Sessions @ Hard Rock Hotel

By far thee worst hotel ever! This place needs to either close OR new management im serious! The worst experience ever and the bad reviews on here are true. Restaurant is really bad

I went to the restaurant this weekend. We made reservations for 8:30pm for Friday night, and when we walked in, it was dead. Maybe it was a late dinner? Who knows? There were 6 of us and we all ordered dinner.
I ordered the chipotle chicken sandwich, which came with tater tots. So delicious. My friend ordered the truffle mac and cheese and we basically didn’t speak to each other while we marinated in it. Another friend ordered the rabbit ragu, not my sort of dish, but she said it was super spicy but delicious. Someone ordered a broccoli salad and she liked it. I think one person ordered something with shrimp. Overall, every single one of us enjoyed our meal thoroughly. The service was ok. For it being so dead, literally maybe 5 other tables max had diners. We were the largest party of diners. The food was good, the prices are what you except when you eat at a restaurant inside a chain hotel, a bit pricey, but manageable. Would I go back, yes, but it wouldn’t be my first choice, I would try out a few other places before returning.

The Worst hotel ever!!! We reserved a suite, showed up and they put us in an awefull stinky regular room. Saw bad reviews but chose to overlook. We went back to the front desk and they said sorry your room you booked was unavailable. They then charged our card 6300.00 for a two night stay that was 1100.00. Disgusting people and really bad vibe. We are now at the Rita Carlton and it is worlds away from the trashy hard rotten hotel. Don’t go there ever

Dinner for four ruined when hostess sat us next to a group of 20 very loud guys who arrived just as our meal was being served. We had a reservation but was seated next to the group even though other tables were available. Food ranged from terrific to poor. Complicated by below average service as a result of being ignored after the group arrived. Moved ourselves into the bar as soon as our main course was eaten so we could at least have a conversation across the table. Asked to see the manager who apologized indicating it was unfortunate but it was a big birthday party. Needless to say that we were not pleased with his comments since our $ 250 dinner was seriously disrupted. Definitely a «turn and burn» approach to customer concerns. Be careful at this place.

Sooo I paid $ 16 for a grilled cheese and soup. It tasted so bad. I asked for a slice of toast because my main meal was horrible and it was an additional $ 3. The service was so slow, my friend and I sat there watching the waiter walk past us multiple times. There were only 3 tables eating in the whole restaurant so it could’ve been a little faster.

This was by far the worst hotel dining experience I have ever had. There was one waiter and no one seating at the front. We waited 40 minutes to get our food. I ordered the chicken sandwich. My bread was burnt and hurt my mouth to eat. Luckily we got a free dining credit, otherwise I would have sent my food back after 1 bite.

Service was horrible. And I ordered the monster which was french toast with strawberries and whip cream, however I got neither strawberries or whip cream. See photo.
My server was Ignacio and he sucked. I had to ask for refills for coffee and water and when he brought the check he didn’t even bring me a pen. Does he expect me to sign with blood?

Are you staying at the Hard Rock Hotel?
If you answered YES, then this restaurant will do just fine. Otherwise, I personally would not go out of my way to come here.
We were staying at the Hard Rock for the weekend and between the pool parties and recovery time, we did not do much wondering off the reservation… so we ate here for breakfast and lunch a few times.
Food was not bad at all. I had:
— The «Boss» Burger (two different times). (Pretty decent burger. Comes with thick-​cut bacon, which is always a plus.)
— Fish and Chips (I tried my buddy’s order and it was once again. decent.)
— The Benny (Pretty good eggs benedict)
Servers were nice, but the wait to get served and get the food was too long for my liking.
Would I eat here again? Yes… only if I was staying at the Hard Rock.

Good food but service could be much better.
They have a one page menu for breakfast and lunch that has something for everyone. We were staying at the hotel for the weekend and ate here several times. I got to try the following:
Fish and chips
Streak and eggs
Chicken and waffles
The fish and chips were great, the streak and eggs were solid, and the chicken and waffles were disappointing.
If the rating was for the food only, I would give it a 4 but with the service being below average, they get a 3. The servers were nice but not that attentive and slow.

As a local I’m always scouting good spots to eat and hangout at. I came here on a date with bae and it was really great. The food was really tasty and priced well. The atmosphere was casual and relaxing. Great for a date. The noise level was perfect for conversation. We sampled the wines and some of the Hard Rocks signature drinks. Our bartender was nice and very helpful. The lobby is a cool place to hangout after dinner to sit around and talk.

