151-200 guest capacity
This venue can host up to 200 guests
About this vendor
We are a full service hotel in the heart of Indian Wells, California featuring 46 guestrooms, spa & restaurant available for wedding & event buyouts. We can accommodate weddings & events up to 180 seated guests with a full resort guestroom buyout. Tucked behind bold arched doors and desert rose walls, each courtyard and pathway in this Mid-Century meets Morocco jewel box leads to new adventures and unique possibilities. The Pink Cabana, our on-site restaurant provides all of the Catering & Beverage services and will ensure any of your culinary requests are customized to your exact needs.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Liability Insurance
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
- Second Wedding
Guest Capacity
- Up to 200
Settings
- Desert
- Garden
- Hotel
- Restaurant
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
- Destination Wedding Planning
- Food & Catering
- Planning
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.06 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
- Top reviews
- Newest first
- Oldest first
- Highest rated
- Lowest rated
Sort by
When planning my wedding, I would argue the biggest and BEST decision I made was choosing to have it at The Sands Hotel & Spa. There are so many special and unique aspects of this venue that made it absolutely perfect for us.
First, I found the hotel’s size and layout to be ideal for our wedding. Because The Sands is a boutique hotel, we were able to book out the entire property and have the hotel and pool to ourselves all weekend long. None of the other venues we toured offered this same level of privacy. In addition to the beautiful hotel rooms, The Sands also boasts The Olive Grove (a stunning ceremony space on-site), an amazing spa where my bridal party and I got ready, and The Pink Cabana Restaurant—one of the most highly-rated restaurants in the Coachella Valley—located within the hotel. My husband and I have eaten at The Pink Cabana many times and have always had spectacular meals there. A huge selling point for us was knowing that if we had our wedding at The Sands, it would be catered by The Pink Cabana and Chef Jason.
We loved that all of our events—ceremony, dinner, reception, and Sunday brunch—could take place within the venue itself, with our guests able to simply walk from their rooms straight to the ceremony. Another unique aspect of The Sands that I, as a busy bride, so appreciated was their extensive experience in hosting events and the fact that so much infrastructure was already in place. They had tables, linens, glassware, chairs, servers, heaters, additional seating, etc., as well as a dedicated team of movers to seamlessly set everything up. I didn’t have to worry about renting or sourcing these additional items.
We also truly appreciated the location of The Sands. We loved that we were near iconic spots like The Nest Bar, The Living Desert Zoo, and the El Paseo Shopping Area—places where we had pre- and post-wedding events.
Lastly, and most importantly, what really made The Sands stand out to us was the staff. From the front desk to the servers to the pool attendants, every single staff member radiated kindness and provided outstanding service.
Olivia Prescott, the event coordinator, truly went above and beyond to ensure my husband and I had the perfect wedding. Olivia was always easy to reach, answered my questions promptly and thoroughly, was incredibly detail-oriented, made great recommendations, and had solutions ready when problems arose on my end with planning. She truly put her whole heart into helping us bring our wedding to life. I knew our wedding would be spectacular because we had Olivia on our side, overseeing everything.
Chef Jason went above and beyond to add a French flair to our wedding menu to honor my husband’s family. It truly meant the world to him to have some of the dishes he grew up eating served at his wedding for his family and friends. The food at The Pink Cabana is not only delicious but unique, and we felt so fortunate to have The Pink Cabana cater our wedding. We received so many compliments all weekend long, with guests praising how spectacular the food was.
The Sands Hotel & Spa will forever have a very special place in my heart. They treated me, my husband, and our families like royalty and gave us the best weekend of our lives.
(Photo Credit: Ryan Horban Photography)
My husband and I had our wedding at Sands in early November, 2019 and it was the most incredible venue we could have ever imagined. We chose Sands for a few reasons, the most obvious being that it's an absurdly beautiful space. Every corner you look is filled with chic, thoughtful touches. If you're looking to save money on decor for a wedding look no further, this hotel IS the decor and our photos turned out spectacular. More than just being photogenic, this place just has good karma. You walk in and immediately feel good, and our guests have been going on and on about how much they enjoyed staying there.
