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.
485 Reviews on “JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa - Peter Burwash International”
I had a great doubles clinic with Jim the pro. I would highly recommend the clinic if your looking for some great tips on strategy.
This was my 3rd year in a row visiting the JW Marriott for spring break in February. Their pro Dave Kensler helped me arrange lessons before arrival so that I could play tennis a few hours after I checked into the adjacent Marriott Vacation Club Villas. This was my first time playing in their Round Robin, which was especially fun on the grass courts. Their clinics were never crowded and were always helpful, but I founded the highest yield for improving my tennis game with my private lessons with the pros, especially Dave and Jim. I also really enjoyed the tennis show they had on Saturday, which finished with a raffle and a lot of free tennis related prizes being awarded. Both my sister and I won in the raffle. Booyah! The only improvement I could suggest is that the tennis shop ladies be more organized with their player matching. A friend of mine was also staying at the resort, asked for her and her husband to be player matched for the next day, but was never called to be told they had a confirmed match for doubles. They only only found out about it last minute when they went to the courts to hit with each other. I also had asked to be player matched and gave the front desk specific days and times when I was available to play. The lady who took my information assumed I wanted to be on a backup call list for when other players wanted to play, rather than to have them actively call and find me an opponent. This resulted in me not being player matched until the 2nd to last day of my vacation, after I went to the front desk to ask why I had not heard from them yet. Fortunately, Jim Leupold overheard me talking to them and helped ensure that a player match happened. The resort itself is gorgeous. There’s nothing like hitting a tennis ball and getting a glimpse of palm trees AND snow-capped mountains in the background. My friend and I took advantage of the fresh grapefruits hanging on the trees next to the tennis courts and entertained ourselves people-watching at the outdoor bar at the JW. Despite it being my 3rd trip to Palm Desert, I always find fun new places to visit, including the Bump-and-Hiking Trail nearby (great views) and the tennis courts of Indian Wells this trip.
My husband and I return to the JW Marriott Desert Springs every year specifically for the tennis program and every year the program improves. Jim Leupold, the Director of Tennis, and Dave Kensler, the Head Tennis Professional, provide unparalleled leadership and energy. They supervise a team of young, enthusiastic tennis instructors who learn guests’ names in their first encounter and never forget them. At the front desk, Dora is the master of tennis matching and has set us up reliably with suitable players for doubles time and time again. The clinics are well-run and incredibly helpful and I learn something new every time I am there. This is the best tennis destination in the US.
Jim Leupold is an amazing teacher. Best lesson ever!!
Very professional staff and Jim runs an outstanding program. Would recommend to anybody who is serious about their tennis or even enjoys tennis at a recreational level.
We requested Jim Leupold for the week and could not have been more pleased. Our group is competitive, wanted a workout as well as instruction and Jim was able to meet all of our requests. Not only did we work our tails off, we had a lot of fun. I would recommend Jim for anyone wanting to hone their skills and enjoy themselves for a few days.
This was our fifth visit to the resort with the “Build Your Own Camp” option for our group of 4.5-5.0 players during the first week of the PNB Paribas Open. Excellent facility with picturesque scenery. Jim Leupold and his team provided three days of competitive drilling and additional court time for doubles play. Make sure you hit on the grass courts – always a highlight! We’ll be back again.
Loved the tennis programming, especially the Grand Slam Round Robin.
The JW Marriott Desert Springs has a fabulous tennis facility and pro staff. My wife and I took several private lessons from the pros there, and we both found the experience outstanding. We are planning to return next year, and I will definitely resume my lessons with Jim Leupold. The desert setting and climate is wonderful for tennis, and the JW Marriott is beautiful.
If you’re looking for the spring tune up before tennis season begins, this tennis program–combined with tickets to the Indian Wells tournament–has everything. Morning instruction on a grass or hard court surface with Division I and college professionals who will give you rigorous hitting practice as well as the critical eye needed to fine tune your strokes, serving or game strategy. Afternoons and evenings spent watching the pros at the BNP Paribas Open practicing themselves and in match play. The tennis staff at JW Marriott is unmatched. They mix up the instruction and practice to continually round out the player’s experience (in this case, a high school senior getting ready for the spring season). There organize the opportunity to play on grass, and to practice ‘building a point’ with a former DI player, and model different strategies for different game scenarios (down 0-40, up 30-0, serving, receiving, etc.) Jim, Isriz and Justin were fantastic. Highly, highly recommended for our son who will be going on to play tennis in college.
