Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa, Indian Wells — Hotel in Indian Wells

We had a pretty decent stay at the Renaissance Resort & Spa! This will be a lengthy review, broken into 4 sections:

Accommodations - we had a pool view room, and the room was great aesthically! It was very airy and roomy for my family of 4. We had a fridge in the room, which was great for drinks. The hotel also supplied Aveda shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The room was cleaned daily as I know most hotels have chosen to go away with this practice, but I thoroughly enjoyed having a tidy room to go come back to at the end of the day. The shower water pressure was a little light for personal preference, but the water worked fine. The bed was super comfortable, but the pillows fell flat once your head hit them. Personally, they were way too soft for my liking.

Food - The hotel has three restaurants and a pool bar. The food and drinks were a hit or miss almost always, which became annoying since drinks, on average, are $16-$20. If you ordered an item one day and came back and ordered it again the very next day, it was always different. I ordered a drink from "This Place" restaurant called Something in the Orange, made by Victor. This drink was amazing!! I came back the next night to re-order and got a completely different lack luster drink by another bartender (I can't remember his name - pic attached). This also happened with a martini I ordered. I would like to note that I ordered the bang bang shrimp at Cava, and it was delicious. Came back the following day, and again, it looked completely different.

Activities - The hotel offers quite a few activities for kids, some at appointed times and free (braclet making, sand art, etc) and others are paid (slime making, build a bear, lotion making, etc.) The staff were friendly and did a great job explaining directions/helping our little ones. Our kiddos thoroughly enjoyed playing with the toys available (legos, connect four, jumping rope, etc.). They also have an arcade room, which was pretty fun and reasonably priced.

Other - Overall, our stay was okay. A few nuisances that really impede upon the experience are the lack of customer service and the feeling of being nickeled and dimed for minor things.

A) While having our room cleaned, we asked housekeeping to replace the glasses in our room. The glasses were replaced, but the old/used glasses sat outside our room door for 2 days. We woke up the 3rd day to find broken glass outside our door. This is a serious hazard as the glass started to blend with the carpet, but it's still unacceptable.

B) We were told immediately when we sat down for dinner one night that unless we knew what we were ordering, the kitchen was closed. Luckily, I knew what I was ordering, so we were able to order dinner. Although I understood the urgency, the message could have been conveyed with more courteouscy!

C) I ordered room service one morning so my family and I could enjoy breakfast on the patio overlooking the pool. I ordered two kids' waffles only to find out it was only half a waffle for each order (pic attached) as well as a $5 delivery fee.

D) We were never told about the deposit fee of $75 per night. I expected the $40 resort fee but was not aware that the resort fee would be taxed as well. In addition, they automatically charge everything to the room unless you tell them otherwise.

E) Finally, I reserved pool chairs based on a few other reviews about chairs being taken by 8:15 AM. I just didn't want to deal with the hassle of it, so I purchased chairs, which are crazy expensive ($200 per day) for the weekend. Upon purchasing the chairs, you are told that there is 20% gratitude fee charged automatically at the time of service (for the drink & food servers/pool assistance), which is fine. But upon ordering food and drinks, the bartenders told us that the 20% gratitude is for the chairs.. Seriously!! I would like to see how the chairs spend the money! Although I gave a tip personally, it's practices like this that do not sit well with me, and ultimately, I...

During my recent stay, I encountered several issues that I believe the hotel should address to enhance the guest experience:

🏨 Reception & Parking The reception area is located to the side of the building, not at the main entrance, which is confusing for first-time visitors. Logically, one would expect the lobby to be directly across from the entrance. Upon arrival, only one staff member was present at the front desk. While valet service was offered, I was not informed that accessing the parking gate required a room key due to a daily parking fee of $28. This lack of communication led to confusion at checkout, where I was unexpectedly charged $14 for parking. If a flat $28 fee is applied, partial charges should not be added. In my opinion, parking fees should be waived for overnight guests, as they are already paying for accommodations.

🚿 Room Maintenance & Cleanliness While my son's therapist was organizing items in the bathroom, part of the sink unexpectedly detached and fell. Thankfully, no one was injured. I reported the issue to the front desk, and maintenance responded promptly. However, after the repair, the bathroom was left in disarray, with debris left in the tub. This lack of cleanliness after service is unacceptable.

🧊 Room Amenities The in-room refrigerator was unusually small—half the size of a standard mini-fridge. The room included a coffee maker but no microwave, which can be inconvenient for families, especially those with children who have dietary needs.