The second reason we chose Sands (and what ended up being key to our experience ) was the manager there named Olivia. Olivia knows her sh*t and is the most organized, thoughtful person you'll work with. We met with so many other venue managers in the area who seemed completely scattered or downright snotty. Olivia is neither of those things. She knows how to run a tight ship while making the process relaxing and fun. She made ALL the difference in the event, and the volume of typical venue headaches we avoided because of her is huge.
The last, and truly most spectacular reason this venue was amazing came down to the staff and service. When you stay at Sands, you feel like family. The staff are so kind, so attentive, and the service is first class. The food available at the Pink Cabana is also ludicrously delicious, and our guests raved about how good the dinner and snacks were at the event. My husband and I are big foodies with a shameless interest in good wine and this was available in spades at the venue.
We can't say enough good things about this place - if you're thinking of staying for a vacation, or hosting a memorable event, this is the place for you. I would dare to say there isn't another place in the desert you could find as special as this one.
You and your guests will be WOWED!
My Fiance and I found the Sands after tirelessly looking for a Palm Springs wedding venue that met our criteria. All of the hotels we visited were either too large, outdated, or over-published. Then the Sands appeared like a mirage in the desert! We were lucky enough to book the last weekend buy-out they had for Fall 2019 and it worked perfectly with our schedule. The size of the Sands was ideal for our wedding size because we wanted our 120 guests to be onsite for three days and wanted a full buy-out. The layout of the Sands could not have been more perfect. From the moment I set foot on the property I knew it was where we would be married. The on-site Olive Grove makes for the most beautiful ceremony backdrop with mature olive trees providing a gorgeous natural canopy and the existing pavement walkway making a ready-made aisle that leads to the picture perfect desert-pink backdrop!
The pool is perfectly situated as the focal point of the property with gorgeous lush landscaping and surrounded by 47 guest rooms which includes an amazing two-story suite, perfect for getting ready throughout the weekend.
Then there's the Pink Cabana, the onsite restaurant and bar that opens with double sliding glass doors onto the pool area only separated by two fire pits and a winding walkway. This made for the ideal hang out between events and the perfect cocktail hour and reception location! Because the site is so well though out, our events flowed naturally from one phase to the next! This is sometimes forced at other venues leaving your guests to question their next move, but not here!
If I haven't already sold you by now, let me just layer on the fact that the Sands staff is A+++++ ! Starting with Olivia Prescott the on site event planner and Sales Director. This is NOT HER FIRST RODEO and she expertly guides you through every little detail over the months of planning with a friendly demeanor and a sense of urgency that makes you wonder "am I her only bride?!". I have a background in hospitality, event planning, and food service, so when I tell you I was more than critical about the levels of service, you can trust that I'm telling the truth. This team knocked it out of the park! The food was delicious and served hot, the drinks were beautifully garnished and served fast, and all of the staff was polite, attentive and courteous. Our guests left feeling like they had a luxurious vacation and were wowed by all of the details. I can't thank the Sands team enough for helping us create the magic that made our wedding weekend a joy for both us and our guests!
I CANNOT say enough incredible things about the Sands Hotel & Spa as a wedding venue - from their level of service, quality of food and drink and incredible staff! My husband and I live in Chicago and pretty much planned everything from afar but felt totally at ease throughout the entire process thanks to Olivia Prescott (Director of Sales). She is knowledgeable about local vendors and beyond accommodating and turned our wedding day into a dream wedding weekend that beyond exceeded our expectations. Olivia is also VERY responsive throughout the entire planning process and always on top of things - she thinks of every detail and more! Along with our wedding, the Sands also hosted our Friday pool party and set up a bar by the pool, as well as a Sunday breakfast buffet by the pool. Every guest could not believe how delicious every meal and drink was throughout the entire weekend! During our tasting you sit down with the Pink Cabana’s sommelier and discuss wines and help create your signature cocktails! We and all of our guests did not want the wedding to end and the venue was beyond accommodating by extending the reception. And the venue itself makes a STUNNING backdrop - so many incredible photos!
My husband and I always say that the best decision we ever made was marrying each other. But the second best decision we ever made was getting married at the Sands Hotel & Spa BECAUSE of its phenomenal director of sales, Olivia Prescott.
