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Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
12 reviews for Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel
I came here 4 years ago when a family friend brought us to swim in their heated pools. They had a locker room to store all our belongings and was clean enough. Honestly, I thought swimming in the pools wasn't any different than swimming in my pool, just minus the heater. It was mediocre.
Our family friend said she was taking us to a spa.. but they were just pools. Eh, my family and I weren't blown out of the water. We had an okay time. Would I go back? Probably not.
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What the heck!? I swear I felt like I walked into the Twilight Zone. It was like someplace out of Little Miss Sunshine - you know, that eerily creepy, empty run-down motel feel...
We came about a half hour late because we had trouble finding this place (the address didn't show up on my GPS!)... they had to cancel our 9am appointments but worked really hard to rebook us and find us new treatment appointments for 10 and 11am. They even called in extra masseuse's to accommodate us. That was really appreciated. Note: you cannot get your money back if you don't give them a heads up 24 hours in advance.
The facial I got was not worth the $65 I paid. I was wary when she started doing extractions on me so I asked her to stop. I just didn't trust her skill and didn't want to leave with scars. She basically just put a lot of creams on my face... "dab dab dab... rub"... "dab dab dab... rub"... for about 40 minutes! ErrR?! She was a bit rough, not soft and gentle like most facials I've had. Then she tried to massage my shoulders a bit... hmm, an armchair could've done a better job. She kept missing my pressure points.
Oh yea, let me not fail to mention the flickering light and lime green lockers in their dingy changing rooms. How's that for twilight zone feel? Just give me a ghost and zombie or two...
The hot spas were hot but there was no way to turn on the whirlpools. There was sand on the seats and floor of the spa so it didn't feel very sanitary. Maybe I'm just paranoid??? They didn't have ice water or fruit laid out for the guests so we kept having to ask someone to get us some water - very annoying... it was just very odd all around. I would not come back here again. From now on, I'll know to pay the extra money for a better atmosphere.
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THE HOTEL:
It's older but clean
Room $90 - $120
YIPPEEE:
2 hrs from LA
8 pools to bubble in
Pools open 24hrs
BOOO:
They offer a Day pass so it's very crowded during the afternoon
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Being here felt like the beginnings of a horror movie or walking into the Twilight Zone, especially with a women sporting a beehive hairdo, an old man mumbling about Elvis Presley, an unhappy receptionist at the lobby, and creepy happy man assisting the receptionist....all out in the middle of nowhere.
We had 9am and 10am appointments. Half of us missed our 9am appts because we got lost. GPS doesn't work in the Twilight Zone I guess. The receptionist was unhappy and mean about rebooking our appointments, but she pulled through.
The locker room....I think it's worst than the ones you find at the YMCA. Rusty lockers, flickering lights, and cleaning buckets laying around just didn't seem sanitary or comfortable. The rooms for body treatment looked questionable too as I peeked in.
Don't be deceived by their "hot springs". We talked to the lifeguard and asked if these were really from hot springs and he confirmed that they were. The 140 degree water was transported and cooled down in their spas. Despite his confirmation, I was still suspect, since the spa was dirty. Yes, it couldn't be helped with the crazy wind, but I didn't enjoy sitting with all these leaves and debris floating around.
My aromatherapy massage was decent, It was my first time having a male masseuse. Gentle and firm, but the calloused hands and bumpy arms made it feel a little weird. My friend, the bride-to-be, had an old man hairy man as her masseuse...so I can imagine how uncomfortable that would be. Why does this place only have male masseuse?
Overall the experience was just strange. Glad I made it out there alive with my girlfriends. Next time I'm willing to spend a little bit more for a better place.
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Stumbled upon the place while on a road trip. Spa treatments were inexpensive and not very relaxing and not very professional. No way in hell would I get spa treatments again.
Pool scene has a throwback feel to it. I like that it's not too expensive and it's a large area.
Luxurious, it's not, but for those on a budget looking to lie in the sun... this is a great place.
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Desert Hot Springs is a weird little town. We sort of got the impression that if we ventured out from the DHSSH we'd get plugged with a bullet, or kidnapped by one of those guys cruising around with the pickups and a dog in the back never to be seen again.....
Getting to the point - love the pool area with the different sized pools and temperatures, the waterfalls. Hated our room, which was very tired and noisy. The spa treatments are pretty cheap, but you get what you pay for in the utilitarian treatment rooms. The restaurant was just awful, full of crying kids and some seriously mediocre food. We just got drunk very quickly and then it was passable.
My husband barely spoke to me the entire time we were there (about 16 hours) because he hated the place so much. Wahhhh!!!!!
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No wonder this place doesn't have any "added photos"! It's NOTHING like the spas I've been to before.
I got the Aromatherapy Mineral Scrub and my therapist was Kathy. She was really nice and easy to talk to so I would give her 3 stars. I've never had a mineral scrub before so I can't compare this service to something at a nicer spa but I did enjoyed it. The only part I didn't like was walking over to the shower. The shower was cold and it looked dirty so I didn't feel clean afterwards.
