The Palms at Indian Head

Great MCM hotel that’s near the mountain park and hiking trails. Unfortunately we had a bad experience with our stay there. The TV wasn’t working and we couldn’t watch any of the apps. At 7:00 we were woken by very loud music coming from below our room in their restaurant, which stopped for a while as if it was a mistake and then started again later. Somehow we were charged more money for the worst room. No response was given from my complaints. As much as I would like to stay there again, I won’t due to the problems with the room.

My wife & I enjoyed our stay last Wed. & Thur. evenings. The hotel is rather unique, well kept & the views, both day & night are fantastic. Having no power our second night was unfortunate & chilly. Although the power outage was not your fault in the least, we were quite disappointed at the lack of emergency lighting in the facility. |Tom & Sue Bailey

Our favorite spot in Borrego, this is our 10th stay. I see complaints about neglect in past reviews, and while we have had minor issues in the past they have been minor. The good news is everything has been updated and fixed in the last two years. We like the casitas, the bathroom shower was always a little funky, but it is now newly remodeled and delightful.

Pros - Location, Views, and Restaurant. Cons - Bathroom need of repair in room 3. Broken towel holder, fan it super loud and dirty, and shower pressure and shower head of poor quality (2 stars - Bathroom). The room is nicely decorated, bed is not firm. Jacuzzi is in need of deep bleach cleaning and/or resurfacing. Lots of green mold in the jacuzzi. Didn't see anyone using it. The pool is not heated and needs to be cleaned better. The lounge chairs need to be replaced - cheap and poor quality. The building is charming, but needs alot of repairs. The main reason why we stayed here is because of the location, views, and restaurant. We paid $279 after tax for a one night stay on Sunday night. If you are a more decerning traveling who wants a better quality room, with a clean jacuzzi, and heated pool I would stay at another hotel or resort close by and come to this place for sunset dinners instead.

This review is for the hotel “spa” day pass. For $15 you get to hang out in the pool area till 9:00pm. The situation is bring your own towel and you’re free to also bring your own alcohol and snacks and stuff but no speakers/music which was actually really nice. The water was nice and cold on a 100°F day there was a lot of bugs in the water, ended up finding the skimmer and did a full pool wide skim which felt therapeutic. pool depth goes from 4ft-8ft. Separate hot tub has a gnarly crumbly floor. Chairs/loungers were comfortable and shady enough to nap in, but side tables were rusty and easy to scrape yourself on. Inside of the hotel has a funky old building smell slightly sulfurous. Also there was no place to change into a bathing suit.

Despite having "good bones" & a great location with an intriguing history, this hotel is a "work in progress". Someone is going to have to spend a lot of money getting this place up to snuff--it's evident this hotel is understaffed & underfunded. I wish them luck.

Beautiful Old School Hotel, Steakhouse, and Bar. Being nicely refurbished a little bit at a time. Great Job Mid-Century Vibe and look. Nice property and desert views forever. Use to stay here with my parents when I was a kid. ( aka - Hoberg’s from back in the day.)

As everyone mentions definitely get the vibes of old time glam, plus it's so beautiful and quiet out by the massive pool on a hot summer day. I suggest steering clear of rooms 7 & 8 (back side) until remodels completed. I picked room 7 for more space but in hindsight could have done without it would have preferred the spectacular views rooms 1-5 (front side) provided (plus those rooms have been updated). The restaurant is not open until October but the menu is out and looks amazing, will come again late fall. Proximity to the famous Borrego Springs metals sculptures is bikable and they do rent reasonable priced bikes. Very interesting place to stay and staff was very friendly.

Stayed in room 7. The TV did not come online, the shower faucet kept dripping and the 2 AC units would not come on. Very disappointed.

This is about our 10th time annual summer trip, family and friends. We rent out all 12 rooms and have the best time with family and friends. we bring our easy ups and hang out by the pool all day and it was so nice to have the restaurant open this summer. Thanks for allowing us to have a great time.

