By Marissa Willman
When it comes to traveling with kids, the hardest part can be the actual travel. From mid-flight meltdowns to refereeing sibling squabbles from the driver’s seat, travel days are often the most stressful. Luckily, you can skip the airport and long car rides: the perfect family getaway is right here in the desert at Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa.
My daughter and I recently stayed at the resort just ahead of her first birthday. In just a year, we’ve gone on a cruise, traveled internationally, and taken plenty of road trips to my favorite places across Southern California. While the experiences have been worthwhile, the idea of traveling just down the street sounded wonderful–especially now that my daughter is walking–so I was excited to experience Omni Rancho Las Palmas.
Of course, there’s plenty to experience. The 240-acre resort offers 422 rooms across a whopping 32 buildings, plus an award-winning restaurant, full-service spa, and a Ted Robinson-designed golf course. Located in the heart of Rancho Mirage, Omni Rancho Las Palmas proves you don’t have to travel far for the ultimate family vacation.
Family-Friendly Rooms
Traveling with kids changes how you view hotels–especially when it comes to what sets them apart. And at Omni Rancho Las Palmas, I cannot stop raving about the layout. I was able to drive up to our room, a much appreciated touch with suitcases and baby gear to lug to the room. Forgot a favorite stuffy or cup in the car? Not a problem when the car is close enough to see from your room.
With kids in tow, make sure you ask for a room in one of the buildings surrounding Splashtopia, the property’s onsite water park featuring a lazy river, two waterslides, a splash pad, and pool. Our room was in building 10, just steps from the pool entrance. With a baby, this makes it extra easy to pack up and move over to the pool for a morning under the sun. With older kids, this is great for letting them run between the room and Splashtopia for bathroom breaks or snacks.
I was pleasantly surprised that a crib was actually waiting for us in the room upon arrival. We’ve had about a dozen hotel stays in the last year, and while I’ve always requested a crib, I’ve always had to call for the crib after getting to the room. While it sounds small, this can mean the difference between peacefully settling into the room or a full-down meltdown for a fussy baby, so I appreciated that the requested crib had been set up for us ahead of time.
Our room opened up to a patio overlooking the Ted Robinson Sr. golf course and its signature pond, a gorgeous setting against the desert mountains and palm trees. This made for some truly spectacular sunsets. Even better, the patio connected us to the walking path that loops the resort. We thoroughly enjoyed stroller walks along this path in the morning and after dinner.
Poolside Family Fun at Splashtopia
Splashtopia offers all the poolside fun to keep the kids entertained all day long, and the best part? It really is right outside your door: seven of the resort’s buildings are right next to the pool area.
Splashtopia offers water park fun for all ages, whether you have tots or teens in tow. I was nervous about whether or not my daughter would enjoy the water park, as she’s been indifferent to pools so far. To my surprise–and delight–she absolutely adored the lazy river. And not only does the resort offer floats for adults, but they even have special floats just for babies. This was the perfect amount of “active” for a one-year-old, and we floated around for about an hour each morning.
Toddlers and young children will enjoy the park’s splash pad, with fountains and water buckets overlooking the lazy river. Two water slides also keep the excitement going, a favorite for older children and adults alike.
Splashtopia also has a large pool area with plenty of lounge chairs available. You’ll find little reason to leave, with a sundries shop and restaurant just steps away. It’s too easy to spend the entire afternoon lounging by the pool as the kids splash the day away, but be sure to stay through sundown–Splashtopia offers some stunning sunset views against the desert mountains.
Kid-Friendly Dining
Another selling point for families? The onsite dining at Omni Rancho Las Palmas. Parents will appreciate the all-day Omni Junior Chef menu, offered through room service and at the resort’s signature restaurant, BluEmber.
The Junior Chef menu offers child-friendly breakfast items like fruit, silver dollar pancakes, and French toast. For lunch and dinner, kids can pick from popular items like mac and cheese, penne pasta, and cheeseburgers. Each children’s menu entree comes with a side, dessert, and beverage, making these a great budget-friendly option for families, too. And if you can’t round up the family to make it down to BluEmber, you can always have the same menu delivered to your room.
With so many amenities, this staycation was easily one of our favorite family trips so far. If you’re ready for a family vacation this season but you aren’t ready for the travel that comes along with it, consider a trip down the street to Omni Rancho Las Palmas for a family-friendly escape in the heart of the desert.
