However, one of the options offered to us was the Westin Mission Hills. The price was right, and it was one of the options that allowed dogs. Originally, our plan was to stay at the JW Marriott, but that property does not allow pets. Upon reviewing online ratings for the hotel, the ratings were a mixed bag. On the hotel’s website, they have a rating of 3.7/5, and a quick Google search shows a rating of 4.4. But, given the options of being in the snow versus being in the desert, we booked it anyway. Also, with the recent acquisition of Starwood hotels by Marriott, we were hoping to use some of the benefits of our Marriott Rewards gold status at the property.

Pet Fee

After the booking, I called the property to ask about the pet fee (as nothing was listed on the website), and I was informed that there was no pet fee! Huge win in our books, as we have paid pet fees of up to $75 per night per dog (looking at you Cosmopolitan Las Vegas). We appreciate that there was no money grab dog fee at this property.

The Hotel

Fast-forward to the trip and the property, the place is huge. Nestled on Dinah Shore drive, the property is home to a Gary Player and Peter Dye golf course. We did not indulge in playing the course this trip, but definitely will the next time we visit. When you pull up to the resort, there is a large unloading area. Guests have two options for parking: free self-park and valet. Considering the size of the resort, you would want to elect for self-parking, otherwise, you would be doing a ton of walking back and forth to the main building. Several of the areas of the main building are compartmentalized and are separated from one other. The main lobby (which houses a resident dog that is up for adoption) is connected to the fireside lounge. There are also concierge services that distribute “coupon” packs, but also push a timeshare meeting.

Check-In

Check-in was fast and easy. We arrived at 5:00pm and did not have to wait in any lines. With our Marriott Rewards gold tier, we were upgraded from our standard room, to a golf course view. Highly recommend the upgrade, as you will see the photos below. One item that did throw us off was the $35 resort fee. Some resort fees actually give you value, but this one just feels like a cash grab. For $35 a day you get one set of drinks (one time), access to a pool that is somewhere, a shuttle to the Aqua Caliente casino, and golf bag storage. We can buy our own drinks, it was 10 degrees celsius outside (so multiple pools is out of the question), and we weren’t golfing, so I’m not really sure what they were offering with this resort fee.  Internet is covered if you are a rewards member, and the fitness center was not even a part of the fee.

TIP: Unless you are golfing, ask to have the resort fee waived.

Going to our room felt like we were on a trip to Mexico. The large resort with the winding walkways really gave it an exotic feel. When we got to the room, we were stoked. Not only were we facing the golf course, but we were on the first floor, which made it super easy to take out the dogs. The only downside is that we noticed a fair bit of noise from the upstairs rooms (the buildings are only two stories). I went out to have a look, and expected to see a ruckus, however, there was nothing… Just some people three rooms down having a drink on the patio. The noise in the room was there, but it really didn’t persist throughout the night. If noise from other rooms bothers you immensely, we recommend staying on the top floor. We elected to stay on the bottom floor, as we’d rather have a little noise than having to carry the dogs up and down the stairs every time.

Exploring the property, there are little nature habitats everywhere, specifically rabbits and turtles near the main lobby. They also offer fishing in the ponds near the golf course at 4:00 pm during the weekdays. The grounds of the property are gorgeous. We spent one morning simply walking along the golf course with the dogs, enjoying the sunshine and the views. Nothing beats the expansive greens with the mountains nestled in the background.

Fitness Center

One of the great benefits about staying at a Westin is their fitness centers. The WestinWORKOUT Studio at this property was amazing, as it faced the golf course and had a great selection of workout options, including a Peloton bike. This was the first time we had actually been able to use a Peloton bike, and is what got us hooked on their workout programming. The gym was busier than what we had expected, and was about 80% full every morning, so get there early if you need some space for your workout.

Meals

For breakfast every morning, we dined at Pinzimini. Prices are average for your hotel breakfast (17-20 USD), and the food was quite good, although portions were small. Coffee was about another $3 USD on top of the entrees. The first two days we ordered off the menu, but then switched to the continental breakfast buffet for $17 USD. There is also a full warm buffet for $30 USD. The continental breakfast buffet is your best bet, as your coffee and juice is included, and they have an awesome spread. All pastries are made in house, and are kept warm. Pairing their croissants with some smoked salmon was a great way to start each day.

But, what was even better than the croissants was the service. Luis and Abdul went out of their way to make sure that our party had a great time every morning, and that included the dogs. The great part about this property is that the dogs are allowed on the patio in the restaurant. So, not only can the humans enjoy, but the dogs can hang out too. What really set this property apart was the great service that we enjoyed. The kicker was when Abdul would bring Louie and Mia bacon in the morning, as well as a Westin Heavenly dog bed. Not only were we spoiled here, but the dogs were too.

The other spot we enjoyed was the fireside lounge. We were going to hit up their happy hour, but elected on getting a bottle of wine instead. Being around the massive fire pit (hence fireside lounge) was an awesome way to end the day of local sightseeing.

Overall our stay at the Westin Mission Hills was spectacular, and we cannot wait to return to experience it again, and to play a round of golf!

TIPS:

• Avoid resort fee
• Self park
• Upgrade to golf-course view
• Continental Breakfast at Pinzimini
• Get a Peloton workout in at the WestinWORKOUT studio

Subscribe to our blog and receive a printable pdf of our “Dog Travel Checklist”

The post Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa: Palm Springs, CA appeared first on The Lifestyle Of Us.

Flying With A Pet

Mia loves her carrier and loves traveling, she’s such a champ! Whenever she hears the jingle of the zipper on this carrier, she comes running. If we leave it out at home, she’s always trying to get into it. She’s great at flying, so we don’t have to worry much about her. There’s only a little bit of extra planning required when wanting to travel with a pet, namely flights and hotels, and absolutely worth it.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at Park55. It’s dog-friendly, located downtown, and there are nice views from the rooms. Most hotels are pretty good with pets and will offer amenities just for them, like dog beds, treats, bowls, and poop bags. We try to bring the comforts of home, so we’ll also bring some light bedding for her.

Where We Ate

It might be obvious that we don’t bring Mia out when we go to eat. She stays back at the hotel to relax while we go out for dinner. Since it was just a quick weekend here, there’s are only so many opportunities to eat! We always try to go to Rich Table, it’s one of our most favorite restaurants in SF.

• Rich Table
• Frances
• Smitten Ice Cream
• Salt and Straw
• In n Out

What We Did

• Epic bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge!

We’ve had the pleasure of visiting San Francisco many times, so we’ve done Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Alcatraz, Lombard Street, Presidio, Mission Delores Park, shop around Haight, Crissy Field, Embarcadero, The Castro, Chinatown, and Union Square, to name a few places. So we rented a couple of bikes, and got a buggy so that Mia could come along for the ride!

The post A Weekend in San Francisco appeared first on The Lifestyle Of Us.