Perfect. easy to schedule, all court surfaces available. Pros are professional and very helpful to developing my top game.
The JW Marriott Desert Springs Tennis facility has beautiful courts and wonderful tennis pros. The tennis pros are especially friendly and helpful. They explain tennis in a way that makes it easy for everyone to understand in order to improve their game. 5 stars!
The tennis courts very conveniently located, just 3 minutes walk from the resort. Astounded to see a multitude of tennis courts including one made of grass and several made of clay. The facility was clean and inviting and the staff helpful and courteous. My 14 year old son enrolled in a drill session which kept him running. He also took 2 one hour private lessons with 2 different knowledgeable and professional instructors, Isriz and Chad. Both instructors provided quality instruction and encouragement which he benefited from. The highlight was when we saw the free theatrical show (which was seasonal) that was both entertaining and informative. Overall we had a great experience.
Great facilities and programming at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort. Strengths = staff and facitilies, Weaknesses – workout facility at the tennis site
Wonderful experienced staff keeps the drills fun and able to connect with any level player.
Friendly and informative with great instruction.
My wife and I stayed at the Resort during the BNP Paribus tournament and went to the am clinics and the round robins and still got see a lot of pro tennis at Indian Wells. The tennis facilities and hotel were both first rate. The tennis pros were all excellent. Every clinic was well run and very instructive. The pros were friendly and not condescending. The ladies in the pro shop were helpful and courteous. The location and weather in early spring was perfect. Where can you play tennis in 80 degree weather and see snow on the surrounding mountains. Only negative is hotel charged for Wifi.
Always a great experience, well run drills, clinics and their signature grand slam round robin on grass, clay, and hard courts ! The facilities, accommodations , and area are first rate!
I have stayed in the villas on several occasions now. It is the most accommodating place I have ever been to play tennis. Jim Leupold and his staff arrange excellent clinics and teach the latest trends in tennis strategy. This February I elected to take three lessons to improve my court coverage, and Isriz Balase, an excellent teacher and a member of the staff, worked with me on my approaches to the net in order to take full advantage of short balls and close out more points at the net, and thereby putting more stress on my opponent. I might add that, during a scheduled doubles match, Isriz Balase came out to inform us that we had bad news. One of the players couldn’t make it. The good news was that he volunteered to play with us. That was a treat and a challenge as well!
Dora is the exceptional front desk person at the tennis center who arranges outside players to fill in where needed. Her obvious experience and professionalism extends to all. Qualified people like her really shine when there happens to be a substitute. I am sure she would do well in any job.
two great tennis coaches (pbi guys) chad and iszzi, both were very helpful and up’ed my game. what i really liked was i could tell they loved working there and that jest made our lesson so much more fun and positive. the misses loved it all too
Fantastic program, my kids loved it. Coach Chad was fantastic, so good with kids, made the lessons extremely fun, but also really taught them a lot! Cant wait to sign up again! Thanks!
Had three private lessons with Jim Leupold best lessons in years. I wanted to work on my mid court game (volley and half volley) net approach. Jim is great at seeing exactly where you are at and what you need. Very strong on the this is what to do and also this is why. Some volley aids that I had never seen before.
Great opportunity to play on multiple court surfaces (grass, clay and hard), beautiful setting, ideal tennis weather end of January (no humidity, and low 70’s temperature). The tennis Pros kept things simple, and emphasized technique points that were very easy follow and made a big difference in my level of play. The daily clinics very varied in focus and covered most aspects of the game. Am already looking forward to returning.
