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February 2023 by Dave M.
Mixed Bag at Spin and Margie'sOur experience and Spin And Margie's Desert Hideaway was mixed. The property was nice, and just what we want in a desert getaway -- quiet, somewhat secluded, with enough space to feel private and enjoy a few days in Joshua Tree. That said, there were several things about our visit that were pretty frustrating and disapointing. The majority of the issues really boiled down to attention to detail and thinking through the guest experience. Maybe our experience was normal, or maybe it's just normal in the slow season (our trip was in late January and we were the only folks on the property for two of the nights). On the plus side, these issues should be easy for management to address with a little care and elbow grease; they're not inherent to the property itself. Our frustration started on our arrival at the property. There is no welcome desk, or staff of any kind, present at check-in -- which I don't mind at all. However, the parking area is essentially unlit and unmarked. For a first-time visitor, arriving after dark, figuring out where the main building is located, figuring out where to park, and finding your way to your room, is more challenging than you'd think. Adding a small map of the property, with the parking and route to rooms clearly marked, would have been really helpful -- and, I'm so glad I brought flashlights, as finding our room with just the light from my phone would have been even more of a pain. When we found our door, retrieved the key, and stepped inside, we were greeted to a similarly pitch-black, and freezing-cold room. All of the lights in the room were left unplugged, so the first step was to navigate with flashlights to the desk lamps, find the cords, and figure out where to plug them in. Perhaps in the off-season the lamps are left unplugged to save on electricity. One simple solve for this would be to have housekeeping visit the room when a guest is scheduled to visit, and plug in all the lamps. Even better, for guests scheduled to arrive late, would be leaving a single light on, since the rooms are otherwise so dark. The next frustration was the heat. Upon arrival, the vent in the ceiling was left open, so the room was about 40ºf when we arrived. There was a thermostat on the wall clearly labeled HEAT running to a gas heater. After about 10 minutes trying to light the pilot light, I realized that the gas line was completely disconnected -- the room is meant to be heated with a more newly installed electric air conditioner. Figuring out how to turn on that heater was, itself, more difficult than you'd think. Simple solves for these issues would be: have housekeeping close the ceiling vent and turn the heater to, say, 55º f on nights where guests are to arrive; changing the label on the old heater from "heat" to "disabled," and writing very clear directions on how to turn on the new heater for those cold nights in the desert winter. The cleanliness of the room was a mixed bag. We felt the bed linens were clean and not gross. The room was dusty, but it's a small private hotel in the middle of the desert, so that's perfectly understandable. But, the bathroom was a problem. There were spiderwebs and egg sacs in the shower, which was pretty off-putting. Though the sink was clean, the curtains above it were stained and gross. Overall, it felt like the room had been cleaned in a superficial way, but was sorely in need of a real deep cleaning. When I'm out in the desert, I'm not looking for the Ritz; but when I'm paying $180/night on top of a $78 cleaning fee, I would have liked more attention to detail. Continuing in the bathroom, the shower and sink were draining incredibly slowly. When the shower is running for even a few seconds, there's standing water, and after a minute or so your feet are completely submerged. I understand that the property is on a septic system, and clogs happen, but this went past annoying to making the shower almost unusable. Again, not looking for the Four Se
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January 2023 by Frank Decker
Great place to get away. It would be awesome to rent all the rooms if you were having a low key wedding in the area. The outdoor spaces a amazing.
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January 2023 by Jane Jarlsberg
Lovely setting! Did not stay there. Drove guests there.
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June 2022 by Aprile B.
WOW!! We got so lucky booking our stay at Spin & Margie's. We stayed in #5 a stand alone cottage with a nice private patio. We were so happy with the room. It was peaceful, clean, fun decor, a nice bathroom with a bathtub/shower, and a little coffee/kitchen area with an apt size refrigerator.Also provided was a small, yet exceptionally cool selection of diverse CD's and a handful of great DVD's. We enjoyed being there so much we bypassed TV watching and stuck with CD's enjoying the beautiful desert night air to great music. We have a luxury mattress at home and I thought the bed wasn't going to be great, but to my surprise I slept better there then I do at home. They got everything right in my book!This place is so charming - definitely an artist's oasis free of noise, light and electrical pollution! Another BIG plus is their LOVELY pool in a separate very well designed area flanked with pepper trees. We enjoyed the pool as we watched the sun go down.It was easy to check in, they have a lock-box system and send you the instructions hours before your stay.It took us a little bit to figure out exactly where it is as it's definitely a hidden treasure. When your GPS says you have arrived, you make a right onto the dirt road and it's your first right.If peaceful, artsy, boho is not your style, please stay away. More room for us! We will definitely go back.
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January 2022 by Gary Scimeca
Quiet, great BBQ, bocce ball, swimming pool, beautiful cactus garden and nature observation.Friendly staff. Love it!
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January 2022 by Mathew Baker
Amazing little gem i highly recommend staying here.
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January 2022 by Tania Aidee
Very beautiful dessert getaway.
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May 2021 by Sebastian G.
This place used to be owned by people who care. It is a dump now. The mattresses are a complete joke, rooms were dirty, spider eggs everywhere, towels are old. When we pulled back the sheets there was hair everywhere. Disgusting. The pool is dirty, the lights around the property don't work. It is so sad because it was magical before. We cleaned prior to settling in due to Covid and the amount of dirt we got off the tile floor was disgusting. It is such a shame because there are few places to stay in Joshua Tree. We will be staying a Super 8 for half the money. We go there to enjoy the park so why pay for such neglect and denial. Shame on the new owners. Mindy would be appalled.
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April 2021 by Ricardo B.
My wife and I went on a one week road trip and one of our stops on our way to Arizona was Joshua Tree. We booked 2 nights at Spin and Margies and couldn't have been more pleased with the establishment. It was clean, quiet and close to Joshua Tree National park. I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for something different.
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January 2021 by Catherine Stroup
Very relaxing
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January 2020 by Keith Cue
Come here and explore
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January 2020 by John Ball
Giving this place 5 stars even though I bumped into a cactus and ended up dozens of needles in my hand and hundreds in my clothes. This place was quiet, clean, and very well maintained. Perfect home base for visits to Joshua Tree National Park. Midway between Joshua Tree and 29 Palms.
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January 2019 by Alberto Rodriguez
Simple and simply very cozy
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January 2019 by Jose Rodriguez
To give them a good welcome
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January 2019 by Marc Lieberman
Cute, quaint, clean and conveniently located. We're a family of four (2 young kids) and it couldn't have worked out better. You need more than one day to see the Park, and this is a perfect place to make camp. Set ourselves up with groceries. Ample cooking facilities in-suite. The new pool was warm and in spite of cold, clear skies the kids swam to the point of exhaustion - couldn't get them up to see the magnificent starry sky. If you're coming to take in all the wonders that Joshua Tree has to offer, I don't believe you can do better than here.