Unbelievable Joshua Tree Getaway: Fairfield Inn & Suites Awaits!
Unbelievable Joshua Tree Getaway: Fairfield Inn & Suites Awaits! (A Review That's About As Organized As My Laundry Pile)
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because I just got back from a trip that was supposed to be all zen and desert vibes, and let me tell you, it was mostly zen. The Fairfield Inn & Suites in Joshua Tree was the headquarters for this little adventure, and, well, let's just say it has some quirks. Prepare yourself… this is going to be a long one. And probably a little all over the place. Just like the desert wind.
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First Impressions (and the Parking Situation – Oh, the Parking!):
Pulling up, you're met with that familiar, slightly sterile, yet comforting feel of a chain hotel. Clean lines, a big sign, and a lobby that’s… well, it’s there. Finding actual parking, though? That's where the fun begins. There were a few spots, the classic free car park but on-site, so you'd think it would be smooth sailing, right? Wrong. I swear, people were circling like vultures. Thankfully, I finally snagged one, and the adventure began! The front desk staff were pretty lovely, thankfully. I was actually a little stressed from struggling to park, but they were surprisingly chill and even offered a welcome drink when they saw me sweating buckets. Score!
Accessibility: A Mixed Bag, But Mostly Okay:
Alright, let's get real. I saw some reports about accessibility, and I’d say it's… adequate. Not perfect, but not terrible. The elevator was a lifesaver (thank goodness), and the hallways seemed wide enough for wheelchairs. I didn't personally need any specific accessibility features, but I did notice… let's just say, the ramps could be a little steeper. And some of the doors seemed a bit heavy. It's worth double-checking what you need with the hotel beforehand. It's really hard to tell from just a quick glance.
The Room: My Desert Oasis (Mostly – And That Bed!)
Okay, the room itself was pretty standard Fairfield fare. Think clean, functional, and a bit… bland. But hey, it was clean! Very clean, which is always appreciated. And the air conditioning blasted - which, as a desert dweller, I can attest, is essential. The view, however, was… of the parking lot. Okay, I could live with that. I wasn't there to stare out the window all day.
And the Bed… Oh. My. God. The Bed! I swear, I sank into it like I was into a cloud. It was legitimately one of the most comfortable hotel beds I've ever slept in. Seriously. I’d go back just for that! (Maybe I should have asked them what type of that bed was). There was even a little desk with a perfectly placed lamp, ideal for my laptop workspace. Internet access was free, and while I am forever struggling with the Wi-fi, it was at least fast enough to stream some Netflix – which, in a desert, is life! I also appreciated the fridge for keeping my water in. Essential to keep me hydrated!
Amenities: Swimming Pool, Spa Dreams, and… Fitness?
The swimming pool was a huge draw. And yes, thank god, it was an outdoor pool! But a pool with a view? Nope. The view was either the front or side of the hotel (again). It was still refreshing as hell, but don't expect Instagram-worthy sunsets. The pool itself was clean again (yay cleanliness!), and there were plenty of sun loungers. Now, about that spa… I didn't see a "full" spa and I was a bit bummed, I was hoping for a body scrub or a steamroom or something! They have a fitness center - which I, admittedly, didn't check out because… well, desert chill is my kind of fitness. I did notice a foot bath on Google and would highly recommend going if you're sore!
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Food, Glorious (and Sometimes Questionable) Food:
Breakfast! Ah, the breakfast buffet. The place for everyone, right? And there was a buffet in the restaurant! They had… yeah, all the usual suspects. A standard Western breakfast, including muffins and eggs, which was great. The coffee was – well, it was coffee. It did the job. The job. I’m not saying it was gourmet, but it’s free, so I’m not complaining. There was also an Asian breakfast available, which I didn't try – maybe next time.
Now… the Snack Bar. Sigh. Okay, I wouldn't exactly call it a "snack bar." It was more like a… the convenience store. And the prices? Let's just say you might want to bring your own snacks. I did love that there was a coffee shop though. I could load myself up on some coffee for the desert runs.
As for other dining options, the room service was available 24-7 which, when I was tired of eating breakfast, was heavenly.
Cleanliness and Safety: Peace of Mind in a Pandemic World
I am a germaphobe, so this was important to me. And, I have to say, they seemed to be taking things pretty seriously. I definitely noticed the daily disinfection in common areas, and there were hand sanitizers everywhere. Most reassuringly, the staff were clearly trained in safety protocol. Now, was it perfect? Probably not. But it felt like they were making a real effort. And the rooms are sanitized between stays!
The Surrounding Area: Joshua Tree Magic (and… Gas Stations)
Okay, the location! This is where the Fairfield really shines. You’re super close to the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park – like, a five-minute drive. That’s a huge plus! Plus, there are a few restaurants and shops nearby. Just prepare for the desert vibe – the nearest grocery store is several miles away, and you'll probably be surrounded by gas stations. Embrace it, it is pretty cool in a post-apocalyptic kind of way.