I sign up for the Advanced Drill Sessions and have always enjoyed hitting with the variety of players who participate. One session in particular became a private lesson when no one else showed up. Not a bad deal for $40. Dave helped me worked out a problem I was having with my medium-high volley as I’m approaching the net. It’s helped me quite a bit here at home. I also took advantage of the 5 minute lesson with a pro. A teaching pro was setting up the ball machine for me and happened to be available for a quick tip on my one-handed backhand. This has been a big help with my top-spin return and groundstroke. My wife also took a couple private lessons while we were there. She learned a lot from Chad. Her forehand and backhand improved. She was enjoying playing and that’s all that’s important.
Fabulous facility. Best of all is Jim leopauld,Who is the director of the tennis program. He has an amazing and I, and couldn’t be a nicer person. I give this resort my highest recommendation.
We always enjoy going to the tennis drills at this resort. Jim, the head pro, is an amazing instructor. We always learn something whenever he is teaching. We also enjoyed the “round the world” round robin. Fun for all!!
For over 20 years I have treasured the opportunity to play at this club. Jim, the pro, is always welcoming and personally interested in all his players. Dora consistently amazes me in finding matches who fit my player rating. She has done this over 100 times so far! All the staff are helpful in serving their guests. There cannot be a finer tennis facility anywhere serving pro and amateur alike. Try it, and you may just see your favorite player on the adjoining court.
This place has got it all– stunning location, pristine tennis courts, pools, spa, golf, fitness center, and I could go on and on. Lots of tennis choices, with clinics, drill n plays, round robins, ball machines, and all available every day of the week. My tennis pro Chad was professional, friendly, and really tailored his advice to my game. I’d go back there in a heartbeat.
Jim Leopold runs a very good program and is a excellent instructor. The support staff at the desk is very good and major person we deal with there is Dora who is just exceptional at arranging matches for people. She’s always a pleasure to deal with and treats everybody wonderfully
I have been going to the desert run by pbi international for 9 years. the instruction under pros Jim and pat is always fresh and exciting. the clinics are a lot of fun. i recommend it highly!
Stayed at this resort in March, 2015 and La Quinta in November 2014. Marriott was unable to arrange any games for me during the week that I was there save and except for 1 time when a game was arranged with a guest who had spent 2 weeks at the resort without any games being arranged for him. The facilities are very good, but I was unaware of any round robins or other events designed to get guests active and meeting other players. Overall, I preferred la Quinta for their overall tennis “program”
Everything was fantastic about the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort. The best part of my trip was the tennis. The tennis pros Jim and Dave have really improved my tennis skills. To this day, I hear them in my head sharing their tips of the game. I have improved tremendously in my serve and my volleys. It only took 1 clinic from them to help improve those skills. So impressive! I have attended multiple tennis clinics all over the country and by far I feel this was the best and I learned the most. The cost is reasonable too. These guys are not about “lets do drills” they are going to show you the way to win. I loved the round robins and I hope they continue to do those weekly. There are sign up sheets everyday for clinics. Also the match play. They will find locals in the area or other people staying at the resort and set up matches for you. I will be back next year. Thank you for an amazing experience. The view of the mountains are incredible. The service was great, food was fantastic. My favorite was Fisherman’s Landing, they had a spicy lobster tacos that is a must try. The pool has food and drink service. There is a gondola the takes you through the lobby and outside to view the grounds. This resort is expensive but well worth the money. As for a weakness, my husband and I started off staying in the far left side of the resort (closes to the villas) in a hotel room that had the smell of mold. At first we felt that the AC hadn’t been on in a while that may have caused the smell. After 1 day, the resort was very gracious to switch us to another room and even gave us an upgrade. Great service.
The place is beautiful. It has everything a tennis player could ever want. Top notch instruction, friendly staff, and lots of clinic options. Not to mention they have GRASS COURTS. You don’t see those often. They have a lot of hard/ clay courts as well. I really can’t find a weakness with the place, I’ve been there 3 times and would gladly go again.
I love participating in the lessons drills offered. The Pros are very knowledgeable and current in their teaching. I’ve always felt welcome and go having learned something beneficial.
Excellent group of professionals, strong knowledge of the game, commitment to excellence, dedicated to improving player s strokes/ability to construct points. A positive eenvironment for tennis.
