CA Palm Springs Hyatt Grand Champion Rancho Mirage

[hikimmo]

We're back from our stay. The Hyatt Grand Champions is a nice resort. We were given a golf course view in a very spacious room, which at the Hyatt website comes up at a higher price than the mountain/garden view rooms I assumed I'd end up with.

The bathroom was enormous, with both a bathtub and a roomy glass & tile shower stall. The way comfy bed and dresser occupied the middle third of the room. Then there was a step down into a large sitting area, which made up the last third of the "suite." It had a couch, chair, coffee table, desk, and TV. Plus there was a covered patio with a table and chairs overlooking the greens.

Anyway, it made for a nice getaway.

CAVEAT: Upon checkout, we were presented with a $14/day resort fee (Priceline does warn that a resort fee may apply). But we also received a $100 certificate good on lunches and dinners if we return to a Hyatt resort before the end of January. So if we do this again, we'll get some free meals out of the deal.

Finally, my dh found a tidy sum (in bills) under the table in the restaurant where we ate dinner one night. He left our phone number with the manager in case anyone should come it looking for it. So far, no calls, so we can pretty much say we got a free trip!

Kim

[MalibuSky]

Stayed here over New Year's eve weekend..12/30-1/1/07. Bid $150 and got it first try..may have paid a bit too much but worth it for that weekend. Rooms are large with step down to living rooms area on pool side rooms. Our first room was Conference Center view and then my husband told them we were Hyatt members and they upgraded us to a pool view. Staff was friendly and no "downgrades" due to priceline purchase.

[july22sue]

We just returned from a stay at the Hyatt Grand Champion Resort. We had a wonderful stay. Sad to say the resort fee has now increased to $25 but it was all well worth the trip. We decided to stay an additional day and used Priceline to bid. We won our bid of $80 (we had bid and won @ $100 for over the weekend). Our room was a pool view and we felt so fortunate to not have had to change resorts. The pools were glorious. The adult pool was heated to a lovely 80 degrees. All pools are saline, so no nasty chlorine smell and stinging of the eyes. We played a round of golf on the Celebrity course. For me, I am a golf newbie, it was definitely a tough course. For my friend, a welcome challenge.

[Sutter]

Stayed here March 23-24. $85 plus $19.53 taxes/fees through Priceline (bid on the same day so bid a bit on the high side (using this site as my guide) since no chance to re-bid). Plus the expected resort fee (it was in Priceline's "resort" category, and I'd stayed in a nearby place before) which I thought was $23. I also understood that self parking would be an additional $10 but I was never charged that. Hardly an economy price, but the room, both the living quarters and bathroom, was large. I had a balcony. I asked for a quiet room, and got an upper floor room, with a balcony overlooking the pool. The receptonist assured me that the pool would not present a noise problem since it closed at 10 p.m., and she was right (the cool wether also helped). I left my bags from my car with valets at the front desk and parked my car. It was a bit of a schlep from the parkng lot to the building where my room was (got lost once), but, as promsied, my bags were in the room by the time I arrived. No one waited around for a tip (I would have been happy to tip them). Overall I found the service good, and not overbearing.

I went into town to shop a bit that evening and after looking at a couple of restaurants I didn't care for (or which looked like they were about to close), decided to eat at the hotel. The main restaurant was not cheap, but that deterred me less than the long wait (there was a conference taking place). I was told I could eat in the bar and decided to do that, despite the loud 80s-era music being played by a live band (perhaps it was there for the conference attendees). I had a very good, reasonably-priced pizza, and a beer. I had breakfast on the road the next morning.

p.s. note that, at least for Priceline, this hotel is included in the Rancho Mirage-Indian Wells-Palm Desert, not Palm Springs, geographic area. It is a bit of a drive from I-10, so get directions.