El Morocco Inn and Spa, Desert Hot Springs

Great staff, ambiance. Wonderful breakfast. All possible amenities. Had a fabulous massage. Could not have asked for a more relaxing 3 days. When you get there you have to realize this is an oasis and you will not want to leave. Love the moroccatinis and especially the sheets. What luxury. Don't forget about the sauna. An incredibly intimate and friendly hotel where you can get away from it all, take the waters, and go back to your regular life refreshed. Have enthusiastically recommended this place to so many friends. Can't wait to go back.

This place was gorgeous. They put a lot of detail in the decorations. It is truly unique! The owners/staff are so friendly and accommodating, they truly make you feel welcome. The only down side is the location. It is in a very small community, in a residential area. However, once you go inside, you feel like you are in another world. The continental breakfast is great. The beds are amazing!! It was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. I would definitely recommend this place.

My Wife and I have just returned home from the best three days we have ever spent in a hotel. Our stay at the El Morocco Inn & Spa began with a warm welcome from owner Bruce and his brother Steve. These two would soon make our stay one to be remembered. We have never met anyone like these two in all our stays at many hotels over the years. The hotel itself is small and intimate. When you walk through the front door, you walk into a different world. You are immediately greeted by flowing colorful textiles that transform you from the desert outside to a Moroccan courtyard inside. A courtyard greets you containing a fire pit, a 24 hour pool filed with warm natural water from the hot springs below and accompanied by a 103 degree 24 hour covered spa that will seat up to twenty people. The rooms are very cozy and again are decorated with authentic Moroccan furnishings. You feel as though you are on a caravan somewhere in North Africa. The evening begins at the outdoor bar with Bruce and Steve performing a Moroccan traditional hand washing ceremony with rose water. Then you are served either wine or the house specialty the “Morocco-tini” You will have to ask Bruce or Steve how they are made. The only thing I will say is that we loved the “Morocco-tini” and had as many as we wanted The best thing about the evening happy hour with Bruce and Steve was the conversation. As I stated above, these two are the nicest guys we have ever met. In a matter of minutes we no longer felt just like a hotel guest, we felt like we had been long time friends. My wife and I believe that not only have we found the only place we will ever stay in the Palm Springs Area, but, we have made a life long friendship with Bruce and Steve. I could go on and on about the hotel, the happy hour, the wonderful breakfast, the snacks that are free and available 24 hours, the decanter of cream sherry set out in the evening, the first class service , the rooms, the spa, but, what you really need to do is check-in and find out for yourself. All the reviews that you have read, including this one are absolutely true. The service and personal attention that you receive from Bruce and Steve far exceeds what you will find at even the best 5-star hotels. You will be amazed at what you will find at that little piece of Morocco known as the El Morocco Inn & Spa. And tell them when you book the room that “Bogy” sent you. One last comment. My wife and I hated to leave. It is the one place we have stayed that it doesn’t matter whether you have plans in the area or not. You can spend your entire trip without leaving the hotel and still have a very rewarding and relaxing vacation. We wished we could have stayed longer, hated to leave. Oh yes, we have already booked a future stay with Bruce and Steve Look forward to our return.

I needed a little getaway for my mother and me. She had just retired and I was having a really stressful time. I've always wanted to go sit in the healing mineral waters. After researching anything within driving distance from Los Angeles, I chose the El Morocco Inn in Desert Hot Springs. It looked perfect! I didn't want a huge hotel with 8 pools and 200 rooms. I wanted small and intimate and relaxing. Plus there was not a single bad thing said on any of the trip websites. El Morocco lived up to everything I wanted and more! Bruce and Steve were more than gracious as hosts and a lot of fun. They were full of stories and knowledge of the area and the water. The continental breakfast was fabulously delicious and the best I've had at any hotel. (I learned about eating a bagel and cream cheese with avocado and tomato and I'm eating one at home right now!) There was 24 hour day access to drinks, their worldwide award winning water (so tasty!), Humphrey Bogarts, nuts, fruit and other snacks. Happy hour was fabulous and their Morocco-tinis were delicious. We never wanted for anything. Once you walk into this hotel (we drove past it originally), you feel you are out of the country. The fabric panels flow in the breeze, the Moroccan music played in the background, and the seating, rooms, and outdoor environment made for the most peaceful and relaxing vacation I've ever had. As luck would have it, we had the hotel to ourselves on a Monday and Tuesday before the Memorial Day weekend (they sold out the other nights). We walked around this comfy cozy atmosphere in our robes and enjoyed the night sky at 10am outside on the chaises after sitting in the spa. We saw a shooting star! I wished to come back to the inn soon. Our room was the Sultan’s Playpen. Although it was a round bed, it was huge and my mom and I were able to sleep on separate sides. Every bed is super comfortable. We chose the Playpen because of its living room area. Bottom line: I can’t say good enough things about this oasis. I just worry that they will become too popular, sell out all the time and I won’t be able to book a room.

