Hotel Review: Hyatt Regency Indian Wells (Palm Desert)

If you’re looking for a Southern California spot where the whole family can enjoy the pool under sunny skies, this is it! The Hyatt Regency Indian Wells in Palm Desert features an incredible pool area with a lazy river, water slides for big kids and little ones, a splash pad, and many other pools, giving everyone plenty of space.

This was the first vacation we had taken in over a year, and it was a perfect quick escape! From Orange County, the Palm Springs area is about a two hour drive, with many convenient places to stop for a bite (or a restroom break) if needed.

This stay was not sponsored in any way. We did book a special package which included a one day cabana rental and a free room upgrade, which was available to anyone at the time that we booked it.

We stayed in a One King Bedroom with Pool View, which featured a pull-out sofa bed. The room was spacious for the 3 of us, with a step down into the “living room” area and a small balcony. The room overlooked a section of the pool which closed at 6 pm, so it was quiet during the evening. For me, the best features were the separate bathtub and shower in the bathroom, and the mini fridge for keeping our drinks cool. My daughter’s favorite detail was the enormous TV which could connect to Google Chromecast (and allowed her to stream some of her preferred shows).

Checking in for our pool cabana was simple, and our server was helpful and attentive. We had heard that the pool area could get very crowded, but we were pleasantly surprised by how much space was available. Having the cabana was a nice treat on our first day, and on our second day we had no trouble at all finding lounge chairs in the shade around 9:30 am. There are two medium sized pools when you first enter the pool area, which tend to be the busiest. Hidden off to the side is a small pool with only a 4.5 feet maximum depth, great for younger kids. Just beyond that is the fun and refreshing splash pad, as well as a smaller kid’s water slide and shallow wading pool (ideal for toddlers).

The lazy river and larger water slides are located in a separate area, which closes at 6 pm each day. There were plenty of single and double inner tubes available for the lazy river every time we checked, although my daughter (and many other kids) preferred to float or swim along without one. While my daughter didn’t meet the height requirement for the taller slides, she loved the smaller one!

We all enjoyed our lunch and drinks from the pool bar, and I was impressed by the high quality of the meal. Our food came out quickly and the drinks were strong, so no complaints at all!

Our room package also included a $25 credit at Citrus Marketplace, so the next morning we picked up a nice assortment of breakfast items to share. I was excited that they offered Starbucks coffee, which meant that I was able to order my favorite soy latte. The hot food items were all pre-prepared just like a standard Starbucks, so they could not be customized at all. There were also pastries, along with cereals and a large variety of snack items.

After our breakfast, we spent a couple more hours at the pool, and had no trouble finding some lounge chairs in the shade. It’s important to note that when the slides and lazy river close at 6 pm, the main pool area becomes more crowded. It may be difficult to find a chair at that time if you hadn’t claimed one earlier in the day!

Overall, we really enjoyed our experience! We were pretty much there to enjoy the pools and we definitely accomplished that goal. 

For me, the size and variety of activities offered in the pool area made this trip amazing. We have stayed at similar resorts in the past, but this is the best pool area we’ve encountered by far. I would highly recommend the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells and we will definitely be returning to float in that lazy river again.

Stay tuned for more hotel reviews in the future!