Sands Hotel & Spa

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)

us 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.

ere 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!

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!