Our flight from Chicago landed 45 minutes early, which meant we had just that much more time to enjoy a beautiful fall day in the desert.  We were in Palm Springs for a wedding and had nowhere to be until 16h45.  Our first stop was the Hotel.

The front gates at the Avalon Palm Springs decorated for the holidays.

Located just 15 minutes from Palm Springs International Airport, the Avalon Palm Springs is just a block off of Palm Canyon Drive at the far southern end of the strip.  We arrived at the reception desk at around 11h30 and were fortunate enough to be able to get into our room straight away.  I booked directly from the SPG App a few days prior to our arrival, and did indicate an early arrival.  It is a crapshoot though.  Will the room be available or not?  Luckily, not only was our room available, we were upgraded to a nice suite.  As we were being escorted to the room by the bell staff, the woman working reception offered us some prosecco, and you know me, I’m not going to turn down prosecco.  It was served in those cheap plastic cups you get pre-departure on planes. They should have used real glasses, we were staying on property, c’mon.

Our room was over the hill and through the woods and upstairs.  We looked out upon the main pool and bar/restaurant area with a perfect balcony to enjoy the beauty of the property but still have some privacy.

Our one bedroom suite was equipped with two full bathrooms, a mini bar, a huge (and remarkably empty) living room and a bedroom with a king sized bed.

The focal point of the master bedroom was the papered ceiling – I dig it!

The king sized bed filled the bedroom completely and was quite comfortable.

The en suite bathroom was efficient, but quite dated. Reminding me of an older apartment building.

The en suite bathroom wasn’t very high end, but perfectly functional.

The second full bath almost went unnoticed. I love rooms with multiple bathrooms.

The mini bar was full of mismatched glassware, but the addition of a proper wet bar was great.

The room was a little rough. It was clean and comfortable, don’t get me wrong.  The room was dated, paint was peeling and chipping. It reminded me of a college apartment (not the furnishings of course, just the bones).

The couches and chairs were comfortable and we got good use out of them, even for just our one night stay.  We slept like logs as well.

The main living area was large – with plenty of room for another small seating area.

The hotel was doing some renovation work during our stay, which included work on the roof of our room. They were out with ladders working early in the morning. Luckily, it is Palm Springs and we always get up very early when we visit (seriously…I’m not being sarcastic).  There is something about Palm Springs that pushes me to wake early.  It is probably the fact that the sun goes down behind the mountain in winter so early, you are ready for bed by 21h30.

After checking into our room and grabbing lunch off property, we returned to the hotel for some much needed pool time. We ventured off to the pool on the southern edge of the Hotel, where the sun was still shining bright.  I ordered a drink…yes, a piña colada with a double dark rum floater (hey, it was vacation).  I relaxed, nursing the previous night’s holiday party hangover.  I even grabbed an avocado toast (I’m not a millennial, so you can skip the mortgage jokes…just barely not a millennial though).

I dipped my foot in the pool and it was very cold. It wasn’t warm enough outside to need a polar plunge, so I just lounged by the pool and ate, drank and read.  

Enjoying the December sun and a lovely cocktail poolside.

The Avalon hotel is very close to the mountains and the sun ducked behind them around 15h15, and while it was still light, it cooled off very quickly. Our pool time was over, which was fine since we had places to be.

We ended up grabbing a late night snack and a cocktail too at Chi Chi, in the hotel. The service was good and the snacks were exactly what we were looking for. I’d been to Chi Chi’s once before. They offer both indoor, outdoor and poolside dining and cocktailing, with pretty prompt service. I’d swing by again, even if I wasn’t staying on property.

This was my first stay with the Avalon and while there may be newer and fancier hotels in Palm Springs, I really enjoyed my stay there and would definitely return – I’m actually planning a return with a friend as I write this!

Have you stayed at the Avalon Palm Springs?  What is your favorite Starwood Property to call home whilst in Palm Springs?