (600 with fees) for the night? I immediately book through the app and go back to the front desk to check into the only open room they have — the villa!
«Okay here’s your room key.»
I look at the number, ‘That’s no villa…’
«I’m sorry sir, but since you didn’t pay full price, we can’t give you that room for that price…»
«But you just said that was the only room available…»
«We’ve placed you in a great room, don’t worry…»
Well guess what? They got me the crappiest room in the whole place (I’ve stayed in all the different areas and these are the worst — in the far back, over the dumpsters — yay!) for double what I paid the night before.
I go back to them, «I understand that you can’t give me the villa, sort of, so can I at least get a spa credit since you’ve got that promotion going on right now? You told me the villa was the only room and suddenly that isn’t the case when I found a deal…»
«Sorry sir… Since you didn’t book directly with us, there’s nothing we can do for you. Your room is non-​refundable either. So enjoy your stay!»
«I’m sorry, am I not a guest of the Parker all of a sudden? I’m sure you’re getting paid your room rate plus then some for this POS room I’ve been given. Even minus the HotelsTonight commission…»
Then they just repeated the same bs about not booking directly with them.
Well guys, best of luck to you. I’m taking my business elsewhere and never recommending this place to any of our friends and family ever again.
Guests beware!!!

The service and food were great, so if you’re just coming here for dinner you should continue. However, if you want the ambiance expected of a visit to Palm Springs… Stop. I’ve come to visit for drinks and stayed here at least a half dozen times but will not be doing so again. We stopped by for drinks on a lazy afternoon in February and while walking from the lobby with our second round of cocktails were stopped footsteps from the door and told we could not pass without a room key. New rules of The Parker — no enjoying the grounds without a room key. If you’re not staying here, you’re only paying for the food and drinks served. While good, there are so many places that make the experience a great one set in this amazing location that The Parker is not worth a stop without the ambiance of the city, which is limited with the new rules in place.

Sorry to be a hater, but for a $ 400+ per night hotel, I expected better. The grounds are fun to walk on and you can definitely spend a day here playing bocce or croquet, lounging by one of their 3 pools, or lazing about in one of the hammocks, but the room itself left much to be desired. We tried turning on the AC and it didn’t work. The showerhead is cheap and utilitarian, totally out of line with the chic décor in the rest of the room. The drain was so slow that by 2 minutes into my short post-​pool shower, I was ankle deep in sunscreen and chlorine water. We had to call the front desk and get it taken care of. Breakfast at Norma’s was odd — myself and 2 others joined our party about 5 minutes after they put their food order in, yet we were still waiting on our food 25 minutes later. They told us that the oatmeal was taking a long time to prepare. (???) I asked to cancel mine and then 5 minutes later my order of bacon & eggs (cold by this time) arrived with said oatmeal. All in all I am unimpressed and disappointed with this place and will not be back.

