Some Greater Palm Springs resorts make an indelible mark by going beyond the expected and creating an activity that sets them apart from anywhere else you’ve stayed. After all, the best adventure is in the idiosyncrasy of one’s surroundings.
Check out these one-of-a-kind activities:
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa: EagleRider
Are you born to be wild? How about renting a Harley-Davidson, an Indian, a Honda, or a BMW motorcycle? What about cruising the desert on a 3-wheel Slingshot or Can-Am Spyder? EagleRider can set up tours to Las Vegas or to the California coast. You need only your imagination and a motorcycle license for all two-wheeled vehicles.
74855 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert, 760-718-3327; eaglerider.com/palmsprings
Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa: Animal Habitats
The Westin offers guests the opportunity to see and interact with many different animals, including Scooter and Shelley, the African Spurred tortoises, and Bella and Billy, the Flemish Giant rabbits.
Guests may feed koi fish, turtles, and catfish in the ponds daily at 11 a.m. Resident birds include two swans named Dolly and Bert, as well as George the night heron, and a supporting cast of ducks, geese, and hummingbirds. There are also tours of the resort’s working honeybee aviary.
And don’t forget to experience the Westin Terrarium, a reptile and amphibian display located in the main lobby. If being around these animals spikes a desire to own one, inquire about the hotel’s pet adoption program.
71333 Dinah Shore Drive, Rancho Mirage, 760-328-5955; westinmissionhills.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF WESTIN MISSION HILLS GOLF RESORT & SPA
A Westin Mission Hills staffer feeds Scooter the tortoise. Guests can interact with several animals housed at the resort.
PHOTO COURTESY OF OMNI RANCHO LAS PALMAS RESORT & SPA
Enjoy the 425-foot lazy river and two 100-foot water slides.
Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa: Splashtopia
Active water-play zones include sprinklers and fountains for the kids. A 425-foot lazy river surrounds the grounds, which feature two 100-foot waterslides, a cliff-side Jacuzzi, and a sandy beach. The on-site Splash Grill serves tropical drinks and burgers. It is a very cool way to chill as local temperatures rise.
41000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, 760-568-2727; omnihotels.com/hotels
Two Bunch Palms Resort & Spa: Moss, Mineral, and Mud
There are advantages to getting down and dirty. Two Bunch Palms is the only resort in the valley offering a weightless float in a mixture of peat moss, clay, and mineral water. Calm your nervous system and create stillness in your mind with this exclusive, relaxing treatment.
67425 Two Bunch Palms Trail, Desert Hot Springs, 760-329-8791, twobunchpalms.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF TWO BUNCH PALMS RESORT & SPA
Discover the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of mud in the baths.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HYATT REGENCY INDIAN WELLS
Ninety seconds is a long time, especially when you are inside a soft-plastic globe that rotates 45 times per minute.
Hyatt Regency Indian Wells: DesertPipe
This innovative water ride is located inside a 10-foot high clear, rotating, soft-plastic globe that rotates 45 times per minute. Solo riders enter the globe and attempt to slide frontwards, backwards or sideways, run or even surf on their feet as the slide twists and turns. Though the ride only last 90 seconds, your adrenalin will continue to pump long after you’ve left the DesertPipe.
44600 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells, 760-776-1234; indianwells.regency.hyatt.com