Golf Courses: There are two 18-hole golf courses, both designed by Ted Robinson, and an unusual 18-hole championship putting course.
The Palms: Built in 1987, these 18 holes wind around the resort’s waterways.
The Valley: This course shows such classic Ted Robinson features as effective water usage, multi-tiered greens framed by palm trees, and undulating fairways.
The Greens: Located adjacent to the lobby bar at the hotel, this 18-hole putting course stands out for its use of classic features of full-length courses, including sand bunkers, water hazards, strategically placed trees, and rolling “fairways,” all played with only a putter. Par 54, 1,435 feet.
Spa & Fitness Center: Located along the lake, a couple of hundred yards from the hotel lobby, the 38,000-square-foot Spa Desert Springs has adopted a “California casual” decor of split-face limestone and Brazilian ipe wood throughout its interior. Both the men’s and women’s areas have saunas, steam rooms, and hot and cold plunge pools, and outdoor whirlpools, the latter overlooking the resort’s Ted Robinson-designed golf course. A door from each leads to a Spa Bistro, which serves light snacks. New to both areas, however, is a Turkish hammam: a spacious steam chamber infused with essential oils and set at 105 degrees (which allows for a longer relaxation period than a traditional steam room). Digitally programmable Kohler Desert Rain showers with five heads let guests fully choreograph their shower experience. The men’s side also has a 50-inche flat-screen TV. Outside, there’s a saltwater pool with views of the golf course and homes lining the lake.
The spa treatments draw heavily on the healing ingredients and customs of the surrounding Sonoran Desert—including locally harvested citrus and dates, cactus flower, and aloe. However, it remains eclectic in also adopting European customs of using mud as a detoxifier, Ayurvedic warm oil and crushed herb treatments, Turkish sea salts, and more. There is also a new emphasis on “spa together,” in which couples and groups can enjoy treatments together. Finally, they have added a 600-square-foot Spa Sanctuary, a private suite destined to cater to VIPs and the Hollywood elite. It has a private entrance and butler.
Those wanting to workout have the Fitness Center, a complete workout center with lines of treadmills, exercycles (recumbent and upright), and elliptical and standard StairMasters plus a full suite off LifeFitness machines, free weights, and dumbbells. It’s is a partly mirrored room with windows on outside entrance. TVs hang from ceiling in front of workout machines and each of the cardio stations has its own television. There are also a variety of classes, including morning power walks (3.5 miles in about 45 minutes), spinning, yoga, and mat Pilates. There’s also a shop with spa products and workout gear, a salon and hallways leading to women’s locker in one direction, men’s in the other. These each have tile showers, sauna, steam, and menthol steam and hot and cold plunge pools. A door from each leads to the Bistro, which serves light snacks, and to an outdoor lap pool bordered by lounge chairs. There’s another small fitness center, with a handful of cardiovascular machines, at one corner of the tennis building where it has windows on the outside.
Children's programs: There is a wide variety of kid's recreation and programming available.
Dining: The main restaurant is the Rockwood Grill, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a garden terrace just off the lake. It is supplemented by the Mikado Japanese Steakhouse, seafood at Fishermen’s Landing, sushi in the Lobby Bar, a poolside grill, and a Starbucks.
539 Reviews on “JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa - Peter Burwash International”
If you are looking for the best adult tennis instructions this is the only place you need to look! Jim Leupold has been teaching here for more than 38 years and is the very best tennis instructor I have ever had! I attended last year’s invitational weekend and it was the most fun I have had in the seven years I have been living in the Palm Springs area. The people that I met were so fun and open and talented and I just loved getting to know them and playing tennis with them. The instructions and game playing were top notch and the entire staff was so friendly and wonderful. I cannot express the gratitude that I have for Jim and the staff, for they have made not only a better tennis player out of me but shown me great sportsmanship as well. Lessons for a better life.
My wife and I had an excellent pickle ball session this morning. Our instructor who is from England was very professional and great to work with. He gave us some excellent tips on a strategy and technique. I would highly recommend him to anyone who wants to get better at Pickleball. Thanks.
Just returned from a fabulous weekend tennis retreat. Our stay at JW Marriott was wonderful. The best part was the private tennis instruction we received from Stacy and Jim. Our group was just under 10 of us, and we each felt like we got personalized attention. They took the time to really answer all our questions and planned out fun drills to help us implement what we were learning. I definitely feel like my tennis game has improved from just a short weekend with them. Looking forward to heading back at some point soon!
