Desert Wind Winery & Inn — Restaurant in Prosser

WARNING: I, like many people, thought that the Desert Wind Inn would be an all inclusive event. Wine tasting and dinner in the evening, sitting around the fire in the backyard drinking a glass of merlot. Experience a wine tasting in the quiet serenity of the wine country. This is the experience that is advertised on the website and we paid handsomely for it. This dreamy experience is just that: a dreamy image of what this could be which could not be further from the truth. Instead, we were met with rude indifferent service, a room that we could not easily leave past 5 PM (or 7 PM if you’re lucky to be here Friday-Saturday), a loud uncomfortable room, and poor quality wine. DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL IF YOU WANT A WINE COUNTRY EXPERIENCE; ONLY STAY HERE IF YOU ACTIVELY SEEK OUT DISAPPOINTMENT. ||What was supposed to be an incredible afternoon and evening in the wine country turned out to be a disappointment. The expectations created by the property in its advertisement plummeted the second my wife and I set foot on the property. The warm welcoming mentioned in previous recent reviews was no where to be seen when we arrived at the property on May 29, 2025 at around 12:30 PM. A cold and rather indifferent hostess meets us, no greeting, no welcoming remarks but a cold “what do you need”. We excitedly told her that we just got here and want to learn more about how the check-in goes and whether the room was ready by any chance. Our excitement was not matched. The hostess only expressed distain that we were checking in, giving us an annoyed glare while informing us that check-in was not allowed until 3 PM despite the hotel being seemingly empty. In the same annoyance and disdain, she told us that all information we needed should be in an email (that never arrived) and the turned her back to us and walked away. We did not expect an early check in, we just wanted to make sure that all of the information is there and whether there was more to do about it prior to us getting our room. The attitude was entirely discouraging and unwarranted and it continued to do so over the course of the next couple of hours while we waited for 3 PM. ||It was only when we said that the email did not arrive she begrudgingly gave us the information on a card with a random code without any explanation roughly 30 minutes after we arrived. In hindsight, that meant the room was ready, but she did not bother to tell us that fact nor inform us what the code represented. ||While we waited, we sat down for a glass of wine. The hostess continued to treat us like we were unwelcome guests being incredibly rude and lacked curtesy at every turn. No smiles, no small talk about the place, no indication on what to expect from our stay based on what was advertised on the website regarding the tasting and other opportunities of the sort. No wine recommendations were given nor what to expect from our choices nor any indication that she would be happy to help at all with our questions. She just coldly informed us that there are no truffle fries or soup. We proceeded to “guess” what wines would be to our liking based on previous experiences. We tried four different wines by the glass and truthfully, the wine was rather mediocre which fueled the unexpectedly unwelcoming and unpleasant experience. Bad wine and bad attitude just don’t mix well together for a great experience. This was topped up by a very slow service (45 minutes with nobody else in the restaurant) for a Caesar salad and warm bread with butter. ||Once 3 PM rolled around and we were allowed to check in to the room, we were not shown or told where to go or what to do, instead we were left to figure it out on our own. The place is quite large (and seemingly deserted given how empty it was), so it took a few guesses before we found the stairs to the rooms. We finally found our way to our room where we were met with the startling insight that the rest of the property closes at 5PM (or 7 PM Friday- Saturday) no dinner service, no bar service, no access to the back patio. Not only that, but the sign clearly mentioned that the alarm will start if we used the door after the given times. All nicely taped to the door as it was closing behind us. This made it sound like we were practically only allowed to be in our room after 5 PM (or 7 PM Friday-Saturday) with no control of the thermostat and a massive highway outside, polluting the room with unpleasant smells of gasoline and constant car noise. This “curfew” made us feel hostages in our own room. Truth be told, after 5 PM and before 11 AM, all you have available for “leisure” is the hallway with all the rooms and the side door. No staff around, nothing. Just a hallway and a side door.||The all-inclusive feel is cut short by the lack of a breakfast option or any other hospitality services. In order to get dinner, miles down the road (goodbye wine tasting experience elsewhere - the place is not walkable, so one must drive there), we had to exit through a back door, down a metal staircase, that leads you behind the dumpsters and makes you feel like a criminal. ||Overall this experience was not at all what was advertised by the property. This was an extremely expensive room with worse service than a comfort inn. I felt like I was living an episode of Gordon Ramsey’s Hotel Hell. I cannot recommend at all that anyone spends this kind of money for this experience. 1/10 would actively avoid this and...

