Santiago Resort - A Gay Men's Resort — Hotel in Palm Springs

We just got back from a wonderful three nights at the Santiago resort. It was our first time here and we had just stayed for three nights at their sister property, the Descanso (please see my review of this equally great property) As with their other hotels, the communications were frequent and easy with the resort. If you need anything you can just text the front desk and they will take care of whatever you need. Because we were staying at the resort during the thanksgiving holiday, the precompiled list of area restaurants was sent out in advance with special notes about Thanksgiving dinner. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. It made booking a reservation so much easier because I really didn't have to do anything except select a restaurant that sounded good to me. I would like to add a special shout out to Kent, the manager, who greeted us when we arrived and could not have been more professional and friendly. He even grabbed my bag and walked it to our room which turned out to be an upgraded suite! He even gave us a little tour and throughout our stay, Kent was full of excellent advice. Much like their sister property, pretty much everything has been planned for including daily breakfast and lunch which can be either sandwiches or salads from two different local vendors and they're brought in every day. All you need to do is send a text in the morning with your lunch order, you don’t even need to leave your lounger at the pool! Oh yes, the loungers are plush and premium, you can easily nap bc they are so comfortable. I forgot sunblock and I asked at the front desk. I was given a complimentary brand-new bottle. They really think of everything! ||Speaking of the pool, it was fantastic! They keep the pool at a nice 90° temperature which was perfect. When we visited as it was mid 70s but it could be a little cool when you got out into the open air, but there were pool towels in abundance and the provided robes were very comfortable. The large hot tub and the two outdoor showers were pure bliss. At night it was a little chilly so you could easily go sit at the fire pit complete with many chairs and even little blankets laid out for you. It was a great place to meet other guests staying at the resort. The Santiago has a beautiful layout with gorgeous views of the mountain framed by the beautiful grounds and palm trees. At night you can see so many stars, this is really a quiet slice of paradise in the desert.||Location is great and like everything else in Palm Springs, if it’s too far to walk, then a quick Uber will get you there. The Tool Shed was quick walk and we had a great time at Tuesday night bingo with the new friends we made in the pool. As I mentioned in my other review, the Santiago seemed more social as the property is a little larger. Many of the guys that we met had stayed at one or both sister resorts. Each property has its own design and unique personality. One thing we noticed, and the frequent guests confirmed, is that regardless of which property you choose, the service and resort will be top notch. We will definitely return to the Santiago but look forward to checking out Twin Palms as well.||Finally, I have to say, big chain hotels need a lesson from the Santiago/Descanso. The service was just so friendly, attentive, and helpful – even the Ritz Carlton could learn a thing or two from these guys. Great job and we can’t wait to come back!||P.S. Just in case, this is an upscale, clothing optional resort, and you will see naked people. There is no pressure or expectation to be naked (and plenty of guys weren't) but if this isn't your cup of tea, you will want to...

Booked Santiago because it was men only and no one under 18. We never use the pool at your typical resort or hotel since they are usually over run by kids. Being clothing optional makes it even better, at least to me husband not so much. We had a late check in because Delta lost all our luggage. After getting our rental car we drove to the resort. I did read one of my text from Santiago with the lock box code but I didn't fully read the email instructions. So, like many others we tried the code in the only key pad we saw on the door. That would be the wrong key pad. To the right of the doors around the corner by the gate is the correct key pad. The lock box popped open and we got the envelope with our room keys / gate key. Our room was lower level right by the pool 106. Room was a good size king with a king bed , siting area , desk and TV. Just around from the main room was counter space with storage, mini fridge and a closet. Next to that was the bathroom with a nice sized shower.

I had reservations for dinner so we put stuff away had a 30min nap and left for dinner.

Since we had a mini fridge we stopped at a Ralph's ( didn't know they were part of Kroger. ) and got bottled water some fruit and some flowers.

After getting back to the resort we went for our first swim. Since we had no luggage it was good it was clothing optional because we had no option. The pool temp was wonderful especially after traveling all day from Indiana. We used the hot tub. It wasn't really very hot but it was bubbly. We showered and got ready for bed. Bed we pretty comfortable and the sheets were soft. I got up in the middle of the night to swim again and used the outside shower. I kinda want an outside shower now. But being in Indiana very impractical. The breakfast offerings weren't to our taste so we went out for breakfast and lunch. Property was kept clean by staff with little to no help from guest. I guess I'm a bit of a neat freak. I put way my pool noodle and mat after using them and never left trash or a glass for somone else to pick up. I even put away other peoples noodles when they were cluttering up the pool. My husband told me to stop. Every night I went out for a swim on my own. It was so quite and peaceful and pretty much bug free ( no mosquitoes ). Never had much interaction with any staff, only it check in and check out. Only complaint would be from my husband. We needed to ask for clean towels and for trash to be removed from our room. To me it was no big deal. If we ever go back to Palm Springs again. Santiago will be...

My partner and I just spent 6 nights / 7 days at Santiago and enjoyed every second. It was a surprise for me - my first time in Palm Springs and my first time at a clothing-optional men's resort. The staff is remarkable (thanks esp. to Charles, Bob, and Boomer); the grounds, pool, and hot tub all kept up immaculately; the room (king suite) lovely and enormous.

But I think what matters most to make this an enjoyable experience is that the vibe is just right:

With just over 20 rooms, the experience remains intimate even though it always feels like there are just enough people that you can't quite meet everyone, although you absolutely can.

The clientele is predominantly professionals just looking for a little downtime - many people seemed to be regulars driving in from L.A. or S.D., although we met men from all over the country: Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, Oregon, etc.

Age is the full range, from 20 to 70 something, and there never seemed to be a disconnect for anyone based on age. Body types also ran the range. Some men were naked the entire time; others would often wear speedos or trunks. But most guys were there to enjoy the openness with other men regardless of age or body type.

Music plays quietly around the pool during the day and mostly encapsulates a chill clubby feeling: gay, relaxed, and sexy, but not too energetic or poppy.

Food is catered in for breakfast and lunch so that no one has to leave during peak sun time.

As one would expect, men get frisky and there's plenty of play, although most of the men I met were there with partners or travel companions, as I was. It's not a cruising spot and nothing "happens" if you're not seeking it out, but I found overt sexuality to be celebrated and appreciated - just not required. You do you!

And finally, booze is not sold or served on the premises (there's no bar), which I think is the key. You can certainly bring it in and drink it by the pool, but lack of bar means no messy drunkenness and an unspoken commitment to keeping the space respectful of all its patrons.

We will be back! The Santiago promises to be a good getaway for years...