I LOVE YOU LPM (Le Parker Méridien) … SPG (Starwood Property) … not so much.
Two questions I always have when I visit a place:
1) Was it worth the moo-​lah I paid for this visit
2) Am I willing to overlook any :(1^st impressions and return?
SHORT ANSWER: YES AND YES — Just do not use the pre-​pay option or you lose your right to re-​rate your room if a lower price becomes available.
BRACE YOURSELF FOR THE LONG ANSWER:
:) Impressions:
Check-​in: Indian fella was super courteous and witty. Made us feel right at home from the start. Offered 2 have someone walk us to our room but we wanted to be adventurous and try and find our room in the dark.
Room: We were upgraded from a Garden Patio room to a Estate room on north end of grounds because of a rate issue (see last review paragraph). It was cozy/​clean and the highlight was the patio which gave us some privacy when we wanted to lounge out. The soap bar in the bathroom provided some really nice amenities as well. Fridge was stocked with items to purchase like beer, juice and sodas so you don’t have to walk to the front. The only thing missing is coffee in the room.
Wi-​Fi: You’re not going to easily get cell service in your room or inside the main building. Once you step outside, you’ll get service. I’m sure they have wi-​fi but we didn’t find any information on it.
Grounds: Well done lads. The grounds were super clean ‘n’ green with fruit trees all kick up grapefruits and oranges. Fire pit was a good community place to meet other guests. Hammocks were a nice touch and pretty popular with the guests. You will get easily turned around on the grounds but that’s the fun of it all.
Lemonade Stand: One of the highlights of our stay. It serves as a drink and food station for the pool and the staff here stays busy. Each one of the staff members we dealt with were friendly to everyone we saw come through here. It’s not a cash bar and exclusive to those who have a room there. The staff and management were super friendly and helpful with any questions we had about the grounds and hotel activities like spa, bike rides, and tennis options. Thanks again lemonade crew.
SPA: My lady said it was GREAT so there you go
Mr. Parkers — We had dinner here once and everything was meh outside of the service. Waiter was great but the food seemed to be overcooked. I’ll eat at Norma’s any day over Monsieur Parkers.
Bar next to Mr. Parkers — They poured a mean drink so that makes for a happy me. The outlying indoor areas are decorated nicely. If it’s packed, just wait 30 mins and it will clear up.
Norma — Ya, it’s over priced but the food portions are mongo yo. I loved every meal from the Huevos Ranchos and Fish Tacos and the CocoRiceCrispies French toast and you’re not going to leave here hungry. Place was packed by 8:30am most days.
Tennis Courts: Red Clay courts are a unique twist and MJ was great to host a player session with drills and tips.
:(Impressions:
— The fire alarm went off three times in the middle of the day while we were trying to power nap. Who sleeps during the day you ask? Two people that enjoyed several beverages in the early part of the day and needed to sleep off some alcohol. We were given a one day credit for the resort fee ($ 35) for this inconvenience but that barely offset the «oh hell no» moments we had to experience. Treat me to a steak dinner or take care of my bar tab instead. $ 35 credit was not appropriate for what we experienced and I almost feel they bill the resort fee as a negotiable in the event something does go wrong so they can refund only that portion.
— I didn’t mind the wait but food service during our Saturday afternoon was pretty slow at Normas and at the pool. Guests didn’t seem happy about it either.
— This is more of an SPG complaint then a LPM complain but it’s a pretty important part of my review. DO NOT PREPAY FOR YOUR STAY AT ANY SPG LOCATION. We booked the Estate Garden room several weeks before our trip date at $ 459 (pre tax) only to see the rate plummet to $ 299 the week of our trip. I’m ok with some delta between the rate but $ 159??? When I called SPG AND LPM, they both stated that hotel market influences the price of the room and no adjustment would be made. The mutual benefit of a pre-​paid rate is that the business gets to enjoy MY money ahead of time while I lock in a lower rate. We came to the LPM with lunch, dinner, bar, and spa aspirations for all three days of our stay. So explain to me how someone in my position is supposed to feel good about spending more money on site when you’re selling the exact same room I purchased at a severely lower price. I was told someone from SPG would call me back and of course they didn’t. The person at the front desk was more understanding then the person at SPG and they offered us a room upgrade but still the room we were put into sold that week at a lower rate than our pre-​paid rate. Shame on you guys.

I surprised my wife with a trip to Palm Springs for her birthday on February 4. I had seen the reviews and was pretty excited for our stay. When we initially got the the hotel we were impressed with how beautiful the grounds were. We had decided to walk around the spa and the pool area just to check everything out. The staff answered all out questions and were extremely nice and thoughtful.
Unfortunately, for us the only negative about the hotel was that the bed in in our room was one of the most uncomfortable beds we had ever slept on. We had even considered leaving the hotel early. I guess I was expecting more from a five star hotel.

No grand entrance but beautiful property beyond doors. The breakfast at the restaurant was exceptional. Décor was hip and cute. Love the patio. I had the lobster omelette, crunch French toast? And huevo rancheros. All were perfect and fresh.
We walked around the property after meal. The landscape made us forget we are in the desert. Little clusters of seating and hammock and fountains were lovely. Different game throughput the resort seemed fun too. I will definitely come back to try other outlets.

This hotel is one of our favorites when in the desert and it had been a while since our last visit. The lobby and grounds are still the best part of this hotel. The Jonathan Adler whimsical, mid century and colorful décor is fantastic. There are so many unique details it’s hard to notice them all so take your time! The fireplace in the center of one of the lobby rooms is inviting and the art is cool (everyone gets a photo with the artsy light installation that reads ‘drugs’). The grounds are green and lush and you wind around various paths to come upon fire pits, the pool, the spa and even a croquet set up. I didn’t experience the spa this time but loved it on our last visit and the indoor pool is awesome for January weather.
This time we were in a room in the main building right above check in. It was comfortable enough and the décor was fun but it wasn’t as nice as the room we stayed in last time. The building by the pool is nicer if you don’t mind a walk. The patio for this room is tiny too.