Like many others, my wife and I were drawn to the Desert Wind Inn by its beautifully crafted online presence. It promised a peaceful and indulgent wine country escape—wine tastings, gourmet dinners, cozy evenings by the fire, and the charm of vineyard hospitality. We were excited about an all-inclusive experience where we could unwind, sip wine, and enjoy the countryside. What we actually experienced could not have been further from that idyllic image.

We arrived on May 29, 2025, around 12:30 PM, full of anticipation. That excitement was immediately met with cold indifference. The woman at the front desk didn’t greet us or offer any welcome—just a flat “What do you need?” We told her we had just arrived and wanted to check on the process and whether the room might be ready early. We didn’t demand early check-in, but simply wanted some guidance. Instead, she told us, without a smile, that check-in was at 3 PM and that we should’ve received an email with details. (We hadn’t.)

When we mentioned the missing email about 30 minutes later, she finally handed us a card with a code scribbled on it—no explanation of what the code was for or if the room was now ready. In hindsight, it was. But there was zero communication. Her demeanor made us feel like a burden rather than guests.

To pass the time, we sat for a glass of wine. The same staff member—still the only person we saw—continued treating us like unwelcome guests. No warmth, no conversation, no overview of the wines or recommendations. When we inquired about snacks, she said, “There are no truffle fries or soup,” with no further explanation. We ended up blindly ordering four different wines by the glass. Sadly, they were unimpressive across the board. For a property that sells itself on its wine country location, the wine was mediocre at best. Add to that the cold service, and it was hard to enjoy even a simple tasting.

Our food experience was no better. Despite being the only ones there, we waited 45 minutes for a Caesar salad and some warm bread. Service was shockingly slow and disengaged. There was no effort to make us feel welcome or cared for—just a going-through-the-motions energy that left a sour taste.

At 3 PM, we finally made our way to the room—but not because anyone guided us. The property was oddly deserted and poorly signed, so we wandered around until we eventually figured out where to go. Once we got inside, we were met with a concerning notice taped to the back of the door: the entire property shuts down after 5 PM (or 7 PM on weekends). After that, no bar, no patio, no common space, and a warning that an alarm would go off if we used the door. Essentially, we were instructed to stay in our room for the evening—no mention of this “curfew” on the website or at booking.

Our room faced a highway, which meant non-stop traffic noise and occasional whiffs of car exhaust. The thermostat didn’t work, the air was stuffy, and we couldn’t open the windows without letting in more noise and fumes. We didn’t feel like guests in a tranquil retreat—we felt like we were stuck in a noisy, uncomfortable roadside motel.

There was no breakfast the next day, no evening meal, and no hospitality of any kind after hours. To get dinner elsewhere, we had to sneak down a narrow metal staircase behind the dumpsters and drive miles into town—again, no mention that the property isn’t walkable or that there’s zero on-site dining at night. So much for a wine country experience.

The whole thing felt like a bait-and-switch. We paid a premium rate expecting charm, warmth, good wine, and convenience. Instead, we got a cold reception, poor service, bad wine, a loud and unpleasant room, and a bizarre lockdown policy at night. We felt misled and disappointed. It honestly felt like an episode of Hotel Hell.

Final verdict: 1/10. Would never return. Would never recommend. If you’re looking for a genuine wine country experience, stay far away from this place. You’ll get better service, better wine, and better value almost...

Four rooms are located on the second floor of the Desert Wind Winery - the one we stayed in (Lewis and Clark - 2 queen beds - $295/night) was very tastefully appointed with a fire place, complimentary wine bottle, nice robes, great bathroom, etc... On the surface an upscale boutique hotel style room I would typically love. Even the breakfast (order the night before with a hanging door tag, delivered at 8am) was acceptable, though not great.||||The two big problems which lead me to recommend staying elsewhere are:||(1) Freeway noise. You are literally adjacent to the freeway, making it impossible to enjoy the balcony or even leave the door open for fresh air. My gut says they built the winery adjacent to the road for visibility / marketing as this was their priority. Sadly it's a deal killer.||||(2) Isolation / Abandonment by staff: At 5pm the winery closes, is looked up, and if you want to leave your room to go to dinner, you must exit by the outdoor metal fire escape adjacent to the freeway. Returning is the same - you walk around the rear of the building, on your own, and climb the fire escape to access the building. The nearest staff person is 20-30 minutes away by car in the even of an emergency. There is no on-site security, and the rear of building entry and exit presents tremendous security problems.||||In addition, the winery is not walking distance to any eating places, and there is no robust uber or taxi service in town, both of which add to the isolation. Staff was friendly on check-in, and did find a local who would drive us to dinner and back.||||However, with the combination of security concerns and freeway noise, I cannot recommend anyone stay here, which is most disappointing as the room...