Services and Conveniences: The Essentials (But Maybe Not the Extra Perks)
They offered a lot of services, including dry cleaning, laundry service and daily housekeeping, though I didn't really utilize the other services! I did appreciate the free car park! I saw they also had an elevator and a doorman – always nice to have. I think it could use a few more facilities for disabled guests, as some reviews mentioned.
For the Kids: Family-Friendly…ish
They did have kids facilities! And family/child friendly! And the kids in the pool looked like they had an amazing time.
Overall: A Solid Choice, With Some Caveats
So, would I recommend the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Joshua Tree? Yes, with some caveats. It’s a solid, clean, comfortable base for exploring the park. The bed is legitimately amazing. The location is fantastic. The free Wi-Fi is a lifesaver. But don’t go expecting a luxury experience. Think more practical, functional, and, dare I say, a little bit… plain.
My Honest Rating: 7.5 out of 10 comfy beds (and slightly annoying parking situations).
Final Thoughts: I'd absolutely stay there again. Especially if I could spend all day in this bed. Just bring your own snacks. And maybe try to arrive before everyone else, so you can get a good parking spot. You know, for us early birds with no zen during breakfast hours. Happy desert adventures, everyone!
Spruce Grove Getaway: Unbeatable Travelodge Deals!
Okay, buckle up, buttercup! This isn't your perfectly pre-packaged travel itinerary. This is a chaotic, love-letter-to-failure-and-triumphs, trip to Joshua Tree, fueled by cheap coffee and questionable decisions. Here goes nothing…
Trip: Joshua Tree: Where My Sanity Goes to Vacation (And Maybe Never Comes Back)
Accommodation: Fairfield Inn & Suites Twentynine Palms. (Pray for me, it’s my budget’s best friend. Pray MORE because I booked online and am pretty sure I hallucinated the actual room – it looked pristine in those photos. We'll see.)
Day 1: Arrival, Desert Delirium, and the Quest for Wifi (aka My Identity)
1:00 PM - Arrival at Fairfield Inn & Suites: Ugh. Okay. Let's do this. Checked in. The lobby… well, it's clean. And the woman behind the desk is smiling. Small victories, people. Small victories. Now, the room… crosses fingers, whispers a prayer to the WiFi Gods…
1:30 PM - The Room Reveal: Okay, so the room… it's not the Ritz. But the AC works, which is a huge win. And the view? Ah, the majestic, beige, parking lot. Still, it’s a roof over my head. Gotta focus on the good. Like, uh… the free continental breakfast tomorrow. (I’m already planning my waffle strategy.)
2:00 PM - The Wifi Saga: Okay, this is a problem. I'm officially addicted to the digital world. Without Wifi i'm nothing. I wander around like a lost desert lizard, flailing my phone in the air. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I get a decent signal in the bathroom. Sigh of relief. Updates the Insta-stories. Life is good again. (Or at least, bearable.)
3:00 PM - Joshua Tree National Park- The First Encounter: Okay this is gonna be good. FINALLY. Off to the park. The drive in is stunning. The desert is EVERYTHING. It's vast, otherworldly. Like, what the hell is that plant (it’s a Joshua Tree, I think). I'm immediately hit by a wave of… awe? Yes, awe. And a little bit of existential dread. This place is huge.
- First Stop- Hidden Valley Nature Trail: Okay, I'm feeling adventurous. The trail is easy, but the rocks! The rocks are giant, and climbable, and… I'm suddenly 8 years old again, lost in a land of ancient monsters (the Joshua trees, of course). People are climbing all over the boulders, like ants on a sugar cube. I want to join them. But I'm also terrified of heights and looking foolish. Decision: I will observe. And secretly judge their climbing form.
5:00 PM - Sunset at Keys View: Everyone says this is the place to be. And they're right. The view is epic. The light is changing, painting the mountains in shades of pink and purple and orange. I actually tear up a little bit. It's just… beautiful. Then, I realize I forgot my water bottle in the car. Minor panic ensues. Okay, gotta make this last. I'll conserve fluids.
6:30 PM - Dinner at The Joshua Tree Saloon: Gotta get the full desert experience, right? This place is packed! The food is… well, it's food. But the atmosphere is what counts. Country music, conversations overheard (apparently someone lost their keys in the park), and a general sense of anything-goes. I get a margarita. And maybe another one. And suddenly, the world feels a little less daunting.
8:00 PM - Stargazing (Attempt #1): Okay, I'm hyped. Someone suggested stargazing after dinner. I drove a bit outside of town. The sky is incredible. So many stars! But wait, is that a coyote howling? Should I be scared? Probably. I bolt back to the car. Stargazing, round two.