We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and before we headed back to LA, we wanted to have breakfast/​brunch.
After we sat down and waited for a long time for anyone to give us menus or take our order, I saw the reviews and thought… great! Bad service reviews.
The waiter finally came over and took our orders. I think because we had very low expectations. I ordered the egg white omelette which was pretty good, it came with grilled tomatoes which was a bit too healthy. Me and my friend who had ordered the same thing decided to share a side of potatoes. Our other friends ordered the eggs Benedict and they liked it. Although they forgot to give one friend bacon and then tried to charge us for it.
This place is ALRIGHT, not great or anything special. Service is a bit iffy but food tastes good.

Breakfast was amazing! The frosted flakes crusted French toast is a must try but I suggest sharing, it’s very filling. My friend & I shared with the Who’s omelet which is a chef inspired surprise omelet and the French toast and it was more than plenty! Our waitress was pure entertainment, character to love!

Discouraged because they failed to meet the standards/​expectations set by other HRCs. The staff should not justify mistakes leading up to the grand opening when they’ve had three months to prepare. We dined on the patio with an amazing view of the pool, the music was loud and genre was not at all what HRC represents.
Food took over 30 minutes and we ordered the Phish & Chips and Street Tacos. My tacos had been sitting for a while since the chicken was dry and tortilla was cold. Phish & Chips were hot, the crust flaky and crisp, but the fish was a bit dry. Our waiter was apologetic and embarrassed which he mentioned to the manager who apologized as well and offered a complimentary plate of chocolate and strawberries which was a very kind gesture.
As a VIP member of Hard Rock Rewards, I hope they resolve these issues before the grand opening, otherwise, it’ll be challenging to remain open with dissatisfied guests.

I wish I could review the food, but I have been there twice and not been able to eat either time. There will not be a third attempt.
I’m a local, go out to eat a few times a week, and would welcome a new place.
My first trip was alone, weekday evening about 8 pm. I walked up to the host stand, saw two tables in the whole place that had diners, and no employees in sight. I picked up a menu, saw prices higher than looked reasonable, and not a single vegetarian option. Five minutes of scouring the menu and waiting for an employee to show, I walked away. No dinner for me.
A couple weeks later, a friend was visiting, and wanted to try the restaurant. We walked up to the host stand, where a sullen faced young guy stood, not saying anything. No greeting, no welcome, just nothing. I said «We’d like a table for dinner.» In silence he led us to the table next to the kitchen door. Two other tables had diners and the rest of the restaurant was empty. Fortunately, the host had left menus.
My friend was drawn to the ribs, as she said she had been craving ribs. Ten minutes later, no employees were visible. No one brought us water. No one came to the table. Nothing. I walked back to the host stand to ask the host for water and a waiter. He walked into the kitchen and brought out a waiter. I thought I could cobble together some salad and potatoes and my friend could have her ribs. Waiter tells us «no ribs tonight».
We left in disgust, never to return. As I understand, a couple thousand people came here to apply for jobs. If this was the best staff they found, the hotel is in serious trouble. Despite the aesthetic makeover, the Hard Rock appears to be just as forlorn and useless as the Hotel Zoso, which preceded it.

I have to give this place only 2 stars. Why? The management of sessions. What makes a bar/​restaurant experience? The Bartenders can make or break a place. Tracey & Erika make this place, the atmosphere would not be what it is without them.
We did finally have a chance to talk to the manager and even though he seemed nice and somewhat receptive, you could feel his arrogance about himself. I don’t care how great you think you are, without customers when you work in that industry you are nothing. Appreciation should be given to employees who go out of their way to make the customer experience one which gives a customer a desire to recommend & return. However, when the manager’s arrogant personality is not only pushed on the employees but he tries to make himself better then you when you are the customer, it’s time to retrain the manager. You are ONLY AD GOOD as your best customer for without customers, you don’t have a job. I love the atmosphere Tracey & Erika create, I DO NOT LIKE the atmosphere the manager projects. I am a paying customer, that in itself should be respected as I pay your bills.