In conclusion, just spend a little more and go somewhere else. Somewhere that will have plush towels/bathrobes, fruit/snacks, and an unlimed amount of water.
This place is decent for the price. There are a lot of different pools/jacuzzis and a co-ed dry sauna. The pools stay open 24HRS but the sauna closes early. The water is quite good despite the chlorine that they add. The dry sauna isnt that hot, about 160 degrees and is dirty so wear sandals that won't melt.
If you want peace and quiet avoid this place on saturday and sunday. Some real sketchy characters and their kids come for the day and they will annoy you hell out of you. If your into laughing at stupid tatoos and mutant people, then its right up your alley. During the week days and at night the place is empty and is really great. The rooms are simple and clean. A pool side lower level room ($89 Expedia) is the best because you can use your slider for access to the pools without walking around the building. I never had a problem with noise.
***Tip The town of Desert Hot Springs doesn' have anywhere to eat (unless you like Carls Jr. or KFC) go to Palm Springs for dinner.
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Pet Friendly Hotel & Mineral Spas and pools.
Since we are RVers we typically travel to Sams Family Spa in the DHS area. http://www.yelp.com/bi... This time however, we drove down in our car, w/ the dog and thought we'd stay in the hotel. Oh no! They don't allow pets in the rooms.
But the great folks at Sams Family called The Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel for us. Luckily they had a King room $89.00 per night and they allowed pets!
They don't require any additional deposits for the pet, but you have to sign a form that says if Fido tears up the room you'll pay up to 250 to repair it.
The room was clean and simple. After getting the pup a nice walk around the property we headed for the pools. 8 natural mineral pools and sauna.
There were a few chatty Cathys in the hottest spa. It was clear that this was the Friday night party spot for the local crowd. Most people had drinks in had from the walk up bar at the far end of the pool area.
Not a huge fan of drinking in hot tubs, we decided to try the cafe.
Sunshine Cafe--
I had the house salad which is very good. romain, carrot, red cabbage,cucumber, tomato & croutons. pretty impressive for a simple cafe. (not jut iceberg and dressing)
My boyfriend tried the Chick. Alfredo, but didn't like it much. He sent it back and got the fajitas... They were better, but since it was almost closing time and the "boss" had to force the cook to actually make the dish, he didn't feel comfortable eating the dish.
But we took it in stride... Angry Chef combined with the Karaoke streaming from the bar next door made the night quite comical.
Saturday Morning we ordered room service from the cafe (eggs were good, but don't bother with pancakes or waffles) we headed back to the pools! The hottest pool was around 103 and it was basically empty... Ah paradise. They also have a cold immersion pool which is sooo refreshing after being in the hot pool for a while. Cold is an understatement, but the hot/cold combination is very good for you!
If you like the simple things in life, & enjoy the healing benefits of water this is a great place for the day or a quick overnight stay!
7 girls in search of spa treatments, 6 miles away from the freeway, 1970's style building, owner with a beehive hairdo (literally), guy walking around mumbling "Elvis Presley is great" ,... perfect setting for an episode of The Outer Limits, your upcoming horror film or a low budget porn flick.
There's no other way to describe it. We found this place online, thought the prices were affordable compared to all the high end spas in Palm Springs & decided that the mineral hot springs sounded appealing. CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE BEFOREHAND. They're just tubs of hot water.
I got the Swedish Massage though I prefer Swedish Fish. My masseuse, Randy, was SO nice. He was very friendly, asked me where on my body to concentrate, made sure the pressure was just right & even got me water afterwards! The only downside is that his hands were a little rough & calloused so it felt funny when he was massaging me. Also, his arms were hairy so it felt funny brushing up on me. Once I got past all this weirdness, I thought he did a good job on the massage itself - started with my back, moved to the arms/hands then legs/feet. Randy deserves 3.75 stars.
As for the place, I can't even begin to describe why you shouldn't come here. First of all, if you are late for your service and cannot reschedule at the times available, you have to pay. When checking out robes/towels/sandals, if you do not return them, you have to pay. If you want to switch your service, it has to be to another service equal in value. If you talk too loudly in the women's locker room, you will get scolded by the employees for disturbing the patrons getting skin services because the rooms are oddly located IN the locker room. If you want to take a shower, make sure no one flushes the toilet or you will get both extremes of water temperature. If you're a mother with a son over 2 years of age, you must release him into the men's locker room to fend for himself... or risk getting reprimanded in the women's locker room. Overall, a comical & frightening experience to be remembered upon for a lifetime.
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A great place to soak off the grit and grime that accumulates while camping in Joshua Tree. We only paid $3 since we arrived after 3pm. Even at full price ($5) this place is still a bargain . The locker rooms have seen better days and you will want to be sure to bring your flip flops for the shower (ahhh shower). Look for the old lady with the flower on the shoulder of her bathing suit. She appears to be the spa's number one fan. If you look closely you will see that the flower is all her previous spa bracelets.
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it's a bit dated so don't expect much. unfortunately, the place needs more than a facelift. the bed was concave, the couch had stains, the curtains were falling apart and the carpet was --- okay, not going there! (just don't take your shoes off!)
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