Catalina Spa RV Resort

We stayed here February 2019. The park recently changed hands, and there was a lot going on construction wise while we were here. The new office is large and modern, but the mail is open to anyone- small parcels and letters are placed in bins by last name, and larger parcels just leaned up against the wall. We didn't have anything go missing, but it seemed odd. Also, the site beside us had the sewer back up 3 times while we were there. Not a pleasant smell. The fields on either side of the park are unoccupied, (except for the seemingly standard dumping of garbage we saw in SoCal) and there were some walking trails that were nice for taking the dogs out. Most people picked up after their dogs, although some people were oblivious. This valley gets very windy (hence all the wind turbines to the west) but overall it was a nice place. Our site was nice, but small. Could not fit our tow vehicle, and very narrow too. If we ever return to SoCal I would try the south side of the valley, the $ premium is worth the better weather.

The resort is lovely. I stayed for 2 months. I found the RV parks in Palm Springs were about $1000 for the month, so I looked toward Desert Hot Springs because those seemed to be about $200-400 less. Note that they don't park RVs after dark and there is a locked gate. I loved all the activities they had. Everything from cribbage and poker to daily morning line dancing and regular water volley ball. If you are looking to keep busy and be social, you can definitely do that at Catalina RV. The pickle courts were particularly popular and I had a friend who played and said the courts were the best he'd ever been on in an RV park. I loved the daily trash pick up at my site.

That said, they rely heavily on workampers. I was looking forward to tai chi but the workamper left early so many of the morning workouts were canceled. It seems like for a place that serves 500 (or so) sites (so maybe 750 people when full), they'd have a plan B.

Construction was ongoing. While I was there, they were working on the dog park, opened a new office, tore down the old office. I think they own the land next to the RV park and wouldn't be surprised if they expand to more sites next.

As for my "1-star management" title. Okay, I have a lot to say on this. When I made the reservations both the person I spoke to and the website said it would be $650/month. When I arrived they said it was raised to $700. Keep in mind...the website still said $650/month. Then I see that by the end of the season it was up to $750. Further, the lower level w/d was broken at least twice while I was there. When I went to tell the manager, she was utterly rude and yelled that she already knew. I heard a lot of people had similar interactions with her. The power poles only have the plug-in you pay for. So if you like to hook up outside lights or use an extension cord for other outdoor needs, you can't because there is no regular electrical outlet. First time ever I found this and it struck me as anything but 5-star. It just seemed kind of cheap. And, by the way, it's the park that calls itself 5-star, not me. Another example, I met a man in the hot tub who wanted to use his Good Sam discount (they don't advertise they take this discount card and I couldn't find it on the website but they do take it) and when he arrived he was told they didn't have to honor it because they were filled to capacity. Seemed crappy (and, again, cheap) to me.

Some places in the park, I got 3 bars but in my site I only got 1.

So while the place is nice with lots of activities and I loved the big nice showers, the next time I'm in the area I will likely try one of the other parks.

We’d been traveling since October and got tired of searching for warm weather this colder than normal winter and decided to hunker down near Palm Springs. Nothing much was available in Palm Springs proper so ended up in Desert Hot Springs for a night (at Caliente RV; ok, not great) and searched around the next day for something more long term. We were about to give up until we checked this place out. Very nice! It’s obviously undergoing some serious renovation but plenty has been done already. Two pools/clubhouses, one with a killer view of the (snow covered...) mountains. Beautiful new bathrooms and workout room in the lower clubhouse. Lots of amenities and activities. And bargain priced for this area at $750 for the month; $400 for two weeks (30 amp; don’t know if 50 amp is more.) They don’t charge extra for electricity, another bonus. There’s also RV storage available for $90/month. And they pick your garbage up curbside every day! Lots of employees wandering around. Close enough to Palm Springs, shopping, golf, etc. Very quiet and good Verizon coverage. We’re able to stream with no problems most of the time. Cable TV and WI-FI are both available for extra but didn’t bother with either. Photos on their website are accurate.

We stayed at Catalina Spa RV Resort in November and were initially drawn to it by the great rate we got through Passport America. It turned out to be a nice place to stay with nice amenities that were being upgraded and good proximity to a number of interesting places to visit including Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park.

Value:
Great. Our Passport America rate was a great deal considering the big level sites, full hook-ups, and access to a clean laundromat as well as the availability of a pool and evening meals at a reduced rate (which we didn't take advantage of but seemed very popular.) The front desk staff was very friendly and even through their office and the second pool/clubhouse was being renovated, it didn't interfere with our stay. The roads on the approach to the park were fairly easy to navigate and the added feature of a security gate was good (except for the two times it didn't work!)

Dog-Friendliness:
Great. There's a large off-leash dog run with grass that our pup enjoyed playing in and many of our neighbors had friendly dogs too.

Runner's and Biker's Rave:
Good. While there were no specific trails, the road out of the park has wide shoulders and some sections of sidewalk so we were able to enjoy runs and bike ride loops of up to 15 miles.

WHJ Insider Tip(s):
1. Check into discounted rates available through Passport America or weekly rates.
2. The Palm Springs area can get very windy so be thoughtful about what site you get especially if you have a smaller rig like we do.

