Calling anyone who has stayed at one of the Marriott resorts in Palm Springs!!!

[Debs Hill]

I would love to hear from anyone who has stayed at any of the Marriott resorts in Palm Springs! Did you get an immediate match through Disney or did you have to wait for a search? Which resort did you stay at and how did you rate it? Please help! We would like 2 weeks in April 2006, what are our chances?!!
debsx

 

[Dean]

I would love to hear from anyone who has stayed at any of the Marriott resorts in Palm Springs! Did you get an immediate match through Disney or did you have to wait for a search? Which resort did you stay at and how did you rate it? Please help! We would like 2 weeks in April 2006, what are our chances?!!
debsx

I can't speak directly to the resorts. I have heard a lot of comments and most positive other than the heat for summer. As far as which resort, I don't know enough to help you but would direct you to TUG where you can get a lot more info. You can join the BBS for free but if you want to read the reviews, it's $15 to join for the first year.

As for how tough, don't expect an instant match. Marriott owners couldn't even deposit until 12 months out and it might be summer or fall before anything would show up. April can be tough unless you're looking at the last week which will be somewhat easier. Remember Easter is April 16 next year so the weeks on either side will be especially tough, the same dates in 2005 would have been somewhat easier. Go to Interval's Resort Directory page on CA resorts where you can look at the individual resorts info but also click the Travel Planning Tools link and it will bring up the travel demand index. Note the index listed is for 2004 and the one in the II book now is slightly different. Specific to your request, the difference is that week 5-16 is all 110, so some are lower but the one's you want are higher. Week 17 is the week that starts in April and finishes in May.

If you put the request in now and let it run, you have an excellent chance of a match but it might only be a few months before the trip and you might only get one week. All you can do is put it in and let it ride and if it doesn't work out, so be it. You know that you'll likely have to get a week then wait for the second week. You can't search for 2 weeks as a block and it's dramatically unlikely even 1 week will be sitting there in II, much less 2 weeks. This is the situation where finding an owner will be very helpful if you can find someone who owns 2 platinum weeks.

 

[DVCTiff]

I was in one of the resort properties a long time ago and I remember that it was very nice. The Marriott hotels there are gorgeous. I'm not sure any of the properties are in Palm Springs itself, but rather Palm Desert which is just a bit farther east. The weather in April is usually great: 70's and nothing like the intense heat of summer. If you'd like general Palm Desert info, PM me and I will get my mom on the job. She lives in Palm Desert (but was born in England ).

Good luck!
Tiffany

 

[Caskbill]

We are owners at Marriott's Shadow Ridge resort and were just there this past Fall. We have also stayed at the Desert Springs Villas resort 3 years ago. (That's when we purchased Shadow Ridge, during that stay)

All 3 resorts, (Shadow Ridge, Desert Springs Villas, and Desert Springs Villas phase II) are all in Palm Desert, which technically is a different city, but it's all the same 'metropolitan' area.

Desert Springs is the original resort and sold out. I think phase II is also sold out. Shadow Ridge is the newest at just over 3 years old and is building and also still selling.

The Desert Springs resorts are more established and a little more centrally located, but the villas themselves are showing a little age. However there is a lot of plant and grass around. Shadow Ridge is more spartan as a lot of the planted vegetation is not fully developed.

For comparison, the purchase price of Shadow Ridge was less that Desert Springs units when they were selling, if this helps you at all. Don't think of Shadow Ridge as similar to a Marriott Horizons type resort, but also don't think of it as, for example, Marriott's Newport Coast resort. All the Palm Desert resorts would be between those two levels of resorts, and I would rate the Desert Springs villas a little higher than Shadow Ridge since it is more 'established'.

If you're looking to golf then Shadow Ridge might be the better choice. Also since Shadow Ridge is not full yet (Think of it as an SSR resort that is still being developed), it is not crowded at all. I liked the pool at Shadow Ridge better than the pool at Desert Springs.

If you have any specific questions about either resort you can PM me.

I can't address trading DVC since as Marriott owners we didn't use any of our DVC points for those trips.

 

[Donald-n-Daisy]

DW and I stayed at the Desert Springs Villas last September and had a wonderful time. The villas are very spacious. The living room and dining area are huge compared to a 1 BR at DVC resorts. There are 2 golf courses at the resort itself which are very nice. We had a rental car so I drove over to Shadow Ridge and played there b/c its a nicer course and they were running a special while we were there. Downtown Palm Springs is an easy 15 minute drive from the villas. The nice thing about staying at Desert Springs is that the Marriott hotel is next door which has a lot of restaurants and some shops.
There is really only one restaurant at Shadow Ridge if memory serves me.
Also it is easy to walk over to the big pool at the hotel. Besides being larger than the pools at the villas, it has a great view of the mountains, and of course, waitresses to bring you the refreshment of your choice!

Whichever resort you choose I am sure you will enjoy.
Good luck.