Marriott's Desert Springs Villas I

The resort and its setting

Marriott's Desert Springs Villas I is a villa-style resort on Pinehurst Lane in Palm Desert, part of the wider Marriott's Desert Springs complex. Guests rate it 4.6 out of 5 from over 3,080 Google reviews, and the resort's own description highlights seven outdoor pools, a grill restaurant, golf access and a kids' club. It's a layout built for families and golfers alike — a base you can return to year after year, rather than just a single hotel room.

Palm Desert and the Coachella Valley

Palm Desert is one of the Coachella Valley's best-known desert towns, part of the same stretch of Southern California as Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. The area is synonymous with golf, with championship courses just minutes from the resort, alongside hiking trails into the surrounding mountains, El Paseo's shopping and restaurants, and the wider Palm Springs scene with its desert spas and mid-century architecture. Weather here is mildest and most comfortable in spring and autumn, which also tends to be when demand for a week at the resort is strongest.

Selling or renting a week here

Owners who no longer use their week at Desert Springs Villas I can list it for resale or rent directly on BidMyTimeshare.com: you set your own asking price, and buyers or renters contact you through the platform. There's a one-time listing fee with 0% commission on the sale, so no third party takes a cut of what you agree with a buyer.

Before listing, it helps to understand Marriott's own resale process. According to Marriott, a resale transfer for points costs $750 per 250 points with a $3,000 minimum, plus a $300 education fee for first-time owners and a $95 fee to waive Marriott's right of first refusal. For US legacy weeks, the transfer costs $25 plus the same $95 right-of-first-refusal fee. Marriott holds a right of first refusal of 15 to 30 days, depending on the resort, meaning Marriott can step in and buy back the week at the agreed price before a private sale completes. Owners typically report that the full transfer takes three to four months.

Buyers should also know what they are and aren't getting with a resale week. Resale points don't count toward Marriott's Reserve or Pinnacle membership tiers, and resale legacy weeks can't be enrolled in Abound or converted into Marriott Bonvoy points. What a resale buyer does keep is use of the week itself and access to Interval International for exchanges, since Desert Springs Villas I participates in that network. Marriott doesn't publish these fees on an open web page — the figures above come from its owner portal and licensed resale sources, so it's worth confirming current numbers before agreeing a price with a buyer.

Practical notes for renters and buyers

Renters looking at this resort are typically after golf access, pool space for families and a villa layout rather than a standard room — all features this property is built around. Anyone buying resale should also ask the current owner for the latest annual maintenance fee, since this figure changes year to year and isn't fixed as part of the resale terms. Factor in the transfer timeline too: a three- to four-month process means it's not a good fit for anyone needing to use the week within the next few months.