Wow, not at all what we've come to expect from Marriott Residence Inn. This was not our first stay at this particular Residence Inn, either, so had reasonable expectations of our stay. Where do I begin? Let's start with the positives, of which there are few:
Pros:
1. We were traveling with our dog, and her favorite pasttime is hunting for rabbits, of which there are dozens on the property and the golf course next door.
2. There are no more positives.

Cons:
1. The old used soap and shampoo from the previous guest that stayed in our room had not been removed from the room... gross!
2. Food from the previous guest was left in the refrigerator/freezer.
3. Because of #1 and #2 above, we were doubtful of the room having been cleaned, so we had no confidence the bedsheets had been changed, but given the other reviews posted about this hotel, the dirty, musty smell of the sheets and pillows seems to be a common experience.
4. They ran out of food at the evening social our first night.
5. Speaking of food, the food that was served in the evenings barely passed for edible, and certainly would cause early death if eaten on a regular basis.
6. As mentioned, we traveled with our dog, and although there were doggie bag dispensers on the property, none of them were stocked with doggie bags.
7. Possibly as a result of #6 above, everywhere you walked there was dog poop not picked up by the dog owners, so watch your step when on the property.
8. The drain stopper in the bathtub did not work (the threads on it were stripped), so could not take a bath.
9. The bracket over the light fixture in the bathroom was missing, so the light in the room was far too bright.
10. The cover bracket covering the bottom of the refrigerator/freezer was missing.
11. One of the patio chairs outside the eating area was ripped and unsafe to sit in if you didn't notice it.
12. There is no daily newspaper provided, either in the room or in the lobby... very uncharacteristic for a Residence Inn.
13. There was no pad of paper, pen, pencil, or writing utensil of any kind to be found in the room. I have never in my long life stayed in any hotel room that didn't provide a pen.
14. Although there were three nicely sized big-screen tv's in the room, the picture quality was very, very poor, probably because the signal was truly not HD.
15. Beware... the walls are very thin, making sleeping difficult if you go to bed at a reasonable hour and your neighbor doesn't. Also, when any nearby unit turns their shower on, it sounds like the plumbing is three feet away, the loudest plumbing I've ever experienced. This, in fact, was the most unpleasant part of the stay for me.
16. Also, beware, this is no cheap hotel, where one could overlook all the negatives (of which there are many). It's close to 200 bucks for a 2-bedroom unit, plus 75 more for the dog.

Overall, this was a very unpleasant experience that cost a pretty penny. Given the experience, I'd have much rather paid a fraction of the price and stayed at Motel 6. What's most disconcerting, though, is having read the other reviews, apparently management doesn't really seem to care, or is not in a position to do anything about the conditions. Good luck if you choose to stay at Residence Inn Palm Desert.