Had a fantastic long weekend at the resort for the Indian Wells finals.
Also played tennis at the resort which had a large number of courts including grass, a very helpful tennis pro shop; and had a great lesson with Z who played D1 college and provided me some with great technical tips.
Our group of 8 had a very good and fun tennis camp experience with the PBI pros at the JW Marriott Palm Springs. Loved the venue. The tennis drills, games and practices were super helpful and enriching. Jim and Scott’s knowledge and method of teaching is very effective and fun. This was our second time we have come back and we are looking forward to do it again next year.
My husband and I had a pickle ball lesson from Stacy. We have never played before, so complete novices. We had a great time and learned a lot. Thank you for the experience.
I would highly recommend all the tennis camps at the Marriott Desert Springs facility.
1. Jim Leupold and his staff provide excellent instruction on basic and advanced technique, positioning and strategy. Play is mixed in with the drills so you can practice what you learned.
2. The tennis facilities and the hotel are fantastic.
3. The chance to play tennis on grass, clay and hard court at the same location is really fun and not available at most tennis facilities.
4. The weather in Palm Desert is great for tennis most of the year.
5. I have been attending the camps for 5+ years and have always had a great experience.
I’ve come out to the JW four times now for tennis instruction, both the daily clinics and private lessons. Every time I’ve come back home I play the best tennis of my life for the next 4 weeks. The focus on simple cues and playing the right shot at the right time reminds me how much I overcomplicate my game. I’ve only been playing tennis for 3 years now, but the lessons at the JW are the best I have. Plus, the team makes it fun. Everyone is excited to be on court, even though my game is trash. They make me feel great about my game, even though I’m trash compared to the level of tennis they see from others.
There’s no ego, there’s practical advice for beginners and 5.0s, and everyone’s kind.
Just finished a phenomenal Pickekball lesson with Stacey Sims. I now have an effective 3rd shot drop. He was knowledgeable and friendly. I am going home with new skills. Stacey was fantastic. I highly recommend.
Second year in a row my friends and I have gone on a tennis trip and stayed at the JW Palm Desert, hotel was perfect, tennis was AMAZING!
I completed a tennis lesson with Stacey Sims and he was fantastic. Professional, friendly with good feedback that immediately helped with my game. Highly recommend and I will try to take another lesson tomorrow 😁
Just completed a private lesson with Stacy and had a blast. I have not played tennis in several years and he gave me the instruction I needed to feel confident again. Thanks, Stacy!
Just finished a fun and lively ‘Live Ball’ Tennis session with coach Stacy Sim! My brother and I(me visiting from Canada) and a few others played a fun and fit doubles tennis champions court – it was a one hour with awesome music and great sportsmanship we enjoyed our time immensely! We will both be back! It was great to meet fellow tennis enthusiast from across the country.
Cheers
Took two lessons while visiting Palm Springs. First was with Zvonko Bencedic and he guided me through everything in one hour that I wanted to work on which was a lot! He was great. The second lesson the next day was equally great with Stacy (forgot his last name). He added a few more important pointers that helped my groundstrokes. He was confident and personable. I’d book with PBI again if I visit next time.
Had an excellent one-hour tennis lesson at JW Marriott Palm Springs with Zvonko Bencedic. I’m a strong tennis player, and he genuinely impressed me. Zvonko quickly analyzed my game, gave clear technical feedback, and ran very effective drills that made an immediate difference.
He’s professional, energetic, and extremely knowledgeable. At just 24, with an international background from England and Serbia, he already coaches at a very high level and has a bright future ahead. Highly recommend training with him.
One of the best tennis facilities I have ever been to. World-class instruction and space. We did clinics with Jim and his team every day. It was by far the top highlight of staying at the adjacent JW Marriott resort. Incredible diversity and quality of clinics, great pro/student ratio, and just overall amazing. Grass, clay and hard courts with lights at night for the hard courts. Wish we had a place like this in the bay area. 10/10 would recommend to anyone staying in the Palm Desert area!
