SANDS HOTEL & SPA: A Retro-Chic Retreat

Sands Hotel & Spa

Sands Hotel & Spa: A Retro-Chic Retreat

Sands Hotel & Spa is in Indian Wells, California. It’s a designer boutique hotel located in a prominent and exclusive community that lies between the cities of Palm Desert and La Quinta. Sands is an instagram-worthy sanctuary that transports its clientele to a an era of opulence and grandeur. This boutique hideaway is the ultimate retreat for a dreamy vacation in a perfectly curated oasis.

I Dream Of Jeanie Vibes

This place is chic as f*ck. From the moment you exit your car and jaunt up to the entrance it feels like you’ve traveled to the Sahara without the hassle of flying. Sands Hotel & Spa is a hidden gem in the California desert. It’s a whimsical and romantic experience. Seriously, I Dream Of Jeannie vibes. Like, who isn’t obsessed with the interior decor of Jeannie’s bottle, am I right?

We (my husband & I) knew our vacation had started from the moment we entered the lobby (shown in pics above). The check- in process was smooth and professional. The main table had hand sanitizer and refreshments for guests. The lobby was small, but because of its two floor-to-ceiling windows an ample amount of natural light flooded the interior which made it feel a lot more spacious. And there were plenty of plush seats for guests. The alluring details, mosaic tiles, and exotic design touches made this lobby a gleaming jewel.

SoCal Desert Glamour

JUNIOR SUITE – Sands Hotel and Spa

The Junior Suite at the Sands Hotel and Spa is the second largest room available on the property. Here’s the deal, this room is a perfect choice if you just plan on staying on the property for your entire stay. If all you wanna do is chill, drink, swim, and enjoy room service…then the junior suite is perfect. And that is precisely what we did. We did not venture out and explore Indian Wells or the other desert communities that surround us.

This room is not cheap $$$ though. So if you have a busy agenda filled with exciting activities and you’re not really going to have enough time to enjoy the property and the room, then this junior suite might be a waste of money. I’d recommend to book a Deluxe King Room, we’ve stayed in one of those as well and it is an ideal size room for a short and sweet stay.

The junior suite has two large living areas. One is a living room with a large tv (with a decent size couch) and the other is the bedroom (with a king bed) with another large tv. There are two oversized outdoor patios (as shown in pics above), one has plush outdoor seating and the other has an outdoor bathtub. The suite had Aqua Di Parma bath amenities, luxurious bed linen, and a huge closet. (All shown in the images above).

Soak Your Troubles Away – Junior Suite Outdoor Bathtub

Oh my gosh, the outdoor tub was to die for, loved it. However, I do recommend taking your bath at night, that way it is a lot more cooler. I took this luxurious soak during the day because I wanted to be able get some pictures for the this post. I think this outdoor bathtub is perfect for fall and winter, not so much during spring and summer, so keep that in mind. 

A Yawn Is A Silent Scream For Coffee

The French press that was provided was delicious. There was free coffee offered at the pool area in the mornings, but it was nice afternoon treat to go back to our room and make a cup, because you know what they say – if you’re not shaking you haven’t had enough coffee. 

A Luxurious Desert Destination

Our junior suite was perfect. Immaculately clean. The king size bed with its extravagant bed linen was like sleeping on a cloud. Chrome Cast Tv was provided, and we were able to access Netflix, so there was always something to watch. As you can see from the images below, there was more than enough room for the both of us with plenty of luxurious amenities to keep us entertained and comfortable. 

Acqua Di Parma Bath Amentities

Ummm, who else makes a beeline for the bathroom to check out the toiletries when on vacay? No shame here, girl. I do it all the time. Thankfully here at the Sands Hotel & Spa we weren’t disappointed. Deluxe Acqua Di Parma Bath amenities made us feel pampered and satisfied. I do travel with my beauty essentials at all times, but it was nice to know that this hotel was discerning with the toiletries they stocked. I do judge a hotel by the amenities it provides, not gonna lie. 

