I picked Riviera Resort & Spa (now under the new “Riviera Palm Springs” banner) expecting a smooth, resort‑style weekend. Instead, I got a headache wrapped in sun‑drenched scenery.
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1. Billing circus
• I reserved through Hotels.com with the pay‑at‑hotel option.
• At check‑in I asked to split charges: debit for the room, Amex for the deposit. Front desk said “no problem” and handed me keys.
• Days later I’m told “our system never captured your room payment” and the full balance is still due. After multiple calls and a courtesy “we’ll knock off,” I had to shell out money a second time just to close my folio. Stress I did not plan into my vacation budget.
2. Pool let‑downs
• Small pool: zero towels. Bartender promised more were “on the way”—they never arrived, so we relocated.
• Main pool & deck: murky water, trash on the ground, and (brace yourself) a kid literally relieving himself next to the bar while staff shrugged. Resort feel? Not so much.
3. Housekeeping hide‑and‑seek
Rooms aren’t cleaned unless you call and request service. No one pointed that out at check‑in, so we came back to overflowing trash and damp towels.
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Positives? The lobby bar makes a solid cocktail, and a supervisor did step in with a courtesy credit—but basics like clean pools, available towels, automatic housekeeping, and a reliable billing system shouldn’t be “extras” at a resort price point.
Two stars until Riviera tightens its pool maintenance and gets its payment proce