High Desert Motel — Hotel in Joshua Tree

Planning a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park, we were looking for a clean budget lodging to just spend the night. We found the High Desert Inn as among one of the most competitive in prices with quite a few satisfactory reviews on TripAdvisor & Yelp.

I went ahead and made a phone reservation (cheaper than the online booking rate) for two rooms with two beds each for about $50 each. On the day of our event I get a confirmation phone call from the motel (how thoughtful of them) however to my surprise the person on the other end stated the reservation was for two rooms with one bed each. I stated that I had originally reserved two beds in each room, which he then quoted a price in the $60 range. I explained that the original quote I received was lower, to which he changed the rate to $55. Upon arriving to the hotel I did not find an attendant present so after buzzing him in he arrived but clearly was distracted with whatever activity he was doing in the back room (which he at least admitted). Not very professional, but then again all he is doing is giving me my key.

The room itself was just as I expected from the reviews, somewhat clean but rough around the edges. Some of the wear and tear over the years was either left as-is or haphazardly bandaged with black scotch tape. Though I must admit the mini-fridge, microwave, chair and desk came in handy for keeping my leftovers over night and warming it to eat in the morning. My only real complaint was that the bed was extra firm - something I wasn't used to. No noise, clean and minutes from Joshua Tree National Park West Entrance: overall I couldn't complain though, as my main concern is the sanitary condition of the place (which thankfully it was).

No frills, no thrills, just a decent budget motel that will get you...

If you come here for a room, just know in the summer it’s HOT. Plain and simple. The room is hot. I have a portable thermostat with me and it’s 83.3 degrees Fahrenheit in the room I reserved. I selected one night and one night only. An aside: I camped in the desert, at night for the last three nights. No fan. What do I do to cool off? Take a bed sheet and soak it in water. The water can be warm too. Get undressed and wrap myself in the wet sheet. Sleep on the air bed that I pump up with my foot. I sleep like a baby. No fees. No holds on my credit card. Folks, you have been warned. You get what you pay for. I’m going back to camping. It’s not bad room: you need to bring blocking panels. Those long drapes that block the sunlight, this motel could DEFINITELY invest in some. The room on the second floor was too hot. Restroom. I had a shower only. It smelled of some type of commercial chemical product. I had some baking soda with me (yes, always carry some). You just need a little bit. Sprinkled some in the shower. Then, BAM, the smell was GONE INSTANTANEOUSLY. Baking soda is truly a deodorizer. Now, the bed. The bed was hard as a rock. I’m getting my air bed right now to pump up and I will sleep on the floor. You need to bring a memory form topper to sleep well. DO NOT COME IN BEFORE 3pm. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SLEEP IN THESE ROOM FROM 10am to 7:00pm. It’s too HOT. See the period to the left. I mean it folks. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SLEEP IN THESE ROOMS DURING THE HOTTEST PART OF THE SUMMER during the daytime. Lastly, there...

Until I was billed for a room I did not use I would have said this was an okay place for the money. However, I stayed last night in room 208 but was billed for my room and my sister's room number 105 inexplicably (my sister checked her bank statement and she was indeed also charged for room 105) and the person I spoke with on the phone to correct the charge was incredibly rude, inexplicably hostile and completely unhelpful, saying I needed to get the money back from my sister! (whom, I repeat, had also been charged for the room.) I will never stay in this place again. The man I spoke with (I should have gotten his name) said straight up that the way the manager chooses to do the billing often leads to charging errors. !!! I can't imagine why the manager would continue with accounting practices that lead to unpleasant conversations and overcharges on what seems to be a not too rare basis. There are lots of motels in Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Twentynine Palms that have rooms and prices as good and better than this place. I would have stayed at 9 Palms Inn or the Harmony Motel in Twentynine Palms if they had had space. Buyer beware and check your bank statements. I have never to my recollection left a one star review for a property before. A pity to feel the need to start here. We really had such a great trip to Joshua Tree and this was an unexpected bad taste to have to reckon with the day of...