9 Palms Inn

The rooms are clean and have a bit of rustic charm, even if the place looks a little like the Bates Motel from the road. It's quiet at night, and one morning I saw a roadrunner right outside my door. I've stayed at least three times and plan to stay again.

The one real plus is the location, very close to the Joshua Tree entrance, restaurants, and other amenities. But the service was terrible, the sheets were stained, and the owner was harassing. The mattress cover had multiple old stains, as if it never gets washed and only the sheets do. I wish I could post pictures. If you can put up with very basic accommodations, maybe it will work for you, provided you don't need to talk to the owner. He doesn't listen to guests and treats them horribly if they need any help.

We discovered around 10:15 PM that the shower in Room 15 was broken. Reception doesn't open until 8:00 AM, and there was nobody available to help us or anywhere else to wash up after a full day of sightseeing and hiking. We'll use the sink, but the nearby electrical outlets make that feel hazardous. I don't expect much from a budget place and don't mind worn interiors, but basic functionality should be there. I can't recommend staying here.

The bed kept creaking and squeaking loudly at every tiny movement. It even seemed to creak when nobody was moving, and with two people on it the noise was worse. We were exhausted after a long day, but the sound woke the whole family. I'm still awake at 3:30 a.m. writing this. The room also smells faintly of smoke, while the bathroom has a sewer smell. The sink leaks, leaving a puddle that keeps growing, and the bathtub tap won't shut off completely, so it drips constantly. Surfaces throughout the room were visibly dirty, including the drawers, floor, and sheets, making me wonder if it had been cleaned at all. The towels looked yellow-gray and stained, with things stuck to them, as if they hadn't been properly washed. I knew this was a cheap motel, but had I known they cut corners this much, I wouldn't have stayed. Maybe you can't get basic cleanliness and comfort at this price. I wish I'd known. If those things matter to you, stay somewhere else.