I would give this place 6 out of 5 stars if I could! This is one of my favorite hotels ever!
Bf and I came here for a few days between Xmas and NYE festivities to relax and detox. It was also our anniversary :)
When we pulled up to the front of the hotel, we saw valets in these crazy country club uniforms complete with a hot pink blazer and white pants! Upon walking in, the lobbies were just as whimsical, ornate, and fun. Lots of shiny things and you’re not sure where to focus your attention. This was like a Jonathan Adler showroom on drugs (and of course, there is a sitting area/​lounge with the infamous drugs sign).
The hotel accommodated an early check in for us and we were provided a beautiful room in the main bldg on the 2^nd floor with a balcony overlooking palm trees. There was even fresh apple cider in the lobby. Although we were surrounded by other rooms with balconies, the huge palm trees made our balcony and room feel secluded. As we were unpacking and changing into our bathing suits, we got a knock on the door. Room service was delivering us a complimentary bottle of Cali bubbly! While sipping on my bubbly, I walked in the bathroom and discovered the best bath products I have ever seen at a hotel: Hermes and L’Occitane soaps and Penhaligons shampoo and conditioner. Wow, I feel posh.
We explored the grounds and discovered 2 outdoor pools (1 adult that is open ²⁴⁄₇ and 1 family) and 1 indoor pool (with PYSC spa services) There were also 2 jacuzzis (1 indoor with the saline pool and 1 outdoor with the family pool). It was a pretty chilly day so we decided to stick to the jacuzzis. Everything was very clean, plenty of towels, and we didn’t feel underdressed at all walking back to our rooms in bathrobes.
During our time there, we dined at the casual Normas for brunch and the fancier Mister Parker for dinner. Both were very good and provided quite an experience.
We also walked the grounds and discovered many hidden gems! This place is such a gem and an oasis in the desert. Can’t wait to visit again when it’s a bit warmer.
Only setbacks are rooms have thin walls so if you have a room on a busy hallway, you will hear lots of people walking/​talking pretty late into the night. Valet can be a little slow but if you call down ahead of time, your car is usually waiting for you when you’re ready.

This place is by far my favorite place to stay in Palm Springs. Something always pulls me to come back and stay here when I need a good weekend getaway from the busyness of Los Angeles.
What i love about this place is EVERYTHING. From the feeling when you walk in of being greeted with a hello and someone to take care of your bags, its as if you have nothing to worry about. The interior design is superb and good for many photo ops!
Walking around the place is like an oasis that brings you to a place of calmness. Discover hidden doors and such around this hotel, you never know what you’ll find. HINT HINT. Can’t spoil it for you!
I have yet to try Mister Parker but will next time.

Visually stunning, but service inconsistent.
Here for a couple nights for a getaway.
Visually, this place is 5 stars; I’ve never seen anything like it. Around every nook & cranny, there is something visually stimulating. It’s Jonathan Adler, Trina Turk, Macramé, vibrant colors & patterns. Amazing. Definitely appeals to a hipster crowd. Grounds are secluded and shrubbery is high with little quiet spaces of fire pits, fountains and hammocks. The carpet in our building was the same carpet from the movie, The Shining. Sooooo much to look at.
The rooms are all unique and they supply excellent toiletries (I LOVED the Hermes soap). (Shower was disappointedly small and standard; but I think that’s cuz the hotel is an older remodel. This is the 4^th? owner. Prior owners include Gene Autry, Givenchy, Merv Griffin.)
So why only 4 stars? Service.
Although staff appeared friendly, here were some of my problems:
–no help w/​my bag to check-​in
–no help, other than a map, to my room (yep, difficult to navigate the darkness with a map on the grounds at night)
–our room was broken into and although we were fortunate enough not to have anything stolen, when I called front desk, they said they would send housekeeping (intruder had tracked mud all over room). Really? We went to front desk to complain and the second time they were much better. Sending security to investigate, offering to switch our room and complimentary wine & chocolates.
–no replacement of water or drinks in fridge (nor my robe that intruder trampled on)
–at check-​out we called ahead for cars and mine was ready; however, husband had to wait an additional 10 minutes
Visually, this hotel is there, they just need to work on their service.