We booked nearly the entire resort for about 20 of us last December, and had such a wonderful time, we just booked the entire resort again for this December! It really is a hidden gem in the hidden gem that is Anza Borrego. The rooms are spacious, with mid-century modern touches, with beautiful views over the pool, grounds and desert landscape. The Olympic-size swimming pool is lovely, even though a bit chilly in December, but we enjoyed the jacuzzi and lounging in the desert sun by the pool. But the best by far was Joe, the amazing piano player, who has been playing here for years, and is the kind of talent you'd expect to see in some LA or Hollywood club, not this sleepy Anza Borrego hotel. We ordered up some great martinis from the bar next door and were mesmorized by his amazing playing and singing, and transported to a different era. We had an excellent dinner at the steakhouse, too. While we were in town, we enjoyed some great hikes, some trips to town for a little shopping and some very good Mexican food and margaritas. Really looking forward to our next visit and totally recommend!

We booked this last minute after a decision to go star gazing. It was the cheapest price I could see online for Borrego Springs and we were pleasantly surprised by how much we liked it. Be warned, their front desk closes at 3 pm. When we got here at 6:30 pm on a weekend day, there was not a person in sight. The doors for the hotel were open and there was a package left for me with instructions regarding room. We couldn't figure out where to park so we parked in the back. The whole place was so isolated, we started talking about how this is usually the start of a horror movie Any way, the room was very comfortable and quite stylish. They said this was the smallest room they have in their email, so I would like to know what size the other rooms are!! Room is equipped with a TV (cable doesn't work super great), fridge, microwave and a coffee maker. The bathroom has handsoap, shower gel and shampoo like one would at home (in Costco bottles), which I somehow LOVED!! The only issue we really had was the heat. The AC in our room is located in a corner that does not hit the bed at all. So on a summer evening with temps in the high 30s, it's pretty much impossible to sleep in the bed with the covers. We ended up sleeping with our heads on the leg side of the bed and stripped the bed off all covers except the thin one. They have a pool that's def Olympic standards but it was murky. The water was warm (not sure if natural or artificial) but we didn't go in given how murky it was. Also be careful of bugs. I had a giant cockroach enter my bag so don't know if it was already in the room or came in through the door with us. Even in the morning, we only saw two people working at the place. So while I had a lovely time keeping to ourselves here, being in a resort which is pretty much open to everyone alone was a little bit freaky. I hope it gets busier in other seasons.

Exactly what we wanted, as a little oasis in the desert. There's only eight rooms or so, and our upstairs room was fabulous overlooking the pool and very private. Pro tip: we were able to order from the restaurant and they had a runner bring it up to our patio table so that we could just eat it at our own balcony. Lovely pool. Lots of free parking. Cool mid century modern vibe and furniture in the lobby. It's definitely a little older, so it's not the most modern or upgraded but super comfortable . Would definitely return. Also pet friendly!!! Epic

I have stayed at the Palms probably 10 times over the last 20 years. It's a neat boutique hotel and the pool is very impressive. The rooms are renovated and pretty nice. However, when I stayed there 2 weeks ago I learned that they replaced the mattresses with something I can only describe as "worst futon of 1980". The mattress was literally hard as a rock. Just a terrible choice for a mattress - given it probably cost some money. It was horrible; I tried sleeping on the floor, then the couch. If you need a reasonable mattress to sleep, I would suggest bringing your own or looking elsewhere.

We liked the vibe here, great accommodations, good food. King size bed Nice pool and jacuzzi . I will be back here again for next super bloom

Cool retro hotel. Very evocative. Sad that on Monday & Tuesday no bar & no restaurant. A bit isolated too.

Wow. Spacious, literally we had an apartment. Wide screen tv, full living room, two spacious queen beds, and a full bath (bathtub dated but fully functional), with a fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. Downstairs was a fully functional top notch restaurant and a live piano man for entertainment. Can't say enough about the pillows? Still trying to connect with management to buy six! We didn't partake but the pool was beautiful. Thereafter - the desert!!!