As a Palm Springs resident I am thrilled to have the new Hard Rock Hotel in downtown. It gives visitors a fun place to stay and locals will enjoy the vibe and energy. My tough review is NOT about the hotel but rather the restaurant inside it, Sessions.
The décor is fab and its location just off the lobby lets you enjoy your food but keep connected to the DJ, music and energy.
Now the bad part… Went there on Saturday night, it wasn’t very busy. Had a reservation and we were seated immediately. We ordered some craft cocktails ($ 12 each) and waited, and waited, and waited. Cocktails took 35 minutes to arrive. First round was excellent. Second round that came in a much more reasonable amount of time, were very different and not as good.
There is only 1 vegetarian entrée option but its mushroom-​centric and I don’t like mushrooms. The chef kindly whipped up something off the menu that was ok. My partner has the short ribs. They were dry and very tough. He wound up eating only a few bites and left the rest.
I told the server that we understood the place was new and that the shirt ribs were really bad. He expressed his apologies, but no visit by the manager and the item remained on our check.
The freshly baked cookies and milk sounded like a delicious and homey way to end the meal. It was four different pre-​made frozen cookies that were warm; I was expecting something homemade. 4 Pillsbury-​style frozen cookies for $ 9 was very disappointing.
I hope the Hard Rock fixes the restaurant; I want to go back and enjoy the surroundings and vibe.

The absolute worst service I have EVER had period. Bartender rarely even acknowledged our presence… Service was slow and it was impossible to get anything extra that we asked for had to ask several different people for what we wanted

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I stayed at the Hard Rock when it just opened its door the second week. Sessions has room for improvement, although my server was very nice and attentive. The food doesn’t live up to the expectation.
— Kale salad, was barely any kale in it, it was more than half arugula
— The tomato basil soup with grilled cheese sandwich, the soup was salty and the grilled cheese wasn’t grilled enough.
I’m sure they will improve when the hotel is settle in a few months from now.

I had dinner there last weekend and it was an amazingly good experience. The waiter was very attentive and refilled our water glasses every time we needed. I got the braised short ribs. They melted in your mouth, so tender and flavorful. The parsnip purée was so silky, it thought it was butter for the longest time!
My friend got a special of a NY steak and mashed potatoes that was delicious too. The steak was perfectly rare and the mash potatoes were really creamy.
I had a cocktail that had rosemary and vodka that was delish too! Highly recommended to lounge by the pool!
Great hotel and restaurant.

Disastrous is the adjective to start this review. We were excited to visit the Hard Rock Hotel for dinner but the restaurant had no ambience at all. The lighting and décor was off and didn’t seem this kind of restaurant belongs in a Hard Rock. Putting that aside our table ordered salmon, steak, short ribs, and pasta. About 20 minutes after our order, the young inexperienced waiter (but nice kid) let us know there was no salmon available. About 10 minutes later there was an issue with the pasta dish so that order was changed as well. It took about an hour for the salads to arrive. I assumed that the restaurant simply didn’t serve bread with the $ 30+ meals but the good news is that they do! We just didn’t get any until we sat there for about one hour. Keep in mind the restaurant was half empty.
Still hoping the food would save the evening was a little optimistic. The steaks were way over cooked (ordered medium rare). Three of us at the table ordered vegetables instead of the pommes frittes. No luck with that. Our one friend did like the short ribs. The chicken (that replaced the salmon) was dry and did not come with the vegetables that were requested.
The manager came into the picture early on when our salads took an hour to arrive. He was apologetic and proactive in personally getting us drinks that also weren’t getting to our table. He appreciated the feedback and mentioned that he would want us back to care of us during the week when the kitchen wasn’t so backed up (again half empty is an overstatement… it was a quarter full at best). None of us would ever come back so when he really didn’t deliver on his initial thoughtful gesture, it really made no difference to us. He did however come back with the bill with the young waiter and proceeded to throw him under the bus. As it turns out the waiter was a bar back and apparently this was his first time waiting a table. He really had never been trained and it showed.
So the bill came and they took one meal off each couple’s bill. This is despite the manager looking at my steak and saying he would never eat it and would have sent it back. It’s not about the bill or money but the right thing that the manager should have done is come to our table at the end and said «sorry folks, this one is on me.» My writing skills are not really doing this experience justice on how comical the entire evening was. We aren’t ones that typically complain at restaurants and our group is really patient and empathetic but I just felt I had to write this review. The HRH would be much better off turning the space into a higher class burger joint.
Excuse the typos… written on my iPhone.