JW MARRIOTT DESERT SPRINGS RESORT & SPA, PALM DESERT, CA

Seen reading: NOTHING
Overheard: “Get the groom another! Actually, after 18 holes in this heat, he needs 3! Stat.”

The pool at the JW Marriott in Dessert Springs is quite the scene. If you’re young, wild, and free and looking for a party in the desert, this is the place to be.

Here’s what the web site shows:

And here’s what it looks like on a summer Saturday around lunchtime:

Pretty views of the mountains; requisite palms standing sentinel and lots of oversized canvas umbrellas shading the unrelenting sun. What you don’t see in the photo but you do see when you’re there: pop music blaring over loudspeakers, cocktail servers hustling about with shot-glass filled trays, security guards standing by each entrance, checking room keys and giving off a “bouncer in a busy club” kind of vibe.

If you’re staying at the JW and you’re looking for serenity, you’d better try the pool connected to the spa. Even on a busy day, the vibe is quite calm (web photo below).

More hotel pools in the Palm Springs area.