Mercey Hot Springs — Hotel in Los Banos

If I could give this place a minus zero stars, it would be awesome. My friends and I drove two hours to get there, we were so excited to go camping and relax for a night. We couldn't wait! Once we arrived we parked at the 10 minutes parking and we jumped out of the car to check the place, but SUDDENLY a lady came out running and yelling at us. At the beginning we couldn't hear what she was shouting out, but since she kept yelling we finally heard a " YOU CAN'T PARK RIGHT THERE" shout. So we headed to the registration office right away, but she didn't let us go into the office instead, she came out and started yelling at us again while using a "weird" body language... My friend asked her to calm down and I told her that we we were tourists and we were there to stay for the night, but she kept yelling at my friend and moving her hands in a very unusual way, like when someone wants to attack you because they are very mad at you. Finally, we could came into the office and once there she started acting hysterically, yelling at us, moving her hands even more and asking us to pay... When I told her we were her clients and we deserved a better treatment since "Customers are always number one" she responded to me "sometimes, not today!!!" what was happening there was really weird... I have never seen people treating customers this way in my entire life. My friend was talking to her in a very calmed way, she asked her for the campsite we liked, but her answer to my friend's request was a very harsh "NO" -At that point I got involved in the argument this lady kept going on and on even though we were just asking to get the service we deserved. I asked my friend to leave, but my friend asked to talk to the owner, she said the owner was not there. She was like if something was going on... So weird... She was even tingling. So creepy!!! We headed outside of the property, there were some workers around, we asked them where could we find the owner, one of them said he was gone, but that someone else could help us. Suddenly a tall white man wearing jeans and long sleeve collar shirt came outside of the property and asked us "how can I help you?" My friend told him we were there just to have a peaceful and relaxing time, but we were treated in a poor way by the receptionist. His answer was a VERY RUDE one, he told us she was in her right to treat us the way she did. I WAS IN SHOCK!!!! Trust me, I have never been treated that way in any business. Then he didn't let my friend talk any more. At the end he told us this very rude sentence; "People like you come to the property and then are wondering around" I wonder, what did he mean by referring to us with that "people like you" statement? That is a very racist comment from my point of view. Then he told us the lady was acting that way because she just got out from a car accident. REALLY? Then my friend told him we were there to stay at the property not to hear the staff's personal problems. After my friend told him that he GOT SO UPSET and he said my friend had ATTITUDE, then he pointed to the road and asked us to leave the property! This is the first experience of this class I have had in my traveling experiences. I have never seen as rudest people as these two when it comes to deal with customers. Hot Springs are supposed to be quiet and relaxing, but what can we expect if the staff screams at...

Mercey is a historic property, so far away from civilization that I am almost afraid to review it, lest the madding crowd discover it. If you are expecting an upscale spa and resort, this isn't for you. However, if you want to listen to birds and the wind, and see a sky full of stars while soaking in hot water, it's wonderful. It's mostly aimed at campers, so be aware that it's rustic. Basically, the spring is an oasis in an arid range of hills, with its nearest neighbor being an observatory. Bring food and drinks, as there is NOTHING nearby, which is part of its appeal. (The office does have some drinks and bottled water.)||We stayed in one of the Airstream trailers, which was comfortable and well-appointed with cooking supplies, etc. They provide firewood for the fire pit, and it has chairs, a deck, picnic table, and a gas barbecue grill. It was parked in the camping/rv area, not up by the historic cabins. ||The pool is blood warm, well kept-up, and there are also two different tubbing areas for the hotter water: swimsuits required and clothing optional, the latter tucked away behind the cabins. There is also a very nice sauna in the pool area, which we used the first night. We also reserved an hour each in the bath house, which has single-person private tubs. These have some wonderful artisan-type handwork in the interior construction, with stonework around antique bathtubs and interesting use of wood. There are fun touches like this around the property, including a palm tree laid in pavers by the front office. The office is in the old 1920's bottling works for the mineral water, which looks like a miniature mission. The office also sells campground foodstuffs (tinned sardines, instant noodles, etc.) cold drinks, and ice cream. ||There is on-site massage and reflexology, and Justin is very good at what he does. The same building houses a mini-library and public room, with board games and books.||The place abounds with wildlife, including bunnies in abundance, and a colony of long-eared owls. We had fun following animal tracks down by the stream. However, it looked like a recent flash-flood had taken out a few campsites. (Part of the rains that recently closed I-5 and floated away cars, to the south?) I wouldn't camp next to the stream in winter, based on that. ||It's a family-run business, and they do their own work, so this place is an ongoing labor of love, a historic site being brought back from near-extinction. I hope it continues on...

Mercey is a historic property, so far away from civilization that I am almost afraid to review it, lest the madding crowd discover it. If you are expecting an upscale spa and resort, this isn't for you. However, if you want to listen to birds and the wind, and see a sky full of stars while soaking in hot water, it's wonderful. It's mostly aimed at campers, so be aware that it's rustic. Basically, the spring is an oasis in an arid range of hills, with its nearest neighbor being an observatory. Bring food and drinks, as there is NOTHING nearby, which is part of its appeal. (The office does have some drinks and bottled water.)||We stayed in one of the Airstream trailers, which was comfortable and well-appointed with cooking supplies, etc. They provide firewood for the fire pit, and it has chairs, a deck, picnic table, and a gas barbecue grill. It was parked in the camping/rv area, not up by the historic cabins. ||The pool is blood warm, well kept-up, and there are also two different tubbing areas for the hotter water: swimsuits required and clothing optional, the latter tucked away behind the cabins. There is also a very nice sauna in the pool area, which we used the first night. We also reserved an hour each in the bath house, which has single-person private tubs. These have some wonderful artisan-type handwork in the interior construction, with stonework around antique bathtubs and interesting use of wood. There are fun touches like this around the property, including a palm tree laid in pavers by the front office. The office is in the old 1920's bottling works for the mineral water, which looks like a miniature mission. The office also sells campground foodstuffs (tinned sardines, instant noodles, etc.) cold drinks, and ice cream. ||There is on-site massage and reflexology, and Justin is very good at what he does. The same building houses a mini-library and public room, with board games and books.||The place abounds with wildlife, including bunnies in abundance, and a colony of long-eared owls. We had fun following animal tracks down by the stream. However, it looked like a recent flash-flood had taken out a few campsites. (Part of the rains that recently closed I-5 and floated away cars, to the south?) I wouldn't camp next to the stream in winter, based on that. ||It's a family-run business, and they do their own work, so this place is an ongoing labor of love, a historic site being brought back from near-extinction. I hope it continues on...