The Sands Hotel is beautiful, serene, and so unique; an easy choice for a beautiful wedding setting. But it was Olivia's commitment to her work, her clients happiness, and her unparalleled work ethic that made our decision to get married there a no-brainer. She was completely transparent about costs and what the hotel included, which we found very hard to find. She also was genuinely excited for our wedding, our crazy ideas for the party, and our marriage. We spent countless hours on the phone with her discussing things, and no detail was too small or mundane for her to help with. Olivia e-mailed and called us back so promptly; she was the much needed brains behind our event, especially considering the fact that we had never planned an event.
Olivia has over 20 years of experience, which shows in the incredible work she does. But what is unique to Olivia is that she shows 110% excitement and enthusiasm about each event she puts on, which in my opinion is rare considering her lengthy career and likely thousands of weddings she has been a part of. Through our wedding process, Olivia became a dear friend of ours. We connected with her on a personal level and she was actually a huge part of our weekend and celebration. She made us feel at home at the hotel, and treated us like family each time we came. We feel so lucky to have met & worked with such a truly special person. It is emotional to even write this review because she was the one cheering us on, and the one who had our back during every twist and turn. She was not just part of our wedding, but our year of excitement leading up to our marriage. We got lucky in meeting her, but we aren’t letting her go just because our wedding is over!
We also want to thank the entire staff at the Sands Hotel & Spa, who were also extremely kind, accommodating, and fun! Molly, the sommelier, was so helpful in picking out the perfect wines and drinks for our crowd. She was behind the scenes making the entire meal perfect! The food was another standout moment for our guests; everyone was blown away by the tasty dishes! Paula was absolutely lovely and kind each time we came to the hotel. & The woman at the front desk screamed when she saw us during our first look; an adorable moment we will never forget!
Thank you Olivia & to the entire staff at the Sands, you guys are so amazing and we will never forget what a special weekend you threw for us!
We love you!
The moment you walk into the Sands, you know you're somewhere special.
We did a total buy-out for our wedding in April 2019, and it was a success beyond our wildest dreams. The entire hotel was filled to capacity with ~140 of our closest friends and family, and this was the perfect venue for our vision of a weekend-long pool party. We absolutely could not have dreamed up a better place to get married.
Olivia and her staff are unbeatable -- they work so hard, are so friendly, and there to anticipate your every need. So many of our wedding guests commented to us that they were blown away by the service. The staff was communicative, and everyone had a can-do, flexible attitude that made things go incredibly smoothly. As just one example, we had a pile of lost-and-found items at the end of the weekend, and they were so kind as to ship us a giant box so that we didn't have to fly it home ourselves.
We barely felt the need to decorate because everything is already lavishly designed with a glamorous mid-century Moroccan theme. It's the definition of Instagram-worthy. And the hotel is still basically brand new, having opened in March 2018. Every detail is modern, tasteful, and functional. (Note that they don't have desks in the rooms, but that's because you should be out by the pool, not on your laptop!)
The food and drink selection from the hotel's Pink Cabana restaurant is fantastic by any big city standards, and the quality held up, even for our big party of ~185. Everything from the crab beignets to the tuna skewers to the specialty cocktails to the turmeric granola parfaits were outstanding. People rarely rave about wedding food, but they did about ours!
The layout of the hotel is also fantastic for a no-worries wedding. We did a Friday afternoon pool party, the Saturday ceremony and reception, and the Sunday brunch, all at the hotel. Most events and casual hanging out for the weekend happened poolside or by the fire pits outside of the restaurant. But the ceremony took place in the tucked-away olive grove, which made it feel very special. The spa is also jaw-dropping, covered in mirrored mosaic pieces, and this is where the ladies got ready.
Even if you're not in the market for a wedding venue, the Sands is a luxurious treat for a stay of any length. Everything about it is welcoming and relaxing. And one more bonus -- you can bring your (small) dog!
We'll be back to celebrate anniversaries, and just to say hello. The team and the space is truly extraordinary, and I cannot recommend the Sands enough.
Contact
44985 Province Way, Indian Wells, CA
Sands Hotel & Spa
Sands Hotel & Spa's photos