🏖️ Pool Area & Hidden Fees I rented poolside chairs for two days at a cost of $31.94, but additional charges for waiter service and cancellation fees were not disclosed upfront. These hidden fees are misleading and should be clearly communicated during booking. Service consistency was also an issue. On Monday, the waitress briefly checked in, while on Tuesday, a staff member welcomed us with towels, a bucket of ice water, and a more attentive attitude. This inconsistency affects the overall experience.

🚭 Pool Rules & Safety Despite the pool being designated as non-smoking and glass-free, I observed guests smoking cigars and using glass containers at night. On another occasion, a woman used an e-cigarette near the bar. These behaviors were not addressed by staff, which is concerning in a family-friendly environment with children present.

👨‍👩‍👦 Accessibility & Special Needs Families traveling with children who have special needs should contact the hotel in advance to discuss food accommodations. I personally spoke with the chef, and both Garret and Sergio were exceptionally helpful. I recommend bringing your own kitchen tools (e.g., cutting board, knife) to better manage meals for children with dietary restrictions.

🛍️ Nearby Resources There are several nearby stores such as Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, and Sprouts, which are helpful for purchasing essentials during your stay.

🌞 Seasonal Tips The desert climate is very hot, so comfortable clothing and sunscreen are essential. During summer, I suggest not renting poolside chairs, as there are plenty of free seating options available. The hotel provides pool toys like beach balls, noodles, and inflatables, but guests are welcome to bring their own.

🌐 Website Usability The hotel’s website is difficult to navigate and lacks clarity. Improving its layout and accessibility would greatly benefit future guests.

I hope these suggestions are taken into consideration to improve the overall guest experience. Thank you for the opportunity to...

As I sit on the toilet, looking at the splatter on the mirror, I wonder how this can happen to such a nice hotel. All 3 mirrors in this room have splatters and dust and streaks on them. There is rust on the tub and the trim by the tub has a giant rust spot bigger than a silver dollar with peeling paint.

It all began upon check in- which went smoothly. The valet was amazing. I didn’t get her name, but she has long dark brown wavy hair and she was running to accommodate guests. She was also super helpful explaining where to park. We found our room and promptly got ready for bed as we have small children. After they were sleeping, I noticed that the garbage can by the toilet had rubbish in it. Odd, I thought, but not a biggie, although I’ve never experienced a dirty garbage can before- especially at a Renaissance. It was late and I went to bed. In the morning, I noticed that my sheets were stained. Also, we were looking for a lost computer piece and we noticed that there was a dirty sock under the bed. When I got out of the shower, I went to put on lotion and the bottle was soiled on the outside and mostly empty. I called the front desk and explained these things. She asked if I wanted these issues taken care of straight away, I said that wasn’t important, it was OK to clean things when the room was refreshed. She said that she was going to contact the head of housekeeping and explain the issues. This was around 11 a.m. We left and didn’t return until after 7 p.m. The room had never been cleaned and the sock, rubbish bin, sheets and lotion were as they were before we left. I called the front desk and I was told that because of our discounted rate and the hotel’s green policy, the room was not cleaned. She said that someone could come and clean the room, but we have kiddos that need to go to bed, so she said that she would upgrade us to a pool view room and someone would be up to help us move. After an hour without assistance, we went to the front desk and supposedly they sent the bellman to the wrong room, but never corrected the situation. We started looking at other places in the room and the other bed had a cigarette and some other bit of rubbish under it. There was mold and mildew in the bathroom. Also, the surfaces of the room were completely dusty. It was a huge disappointment.

Hal helped us to another room that was not a pool view room as the front desk lady said. The paint was peeling by the A/C return- a spot bigger than your hand. The kicker in this room was that there were at least 3 spots on the bathroom floor of lipstick. All of the tile in all three rooms we have been in are filthy. The dirt is ingrained. The lipstick was in big blobs on the tile. How does this happen?

The grounds are beautiful, but the outdoor furniture is stained, ripped and full of burn holes. My son found a lemon slice in the rocks by the roses and there is a cigar butt by one of the fire pits in the non-smoking area. There were many cabanas and lounge chairs reserved without people in them- basically all the spots that had sun.

I just spoke to a manager, Andrew Polis (last name may be misspelled). I explained the room issues and he did nothing to rectify the situation. I didn’t tell him there are ants in this room as I feel he doesn’t care. I feel discriminated against and unwelcome. I have stayed in Canada, Mexico, UK, Switzerland, Germany, France and all over the US and the Caribbean and I’ve never had such a negative experience. I’ve never written anything like...