Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know what caught me off guard about Tommy Bahama Miramonte? It actually feels like someone’s really well-appointed desert house rather than a typical resort. I mean, you’re right there on Indian Wells Lane – basically in the heart of the Coachella Valley’s golf corridor – but the whole place has this laid-back, residential vibe that’s honestly refreshing after staying at some of the more buttoned-up properties in the area.

The Tommy Bahama branding isn’t just slapped on here as an afterthought, which I was sort of expecting. They’ve really leaned into that whole relaxed tropical-meets-desert aesthetic, and it works better than it should. The rooms have these nice touches like plantation shutters and natural fiber rugs that feel authentic rather than theme-y. What I really appreciated was how quiet it stays – even though you’re close to Highway 111 and all the Palm Desert action, the way they’ve positioned the buildings and landscaped with mature palms creates this buffer zone. The spa is genuinely good too, not just a few massage rooms with fancy lighting. They use local desert botanicals in their treatments, which sounds gimmicky but actually makes sense when you’re getting a facial with prickly pear extracts while looking out at actual prickly pear cacti.

Honestly, the location is what makes this place work so well. You’re walking distance to some excellent restaurants – Pacifica Seafood is right there if you want proper fish tacos, and you can easily drive to the Gardens on El Paseo for shopping without dealing with the craziness of Palm Canyon Drive. The pool area gets busy during snowbird season (January through March, basically), but even then it doesn’t feel overcrowded because they’ve spread things out intelligently. Check-in was smooth when I was there, though I’d imagine things get hectic during Coachella and festival season. The parking situation is fine – nothing fancy, but you’re not circling around looking for spots like at some of the older resorts. One small thing that might bug some people: the rooms facing the courtyard can get a bit of noise from the pool area during afternoon happy hour, but it dies down by evening. Overall, it hits that sweet spot of feeling special without being pretentious, which is harder to find in the desert than you’d think.