The Muse Hotel — Hotel in Palm Springs

First time at a boutique hotel and now we're hooked! Lovely neighborhood to walk around, about 1.5 miles and a $5 Uber to downtown. Rooms were newly refurbished and adorable. The only reason I didn't rate rooms a 5 was the shower tiles had been repainted (who knew! Great believable fix) was that some of the paint was peeling off and we had a kitchen cabinet door falling off (I forgot to report it..oopsie). All was so clean/spotless, pool was clean. I would have liked the pool a bit warmer but it was heated. First time doing a contactless place like this as everything is done via text/email; no one on site to assist other than housekeeping that comes in in the morning (we had no issues, just not used to that). We even forgot to confirm the front main door was secure when we left and we got a text saying we had left it open. I was concerned that for such a small intimate place there might be someone there that was loud or such but no such luck, so quiet and some nice people to chat with. The only thing we would have liked differently was to not have light music in the background at the pool (Euro trash music my British friend called it), as we felt that if we couldn't play our own music we shouldn't have to hear any one else's. There is an apt complex behind the resort with some mildly annoying bumping music that played all day but not horrible (and likely the reason for the music at our resort). We would...

I booked this stay at The Muse mainly for the pool, which was the biggest draw of the property. When we arrived, the pool was dirty, filled with bugs and debris, and clearly not maintained. I saw another guest removing bugs herself while letting her dog urinate around the pool area in front of staff. I also personally removed butterflies from the water. It was not usable and completely disrupted the experience for me and my partner, who were there for a short one-night getaway. Our whole excitement was to be in the pool all day relaxing.

I first tried to resolve this directly with The Muse, but they procrastinated for days, shifting blame, saying they were “still reviewing,” and making excuses including one claim that we left the door open, which was simply untrue. They never took real accountability, and their communication was calculating and dismissive. I eventually had to escalate the issue to Airbnb.

Airbnb, on the other hand, was wonderful. After reviewing the photos, videos, and full message history I provided, they agreed the experience wasn’t acceptable and offered me a $150 credit as a one-time courtesy. I really appreciated their support and fairness.

The most disappointing part is that even after seeing all the evidence, the host still refused to offer any refund, which speaks volumes about how they value their guests. If anyone wants to see the pictures or videos, feel free...

I recently hosted a weekend party to celebrate my wife's birthday so I booked out The Muse Hotel and I need to tell you that it was fantastic. Now, I have no idea what it would be like if I just booked a room there, though I expect it would be great too, but if you are looking to buy out a hotel for the weekend then you cannot go wrong with The Muse. The hotel itself is great. The rooms are fun with a bunch of different options depending on needs (I needed the largest room so I got it :-) I loved how the pool area is central and all of the rooms open to it. My group loved the hotel too for so many reasons, apart from what I already mentioned. The staff comes in the morning to provide breakfast options and also to replace towels (and even clean rooms if requested). Everyone I engaged with from the hotel were really fantastic and very helpful and accommodating.

Also, the location of the hotel is perfect. It's about a half mile from the main drag in Palm Springs, which makes it just far enough that it's quiet, but close enough that you can easily walk.

Our group is already talking about our next trip there, which will be even better since I won't be paying...