Thank. you. Starwood. Wow, I couldn’t believe this was one of the rewards. The Parker is easily one of my favorite hotels. Right from the pink pants of the valet, I knew I was stepping into a unique place. The 1960’s décor is just so inspiring and makes you think creatively. Also, there are citrus trees everywhere, so if ever you want a quick (and cheaper alternative) breakfast, just grab an orange and go. Besides the impressive atmosphere, the service is very quick and polite. One of the aspects that really wowed me was the amenities. They have Bvlgari lotion and blistex just for you in the room bathrooms. The spa gives you grade A treatment. I would definately return and recommend this hotel to anyone.
The only problem is that it’s difficult to find the hotel if you’re unfamiliar with the area.

The Parker is a beautiful establishment! The grounds are great but the customer service from management was terrible! I hate when a place has amazing amenities, great location, and then you get bad seeds in the office. We had an unfortunate situation with our initial room and they resolved it, but rudely, and with an attitude that was unnecessary considering the type of reputation this place has.
The staff was great! Valet, tennis courts, spa room, etc. Management just reacted in a way that was not beginning of this kind of place. My other pet peeve is the showerhead in the rooms. low flow and low budget.
I won’t stay here again but I’ll use the amenities when in town.

Everything about this hotel is perfect! From the minute we checked in to the minute we checked out, there is not one thing that I would change about our stay. The Hotel grounds are probably the cleanest of any hotel I have ever stayed in! The hotel was very accommodating with everything that we asked for. If we called down to the front desk for extra towels, we had them within 5 minutes. Even when ordering room service, it came quickly!
The hotel has multiple pools.
All staff members at the hotel were very helpful and polite.
I will definitely be staying at this hotel and will recommend it to anyone that is going out to Palm Springs!
We were out there for Coachella and the concierge even helped us book a shuttle to and from the hotel to Coachella!

Sadly a bad experience. The management was awful, we stayed for the weekend and had a few issues with our room and the manager literally said «sorry but we’re not gonna do anything about it»
0% customer service
Pool doesn’t ever have seats available.
Restaurant took forever for our food
This hotel can’t handle any holiday weekend.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE

I’ve stayed here before and loved it… and was excited to be back. I just checked in & am pretty disappointed so far. They stuck me into a room that overlooks a wall… a brick wall, painted white. No view at all. It’s extremely claustrophobic & they won’t allow me to change rooms, saying all the rooms are booked. However, I know that not everyone is checked in yet since I still have some friends who have not arrived. I expected more from this hotel because I completely enjoyed it last time. I was planning to stay for 3 nights, but might choose to leave early. Of course, I’m hoping that things improve before my stay is up.
Also, the cleaning people had left their cleaning supplies in the room, & a fuzzy rug was was sloppily tossed under the bed. What a total disappointment.
I still gave 2 stars because it’s actually a nice place… it’s just my experience this time that has been pretty awful.
I will update my review if things improve.
Day 2. No towels at the pool. We’ve been waiting for about 30 minutes. There are plenty of dirty towels… piled high all over the place… but no clean ones. And they can’t seem to get us any clean ones. I’m really shocked at how very little they are doing to keep things nicer. Around the pool, there are empty drink cups, apple cores with ants, empty bottles, etc.
The bathroom at the Lemon Head has no toilet paper or toilet seat covers, & used paper towels are spilling out of the trash can & on the floor.
The staff is pretty nice (especially the valet), but they aren’t doing much to clean up (at the pool) or make it better. Maybe they’re super short staffed. I was told that the hotel is at capacity tonight. If they knew that, you’d think they’d be prepared.

Met a boy at a wedding a month ago and we decided to take a long get away in the early stages of our relationship rather than the awkward period where you start to dislike each other and the sex is getting boring so you do something to exciting to try and spice it up.
This was spice on spice on spice weekend. We’re probably in love unless he has a Unilocal account and is reading this in which case some comment about playing it cool and blah blah blaaahblaaahhh.
Spent all Thursday at the adult pool — I call the pool in the back by the North tower the kiddy pool because that’s where they all were. Don’t bring your kids to the booze pool when you go. There is a separate pool for people who have conformed to society. You can still drink there though because who doesn’t need a drink with a bunch of screaming kids around.
The Lemonade Stand by the adult pool sells a bunch of delicious drinks — get the ParkerColada.
There are two hammocks — everyone seems to be there to go out and party so we never had a problem getting one at night to watch the sunset.
It’s freaking Alice in Wonderland meets The Secret Garden — just keeps going back and back! There is a mini golf put put area in the very back. We took a bottle of wine out there Saturday night and just laid in the grass undisturbed by anyone else the whole time. Spice on Spice on Spice if you know what I mean.
You do know.
Saturday the pool was hella poppin and we were the most hungover. Thankfully our sweet friend at the Lemonade Stand took us to the INDOOR SALT WATER POOL. It’s everything your hangover needs. Library voices, AC, COCKTAILS. Free fruit! EVERYONE LOVES FREE FOOD.
They have a benedict made with pancakes. Evil geniuses.
All and all had such an amazing weekend! I look forward to my next trip to the Parker :)