Fantastic. I think a lot of the negative reviews on here are a case of not understanding what it is. The lack of perfect maintenance is part of the charm. And it also why you are paying 1/3 of what you'd pay at say, Two Bunch Palms. Hell, it's even cheaper than Hope Springs. And while you don't have the spring water, you do have stars. And, I'll take Borrego Springs over Desert Hot Springs (you can almost smell the meth when you drive in to town) any day. This place has so much history. You can feel it. Read up on. Fascinating. The room is well-appointed, relative to the price, of course. My wife and I were blown away. Nespresso machine, wood-burning fireplace, mini-sink, dishes, microwave and mini-fridge. Good sheets and pillows, decent mattress, a little on the soft side, but fine. Very clean and surprisingly stylish. The pool is epic, the views are insane. The view of the stars alone are worth the price of admission. And the hike up to the Borrego Palms canyon is one of the most amazing hikes I've ever taken. The town restaurants, including the one in the hotel, are not the best for vegans, so I suggest packing some food. However, the grocery stores (they are right across from each other) both have a decent variety of vegan items. However, with all this said, if you are looking for a perfectly maintained 5 star experience like Two Bunch Palms or La Quinta and want spa facilities and wait staff serving drinks poolside and seeing some sand and palm fronds in the pool and hot tub is not ok, this is definitely not a place for you. I actually contemplated whether to write this because I don't want this secret getting out. On the other hand, they clearly need the business. This is exactly how I felt about Two Bunch Palms when I first visited there over a decade ago before it was taken over by a huge company and the prices got out of hand. It was a little run down. Back then, during the summer, when it's too hot for most people, especially seniors, the prices were good and you'd basically have the whole place to yourself. Well, same, same. We will be back soon. In fact, very soon!

We popped into this place while in Borrego Springs to see if this might be a nice place to have a drink and eat. But it really looks creepy as you drive up the road. First the sign is missing a letter - it says 'Palms at India Head' with the 'n' having fallen off - This tells me that they are not paying attention to maintenance. Then when you drive up, there are 3 or 4 purple cement bomb shelter like structures, no roof, open windows that are adjacent to the property. These should be taken down, very strange. The lobby is nicer but no one was at the front desk to ask about rooms. We went over to the restaurant to see if we could eat, but there was a group of 5 in front, who were told they could not be seated without a reservation, and the restaurant was empty! So we went over to the bar, and we just couldn't go in, it was tiny, and dark and with the sad Karen Carpenter music in the background, well it just broke our hearts. We high tailed it out of there and didn't look back. I hope that this place does succeed, but it does need some more work on service, presentation and maintenance.

Love this mid century cool and quirky hotel with amazing art gallery and an awesome old school steak house that will truly surprise you!

Nice place to stay, quiet ,clean comfortable, the entry door to the room was kinda weird Sliding glass door that doesn't really lock ( but they did come fix it ) Front desk person was very nice and had lots of info. It was nice but different lol

Pool felt great. You get what you pay for. That's all I'm going to say. The temp was 103 when we went so the pool felt great.

Omg...horrendous. I've stayed here many times. Its getting worse and worse. The pool and jacuzzi are si dirty I cant go in. One coffee creamer for the coffee. Its not busy. I see no other guests. Its 9.30am no one is cleaning the pool. Its your main attraction. The lobby still smells. Clean this place up. There's no excuse for this. Just lazy.

Absolutely loved and enjoyed my stay here!! BIG shout out to Ramon, Christy and Lindsey who form the crux of the absolutely wonderful staff that runs this place. Of course, then there's Joey, the most prolific pianist I have ever seen or met. Thank you all for making our stay so wonderful, comfortable and fun!! Can't wait to come back!!!

First off,.. If you have never been to Borrego Springs we must be clear on the fact that THIS IS NOT PALM SPRINGS! It is a wonderfully tiny rustic desert oasis much like what Palm Springs was back in the day when the the REAL Hollywood Stars and Starlets would go there to disappear from the lime light. Google "Hoberg's Borrego Springs" for a history lesson! The Palms at Indian Head feels like going back in time to that place!.. I mentioned Rustic. Yes it is,.. As much as it is conveniently remote ("Downtown" Borrego Springs is nearly 5 mins away). Imagine trying to keep a wonderful place like this open where the tourist season is arguably 3 months out of 12. We have been coming here for 10 years and have always enjoyed our stay. There are perhaps only 3 other establishments in Borrego Springs that offer a more traditional hotel room, but none of them come anywhere close to the nostalgic charm and views that one finds at The Palms. If you are more comfortable with a Sheraton/Marriott style of accommodation, Palm Springs/Palm Desert are probably a better fit,.. but you will miss out on an amazing experience! So glad "The Palms at Indian Head" is helping to keep the past alive, while offering a desert oasis to Anza-Borrego State Park Explorers!

Very good service and very good food. A wonderful experience for a déjà vu restaurant.