Overall, our stay at Catalina Spa RV Resorts was enjoyable for the price and provided a good launch point to explore a scenic section of California.

We're using our Membership, thus the reduced rate posted. The normal rate I think is around $40/Day. This a nice secluded spot in Desert Hot Springs, sites are well maintained from what we could see. Our site and the one next to it needed work on the sewer drain as it was an uphill (yes) uphill drain, so we have extreme difficulty emptying the tanks, (not fun) They said there were going to fix it and from what we saw the new owner is investing a ton of money with new landscaping and improvements to the hot tub/pool area with a new small store, so I would chalk this to an isolated problem. The security team is on guard so keep your nose clean, and speed down. There is an upper clubhouse which has activities, pickleball etc. Great winter sunsets! Plenty to do in Palm Springs area, not so much in DHS. Access is OK, but it's off the freeway and you'll be taking some backroads to get there. Check in was fine, front counter personnel were friendly and helpful. We'd stay again.

This is probably the nicer parks of those in DHS, but it has a weird vibe.

There are lots of sites, all back-ins that I saw. Most were empty but we were still put in between two filled sites. Fortunately both parties never showed up while we were there. Also weird.

Our site had a nice concrete patio but it left a very narrow parking space between the utilities and the patio, making for a challenging back-in.

Just above the dog run, our stairs were dangerous even in the daylight. Each of the sets of stairs are different and look like they were put in by residents in the past (long past).

Two nice dog runs kept clean and mowed. Our dog enjoyed the green space. The sites and landscaping are raked daily.

The staff I dealt with were nice. The office really needs an upgrade, it's sort of like a garage with carpet.

We didn't pay for the WiFi - we never do.

DHS is one of those places you stay because you want to visit the surrounding areas and that's what we used this stop for. We'll stay again but ask for an open space away from others.

suffered harassment and discrimination. was basically kicked out after i called the police after harassment including sexual harassment from management and staff. raised monthly rate from $600 to $900 and during off season--June. three visits from sheriff's department to get out in one piece with only a portion of $900 refunded. Please never stay here or let anyone you remotely care about stay here. no more free wifi--never worked. but guess what? you can now pay $60 a month for wifi for ONE device only and it works just as bad (not at all) as when it was free.

We really enjoyed our stay here at Catalina -- so much that we came back a second time. Set on a quiet side road on a hill, there's a nice view of Desert Hot Springs and Mt. San Jacinto from the front of the park and from some of the sites within it. It's surrounded by trees, and there is tons of lush vegetation, giving the place almost a tropical feel.

The hot springs here are the obvious draw, including two large warm pools and two smaller (but still sizeable) hot pools. There's also a tennis court, mini golf, putting green, horseshoes, a pond, and plenty of roads to walk. (None of that is an extra charge.) This park is pretty huge, and climbing up to the top may even get your heart rate up. There's also a shop that serves daily lunch specials and soft serve ice cream for a nominal price.

At the Passport America rate of $22.50, you can stay for two weeks. When you leave for two weeks and come back, you can access this rate again. We hopped between this park and Desert Pools RV Park right around the corner at a consistent rate. Also, the staff is very nice and helpful, and it's easy to get packages delivered. When you arrive, you are able to choose any campsite you want; they are not reserved by site number.

Within 10-15 minutes of shopping in Desert Hot Springs and 20-30 minutes of Palm Springs, it's pretty close to the area's attractions, including tons of golf courses, Mt. San Jacinto and shopping (hello, Trader Joe's!).

My only beef with the place is this: because it's on a hill, most of the sites are unlevel, and a lot of them are pretty short. Our rig is 32' long, and we had to squeeze our Jeep in sideways in front of the nose of the motorhome to get it to fit (and we stayed in a couple of different sites with the same problem). There are bushes around each site that provide wonderful privacy, but it can make maneuvering--particularly into back-ins--a little tricky. Be on the lookout for a pull-through or a longer site in the higher part of the park if maneuverability is an issue for you.

This is a pretty park, lots of nice vegetation and palm trees. It is up on a hill and you can see Mt. San Jacinto in the distance, along with a view of the whole Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs area.

The park is located about 5 miles from the main drag in Desert Hot Springs, it's a quiet area with lots of retirees. I found it to feel very safe and secluded and just generally pleasant. If you like to take walks, there are some quiet desert hills you can hike around in very close by.

The pools are lovely and there are two of them, one for adults only and the other allows children, although I don't think I saw anyone under the age of 50 while I was there.

The staff working here is LOVELY and helpful and friendly. They have lots of events and activities that you can participate in if you so choose, like Taco Night, Spaghetti Dinner, Ice Cream Socials, and even live music acts that come through. It's a nice little community of people.

You can also store your RV here if needed, for $25 a week or $65 a month, which I think it a pretty awesome price. Passport America rate is $22.50 and its good for 2 full weeks. You can then leave for a week, and then come back and use the Passport America rate again for 2 weeks. You can run this cycle indefinitely.

All together a very pleasant and peaceful experience at this park!