NOTE: I was told the entire resort is undergoing a complete redesign starting September 2015. This includes guest rooms, villas, and dining locations on site. It will remain open and functioning, but I would call them to inquire about dining options and construction noise.
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This is long but it’s worth the read. We are Parker veterans.
My fiancé and I stay at The Parker a few times each year for the last three years. A few starting suggestions:
— Call ahead and ask for early check in AND a room with a patio.
— Bring small bills to tip the staff (valet, pool hostess and food staff, bartenders, etc).
DESIGN
Jonathan Adler did all the design and textures and they are just heaven. In other words, if you appreciate modern, bright art, and knight armor displays, this is the place for you. From the entrance to the smallest detail in the bathroom, it’s been considered and it’s classy.
Don’t forget to take your classic Parker pictures at these three locations, folks; it will certify you as a legitimate cool person:
1) The front entrance with orange doors and textured bricks,
2) The «drugs» sign above the fireplace in the lobby,
3) Poolside with adult lemonade and the pool in the background.
FOOD/​BEVERAGES
We do the glutton package on most of our trips here, which is a fabulous way to experience this oasis because it includes room and also food credit of $ 200/​day (alcohol and tips not included).
We typically do…
9am — Lazy/​hungover breakfast at Norma’s (all food options are fantastic),
Noon — Order drinks and lunch poolside with the Lemon Heads (staff at the pool),
6pm — Get oysters on the half shell and the cheese plate at the lobby’s «mirror bar,» as we call it,
9:30pm– Have steak dinner and one of their amazing pie shakes delivered to our room just before the kitchen closes at 10pm.
11pm — Hang out by the fire pit and walk the grounds
*Drink all day/​night.
THE GROUNDS
It has a very boutique vibe but the grounds are more expansive than you would ever think. Go get lost in the various pathways and find some snuggle benches. There is free croquet, mini golf, tennis, giant chess board, hammocks, fountains, fire pit, and sitting areas scattered all throughout the grounds as well. There are two outdoor pools, an adults-​only and a family pool that’s kid-​friendly. There is also an indoor saltwater pool for spa guests.
SPA
Top of the line. Do any of it. Super nice staff and gorgeous facility. Check online for spa package discounts here.
POOL ADVICE
A warning to those who want to be poolside all day with good seats: Show up early to check in with the pool hostess. If you get there early enough you will be able to pick out which lounge chairs you would like for the day. They provide spa water and fresh towels by the pool.
STAFF
The staff is very kind and attentive, which is true even of the staff who works outside by the pool and adult lemonade stand all day. Absolutely anything you need is taken care of.
Special shout out to George at the lobby «mirror bar.» He’s awesome.

I was just here for a wedding this past weekend. It didn’t dawn on me until I arrived where I had seen the Parker before and realized it was from a Bravo reality series a few years back. Yes, I watched it (thanks to my DVR), but don’t recall much about the Parker. However, I will say that once I was here… everything was memorable.
This location for a wedding event venue is truly amazing. The various gardens hosted us with one area for the the actual wedding ceremony and another area for the cocktail hour. The only minor issue was that the lighting during the cocktail hour was a bit annoying because they were using lights that were like flood lights. So, it was hard talking if you were facing the light. However, we only had to deal with this for a short while once the sunset as we migrated over to the dining area.
The dining area was beautiful with the long running tables and hanging lights. The inside dancing area had the bar and dessert area, which I’m sure depends on your setup.
Overall, the venue was amazing and all the guests had a great time. I’m glad that my cousin’s used Parker as their wedding venue and I’d highly recommend any a couple looking for an amazing place to check out the Parker!