My husband and I celebrated my birthday at the El Morocco Inn. The moment we walked through the beautiful front door we felt like we were in Morocco. It is very beautiful, colorful and everywhere we looked there is something excitingly different. Then you enter your room! It is the most beautiful colorful room I have ever seen. I felt like the Queen of El Morocco!! This was a time that we will remember forever. The continental breakfast puts the 5 Star establishments to shame. The owners go beyond what is expected and they make sure your stay is one that not only will you remember but one that you will tell your friends and family about. Just like a good movie you’ll ask “have you been to the El Morocco Inn?” Words can not explain the El Morocco Inn, you have to experience it. PRICELESS!! Chuck & Tracy

My wife and I travelled to Desert Hot Springs, CA from Orange County to discover a new boutique hotel and spa called the El Morocco Inn & Spa last weekend (this is Feb 2007) There's only one word to describe this brand new totally amazing boutique resort: sublime. Well ok maybe a couple more words: Perched on a Desert Hot Springs hill, it overlooks a myriad of famously local windmills and snow-capped mountains. At night, it offers magnificient sunsets and Palm Springs city views. The El Morocco is all about, you guessed it -- Morocco. The owners (and resident managers) have spared no expense and certainly no effort in importing everything from fabrics to furniture and artwork from Morocco, Africa. Every little detail of this Inn was tastefully crafted to ensure genuine and comfort. From an aesthetic perspective, it's eye candy galore. The El Morocco is also all about water. The purest water in the nation actually, as the property sits on a natural hot spring feeding its luscious pool (the water is _always_ warm) and hot water bubbling spa (sits 20 people comfortably in a private alcove) The Inn's twelve or so rooms are all individually appointed. Again, everything is top-notch comfort from the bedding, to the furniture, the amenities, the well-stocked mini-bar, AV systems, you name it. There is nothing lacking in this place. You can spend hours discovering and marveling at little details all over the place. Or you could relax on one of the pool sofas while reading a magazine or a book. Or you could hang out in the 7 foot deep natural water pool getting a face tan. Or you could spend hours in the massage room getting worked on or...ok well you get the point. I think there are several highlights to the El Morocco experience. First, the huge spring water spa privately tucked away and surrounded by open-air oriental windows draped in long multi-colored strands of rich middle-eastern fabric. The breeze frequently causes a danse of colors, like being tucked inside a magic jewelery case (includes massaging whirlpool jets of course). Second, the fire-pit. You can sit around it on genuine Morocan leather "poufs" while sipping cocktails, or tea, or coffee, or sucking on a hookah (yeah, the real deal as well with a panoply of flavored tobaccos for the asking), or just watching the stars at night. Third, the happy hour "social time" when Morocotinis are served (not sure i spelled that right) along with a good selection of wines and a chance to chat your fellow resorters and figure out where dinner's happening tonight. More importantly perhaps, the El Morocco is all about well-being and non-stop subtle pampering by the genuine staff there. The inn is a family-run business and it shows. The owners put their heart and soul (and over 30 years hospitality experience) into this place and yes, they really do this because they _love_ to. And that, my friends, is pretty rare these days. Take it from a PIA customer :) Upon leaving, you'll bottle up the unique visual, sensual and relaxing experience this magic place created for you. And you'll probably have made a little place in your heart for the staff as well. Simply precious. And for us, there will always be a pre-programmed setting on our GPS for the El Morocco Inn and Spa in Desert Hot Springs as we cant wait to return!