La Casa del Zorro is truly a 5 star resort in every way--style, accommodations, service, activities, etc.

As we read somewhat negative reviews of their restaurant, the Butterfield Room, we went expecting the food to be overpriced and disappointing, but this what not so at all!! It was beautifully and tastefully prepared at the going rate for such a fine resort.

We stayed at La Casa Del Zorro for a night last week. Our room was lovely and the bathroom was spectacular. We got a tour of the place because we are thinking of getting married there. The grounds of this 140 acre hotel are wonderful. There must be at least 10 pools, an archery range and new fitness center. You can also rent these darling little casitas with three bedrooms and a private pool in back. The service was amazing, and you feel a bit like you are on a cruise ship because each employee is from a different country. The only disappointment was the restaurant. It's ridiculously over-priced ($160 for two dinners, no apps, shared salad, shared dessert and two glasses of wine) and we didn't feel the food was that great. My fish was salty and the risotto was gummy. They have recently changed management and we were told the prices will come down due to lack of patronage (at 6pm we were the only people in the entire restaurant). FYI - Borrego Springs is a great place to go in January/February because it's about 70 degrees.

La Casa del Zorro is a gem in the middle of the Southern California desert. It is very hard for me to fairly describe this place since it is so unusual in many ways. Picture a one street hick town in the middle of the desert. Out of nowhere pops up a vacation oasis called La Casa del Zorro. The rooms are beautiful and seem to be frequently updated. Our room had a nice patio right by the pool and jacuzzi. The bathroom was tile and marble with everything in perfect working order (even the remote TV speaker which is surprisingly nice to have in the bathroom). A fruit and date platter was in our room on arrival and we are not VIPs. Management mostly consists of people from Europe who are apparently interning as part of their Hospitality School training. All I can say is that they are fantastic in every way. You might expect this level of service at the Four Seasons at maybe twice the room rate. Before I tell you what I paid...a few more impressive things about La Casa. Tennis Center is impressive (no charge to play), lap pool is state of the art, jogging path, horseshoes, croquet, bocce, shuffleboard, free bikes to borrow. Okay, $285 a night including the 10% AAA discount. This included a full breakfast ordered off the menu each day. Now only a nice continental breakfast will be included in the price since the long time owner just sold the place last week. We did pay $45 each for a one hour archery lesson, but except for that, the only extra cost was food. The restaurant is very good with great service, but expect to spend what I consider a lot of money at dinner. Also men should bring a collared shirt, slacks, and dress shoes to wear at dinner. The town is very small and about 5 miles from the hotel. I can recommend a very small sandwich and pizza place called Calico's which is in the Mall. We played golf twice at the Borrego Springs resort which was fairly priced considering 9 of the 27 holes were not overseeded for the winter, meaning the fairways were brown. The greens were very well maintained however. In summary, for something completely different from the Palm Springs experience, leave your stressed-out attitude at home and try La Casa del Zorro for a good dose of relaxation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. P.S. My recommendation applies only to November to May. Late June to September is unbearably hot, but you might get a kick out of seeing what 120 degrees feels like.

I have been to the Casa del Zorro now four times. It is always a santuary and luxury. I dream of the time I can return.

At the last stay, I reserved a room for three adults and one child. We stayed over Saturday night during high season in one of the deluxe poolside rooms. Although not advsertised anywhere, they do offer AAA rates, which takes a little off the edge of the high price of the hotel. They do charge for any additional adults beyond two, but not for children under the age of 12 (not sure).

Upon entering the room, we were pleasantly surprised with a personal note from the manager, a bottle of wine and some fresh fruits. Every room I have stayed in is deluxe with two bathrobes (no problem getting a third), a full size bathroom with a shower, separate from bathtub, separate from toilet. They have this wonderfully smelling cactus tea tree shampoo/lotion, etc which is a little drying to the skin, but smells so good, you have to use it. Pool is right outside the room with a beautiful private patio right outside. Beds are extremely comfortable. All rooms I have stayed have a fireplace and great temperature control.

Dinner was a bit overpriced, but overall good. If you want to save money, you could probably go into Borrego and get some Mexican. Expect to pay at least $30 per person at the hotel. They do have dress attire to eat in their dining room. If you have casual attire, you have to eat in their Fox den or outside in the rose garden.

We were pleasantly surprised that the cost of the room included breakfast; a totally deluxe experience. You can basically order ANYTHING on the menu including teas, coffees, fruits, juices, usual breakfast fare, sides. The only that will stop you is the side of your stomach and feeling of shear glutany. Three adults and child racked up a bill of about $100.

My absolute favorite part of this resort is the lap pool. If you walk a little way to their athletic facility, they have this wonderful lap pool which is usually empty. There is an age limit to this facility, so if you have kids under the age of ?16, they need to stay at the roomside pools.

The hotel now has full resort amenities including archery, a running track, volleyball court, tennis court and others, not to mention spa treatments.

I've gone both high season and off season. Off season is very good value, esp is your main goal is to relax by the pool and take siestas.

If you want a treat, come to the Casa del Zorro. You won't be disappointed.