During the months of July and August, temperatures in the California desert routinely top 100 degrees. But if you’ve picked the right resort, you’ll be sitting cool. The luxurious Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa, at the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains with its beach pool, waterfalls, and poolside bar, is a great sanctuary from the weather.

For the kiddies there’s the always-popular kids club (Camp Oasis) and for the adults there’s the newly updated Spa though our favorite activity is sitting pool side with a fancy cocktail. There’s a 36-hole golf course, but get out on the course early. By 11:00 it can be 105 degrees!

Check out our photo gallery

The restaurants, which used to be hoo-hum family places have undergone a re-vamp, with the Sirocco offering a sophisticated Italian menu (think date night), the  Glo Sushi bar, with it’s fresh selections, and Cava, which offers guests a bistro-style dining option with inside and outside seating. The night we visited Cava there was a buffet which the kids loved (especially the desert bar) while we enjoyed the prime rib (scrumptious) and salad bar.