I’ve been visiting desert springs for the past 10 yrs. generally stay in the villas, but utilize the amenities at the hotel each visit. My family and I plan most of our vacations with tennis as a priority. California, Arizona, Florida, Sout Carolina…. Desert springs is our favorite of all. The tennis courts, including clay and grass, are outstanding. Atmosphere is perfect. We usually participate in fabulous clinics, fun round robins, private lessons, and sign up for pick up games with other guests. Jim and Dave are the epitome of professional, yet fun and engaging, instructors. The grounds are always stunning and the staff is friendly. The spa is in the top 5 of all that I have visited across the country. We live in Kansas City, and will continue to keep Desert Springs as a yearly (at a minimum) destination.
I came here during the Indian Wells tournament in March 2015 and had a fantastic time. I was there for a week of tennis group clinics in the mornings with Jim Leupold, the director of tennis at the facility. The clinics were fun, informative, and helpful. In fact they felt more like a private lesson than a group clinic, which speaks to the quality of the instruction. I felt like I improved my game and was very satisfied at the end of the week. The facility itself is beautiful and they also had a variety of different court surfaces (hard, clay, grass).
Amazing, professional and all around best tennis instruction, so good with my daughters who took lessons!!!
The tennis program at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa is amazing. We have known Jim Leupold, the Director of tennis, for over 6 years now. My son trains with Jim before and during the tennis season from the months of September/October to April/May. We reside in Orange County but we travel to Jim several times per year for his exclusive competitive training. My son plays no. 1 for his high school team and is a national competitive junior tennis player. Jim is a committed coach to my son and a fabulous one for that matter. He is a spectacular strategical coach, and creates sparring opportunities for my son with other coaches as well as tremendous training with him for tournaments and highly competitive tennis season. If only we lived in Palm Desert or Jim lived in Orange County, would it be a more wondrous world.
Fabulous tennis center. Well maintained and run. Great place. No negatives. Our instructor, Diego Tavera, was outstanding. A great teacher.
The JW Marriott offers a 3 tennis court experience (clay, grass and hard court) for $30. This also includes a tennis lesson. It’s the best deal in town! Tennis enthusiasts have got to give this a try. The grounds are impeccable and the staff is awesome.
We love the tennis at the JW Marriott so much we’ve gone three times this year! It has all three surfaces and the courts are beautiful. The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. We took a day to visit most of the other tennis resorts in Palm Springs and this is the BEST.
Beautiful tennis facility with hard courts, clay courts, and two grass courts! Staff is very friendly and accomodating. I was there on business and had early morning meetings. Pro actually met me on the courts at 6:30 am on his day off so I could hit before meetings started.
This resort and tennis program is fantastic!!
My husband and I have spent a week at Desert Springs for the past 4 January’s in a row. We specifically choose to go there because the tennis facility is so fabulous.The weather is picture perfect, there are drills morning and/or afternoon, they also have round robins, or will find you a match if you want to play. They have a beautiful center grass court, and many hard courts and clay courts. They do a fun/instructive tennis show every week that is totally entertaining. We love seeing some of the same instructors year after year, and also meeting the new ones that rotate there. They are all good teachers and accommodate every level of play. So far, it is our favorite combo of beauty and brains and fun! The only negative I can think of is that this year their wasn’t enough players for a round robin. (January)
Wonderful tennis center. Well run and well maintained. our instructor, Diego Tavera, was the best instructor I have ever had–and I have had many! He has flawless form and style and was able to help me improve my game almost immediately. He was quite patient and had a terrific teaching manner. A real star!
This is one of the best and friendliest tennis resorts I have been to. The Pros are friendly and helpful. The resort boasts several beautifully-maintained grass courts and many clay courts. A great vacation!
This was a WONDERFUL resort and I cannot wait to return. THe facilities and staff were wonderful – pro’s were amazing and the clinics were fun, educational and plentiful! Jim Leupold rocks! Everyone was nice, helpful and fun!
Excellent place. Coaches and staff very friendly and professional.