Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage has been closed since 2006 and was originally slated to open by last Christmas, but the developers need more time and hope to open its door by May 15. “It’s been a very difficult development process. Kam Sang (the developer of the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage) has done a great job, but it’s been complicated,” said hotel general manager Doug Watson.
The hotel is in its final stages, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. It sits on a 650-foot-high bluff overlooking the Coachella Valley. The 244 rooms resort will include a 16-treatment room desert spa with an outdoor pre- and post-treatment relaxation area, using natural rock and a plunge pool set into the hillside.
A selection of treatments will be on offer including the signature Ritz-Carlton Tailored Facial and the Organic Bliss Scalp & Body Massage, as well as a number of other facials, massages, men’s exclusives, water therapies and body treatments. Other wellness facilities include a pool, fitness centre and yoga areas, while there will also be 30,000sq ft (2,787sq m) of meeting space and two restaurants – State Fare Bar & Kitchen and The Edge steakhouse.
For every month the hotel doesn’t open, the city collects $25,000 in penalties, according to Kite. The money is deposited into an account that will offset the missed transient occupancy tax or help reduce the tax in the future.
Hotel management expects the hotel will rake in $1 million in transient occupancy tax each year. and the five-star resort will be worth the wait.
“The first impression is the longest lasting one. We want them to be proud of it. We want this to be a place they come often,” said Watson.
