La Serena Villas - Palm Springs, California

A D. M. G.

El hotel muy bonito

Christy C.

Beautiful Villa which included a very enjoyable patio area that had a tub and fire pit! The bed was so comfy I did not want to leave. The staff was also beyond accommodating and I am still dreaming of the pickle beer michalada at the restaurant. They only have street parking but it was surprisingly easy to find a space. The hotel is also perfectly located near downtown, not so close that it's noisy but a very easy 5 minute walk. 10/10 would stay here again!

Debbie D.

Wow! We absolutely loved this place. It was quiet. Our villa was spacious and had everything we needed. If we must complain. And trust me, we hate to. But, parking can be an issue. There are spots for each villa and they are posted for the villas parking only. However, just my opinion, if they would tow one or two that park there and go shopping, then the violators would stop. I worried two nights that I might get towed when I had to park elsewhere. Tow a couple and ensure those staying and paying premium will have a space to park in.

Briana P.

Loved almost everything about this property. The location is perfect if you want to be downtown. The rooms were gorgeous and private. Parking isn’t great as there are only about 4 spots in the back so get there early! The heated pool was therapeutic and taking an early dip is a great way to start the day. The rooftop bar was cute and the spicy margs hit the spot! Breakfast baskets were never on time. They say ready at 7am but they really don’t show up until after 8am. There is hardly anyone at the front desk when you walk by. Customer service is questionable. The staff was somewhat aloof. DOUBLE CHECK your reservation and the price you’ve paid!!! We prepaid for our entire stay via the hotel website and was charged twice (an additional $3k at check in). In addition to that, there was an extra charge of $160 that was inconsistent with our original booking. When we tried contacting the hotel, there was a lack of accountability. It’s taken over a month to resolve and we have yet to receive our entire refund and we have yet to hear from the GM on this issue even though we requested contact several times. Overall, this was a beautiful property and we had a mostly enjoyable experience. Again, double check your reservation!!!

Gisselle T.

I thought I had done well enough research, especially with a 4.5 star review and a couple hundred reviews. Well, apparently not! to say it directly, this hotel is absolutely, in NO way, worth the amount they charge. The location may be beautiful and the hotel may seem luxurious on the outside, but you would actually receive better service, probably cleaner/comfortable rooms, and more basic amenities at your average chain hotel for a fraction of the cost. this is nowhere near a luxury or resort stay despite the description and pictures you might see. Our air conditioner didn't work (it was 105), there were bugs in the room, the claw tub was filthy, the breakfast basket they give you is cheaply put together, and at one point there was ONE person working across reception, the restaurant, and their neighboring properties. One poor kid running around who honestly seemed like it was his first day. Other interactions with staff also seemed like it was their first day working here. Only one guy (can't remember his name) who worked in the restaurant/pool area was the one positive thing about our stay - he was so kind, attentive, and seemed to be the only one who knew what was going on. The more I read other reviews, it became clear to me why the huge discrepancy between the rating and my experience - new management, it seems. I'm shocked by so many of the basic necessities and hospitality this place seemed to lack, and am writing this review so others could avoid being overcharged.

Jessica C.

They are the definition of a first class experience. We had booked through booking.com, and to our dismay a double booking occurred. It was eye opening to see their staff treated like regular customers and put on hold for 20+ minutes by booking.con (oops, .com)

Zach was so gracious to find us accommodations and treat us to drinks and food while he helped to rectify the situation. Mario and Anna were also top notch in making us feel at home. Our first time to Palm Springs for only a few hours and we already know we’d come back to La Serena Villas. Highly recommended 👍

David A.

Overall, the experience was insulting - I left with the distinct impression that the management does not care about the guests at all. At these prices I'd expect attention to detail but mostly got neglect. The property is beautiful but is not being kept up. Light fixtures that don't work, faucet that drips, broken windowpane "repaired" with celophane tape, towels fraying at the edges, large weeds in the patio, broken lightswitch - it's not a short list of failures. Service at the restaurant was terrible - the waiter had to be asked multiple times what an ingredient (micro bulls blood) in the guacamole was. His initial response was to make a face and say, "they're just trying to be fancy." Entrees came out 45 minutes after salad and appetizer and one dish was both cold and overcooked. Had to flag down another employee to get a drink after half hour of being ignored.||Stay anywhere else - I can't imagine it would be easy to find another hotel that treats you with less respect.

Alyson D.

We spent the last four days at this sweet little property based on reviews in Vogue and other luxury press.

It’s a sadness for such a cute place, perfectly located and a magical history, but this place is in an operational tailspin.

From the moment we walked in the disappointments piled on in little ways, enough of them to say that, sadly, we will not return.

After a stream of text messages confirming our arrival, when we appeared, ours was missing. We had booked their most expensive room and while they were kind to put us into a small room the first night, we had to move and the room we paid for was not available. Every time we walked through the lobby, we overheard yet another guest in a tussle. Apparently, it was a computer system migration issue, but the booking oops was just the tip of the iceberg.

The buildings are architecturally gorgeous, the landscaping is pristine, the interiors are modern and soothing but for this price, so many details that abound in luxury properties were absent. There were no amenities in the alluring claw foot bathtubs - no bath salt, hair or skin products other than hotel-branded mystery bottles of “shampoo, conditioner and body wash.” Weeds topped the edges of the sweet outdoor tubs on private patios. Tiles behind the very expensive brass shower hardware were broken and gaping. We were flummoxed by the choice of an entire wall of empty cabinetry, yet no seating area, so we had no choice but to sit on the bed. Hoping for a warm dip in the Jacuzzi we found it to be cold. The breakfast basket, which is such a romantic touch, consisted of cheap muffins, pedestrian yogurt, and apples. The restaurant, advertised as a Michelin-blessed eatery was empty. Though the rooms featured sleek gooseneck kettles with pour-over coffee pouches, java was a difficult get. The restaurant staff groused at us when we came in at 7:30 a.m. looking for a cup o’Joe.

We only had one meal; a small breakfast of avocado toast and this too was unfortunate - four small rounds of very stale bread and seemingly grocery store guacamole (though admittingly, topped in epicurean dried tomato threads). We asked for hot sauce. The waitress asked if we preferred Tabasco or Tapatio to which we requested the second. The first came.

The bright spots of our stay included a comfy bed, serene property, Spanish architectural prettiness all around and mirthful Christmas wreaths on all of the room gates.

Most memorably, was a wonderful young man (Edgar, I believe?) who really went out of his way to help. He exuberantly changed tires on bikes, offered assistance for everything possible - he was just a delight. Unfortunately, however, fabulous employees like this cannot uphold an entire system alone.

I have a background in hospitality PR, working with some of the most incredible hotels in the world. I’ve seen what it takes to put together an excellent operation and unfortunately, that is the one thing that is missing here. This property needs a functional backbone and then the willing staff can fall into lock step with some congruence. Call an operational genius like Jerry Inzerillo; he is brilliant at this type of thing.

We felt sorry for the owners because we just don’t see how they’re going create repeat business. Reading the reviews here I can see that we were not the only ones. Parent company Kirkwood - come on, share your operational expertise with this magical property; it is so very deserving!

Kudos to the publicist who did an unbelievable job and got us there to begin with. The website was absolutely gorgeous. The architecture and interiors are also very pretty. But no property can survive without living up to how it’s being sold.