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Apr 29, 2023

La Quinta: What It's Like to Stay at Luxury Resort for Coachella

Last year, Insider's music team attended Coachella for the first time and stayed

Last year, Insider's music team attended Coachella for the first time and stayed at an Airbnb in Palm Springs. For our second time around — largely thanks to traffic and parking pains — we were hoping for a smoother experience.

Staying at one of the nearby hotels associated with the festival seemed like the best way to achieve that goal.

Coachella sells hotel packages that include a three-night stay for two or four people, as well as a festival pass of your choosing (GA or VIP) for your entire group. The shuttle service also operates from these hotels, making transportation back and forth much easier.

However, most of the hotel packages for 2023 had sold out before we had a chance to purchase any.

We decided to book just one night at La Quinta Resort & Club on the Wednesday before weekend one, to get a taste of the popular option.

La Quinta is a Hilton property. The luxury resort is located just five miles from Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, where Coachella takes place.

Many influencers, models, and travel bloggers shared photos at the resort in April — including Claudia Sulewski, who attended the famous music festival with her boyfriend, superproducer Finneas O'Connell. (His sister, Billie Eilish, headlined last year and made a surprise cameo during Labrinth's set this year.)

When we checked in at the front desk, we were told the resort spans 45 acres. The property also features 21 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, and a spa.

Right away, we were made to feel like valued guests.

We made a few wrong turns on the evening we arrived. But by the next morning, we had our necessary routes memorized.

Had we been able to stay longer, the size of the resort would've been no problem.

The room itself cost $1,105 a night, plus $162 in taxes and a $35 resort charge — more than half what we paid for five nights in our Airbnb last year.

Booking the same experience through Coachella's website (a king bed with two GA passes) would set you back $4,319 for three nights, plus unspecified fees.

La Quinta sits at the base of the Santa Rosa mountains.

The king-size bed offered plenty of space for two people.

The warm color palette was exquisitely suited for the "desert oasis" vibe.

Fresh towels, of course, were sitting ready for us in neat piles.

The bathroom was stocked with standard toiletries like hand soap and shampoo, plus extra amenities like mouthwash and lotion.

The mini fridge was also stocked with complimentary bottles of water.

Morgan's in the desert, which serves "American cuisine inspired by the bounty of the Coachella Valley," is described as "La Quinta's signature dining venue" on the website.

The resort also includes the Mexican restaurant Adobe Grill, apparently "famed for its award-winning tamales," and an American bistro called Twenty6.

Although we were tempted by the entrée options at Morgan's, we couldn't justify spending $39 for lemon linguine or $56 for a braised short rib.

Alternatively, Twenty6 offered simple dishes at smaller price points, like a Margherita flatbread for $19 and a classic cheeseburger for $22.

The $19 appetizer was served with tartar sauce and spicy chimichurri.

Both dishes were fresh and tasty, if a little basic. The Caprese salad set us back $19 and the Caesar $21, plus an additional $6 charge for chicken.

Golden hour was a lovely time to stroll around the property.

Retail options include Greta's, which offers athleisure and swimwear options, and Polo Ralph Lauren.

With the pink sky and a glass of rosé, we had a perfect evening.

The fast-casual eatery offered an array of beverages, snacks, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries.

We paid $38 (including tip) for two breakfast sandwiches, two lattes, and a Diet Coke for later.

We were surprised by how many children there were at the resort, especially in the pool areas.

Apparently, La Quinta is a popular option for families as well as influencers.

Luckily, the hotel's easy check-out process made it a stress-free day. If you download the Hilton app, you can check out using your phone without returning to the lobby — which gave us a few extra hours of pool time after storing our luggage in the car.

If you can afford La Quinta's steep fees, it's hard to deny the resort's appeal — including but not limited to impeccable landscaping, attentive service, and a seemingly endless abundance of climate-controlled, chlorinated water.

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