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Joshua Tree Inn & Motel
Rating Details »
61259 29 Palms Hwy
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
(760) 366-1188
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
(760) 366-1188
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Mon-Sun. 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
13 reviews for Joshua Tree Inn & Motel
Dang! Had I read the reviews prior to booking (and I am not sure how I didn't) I may have booked a room elsewhere....
My daughter & I stayed two nights in room 7 this past weekend. We did NOT encounter any roaming cats, rude owners/staff or, sadly, the ghost of rock star Gram Parsons.
What we did encounter is a charming row of rooms amongst natural desert landscape, each with it's own somewhat-private back 'yard'. Our room had a little fridge, microwave & tv, surprisingly comfy beds with (not two but) Four pillows on each - love that!
The pool is large & well-kept with plenty of loungers, chairs & tables and, it seems, there is 24hr access - love that, too!
I understand that they recently stopped serving the continental b-fast, which is kind of a bummer. Wish they'd bring that back at least on the weekends. But Crossroads Cafe is just down the road & is awesome. We'll be back but not before I read the reviews!
I dig everything about the Joshua Tree Inn. I dig the uber-mellow vibe. I dig the pool. I dig the koi pond. I dig the Joshua trees. I dig the way you can stay in the room that Gram Parsons died in for only $105 a night. I dig the way they used to serve breakfast. Mostly though, I dig the tables in front of each room and scattered throughout the courtyard and around the pool. What's so great about these cheesy, plastic, Walmarty patio tables you may well ask? Well sir, it is the ashtrays on each and every one of these tables that gets me all hot and bothered. And if one ashtray isn't enough for you, if you happen to be, or smoke as much as Edward R. Murrow and you need two or three or ten or twelve ashtrays, well by God there's a whole stack of 'em available right there outside the office.
The joint we stayed at immediately prior to the JTI made us sign a document on the side acknowledging that it was an entirely smoke and pet free environment. (Can you imagine what would have happened if we had smuggled a cat in and it had caught on fire?) After that experience it was most refreshing to check into a place that not only didn't have a list of rules that could feasibly lead to serious litigation and possible jail time, but apparently also assumed that you were going to smoke a lot, and that if you didn't smoke a lot then, brutha, you must be some kinda freak. This kind of place is my kind of place.
We spent two days there. I'm pissed that we blew one of those days traipsing around that stupid park up the street.
Like Douglas MacArthur and that thing in "Poltergeist" I am going to return, this time for at least a three day run. I'm hauling in supplies and shan't be leaving the compound once during that time...unless of course I happen to over do it on the tequila and morphine.
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It's old, it's dusty, uncomfortable and hauntingly beautiful.
It is the desert....and I love it.
"You can't fight the desert... You have to ride with it."
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Stayed here last year with some friends and had a great time. We stayed in room 12, the full suite, there were four of us and we were plenty comfortable. The pool was nice. I just love the in the middle of nowhere feel about this place and the whole Gram Parson's thing just gave it a sort of cool eeriness. I just really loved this place. The desert gardens, the way they rake the sand. The people who ran it were very pleasant, though not very social, which was fine with me, I really have to be in the mood for that.
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Was in town for a band reunion of sorts, and to see a bunch of people, some whom I hadn't seen in 20 years. The head conspirator in this affair suggested the JTI as a fitting place for our group to stay as it was a half a mile from his home and had some musical notoriety. I'm a big fan of "classic" motels and I like the fact that this one has been maintained and/or fixed up a bit but the rates aren't outrageous (some folks take the boutique thing too far).
It didn't look like much from the front but the lobby was southwest homey with a big smattering of Gram Parsons memorabilia. Just like your hippie aunt who lives in Arizona's living room. I walked in and met one of my old friends who was in the process of checking in, which added to the welcoming environment. Then I was my turn, the woman in charge was rather "to the point" in her demeanor, not unfriendly but not overly accommodating either. No biggie, they leave you alone here. I had chosen a room a couple of doors down from the "Parsons room", a little cheaper and no rock star ghosts waking me up in the night.
Once I stepped into the courtyard I got it. Peaceful, shady awnings and patios and a great big pool which was ice cold (but will probably be perfect in about a week). The rooms are decorated yard sale chic and everything worked and looked well kept. I had both a table and chairs on the patio in front of my room as well as my own private patio behind. Made for a great place to sit, sip a beer and chat with old friends as they rolled in to the place.
Sounds pretty good, and it is. As long as you're not a dumb ass like me, let me explain why. So In the course of my visit, at the main event up the road there's some drinking going on (and I'm enjoying that) and someone asks to borrow a key (to open a beer). Genius that I am, I hand them my room key, which works so great, It doesn't make it back into my pocket. I don't discover this until some time later when I return to the JTI and find that I can't get into my room. See, dumbass, I take full responsibility for that right here and now! Here's the problem: I was assed out, there was nobody there who could give me another key or let me into my room. There is no number to call and even the local authorities don't know who to call. Fortunately a friend had a couch in his room.