8:30 PM - Stargazing (Attempt #2): Alright, got my courage back with a little help from the margarita earlier. Drive a little further out. Turn off the car and headlights. It’s dark. Like, really dark. The stars! They are SO MANY. I could stay here for hours. Then a small, skittering sound in the brush. Nope. Time to go. Turns out I’m more of an indoor stargazer.
9:30 PM - Return to Fairfield and Sweet, Sweet Sleep: Sleep comes fast. Tomorrow, more desert adventures, more questionable choices, and more attempts to connect to the (probably unreliable) internet.
Day 2: Hiking, High Art, and the Inevitable Meltdown (Maybe)
7:00 AM - Breakfast Buffet Bonanza: I am ready. Waffle time. I construct the perfect waffle masterpiece. Then, I realize it's a sugar bomb. Regret sets in. Begin Day 2 with a sugar crash.
8:00 AM - Explore Joshua Tree National Park: I'm just going to drive and see where things take me.
Hidden Valley Nature Trail Again: Back to the giant rocks. This time, I'm a little braver. I hoist myself up a small boulder. Victory! I celebrate with a triumphant pose… and promptly nearly fall off. I vow to stick to photos and admiring.
Skull Rock Trail: This trail is cooler. I mean, it’s a rock shaped like a skull! How cool is that? I take approximately 137 photos of the skull rock from every possible angle. (I will probably bore everyone back home with them.)
11:00 AM - The Joshua Tree Art Scene: Okay, time to get cultured. I hit up a few of the galleries. The art is… well, it's art. Some of it resonates with me. Some of it leaves me utterly baffled. I feel a little intimidated. Am I sophisticated enough for this? Probably not, but I pretend I am. I buy a small, quirky piece of pottery. I feel like a true desert bohemian now.
1:00 PM - Lunch: Okay, by now I'm HUNGRY. I find a little diner. It's filled with locals, which makes me feel good. I order a burger. And fries. And a milkshake. Maybe this trip is less about being healthy and more about surviving in the desert.
2:00 PM - The Cholla Cactus Garden: Warning: Proceed with caution. This place is… intimidating. It's a field of fluffy, deceptively cute cacti. They're called "jumping chollas." And they will jump. I keep a very respectful distance, but I still manage to get a tiny, prickly thing stuck to my shoe. I spend the next twenty minutes delicately picking it off, muttering curses. The desert is beautiful, but it's also trying to kill me.
3:30 PM - Back to the room :( : I need a break. This desert is overwhelming. I feel the need to be in my own place. Back to the room for an hour to rest. I stare at the TV and realize I am wasting time by not being OUT in the desert!
4:30 PM - Stargazing (Attempt #3 - The Redemption Tour): Okay, I'm not giving up on stargazing. This time, I drive way out, far away from any towns, any lights. I turn off the car. Silence. Absolute, beautiful silence. And the stars…they are a celestial tapestry. A shooting star! I swear I saw one! This time, I don’t hear any scary animal sounds. I feel a sense of peace. And then, I remember the tiny, prickly thing from the Cholla Cactus Garden. A fresh wave of paranoia washes over me.
6:00 PM - Dinner & Desert Dream: I go back to Joshua Tree Saloon. Yes, again, I'm a creature of habit. I order a burger, fries, and this time, beer. I meet a couple. We talk about the trip. We laugh. We realize we are all going through the same things. And maybe, just maybe, the desert isn't so lonely after all.
7:30 PM - Late Night and the Next Day's Dilemma: I am going to plan my last day. Another hike? Another restaurant? Maybe a good bye to the desert? I'll see. Everything is so messy but it's a good mess! I am going back to the hotel!
Day 3: Farewell (and a Prayer for My Car)
7:00 AM - The Last Breakfast Buffet: One last waffle. One last attempt to make a perfect stack. I succeed! I eat it and am sad!
8:00 AM - One Last Park Adventure: One last scenic drive, one last look at the vast expanse. The desert. My car is making a funny noise. Please, please, let it last.
10:00 AM - Check Out: Goodbye, Fairfield Inn
Unbelievable Joshua Tree Getaway: Fairfield Inn & Suites (And Me!) - FAQs (More Honest Than the Brochure!)
Okay, spill the beans. Is this Fairfield Inn actually 'unbelievable'? Because, you know...Fairfield Inn.
Alright, alright, let's be real. "Unbelievable" might be a *touch* hyperbolic. My expectations weren't sky-high – I mean, it's a *Fairfield Inn*. But... it was actually pretty solid. The unbelievable part? Probably the location, more than the actual hotel itself. You're basically ON the edge of the park! I could practically smell the Joshua trees from the parking lot (which, by the way, was thankfully not a total free-for-all like some reviews had me dreading).
