Villa Royale — Hotel in Palm Springs

This was our first time at this property and we visit Palm Springs 2-3 times a year. I have visited PS 30-40 times over my lifetime and stayed in lodging from small boutique to large resorts. Villa Royale is a beautiful property. For a small property, they have created many different areas on the property to enjoy. A central pool anchors the property, with a pool bar, shade and sun seating areas, fireplaces that create ambiance and guest rooms that enclose the pool. A restaurant is conveniently located on property with a full bar and patio dining. A small hot tub is located in a hummingbird garden and there is also a separate fire pit. There is a secondary pool in a far cluster of rooms. We love having bikes available to ride and although the Villa is a few miles from downtown, it is an easy 15 minute ride. You can get to downtown by riding through the neighborhoods and avoid risking your life on 111 on a cruiser. Rooms are well appointed, very clean and comfortable. Aesthetically, this is a wonderful place to stay. From a service standpoint, it could do a bit better by helping to encourage late night drinkers to use the restaurant bar and patio or the covered breakfast buffet area to party. Both nights we had loud guests on lounge chairs about 10 feet from our window. We get it and want other guests to have a great time, we also value the ability to sleep. Other small stuff...They do provide a nice breakfast buffet. Sweet rolls, fruit, hard boiled eggs, coffee and tea. If you have special food needs, take some provisions. Whole Foods and Vons is just up the street. The restaurant also serves a breakfast but was between menus, so only offered a selection of toasts (none gluten free)---mostly with cheese or seafood. The complimentary breakfast did not seem a priority as they were out of eggs the first day, out of juice the second day and we watched as guests took the coffee pots up to the restaurant to be refilled. So if you sleep after 8 am, you might have to ask for provisions. Overall staff was very friendly and courteous. When filling a water bottle at the bar before leaving, I was asked how my stay was. Bar staff was very helpful throughout our stay. As was the front desk staff when asked for a softer pillow---he went to housekeeping to check for me which was very kind. One missed opportunity when checking out was that the front desk staff did not ask about our stay nor suggest a return booking. Overall we had a great stay and would definitely return to Villa Royale. If you are a light sleeper, request a room not adjacent to the pool, or perhaps at the smaller pool in the back where it may be quieter. Thanks for...

Let me start out by saying that this is the 4th time we’ve stayed here and my parents have been staying here on their anniversary for the last 10 years. In the past, we have always enjoyed our time here with nice accommodations, good food, and a nice, helpful staff. However, that being said, our last visit here (2/18-2/20) was ruined by an extremely rude, bitter old lady who worked behind the bar. We didn’t catch her name but to make a long story short: we had dinner reservations at the hotel restaurant, Europa at 6:30, so the five of us (myself, my wife, my parents, and our 4 yr old daughter) stopped by the restaurant bar for a drink before dinner, my daughter had juice of course. When we got there, no one was behind the bar to help us, but finally a grizzled, grumpy lady appeared who seemed to be drunk. She didn’t greet us or say a word, but just stared at us. I finally said “Are you the bartender”, and she responded curtly, “No, I’m just talking to you.” Wow, ok - Not off to a good start. We ordered our drinks and were having a good time talking and laughing, then after 5 minutes, the old lady came up and said to my mom “you’re going to have to leave; your grand-daughter is too loud.” Mind you, she wasn’t loud at all; we were much louder, and more importantly, THERE WAS NOT ONE OTHER PERSON IN THE BAR!! Luckily I didn’t hear her say this, or I would have exchanged words with her. My mom was so appalled and shocked she didn’t know how to respond. My mom said we had to go to dinner and that is where she told us the story. On top of that, in regards to the room: there were holes in our towels, the room was dusty, and the bathtub was yellow and disgusting. Needless to say, we will never come back and neither will my parents. We are also instructing our friends and family who have stayed there in the past because of our recommendation, not to stay...

A perfectly reasonable holiday was interrupted by racial profiling.

Our stay at Villa Royale was marred, but not ruined, by the front desk assuming the three Black and Brown women returning to the hotel were not guests there, rushing out of the lobby, confronting us at the pool in the center of a busy courtyard, and asking if they could "assist us".

We were, of course, the only Black and Brown people at the pool, and it was very uncomfortable when all the guests turned to stare at us, further enforcing the idea that we did not belong there.

I told her, "We checked in days ago." And when further questioned, I was told by Great Value Security Guard Karen as an excuse that she had been off the last few days.

Now I have never been at a resort where it was the job of the employees to recognize every single guest, or otherwise question why they were at the hotel. Perhaps this is a requirement of Villa Royale, but it seems odd.

I assured the front desk that if they needed to "assist" us, they should be just as helpful to all the other guests, offering "assistance" in equal measure. And since she had now seen us, to remember that we were the only Black and Brown people currently staying there, and if she needed to remember THAT, remembering the guests should be easy.

As a black woman, I'm used to dealing with impromptu racism, so I returned to my holiday and enjoyed the rest of my vacation. But I would suggest that the hotel review their policies so EVERYONE can feel comfortable at the hotel they paid...