Sonoran Desert Inn and Conference Center — Hotel in Ajo

We chose the Sonoran Desert Inn & Conference Center for a two-night stay while visiting Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, which is about 45 minutes away. The Inn is a nice and simple repurposed school building for accommodations. The rooms, which I assume were once classrooms, have very high ceilings, contemporary style furniture (IKEA like), decorated with local colours and items (sorry I forgot to take interior photos). We stayed in a deluxe room with two queen beds, which had its own bathroom, refrigerator, microwave, desk and chair, two arm chairs and table, plenty of space, countertop and kitchen sink, as well as some dishes and cutlery were provided for in-room eating. It was very well equipped and met our needs. Note no there is no TV, but who really needs that these days? WiFi was good and no issues connecting. The room was very clean, no smell, and appreciated how they repurposed the building (interesting history and story). Loved the patina of the original polished concrete floors, along with area carpet to provide that warm feeling. Check-in was different, yet very efficient. Instructions were emailed a couple days before arrival providing directions to the Inn, on-street parking instructions, our room number and how to locate it (not difficult) and how to enter the combination lock on the door. We had no issues accessing it, however please keep in mind that there is no reception desk, only a gift store staffed with one person that would provide assistance, but they usually close at 8pm. So if you are concerned about access, suggest to arrive earlier for that bit of reassurance. The rooms all form a square with the interior an open courtyard with landscaping, a garden, some activities, and a firepit. There were some tourists enjoying their time by the fire, yet by 9pm all was quiet, as they have a code guests have to abide by. One wing has conference rooms, a large dining hall, kitchen, but these seemed to be closed. Also situated nearby was the gift store that had fresh coffee every morning. They also had some snacks and provide various Mexican homemade meals for purchase that are frozen to heat up in your in-room microwave. Nearby walking distance is Ajo Pie Pizza which I highly recommend for takeout back to your room. If you're traveling with ice packs, the person in the gift store will store them in the large freezer as room refrigerators don't have a freezer compartment (at least ours didn't). As well, they have a washer/dryer for use should you need it. Would we return? Yes we would if we were to travel in this region. It's not the Hilton, and I wouldn't expect it to be, but it has a charm that really connects to the area...

We stayed here for a couple of nights after driving for hours to visit Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Ajo is a small border town in Southern Arizona. I imagine the majority of people who stay in Ajo are either going to Organ Pipe as well, or stopping along the route to their final destination. There aren't a lot of restaurants in town or things to do. It is a charming town with a historic town center and art mural paintings. If you are like me, after driving for hours in a car, you want to check into a nice place that is clean, comfortable, and safe. It doesn't have to be luxury, but I don't want to check into a place that looks dirty, like it hasn't been renovated in decades, has an uncomfortable bed and pillows, or be located where I am concerned about my safety or my car getting broken into. The Sonoran Desert Inn is a hidden gem. It is an old elementary school that was renovated very professionally and with great amenities. The outside is beautifully landscaped with a variety of desert plants. It looks new, it was very clean, with comfortable beds and pillows, wifi is very fast, and they have very friendly staff. They support local artists in letting guests purchase hand sewn javelinas, tile pieces, and other local artwork. They also offer recycling bins which can be very uncommon for smaller towns. I greatly appreciated and respected that. I stayed in a "Kitchenette Room" with a King bed so that we could store some lunch meat, condiments, cold water for hiking, etc. They do not have TV's in the room, but there is a lounge that has a TV if you really need one.... Wifi is super fast, so we gladly just watched Netflix in our room for the limited time we spent indoors. They also don't serve breakfast here... unless you are paying for a group to be catered. You can either grab some groceries at the local IGA or eat at one of the local restaurants. (From personal experience, don't bother going to Roadrunner Java unless you like horribly rude service). You could definitely find cheaper lodging in the area if price is more important to you, but none of the other options look as nice, modern, or have the level of commitment to being eco-friendly as The Sonora Desert Inn. I highly recommend...

An old elementary school, beautifully renovated and decorated tastefully with many subtle touches makes this a quality inn. A native garden in the middle of a big courtyard proved these folks care about our environment and are part of the solution. There was both a recycling and a trash bin in the room. Bravo. The shower was the best I have ever been in, but the Kleenex box only had a couple sheets left from the previous occupants.

You will have to haul your stuff to your room from your car. Although remotely motel-style with a large tract around the entire circumference, you cannot drive to your room to unload. That may be hard for very old folks as it is a bit of a schlepp from your car to unload and load. Not sure what the solution might be.

Saturday morning, sleeping in, I was awakened at 9am by a mysterious crowd of people talking and standing around a burn barrel of what looked like refuse (a definite no, no). I would recommend they move that elsewhere.

For the rate, I might suggest limited maid service, and we were not told it had a kitchenette with a stove, modem, microwave, etc., That would have saved us money and effort, had the woman who booked the room told us.

Lastly, in Gallery Three (a two bedroom suite), do please figure out how to dampen the loud, pulsating sound from the heat pump right outside the window, but especially, the dozen or so clicks in the wall that, like clockwork, repeated about every thirty seconds. This made the second room impossible to sleep in. We are rural tourists not used to noise when we sleep (even with ear plugs).

We almost asked for a refund for the second room. At $200 a night it was a major splurge for us living only on social security. Appreciating the effort that went into it and their obvious care for the environment, we let it go.

You know who we are (Gallery three; 1/12-14/2024) if you choose to own up with a refund for the...