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La Quinta Resort & Club
La Quinta, California

Set in the courtyard of a 1940s hacienda and bordered by terraced beds of flowers, trees, and its own restaurant, La Quinta Plaza the sunken clubhouse court at the La Quinta Resort & Club has always seemed like a symbol of the resort's commitment to tennis. This was one of the first resorts to offer all three playing surfaces—hard, clay, and grass (though the grass is now gone)—and the addition a 23,000-square-foot spa immediately adjacent and a 4,000-square-foot fitness center just behind, both seem to be intended to enhance the playing experience.

From the very beginning, I've been one of La Quinta's staunchest partisans. Its Clubhouse Court is hands-down the most beautiful court at a resort anywhere. What is now the Pacific Life Tournament began here as the Congoleum Classic. It has 23 courts in all, 18 hard and 5 Har-Tru. The setting is magnificent, the rooms exceptionally comfortable, the cuisine excellent.

La Quinta appointed a new tennis director in October 2007: Lornie Kuhle (pronounced KEWL), whose credentials include coaching Bobby Riggs during his famous "Battles of the Sexes" with Margaret Court and Billie Jean King. He inherits a program that consists mainly of private lessons, daily clinics, and Cardio tennis workouts, and full-time game matching. His goal, he says, is to make La Quinta once again "a hip tennis hangout like it used to be." That atmosphere reigns during the Pacific Life Open, when competitors like Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, and Andy Roddick stay and train there. He wants that to happen throughout the October-to-April season. "You want to be able to come to La Quinta and see there's a lot of tennis activity going on," he believes. To make that happen? "We hope to bring in little tennis concepts, exhibitions, tennis events, guest speakers," he says, anything that can add to the guest's experience.

Overview

The original Spanish hacienda-style hotel and its 20 cottages opened in 1926 and immediately attracted Hollywood celebrities and California moguls who braved 20 miles of bad road beyond Palm Springs to reach this retreat among citrus trees at the foot of the starkly imposing Santa Rosa Mountains. Since then the road has improved and the resort grown to 800 rooms. Yet this doesn't feel like a large hotel. The scale remains low—nothing taller than two stories—and the rooms have been cleverly arranged around numerous small gardenlike courtyards each containing a small swimming pool and hot tub (all in all, there are 42 pools and 52 hot tubs).

It is no longer a difficult reach the rest of Palm Springs desert and its many restaurants and galleries, and there is little incentive to leave the resort. All the rooms are a short stroll from a flower-bedecked plaza of shops and restaurants. Don't miss the Adobe Grill's fishbowl-size margaritas served in hand-blown glassware from Guadalajara or its superb dishes from various regions of Mexico, like grilled rack of lamb with roasted corn and date tamale from the Yucatan or Caldo de Mariscos, a southwestern bouillabaisse.

Your Call

Here's what others have had to say about La Quinta Resort & Club.

"La Quinta is a great resort to stay at during the Pacific Life Open Tournament. The grounds are gorgeous and relaxing and the layout affords more privacy than most resorts--a nice break from the crowds and action of the tournament. You'll also run into pros (Federer, Sharapova, Bryan Brothers, Djockovich)as they practice or relax.
The courts are well maintained, especially the clay courts. The restaurants on site are excellent and varied and other 4 and 5 star restaurants are just minutes away. The customer service is excellent and the rooms are beautiful. My only complaint--the court lights shut off on us one night an hour before we thought they would. But hands down, La Quinta is my favorite resort in the Palm Springs area."—A.W., Adv. Int., April 2008

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Other Recreation

Golf Courses. Golfers who stay here can test themselves on 90 inspired holes, including the TPC Stadium, Jack Nicklaus Tournament, and Greg Norman courses at nearby PGA WEST and the resort's own Pete Dye Mountain and Dunes courses. If they come up lacking, they can always check into the acclaimed Jim McLean Golf School.

La Quinta Spa Spa & Fitness Center. La Quinta 23,000-square-foot spa is remarkable for its elegant South of the Border architecture and abundant outdoor treatment rooms that manage to be both private and open to views of the sky, stars, and haunting desert mountains. Workout enthusiasts got a 4,000-square-foot fitness center adjacent to the tennis clubhouse. That handsome building has counterpane windows on both sides, with the cardiovascular equipment set to look out on the courts, and contains a full suite of LifeFitness machines and dumbbells as well. The center also has a lengthy roster of daily workouts, including yoga, Pilates, aqua-aerobics, stretch classes, and power walks.

Children's Programs

Camp La Quinta takes children ages 4 to 12 for half-day and full-day programs as well as weekend evening programs.

Lodging

There are 804 rooms, suites and villas mostly arrayed around gardenlike courtyards with swimming pools and outdoor whirlpools.

Travel Essentials

Seasons. The resort is open year-round but confine your tennis vacation to the period from October to early May.

Rates. Lodging ranges from the vintage casitas--a tiny one-bedroom cottage--to villas and several configurations of suites, from junior or what is really a small home. Most of the lodging clusters around a series of courtyards all with small swimming pools and hot tubs. Check with the resort's web site for rates on the dates you want to visit.

Reservations:

La Quinta Resort & Club
49-499 Eisenhower Dr.
P.O. Box 69
La Quinta, CA 92253
760-564-4111
Toll-free: 800-598-3828
Fax: 760-564-7656
Web Link: La Quinta Resort & Club

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General Tourist Information. Visit the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention & Visitors Authority web site or contact them at 69-930 Hwy. 111, Suite 201, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. Phone: 760-770-9000 or 800-967-3767 or Fax: 760-770-9001.