Marriott’s Desert Springs Villas II is one of three Marriott properties surrounding 36 holes of rolling golf course in Palm Desert in the greater Palm Springs, California area. The most budget-friendly of the three resorts, Villas II provides all of the comforts of home as part of Marriott’s Vacation Club. Its sister property, Marriott Desert Springs Villas I, offers the same amenities in larger configurations, but these smaller villas are still spacious for families.

Villas have one or two bedrooms with dining areas, living rooms and full kitchens, as well as in-villa washers and dryers. A smaller, more removed villa area called Jasmine Court is located off the end of Villas II, with its own concierge and check-in, marketplace and pool. Scattered throughout both villa properties are seven pools, but the main pool is the Palmeras Pool, located in Villas II, and is the star attraction. For family games, The Shade is the place to be with children’s activities, a movie theater and a teen lounge. Although the only onsite dining is a bar and grill open for lunch and afternoons at the Palmeras Pool, guests can easily pop into the neighboring JW Marriott Desert Springs, which offers four restaurants.

Villas II, which opened in 1997, and began undergoing room renovations in early 2015. In combination, there are 1,276 villas in Villas I, II and Jasmine Court on the resort’s 55 acres.

For more information, read about Marriott Vacation Club Resorts and Hotels.

The villas are located in 33 buildings in II and 9 buildings in Jasmine Court with 10 two-bedroom units on two stories. Elevators to the second story are not available, so if you have little ones and strollers, ask for a ground floor villa.

Guestrooms
Guestrooms feature one king bed and one sofa bed, sleeping four in total, and come with mini-fridges, microwaves, coffeemakers, dishware, flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi.

One-Bedroom Villas
One-bedroom villas also have one king bed and one sofa bed, sleeping four in total, and come with the same amenities, but also a full kitchen and a washer and dryer.

Two-Bedroom Villas
Villas with two bedrooms are the best for families, as they sleep a total of eight guests, and feature a main door leading into a foyer with doors leading to separate spaces, where families can also elect to only book a one bedroom, locking off the second room. The larger space is a one-bedroom suite with a full-kitchen offering serving and cooking ware, an oven, microwave, toaster, coffeemaker, full-sized refrigerator, dishwasher and garbage disposal, as well as a breakfast bar. The open-concept space connects to a dining area and a living room with a sofa bed. A bathroom with a shower is connected to the living area and the bedroom, which also has a private sink and soaking tub. The bedroom features a king bed and ample closet space. Both the bedroom and living room feature large flat-screen TVs, and a full-sized stacked washer and dryer are located near the bathroom. A large balcony or patio is connected to the living room and bedroom.

The second room features a king bed and a trundle bed or sofa bed that can comfortably sleep two kids. The room is outfitted with a kitchenette with a mini-fridge and a microwave, and a bathroom with a separate shower and tub. These rooms are sometimes available as standalone rooms, but as the property is a vacation rental property, most often the rooms are only available as a second bedroom option.

Palmeras Pool
The resort's main pool, Palmeras, offers two large pools, one temperature controlled to both heat and cool (for those hot summer days). Three hot tubs and a wading pool are also located at this pool center, which makes this the spot families like to hang out at throughout their stay. However, the villas feature six smaller pools and your family may prefer one within steps of your suite.

The Shade
The resort's recreational center, The Shade, is home to the Maze Kids' Club, where kids ages 4 and up can enjoy the facilities and programs with their parents. The center does not offer supervised kids' programs, with the exception of occasional Kids' Night Out programs for children ages 4 to 12. The center offers bicycle rentals, fitness classes, Wii, iPads, a rock-climbing wall, table tennis, Foosball and a 15-seat movie theater. A demonstration kitchen is also located here, with special sessions for families like candy sushi making and pizza cooking lessons. The Shade is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Den
For teens, the Den, also located at The Shade, provides a place to get away from their parents from 4 to 8 p.m. The Den features a flat-screen TV, Wii, Xbox and iMac computers for connecting with friends back home.

Tennis
Guests of Villas II can enjoy the JW Marriott's tennis courts at no additional charge, Monday through Friday.

Outdoor Fun
The resort offers a small playground on Bougainvillea Circle, a sports court, fire pits and bicycle rentals, with 2.5- and 3.5-mile trails available for biking and walking. Social events are held in a pavilion near The Shade, including wine and cheese nights and brats and beer nights, as well as special events.

The Water's Edge Bar & Grill
The only onsite dining is available at the Water's Edge Bar & Grill at the Palmeras Pool. The menu features lunch items like burgers, sandwiches, salads and a full bar. As a seasonal poolside grill, hours vary.

Marketplace
The Marketplace, located at the Clubhouse, features Starbucks coffee, made-to-order sandwiches, breakfast pastries and grab-and-go items from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The store also features sundries and a selection of groceries for in-villa meals and snacks. A second Marketplace Express is located in Jasmine Court, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

All About the Extras
Free Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi is available for all guests.

Pet Policy
Pets are not allowed on the resort.

Parking
Onsite parking is complimentary.

Check-In/Out
Check-In is at 4 p.m. and check-out is at 10 a.m.

The Art of Smart Timing
The villas are a sleepy timeshare community in the winter months, experiencing peak family season during the summer months, despite the up to 120-degree temperatures in Palm Springs. Visit in the winter months to enjoy milder temperatures.

Getting There
Marriot's Desert Springs Villas II is located in Palm Desert, less than two hours from Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County, California. Small flights into Palm Springs International Airport are available. The airport is less than 30 minutes from the resort.

Getting Around
Guests of the Villas can enjoy free shuttle service around the resort, and shuttles to JW Marriott are also available. Rental cars are available through the airport, but taxis are also plentiful in the area, if you'd prefer to mainly stay on the resort.

For Mom and Dad
Guests of the villas will be hard pressed to ignore the 36 holes of golf tucked throughout the resort (not included in resort costs). Parents should also enjoy the events that are often hosted at the resort, such as wine and cheese nights at the outdoor pavilion.