How is this their fault? Well it's not really. But I'd imagine I'm not the first drunk musician who's been there. There's gotta be a contingency plan for all those hippies who wander off into the desert with nothing but a hand full of mushrooms and their room key and wander back with neither. Hell, what if a toilet overflows?
The next morning I found (through my hangover haze) a nervous looking cowboy setting up the continental breakfast. The ghost of Gram? Not with that accent, but he reluctantly gave me another key and I was back in business.
I'll be back, and I promise I'll behave next time.
**Update! I got a note from one of the owners letting me know that there is an emergency number at the place, I'm sure that's true, just cause I'm too dumb to find it don't mean it ain't there. I added another star. I really did like the place and will return, hopefully next time I can comment on the comfort of the beds rather than the couches ;)
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Wow! This was the perfect place to stay in Joshua Tree. Fabulous pool that's open all night in the middle of the gorgeous desert with huge skies full of stars and ghosts and those sorts of things... The room was very cute and cozy. Nothing very special but it had a fridge and I really liked the fact that we had a tiny outdoor porch kinda thing to hang out in. I'm not a huge Gram Parsons fan but I hear he hangs out around there in spirit. The Gram Parson's shrine was a nice touch.
Evo (sorry if I botched the spelling) was a pretty rad guy. He was the inn keeper and my boyfriend and I had a good time chatting and sharing beers with him out by the pool.
We went hiking on the day we were to check out and unfortunately got tucked away in the Mojave and missed our check out time @ 11am. Evo threw our stuff out on the front walkway by our room for all to see and go through. We were really apologetic and said sorry up and down but he was acted like it was the most terrible thing that had ever happened to him. And I quote "It was absolutely terrible." He could have at least left our bags in the office or something. It's not like we had that many. And we had a laptop, etc. Yikes.
Bottom line: sweet hotel in an incredibly serene location in the middle of the Mojave Desert with a cool innkeeper that kinda lost it towards the end. Next time we won't miss checkout time but I still think it was pretty ridiculous they just left our stuff out on the sidewalk. Who does that? Should you stay there? Yes!
If you truly understand Joshua Tree, if your soul quivers at the thought of exploring its desolate paths and hidden treasures, if old means comforting to you...
If you ever find yourself rocking in a chair one night while listening to a masterful Neil Young album, a cool breeze blowing through your hair while you sip whiskey and brush away the tears that have flowed from your eyes...
If you are overwhelmed by beauty (and I don't mean beautiful models or the lame contemplation of beauty in American Beauty), then you should stay at Joshua Tree Inn. You won't ever want to leave.
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The JTI is one of my favorite places on earth. I go there every year to hideout with my friends. I have never had a problem with staff. They don't fall all over themselves to help you out, but they leave you alone and I appreciate that. The breakfast is nothing special, but it is not bad at all. They basically serve you what you would normally eat at home and that works for me.
Ask most anyone "Who was Gram Parsons?" and you'll probably be met with a blank stare, or an answer that generally has something to do with the movie "Grand Theft Parsons". It's unfortunate, because what he left behind will be felt for generations to come.
Born Ingram Cecil Connor, Gram Parsons forged the pathway to what is widely considered today as "Alt-Country", "Roots-Country", (or "Actual, Real Country Music") and all of its various sub-genres. Groups and individuals such as BR5-49, Slim Cessna, Sixteen Horsepower, and Steve Earle (who in turn re-popularized Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs, and other long-standing torch-bearers) all owe a debt of gratitude to Gram. Even soulless, watered-down "country" acts like The Eagles (who did to Gram what Pat Boone did to Little Richard) owe a lot to GP. One would be very hard-pressed to over-estimate the impact and influence he had on modern American music.
It's well known that Gram Parsons loved Joshua Tree National Park. Very often, he could be found in the park enjoying the wondrous beauty, ingesting powerful hallucinogens and hunting for UFOs (A great way to spend a weekend in my opinion... not that I would know anything about that). Whether traveling alone or bringing along guests, Gram and company would stay at the Joshua Tree Inn. He would stay so frequently that the staff considered him a first-name basis regular. But that would all change on September 9, 1973. On this night, before a tour was to start, Gram and several friends checked in, and unfortunately, due to a lethal mix of tequila and morphine, he never checked out. What followed after that is a pure legend as big as the man it surrounds.
