I’ve been reminiscing about the Palm Springs trip my Mom and I took two months ago & how much we loved it! We stayed at the coolest hotel and I’m really surprised at how few blog reviews there are on it.
I first heard about the Sands Hotel & Spa near Palm Springs from one of my favorite UK bloggers and was instantly dying to book a trip! The Sands Hotel and Spa is an extravagant boutique hotel with modern and Moroccan influences. The hotel’s designer, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, is a world-renowned interior designer. He also famously created Kris Jenner’s living room!
I also heard the property had Instagram-worthy photo opportunities at EVERY corner but is not necessarily blogger-friendly. I had to scope it out for myself and take you guys behind the scenes!
Hotel Review For The Sands In Palm Springs
Table of Contents
Location
The Sands is nestled in Indian Wells (about 30 mins from Palm Springs) & it’s hard to spot.
The location is a bit hard to find, and that’s probably intentional! It’s hidden behind a restaurant and the only tell is a pink building. It’s a little under a thirty-minute drive from downtown Palm Springs and it right off HWY 111 at 44-985 Province Way, Indian Wells, CA 92210
Amenities
The pool is the BIGGEST draw to the hotel and in the summer, there is a week-long waitlist to get pool access. There was almost no one there in Winter, luckily & I got tons of pictures and time in the pink cabanas! It was absolutely lovely.
We didn’t get the chance to get a facial at the spa (going back next time, for sure!!) but we had a blast taking pictures there. I heard really good things about the Moroccan Radiance Facial from our bartender.
Look familiar? The spa is perfect for IG and I’ve seen so many influencers post pictures from inside.
I had to take a few snaps here, obviously!!
Rooms
We stayed in a Deluxe Double Queen Room on the second floor with a view of the pool. I’m still shocked at how affordable the stay was.
The door to our room had the CUTEST gold palm tree-shaped knocker. The interior was decorated immaculately and had an in-room bar stocked with everything! So many types of liquors, mixers, a pineapple shaker + tons of snacks.
What really killed me was how stunning the bathroom tiling was. After seeing the navy blue tile and brass metal decor, I immediately texted photos to my fiance like “Can we please do something like this in our bathroom?!” Even the di parma scented body wash was an incredible finishing touch.
The room also had a stunning patio that we probably would have used more if the weather was warmer. The patio was painted pink & had a Moroccan-inspired coffee table. I really wish I would have spent more time out there, it was gorgeous! I think if you stay on the first floor, the patio has a little more greenery and a couch.
Restaurant
We spent the majority of our time at the hotel’s restaurant: The Pink Cabana.
The website describes it as “Designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, the Pink Cabana at Sands Hotel & Spa is a fresh, modern take on the great Tennis and Racquet Clubs of the ’50s and ’60s in Palm Springs.” – although the design definitely had a modern, Cubano-cafe feel.
The bar and restaurant are both in the Pink Cabana, which is just off the pool! We first popped in the bar for the Fig Orange Old Fashioned and I ordered the Desert Rose Mojito. The bartender was so nice and gave us an extra shot in each glass then put the cutest garnishes on our drinks. The bar is a really fantastic spot for photos too!
We ate there for dinner as well and OMG – the Pink Cabana was the best restaurant I’ve tried in Coachella Valley. The atmosphere is so unique and on its own makes it worth the trip.. but the food was so tasty that we vowed to come back every year. We ordered the Young Lettuce Salad & the Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle. Also, we got the Smoked Sage Margarita from the bar and liked it, but the Desert Rose Mojito was my favorite!
We ended up drinking wine at the restaurant until midnight, then hung out in front of the pool by the firepits with some people we met from Vancouver.
Here’s a sneak peek of the dinner menu:
I’m sure you won’t be surprised that we had brunch there too! I highly recommend the Turkish Iced Coffee and Tumeric Honey Granola. If you come in the Summer, get to the restaurant as soon as they open for brunch and order “take-away” so you can grab a pink cabana at the pool before they fill up!
How cute is the branding on the brunch menu?
Lobby
I normally would not consider a Lobby to be an amenity, but at the Sands it definitely is! The front desk serves Moroccan mint tea and has so. many. incredible. photo. opportunities.
This is where you want to take out your cell phone. The entrance leading up to the lobby has the iconic pink walls, palm trees, saguaro cacti, and the famous black and white tiled fountain.
The interior of the lobby is a shimmering Moroccan dream.
My Impressions On The Sands Hotel & Spa
What I Like About The Sands Hotel & Spa:
The amenities are top-notch. The pool and restaurant are worth the trip out to the hotel and staying for a weekend. It’s super affordable for what you’re getting and is just as nice as the resorts down the street in La Quinta.
You can easily see how much effort went into each and every detail of the guest rooms.
I also loved having free wifi, air conditioning + photo ops.
What I Do Not Like About The Sands Hotel & Spa:
There’s not a lot to do outside of the hotel in terms of activities, so it’s definitely a place to relax and unwind. I do wish the spa was a little more affordable because the treatment rooms were gorgeous and I’d love to try a facial but they were pretty overpriced.
Lastly, it was really hard to take pictures. I took my Nikon camera out and someone from the lobby walked over and told us we had to pay a photography release fee to use it. I asked how much the fee was and they just walked away (lol!). They don’t have any issue with using your cell phone though, so that’s what I did 🙂
Overall Review
I would 100% recommend it to anyone wanting a relaxing getaway with great food & drinks. We met so many people from out of state who flew in just for the hotel & honestly, I would do the same, ha!
The experience of the hotel was so unique it felt like we packed a week-long vacation into one weekend. Best use of my credit card!
Would you go?
XO