Sleek Desert Vibes

The bathroom was spacious, inviting, clean, and sophisticated. I would want to stay in this suite again just for the bathroom alone because it was huge, had plenty of marble counter space, and it was relaxing. I had space to lay out all my beauty essentials and toiletries. My husband had his space for his toothbrush, deodorant, and comb (he’s super low maintenance). 

The bathroom was split into three different areas: one was the segregated toilet area, then there was the double sink/vanity area, and the last was the shower.

💜 🛍️ SHOP 🛍️ 💜

Instagram-worthy Boutique Hotel

Sands Hotel & Spa Poolside Scene

About 80% of our time was spent here at the pool. Sure, we’d go to our room for bathroom breaks, but other than that we spent all day just lounging and bumming it in our cabana. Staff dressed in pink polos and white shorts brought us our drinks, snacks, and meals. They do not allow outside food and drinks, so you’ll need to go back to your room to eat and drink if you don’t want to order from their expensive Pink Cabana restaurant.

Avoid The Weekend Crowd

The best time to enjoy their excellent customer service and a relaxing pool scene is during the middle of the week. We have gone to the Sands Hotel & Spa during the weekend and the service is just not the same. During the weekend it gets too crowded, the pool area is louder, and the service is much more slower (like at a snails pace). If you want better service and a more calm environment then definitely visit this hotel in the middle of the week. But if you’re seeking Jersey Shore party vibes…then the weekend is for you.

Pretty, But Weak Cocktails

Ugh, do not waste your time on their cocktails. They are pricey and weak. The drinks are about $15 – $20 each. As you can see in the picture above, their small plastic cups are filled with ice and just a little bit of alcohol. None of their alcoholic drinks made an impression with me or my husband. So with that being said, I definitely recommend to bring your own alcohol and drink in your room. Save your money and just bring your own booze. I don’t wanna sound like I was just there to get drunk, but I love getting a little buzz on then taking a dip in the pool and after enjoying a siesta in our cabana.

Breakfast & Lunch By The Pool

Needles to say, nothing was complimentary when it came to food at the Sands. If you’ve been part of the CNP family for a while, then you’ll remember when I wrote about my visit to the DIVE hotel in Palm Springs, you can read about that trip here At the Dive our breakfasts and coffee were complimentary (delicious and amazing quality). Here at the Sands everything costs $$$. Gotta have that money, honey. But, Sands did offer free coffee in the mornings by the pool. And there was a French press in our room with free coffee…so that’s a plus.

BREAKFAST: Though it was pricey all the food from The Pink Cabana was delicious. As seen in the picture above, we each ordered the Sands breakfast ($19): two farm eggs, applewood smoked bacon, yukon gold potatoes, and country bread. Then we split the Honey granola greek yogurt with seasonal fruit ($12). I ordered an iced coffee, can’t remember how much it cost but it was $$$.

LUNCH: My husband had the Cheeseburger ($22) with american cheese, tomato, iceberg, red onion, dill pickle, brioche bun, and fries. He enjoyed it. I had a chicken sandwhich ($19) with fries, it was good.

All the food was delicious. Oh my gosh…the prices tho…but that’s my only issue. We didn’t feel like getting dressed up and going out for breakfast and lunch. It was really convenient to be able to enjoy our meals by the pool. And that is what we were paying for, the convenience of having our meals served to us in our cabana by the pool. That’s why it’s called vacay cause you gotta spoil yourself, ya feel me.

Savory Nibbles

There are plenty of restaurants in the desert to enjoy. However, I do recommend that you do your research ahead of time, and don’t wait till you’re starving. Like, do you wanna eat in the Indian Wells area or do you wanna drive to Palm Springs, because PS is about a 30 minute drive from the Sands. And obviously, all the popular eateries are full and busy around dinner time. So research where you want to eat and make reservations.

We ate out at a local steakhouse our first night. On our second night we drove to a local sushi restaurant. Both meals seen in the pictures below.

Gotta be honest, next time I want to make reservations to eat in the The Pink Cabana that is located on the Sands property. We should have done that because the actual restaurant looks gorgeous. I figured because our breakfast and lunch meals by the pool all came from the Pink Cabana, I wanted to venture out and try meals from the other local restaurants.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to come and visit CNP. Hope you enjoyed this post. 

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