This hotel was built by the Borax Company in 1927 and was remodeled just a few years ago. It really is an amazing oasis in the middle of Death Valley. However...
Service was horrible. First of all, the only elevator was broken. We had to carry all our stuff up a flight of stairs (after first going through a tunnel from the parking lot). I suspect the elevator has been down for quite some time. What if we had been handicapped? What was their plan for us getting to our room? They should have helped us with our luggage!
Second, the swimming pool is BIG and quite lovely. But the towels - before they ran out - were literally just hand towels. It would take four or five to actually cover a lounge chair, if you could get that many.
Third, check-in was VERY slow. They had just one person at the desk during our stay, and she could not be bothered to hurry up. We nearly missed our dinner reservation at the Inn because it took so long for her to help us. There is no excuse for not having more help at the front desk.
Fourth, during lunch and dinner people were turned away because the dining room was supposedly fully booked. Not true. During lunch on our second day we were only one of two tables occupied. At that point they started telling guests it would be a ten-minute wait. Really?
Clearly they have staffing and management issues. When you are paying for a luxury experience, however, you don't want to hear excuses. I would rate their service as no better than Best Western.