Now most places, when a famous or infamous individual dies, will try to either play it down, or exploit the hell out of it, usually very distastefully. The Joshua Tree Inn does neither. Instead, they acknowledge that, yes; this was in fact the place where the Cosmic Cowboy passed on. But rather than put up a bunch of "Gram Parsons Died Here" tourist-trap-quality signs and souvenirs, they choose to embrace Parson's music and legacy: choosing to remember the beauty he brought into this world, and not the tragic way he left. And in doing so, as their motto states, the spirit of Gram Parson resides here.
But there is much more to the Inn, than this legend.
Upon check in between 3:00 and 8:00PM (officially they are classified as a bed and breakfast), you'll be warmly greeted by one of the co-owners, who is more than happy to get you checked in, give you a tour of the facilities, and assist you with any needs you may have that can be provided either by The Inn, or found locally in Joshua Tree or the neighboring towns.
As you walk around to the back, you'll be greeted with two very unique features to The Inn: the courtyard and the pool.
Being that the inn is situated in the high desert, to have a lush grass courtyard is foolish, expensive, and wasteful. But as the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade- except in this case, when life gives you sand, you make a Zen garden!
It's quite common to see Zen gardens in hotels around the country these days. Some upscale establishments will even go so far as to employ a monk or two for maintenance. But these gardens are there for the look, and not for the calming, inner-reflective aesthetics. Try to meditate by one, and you will probably find yourself being introduced to the Zen and art of being eighty-sixed. It's even more unlikely that you'll see the owners with a rake in hand. Not only are both possible at the Inn, but it is an essential piece to the overall relaxing environment.
As previously noted, this is a desert, a very hot, dry desert. Fortunately, The Inn has the largest pool of all the hotels in Joshua Tree. Now some will view having a pool in such a hot, arid environment as being elite, or decadent. If this is the case, powder me pink and call me Marie Antoinette, because after a day of hiking in the park, you are going to want a cool body of water to immerse yourself in.
The rooms can be best described as "humble" Nothing fancy, or luxurious, but definitely clean, comfortable, and homey. And really, isn't that what really counts?
I would like to also point out that, contrary to a previous poster, there are no cats on the premises and haven't been for quite some time, and with the exception of several goldfish in an outdoor pond (if you're allergic to goldfish- just stay home) pets are strictly prohibited.
A stay at the Joshua Tree Inn is an experience in relaxation, and getting back to humanity while you're getting back to nature. Don't be surprised if you find yourself having long conversations with other guests as if you've known them for years. In conclusion, if you're going to be in the area, make a reservation- the more in advance you can, the better, as they fill up quickly.
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In the interests of complete candor I must let you know that I have stayed at the JTI approximately a dozen times in the last few years. However, I will never stay there again.
My wife and I tried to book a room for last weekend but they were fully booked. When my wife spoke to Evo on the phone she asked if it was OK to use the pool while we were in town? He replied to the affirmative and we said we'd call in on Saturday. Evo said that there was a wedding party staying at the Inn but they'd be out at the wedding in the afternoon. He also asked us to pay $5 each which we agreed. So, we show up on the afternoon only to be met by the owner (we have met before) with vicious tirade to the affect of 'What are you thinking, you cannot swim - oh my god are you insane, there's a wedding party et etc' Now telling us we cannot swim is fine and understandable but going completely ballistic for no reason is another. She was quite deranged in her interactions with us. I will not return - Go down the road to Spin and Margies, they're sane.
ps - JTI is for sale. I hope someone without a mental illness purchases it.
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I am afraid I must agree with the dissenting voices below: The owners of this motel Margo and Yvo really need to learn some customer service skills. On a recent stay there they were downright rude to my husband and daughter. I have been visiting JT for nearly 30 years, It's a beautiful spot but that attitude of these people really put us off. These people put out very bad karma. Unfortunate.
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If you're allergic to cats, do not stay at the Joshua Tree Inn.
Yes, it's got history, and it's got CATS. Two huge cats that roam freely in and out of people's rooms. They don't warn you of this on the phone. There's no mention of the cats on the Web site, but it appears the cats have free reign over the place, even when you're paying for a room. I'm highly allergic to cats and I didn't realize my room was filled with cat dander until I was asleep and I couldn't breathe.
While the staff was nice while I was there, they were not agreeable to a refund. There was no negotiation. The only option they said, is that I could have checked out. That doesn't work if you're only staying one night. I realized the problem in the middle of the night.
I am not the first person to have complained about the cats. The managers are adamant about keeping them. So if you're allergic to cats, do not stay at The Joshua Tree Inn.
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Gram Parsons died in room 8 on September 19, 1973. I fully intend to take a trip down this summer with some friends & stay in that room for a few days, like so many have done before me.
If you're not familiar with his GP, you best get. He's the Godfather of Country Rock, & his legacy is richhhhh.
[Start here: http://www.allmusic.co...]
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