So, the location *is* the selling point? What's the deal with getting to the park? Walkable? Driving?
Okay, *this* is where it gets good. Yeah, the location is everything. You're practically drooling distance from the park entrance! The West Entrance, specifically. Forget a grueling drive from, say, Twenty Nine Palms. Nope. Get this: I literally, and I mean *literally*, rolled out of bed one morning, grabbed my coffee (the complimentary kind, bless their cotton socks) and was inside the park in like, five minutes. Five minutes! That's faster than I can find matching socks in my own drawer. Driving is the only real option. Hiking, well, you'd have to be CRAZY to walk from the hotel. But the proximity? Absolutely worth it. Saved me serious brain-power and gas money.
The free breakfast. Spill. Is it actually edible, or just sadness in a buffet?
Okay, breakfast. The moment of truth. Look, I'm a breakfast snob, but even I appreciated the convenience. We're talking your standard continental faire: waffles (yes!), cereal (blah), yogurt (fine), and the dreaded scrambled eggs... that tasted suspiciously like they were poured out of a carton. Don't go expecting gourmet. DO go expecting something to shove in your face before embarking on a strenuous hike. Also, and this is important: GET THERE EARLY. The waffle machine is a highly contested battleground by 8:30 AM. One morning, I *almost* got into a waffle-related altercation. Almost. Consider yourself warned. Also, the coffee was... well, it was coffee. Adequate.
What's the deal with the pool/hot tub? Need to know if I can unwind after hiking all day!
Alright, the pool experience. This is where it gets...interesting. Here's the deal: the pool is there. It's a pool. And yes, the hot tub is there too. But here's my honest confession: I *wanted* to love the hot tub after a day of desert hiking. Badly! I envisioned myself soaking away the aches, gazing at the stars, a peaceful, serene experience. Reality check! This place gets BUSY. After the sun sets, it’s like the Hunger Games around the hot tub. You're fighting for space, dodging splashing kids, and listening to everyone’s conversations. It’s no zen garden, that’s for sure. I managed one somewhat peaceful soak - early morning! - but the evening experience left me feeling more frazzled than relaxed. Consider bringing earplugs. Or avoid it.
Any tips for the room itself? Clean? Comfy? The basics, you know?
The room. Yeah, it was a room! Mostly. Cleanish. Comfy-ish. Look, it's a Fairfield Inn. Don't expect the Ritz. The bed was... well, it was a bed. I slept. That's the main thing. The AC worked, thank the heavens, because that desert heat is no joke. The bathroom was clean (thankfully). And there was enough space to, you know, not trip over your luggage constantly. There were a few minor stains on the carpet. I wouldn’t stare too hard. Bottom line: it's a perfectly functional place to crash after a day of exploring, but it's not a luxury experience.
What about the staff? Friendliness factor? Any horror stories?
Staff? Overall, pretty good. Not exactly overflowing with sunshine and rainbows, but efficient and helpful enough. No major drama. There was one front desk guy who seemed permanently attached to his phone, but hey, we all have off days, right? Nothing to complain about, but nothing to write home about either. They did fix the TV when it went out, so points there.
Anything *bad* about the experience? Come on, there's always something.
Okay, the not-so-good. This is where I get brutally honest. One thing – and this is purely subjective - the walls felt *paper thin*. I could hear EVERYTHING. The clatter of the waffle machine at ungodly hours, the late-night hallway conversations, the upstairs neighbor doing... something. Invest in earplugs. Seriously. Sleep is precious in the desert, folks, and you need to protect it! Also, the parking situation *can* get a bit tight sometimes, especially in peak season. Prepare for a bit of a walk. And... Oh! The elevator was a little slow. And sometimes, it smelled faintly of chlorine. But let's be honest, that's being nitpicky.
Would you recommend it? Be honest!
Okay, final verdict. Would I recommend it? Absolutely, with caveats. If you're looking for luxury, look elsewhere. If you need a spa experience, this ain't it. BUT, if you prioritize location, convenience, and a decent place to crash while you explore Joshua Tree National Park, YES. The proximity to the park is worth its weight in gold. I'd stay there again, definitely. Just don’t expect to be blown away. And pack earplugs. Seriously. I’m gonna go buy some myself right now.
Any tips for making the most of it? Give me the insider secrets!
Alright, here's the super-secret, not-so-secret rundown: Get to breakfast early for waffle supremacy. Pack earplugs (I can't stress this enough!). Hit the park at sunrise or sunset for the *ultimate* Joshua Tree experience (the light is unreal!). Explore the little shops and restaurants in Joshua Tree town. And most importantly: Embrace the quirkiness. This ain't the Four Seasons, but it has its own charm. Oh, and one more thing... try to snag aRooms And Vibes
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