Jim Leupold was our clinic coach and he was incredible!!! It was my first time playing tennis and I came with 3 other players varying in skill. He made it an amazing experience for all of us. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to learn to play since the rest of my group was so much more experienced, but this made me want to continue. He is so talented and made it simple and easily applicable on the spot!
Wonderful family-friendly resort for active kids and parents! We enjoyed both golf courses along with daily tennis play and lessons with Stacy and David. The highlight of our kids’ trip was a chance to play on both grass and clay tennis courts, which we do not have in the freezing cold upper Midwest where we live. The new surfaces, along with the encouraging and upbeat coaching, were fun and highly motivating for our kids! Tennis area was very well maintained and also very busy while we were there over the holidays. There were a wide variety of drills and play options for adults, and they had several options for junior players as well. Tennis enthusiasts and active families will love this resort!
Excellent pickleball session with Stacy this weekend. Great for all levels. Highly recommend.
My wife and I had a great session with Stacy yesterday. Very personable and easy to work with and learn from.
I had the best experience and would recommend to anyone visiting! Jim, Stacy, and David were great instructors and such kind people. I will definitely be returning!
Stacey was a patient instructor who taught me pickleball and I had a blast!
Stacy is an amazing Tennis coach and we had a great experience with him
Stacey was great and made it an enjoyable cardio tennis
Great tunes and challenging drills
Had great private lessons from Stacy for me and my two kids when we were staying nearby. We’re at very different ages and levels, and all learned a lot in a short period of time. And Stacy had a ton of energy to keep the kids focused and engaged. Will be back!
We had a wonderful experience! Jim, Stacy, and David were fantastic instructors and such kind people. I received practical advice and easy to implement changes to improve my game quickly. I can’t wait to return!
I had a great Pickleball lesson with Stacy today (!) and would highly recommend him to anyway looking to hone their PB skills. We covered dinking, volleys, serving and overhead shots efficiently and in a way that worked with the strengths I brought to court. I’m so glad I spent part of my time at the resort learning from him.
My brother and I had two clinics with Stacey, which covered pickle ball basics like dinks drops back hands and positioning. He is an excellent instructor and gave us several great tips to improve our game. We really enjoyed our time with him on the court.
Nashville Stacy ran a great Cardio clinic!
Jim Leupold was amazing and so incredibly helpful. The resort was great with getting me on with him and he taught me so much. I loved my lesson with Jim!
Had a wonderful lesson with Stacy. Great facility. Everyone friendly and accommodating.
My friend and I are just back from a 3-Day Tennis clinic. We were instructed by Stacy and Jim. We could not have come away happier. The instruction was spot on. It improved my backhand, both under and top spin by 100%, along with serve and, honestly, about every other facet of the game. The hotel was great. We would use the Spa after each day, steam rooms, sauna, etc. it was money and time well spent.
My best friend from our highschool was also on the tennis team with me. We have been getting together once a year to play tennis with our other teammates. This year we arrived at the JW Marriot tennis center and joined two drills each morning and had a private lesson in the afternoon. About 4 hours each day followed by time in the resorts absolutely magical spa. This was by far the best tennis vacation we have had in 30 years (showing our age). Moreover, both Jim Leupold (head coach) and Stacy Simms (instructor) were absolutely amazing. We learned so much in three days on basic misconceptions, hard core technique, and strategy. They went way way out of their way to impart real education. This was not “hitting practice.” It was absolutely perfect in every way. We can’t wait to get back, hopefully before our regular fall trip!
I took a backspin clinic with Stacey and learned so much. I’ve always struggled with the stroke and he explained it in a new way for me. By the time the clinic was done, I was hitting the ball with better backspin than I ever have before. I highly recommend taking a clinic if you have a chance. It’s worth it! Thank you, Stacey!
Had an amazing Pickleball lesson with Stacy at Palm Dessert JW Marriott. I here for a conference and while most book massages, I wanted to play pickleball. Stacy is the real deal and knows what he is talking about. He gave me some really good attainable tips that I will use tomorrow! If you looking for a great coach in Palm Dessert, come see Stacy!
Our two daughters had a lesson with Stacey this morning during our vacation, visiting from Canada. They did a lesson on the hard courts. Stacey was very engaging and fun for our 9 and 11 year old children. We wish we would have done more lessons during our visit.
I had a great time training with coach Sims!
Stacy is a great coach, I have seen tremendous growth since I started training with him!