The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage

I live nearby and use the 25-meter pool during the winter, when I'm too cheap to heat my lap pool. If you're in the pool at 7 AM, it's pretty flawless. And you can always place a few coins on the bottom to have a straight line. Except for another neighbor, I've only had hotel visitors in the pool twice in the last two months. I'm always out of the pool by 8:30 AM.

Pool 1: There are no lanes, markings, or anything that really makes it useful as a lap pool, except its length. It is warm – about 86º. Having said that, I did swim in it twice. Once at 7 AM and once at 6 AM. It opens at 6 AM, but with the lack of markings, shadows from lights or the sun, it can be a bit tricky as you approach the walls for flip turns. On the day I was there at 7, there were two or three gentlemen breaststrokers that joined me – I don’t think they were thrilled when I put on my fins. The pool is fine in a pinch.

Now that I have gotten up the gumption to drive to the Palm Desert Aquatic Center, I wouldn’t use this pool, unless I had a time constraint.

Pool 2: Long enough to swim in, warm, and a total pain in the butt. Use in an emergency only.