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Going to the desert usually isn’t my idea of a good time. I don’t like long drives, and heat doesn’t sit well with me. So I hesitated at first when the opportunity to spend a weekend in Indian Wells, Calif., presented itself because that’s, like, past Palm Springs.

You see, I was invited by the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa, a Marriott property, to stay a night and experience its restaurants, Sirocco and CAVA. I wasn’t sure about the desert location as I knew very little about Indian Wells other than a big tennis tournament happens there every year, but then I saw this on the hotel’s website

and immediately changed my mind. Indian Wells, here I come!

In this post I’ll discuss the hotel property, and in a subsequent post I’ll feature the resort’s food, so stay tuned.

First, Indian Wells isn’t as far as I thought it was. With very little traffic, Rory and I made it out there in two hours from Los Angeles proper. Upon arrival, we were greeted by very nice valets, bell hops and front desk receptionists. When we got to our room, there was someone in there trying very hard to set our clock radio to the correct time, but neither she nor I could figure it out. No matter; she came by later with another one already set.

We were given the Ambassador Suite, which mimics a one-bedroom apartment but without a full kitchen. This suite is an upgrade from the standard rooms, which currently range from $99 to $169 per night. The Ambassador, which is currently priced between $399 and $469 per night, has a living room and work space with a kitchenette that can be closed off from the bedroom. There is also a half bath in the living area and a full bath (with a bidet (!) and a Whirlpool Jacuzzi tub) attached to the bedroom.

Living room

Kitchenette

Snacks and beverages

Bedroom with king-size bed

Jacuzzi tub

Perhaps the best part of our room was the view from our two balconies:

There's that pool again!

And we got this as a welcome gift.

The room could use a facelift, something that the resort was planning to do before the recession hit. The public areas were nicely remodeled within the last year, though.

Anyway, our room also had two flat screen televisions, though we could get only one of them to work. We couldn’t get one of the lamps in the bedroom to turn on, either. A few other quibbles: The bidet made a sound as if the water was running the entire time, which meant I had to close the door to the bathroom to sleep, and when I dialed 0 for the front desk, no one picked up. Also, while wireless Internet is free in the public areas of the resort, it’s $12.95 per day in the rooms (my Internet access was complimentary). If I had stayed any longer than one night, I probably would have been more annoyed with these points, but as it was, I wasn’t too bothered by them.

Something that did bother me, though it couldn’t really be helped, was how crowded the pool area was. As the day wore on, the chaise lounges filled up, and by the time we got down there, we were hard-pressed finding two free chairs. And it was tough getting towels, too. It was a hot Saturday, so the crowd was understandable, especially because non-guests are allowed to use the pool, too. I really wanted to enjoy some quiet time poolside, but that would have been possible only in the early morning, it seemed.

Instead, I chose to spend my Sunday morning in the resort’s fitness center, which is accessible only using a room key card (score!). The gym is nicely equipped with state-of-the-art machines, towels, spa water and even ear buds. There’s also an attendant to make sure everything stays clean, which is much appreciated.

Some more photos of the property:

The grand staircase in the lobby

Fountain leading up to the pool area

Golf course behind the property; technically not part of the resort but easily accessed

I also got a manicure at the resort’s spa, which is a calm, quiet sanctuary away from the busyness of the public areas. A hair salon and outdoor patio are part of the spa facilities, too. I would have to say that the price for a manicure ($35 plus an automatically charged 18 percent gratuity) is a bit steep for what you get, which is basically a regular manicure with nice products and a brief hand and arm massage. I know that manis and pedis at spas always cost more than they do at nail salons, but even at Burke Williams you get to sit in a massage chair. Oh, well.

What really made this stay an enjoyable experience was the food. I know that resort food isn’t exactly known for its quality, but the meals we had at the upscale Sirocco and more casual CAVA were very good. I’ll discuss that in an upcoming post.

Renaissance Esmeralda is currently offering a summer promotion: For a $109 room rate, valid Sunday through Thursday with a 2 night minimum stay, you can get a $50 per-night resort credit to be used toward spa or dining amenities. Do it, and go with the food.

Note: Our one-night stay, valet parking (normally $25 per day) and in-room Internet were complimentary. I paid for the manicure myself.