Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The Waldorf Astoria Driving Experiences

By

It’s no secret we love fast cars here at The Manual. So when Waldorf Astoria asked us to fly out to their La Quinta resort in Palm Springs, CA to participate in one of six Ultimate Driving Experiences taking place across the United States this fall, we quickly packed our bags. The program offers hotel guests the chance to get behind the wheel of three supercars under the instruction of professional racercar driver Didier Theys. Waldorf Astoria Driving Experiences

Recommended Videos

The morning of the drive, we met with Theys to talk about the cars and route before setting out for the excursion. Because there were three cars – Ferrari 458 Italia Spider, McLaren MP4-12C and Porsche 911 Turbo – and three sets of drivers, we planned to stop at different points along the route to rotate vehicles. Theys gave a tutorial on each car when we first got behind the wheel, then the caravan was off. Led by Theys, we sped through the stunning scenery of Palm Springs, including a twisting ride up Big Bear Mountain and through the beautiful San Bernardino National Forest. Driving the cars was an incredible experience. The McLaren feels like it is custom made for you, a dangerous sensation because now we want one. The Ferrari’s sound and incredible power was an experience in itself, especially when you’re flying with the top down on winding mountain roads. Yeah, we’ll take one of those too. Waldorf-Astoria-Driving-Experiences-5

The drive was a great success, and then we had the rest of the day to explore the breathtaking La Quinta resort. Palm trees and cacti surround you on every corner of the lush, 45-acre grounds where you can shop, golf or play tennis at your leisure. We ate at Adobe Grill for lunch were we had fresh table-side guacamole and a massive smoked margarita. After we checked out some swimming pools (the resort has 41) including the adult-only plunge pool with bar service, DJ and cabanas. After having a few cocktails in the sun, we retreated back to the intimate pool and hot spa near our room to enjoy the final afternoon hour.

Cocktails were followed by dinner at Morgan’s in the Desert, a restaurant helmed by three-time James Beard award-winning chef Jimmy Schmidt. The food was incredible. We feasted on leek soup, Maine diver sea scallops, a Wagyu steak topped with bacon and a buttered popcorn ice cream parfait with bittersweet chocolate fudge and sea salted caramel for dessert.

The second half the Driving Experiences run through December 7 at the following Waldorf Astoria resorts:

The Roosevelt – New Orleans, Nov. 6-11
Boca Raton Resort & Club – Boca Raton, FL, Nov. 14-19
Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix, Dec. 2-7

The total drive time is three hours and costs $999 per couple excluding accommodations. What could make a better gift as the holidays approach? An experience to truly remember forever, we encourage anyone with a love for fast cars, luxury accommodations and beautiful American wildlife to take this incredible journey. For more information, visit waldorfastoria.com/drivingexperiences.

Amanda Gabriele
Amanda Gabriele
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Amanda Gabriele is a food and travel writer at The Manual and the former senior editor at Supercall. She can’t live without…
Predator: Badlands is giving Predator fans the movie they’ve always wanted
The movie is set to hit theaters in November, years after the debut of Prey.
Elle Fanning in Predator Badlands

After the success of Prey, there's some new energy in the Predator franchise. What's even better for Predator fans, though, is that the next installment seems designed to give them something they've always wanted. Namely, a movie that follows a predator's POV.

In the first trailer for Predator: Badlands, a predator named Dek is exiled from his clan, only to meet a humanoid-looking life-form played by Elle Fanning. The two of them team up to take on something that "can't be killed," and a long the way, we get some pretty incredible looks at the homeworld of the predators.

Read more
The next Hunger Games movie has found its lead actors
The movie will be set 24 years before the original Hunger Games.
Sunrise on the Reaping cover

Following the success of Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest book in the Hunger Games series, Deadline is reporting that the film adaptation that is set to release in 2026 has found its lead actors. Joseph Zada will play Haymitch in the film, while Whitney Peak will play Lenore Dove, Haymitch's romantic partner.

The film will be set 40 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and 24 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister's place in the Hunger Games. The book follows Haymitch, the District 12 victor who mentors Katniss and Peeta, as he wins his own Games on their 50th anniversary.

Read more
The 9 best golf documentaries to watch this year
Here's a glimpse into the amazing history of golf, including how the sport has evolved
Tiger (HBO)

Depending on how you look at it, golf is either one of the simplest sports or one of the most complex. The objective is very easy to wrap your head around: This ball has got to wind up in a hole that's maybe a quarter mile away. Everything that happens after that, though, is where things get interesting. Of course, people who love golf love it for a wide array of reasons. Some people love the beautiful courses, while others love the stories behind their favorite players.
There are plenty of people who love golf but don't play it much themselves, and those are the people who this list is really for. Golf's full of amazing stories, and we've even gotten our fair share of great golf movies as a result. Sometimes, though, a documentary is an even better fit for a particular story set in the world of golf. As someone who doesn't play much golf but loves to watch it, these documentaries are right up my alley. They're the kinds of movies that can inspire and perplex you, and also remind you that at its best, golf is filled with legendary moments. These movies might not be on the shortlist for any awards, but that's only because sports documentaries are so recognized for how well they put stories together.
After careful consideration, we've brought you this list of the best golf documentaries you can stream now.

Full Swing (2023)

Read more