The Saguaro Palm Springs hotel review

A trip to Palm Springs, California is all about enjoying the desert landscape, as well as pool time, cocktail time, dinner time and spa time. At least those are my Palm Springs vacation priorities.  At the Saguaro hotel in Palm Springs, from the hotel lobby, to the pool deck and patio, wild flowers bloom year round. In fact, 56 shades of wild flower colors can be found in the vibrant splashes of paint throughout the Saguaro Palm Springs.

Coachella Valley found in Saguaro Palm Springs

In my travels to Palm Springs, I have found this sun-drenched Southern California city similar to the phoenix rising from the ashes of its predecessor. In this case, the Saguaro Palm Springs hotel was formerly home to a Holiday Inn. Fortunately for us, the bon vivant hotel company, Joie de Vivre, took over this 245 room property and fanned some hot coals back to life.  From the Olympic-sized swimming pool to the croquet area and outdoor patio, the Saguaro is about bringing the outside in. You’ll see what I mean when you check in at the flower-powered front entrance, or pick up a ping pong paddle to smash a few balls across the table in the open lobby.

Outdoor fun at Saquaro Palm Springs in California

Outdoor fun at Saguaro Palm Springs

In addition to the outdoor heated pool that showcases the San Jacinto Mountains, the Saguaro offers two outdoor hot tubs and poolside bar and food service served Monday-Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until sunset.  From the comments on my Twitter feed, the Saguaro is the place to hang out, kick back and enjoy Palm Springs. There is a fitness center onsite, but I’d rather be enjoying the Saguaro Spa.

Rooms at the Saguaro Palm Springs

Saguaro King overlooking the pool

My room, #368, with a king bed and over-looking the swimming pool, was nothing short of colorful. From the neon green front door to the green headboard, the room pops with the colors of a Mojave wildflower.  A little bird told me that the second and third floor rooms were nicer than the first floor; all rooms have sitting areas and work stations.  Nearly every room has a balcony or patio, and all hotel rooms include 32″ tv, iPod docking station, in room safe, robes, Lather brand shower gel, mint thyme shampoo, bamboo lemongrass body wash and lavender lime moisturizer.

Easily accessible from every room, the heated pool and hot tubs are surrounded by cabanas and a fire pit.

$149 + tax + $18 nightly resort fee FYI, June 1- September is considered low season for the best rates.  AAA rates are available, as well.

The Saguaro Palm Springs offers outdoor dining

Saguaro Palm Springs dining

Restaurants: El Jefe and Tinto (Basque regional cuisine of Northern Spain and Southern France) Iron Chef Jose Garces offers pintxos, similar to tapas and California and Basque wines.

Complimentary shuttle on the hour from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to downtown Palm Springs (155 South Palm Canyon Drive)

Need to know:

There is an $18. daily resort fee that covers secure hotel self parking, wi-fi, daily yoga & complimentary local transportation.

Check in: 4:00 p.m.

Check out: 12:00 p.m

The pool at Saguaro Palm Springs, California

Insider tips

The Saguaro Palm Springs is pet-friendly, we’re talking no pet fee!  Now that’s a tail-wagging deal. For additional insider tips follow Luxury Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown on Twitter and follow theSaguaroPS on Twitter.

The Saguaro (760) 323-1711 or (877) 808-2439

1800 East Palm Canyon

Palm Springs, CA 92264

Article written by and photos courtesy of  Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip, Travels from Northern California. I was a guest of The Saguaro, Palm Springs Visitors Bureau and Palm Springs Restaurant Week.

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Clear card makes airport travel easy in San Francisco

Being stuck in an airport security line is as much fun as standing in line for Disneyland rides, only most travelers do not consider the airport the happiest place on earth – far from it, in fact. But Clear, the nation’s  biometric secure ID program that speeds you through airport security, wipes your travel worries away.

Clear celebrates one year anniversary at SFO

I became a Clear member when they first opened for business at San Francisco International Airport in May of 2012. My job as a travel writer has me flying in and out of  SFO airport on a regular basis. I love my Clear membership because it saves me time – and as we all know, time is money. Statistically speaking, the average traveler saves about 30 minutes of waiting in line using the Clear card.

I always feel like a VIP when I pull out my Clear card and head to the front of the airport security line.  In addition to skipping the TSA line, I’m made to feel welcome, and a little like James Bond. Instead of using iris scanning technology, I simply place my left index finger in the Clear scanning machine and voilà, I’m cleared for the head of the security line.

Clear contributes to San Francisco job market

With six Clear lanes at SFO, navigating security is a breeze with my Clear card. As Clear expands its presence at SFO, more jobs are created. In fact, 52 job were created by Clear in the past year. With 180 San Francisco Bay Area companies signing onto the corporate Clear program,  there are sure to be less stressed employees at the airport – it takes a village, right? Being neighbors with Silicon Valley, it makes sense that San Francisco is home to the largest percentage of active Clear members.

With the swipe of a finger, clear through airport lines

Why isn’t Clear in every airport

The downside to Clear is that their airport presence is limited. To date, Clear operates in five US airports. And while their presence is growing, it take a huge push to enter major airports. I hope to report back on future blog posts about new Clear outposts in major international airports. Until then, Clear would like to celebrate their one year anniversary at San Francisco International Airport with a free Clear 3-month trail membership for you.

Insider Tip:  Would you like to try Clear for free? Enter this code, CLRNAN13, on the Clear website listed below for a 3-month free trial membership of CLEAR.

If You Go:

CLEAR (855) ClearMe (253-2763)

Clear supplied me with a one-year membership for review.

Related Post:

Fly Through Airport Security with Clear Card

Story Land, Glen, NH

As a New Englander, no summer is complete without a family trip to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Located just a few hours away from Boston, the White Mountains offer lots of family-friendly hotels, restaurants, and attractions.  For families looking for a little more space, there are also plenty of family vacation home rentals available.

The 16 major attractions of the White Mountains will all be open within a few weeks – with most of them opening this Memorial Day weekend.  Lost River Gorge and River Caves, the Conway Scenic Railroad, the Flume Gorge, the Polar Caves, the Mount Washington Cog Railway, and the Auto Road in Pinkham Notch are all currently open, while everything else (except for the Whale’s Tale Water Park) is opening over the weekend.

Our two favorite White Mountains attractions, are Story Land in Glen, NH and Santa’s Village in Jefferson, NH, because of the rides they offer.  Geared towards children aged 10 and under, these two parks are a great way for young families to enjoy the White Mountains.  Both parks are easily doable in a day or a day and a half, and both offer attractions that appeal to the whole family.

The Mountain Coaster at Attitash

Another of our favorite spots is Attitash Mountain Resort, which is actually a ski resort.  My daredevil daughter couldn’t get enough of the alpine slides, mountain coaster, climbing walls, and Eurobungy, and my son, who’s a little more timid, actually loved the rides too.  There are also several water slides, and a pool, which are a great way to cool off when the weather gets warmer.

If you go: Both Story Land and Santa’s Village offer you a free ticket for another if you arrive a few hours before closing (check the websites for details).  We usually take advantage of that promotion and visit over two consecutive days. 

This is a guest post by Jodi Grundig of Family Travel Magazine. Photos are courtesy of Jodi Grundig.