I have returned to the Palms, after about a 13 year gap. I always love this place! This time my room is upstairs number three, and they have great views, and very nice bed. I think it is in line for a renovation because the room is on either side have been renovated :-) The restaurant and bar was woefully understaffed on a Thursday night. But the martinis, and the dinner was very good. The pool, as multiple people have mentioned is cool, too cool for us to go in at the end of December. The Jacuzzi however is wonderful. I will be back in the spring!

Room 8. Avoid it. See pictures- sink cabinet has no doors anymore and you can see where there was water damage. Old blood stains and holes in the bottom sheet. Headboard is broken, adjacent table had red paint bloch on the white surface. The best/worst part was the 15 inch snake in the Olympic pool. Another guest asked the manager to deal with it- instead of doing that, the manager told him that "there is a net right on the other side of the pool". Incredulously, the guest asked, "what am I supposed to do with it then?" The manager said, "just throw it over the fence". The snake stayed, I checked out. Also beware- no guests under 13.

When living in San Diego, once spring arrived and we wanted to get away from town & jobs, we would think of going to Borrego Springs, really not too far away and a wonderful escape. I'm a wild flower nut and John likes to hike, so it's a great time of year to go. Actually was cool and rainy last April on our last visit. But you know, it was still terrific. it smelled so good and was so quiet & laid back. The Palms is the real deal... a 1950's Inn with just a spectacular setting. We love getting one of the 2 casitas off the pool because you have privacy, a fireplace, a door out to the pool... views, a spacious sitting area, and you can park right next to it . Did I say the views were terrific? When we sat at the pool reading, between little downpours, we had a road runner run by, rabbits nibbling the grass next to us & all kinds of birds in the palms. A far cry from the busy,noisy city. I especially like a get- away where if you choose, you don't have to leave the place you're staying, and that's true here. The Crazy Coyote restaurant on site is one of the better restaurants in the area. We've always had a great meal there, then you can sit out by the pool and watch the stars for awhile. It's heaven. The room rate also includes your breakfast -- no hot dishes, but many things to choose from. And you can sit out on their big deck overlooking the Olympic size pool and the whole valley in front of you. The lobby area is very interesting with it's 50's decor and the historical photos on the walls. This is just a really fun escape.

This was our first stay here, despite having been to Borrego Springs dozens of times. It is really a unique experience. The hotel is a vintage gem that fell into disrepair, but has been largely restored. Because of this, your experience here could be positive or negative based upon your expectations and desires. On the positive side: The staff were awesome, though barebones. As others have mentioned, you might not always find someone on the other end of the phone or at the front desk. However, I was always able to wander around a bit and find a very friendly and helpful staff member without much trouble. The hotel itself is also beautiful in the mid century modern aesthetic; the pool is to die for! The rooms are very spacious and include mini fridges, TVs and microwaves. On the other hand: The rooms could use a few more lights and the climate control is just not powerful enough for very hot or cold days, so keep that in mind if you're visiting mid summer or winter. The surrounding grounds are undergoing restoration, but as of 2018 there are still a number of delinquent structures, crumbling walls, rickety wood staircases, etc. I imagine in a few more years all will be restored, and the prices will likely be double! ;) So in the meantime, I will return. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good!

This place is unacceptable. We booked two nights and they advised us that they overbooked our room. We had to switch to another room the second night. It was the room next door. This ruined our plans for our day trip exploring. One of us had to stay back and switch rooms. We would have left our bags at the counter but they leave the counter unattended the majority of the time. The front desk gave us the wrong key and the rooms are not kept up. It is rather run down and not worth it. The view is pretty amazing but Mother Nature is responsible for it. Save your money.

I visited this place before they had the rooms open and just had brunch with friends who live in the area. LOVE the historical elements and was so happy to spend my birthday week end here. It is not for someone wanting plush, granite and marble hotels. This is for the people wishing to experience and enjoy the art of the buildings of the past. The pool area design can be appreciated while sitting at the far end , looking out across the desert and you see the graceful lines while listening to the water cascade evenly from the small fountain heads. The hotel building has the original rod iron banisters with the flat roofing. The lobby with the floating staircase makes one remember when people dressed for dinner and sat around the piano bar. While Covid made it impossible for the total experience, the surroundings provide the ambience. We stayed in the Casita, like many of the reviews. We did view some of the rooms with the mid century modern look. If you have bicycles, there is no way to get them to your room in the main building but to carry them up stairs, which was why we opted for the main floor casita. The fireplace was a plus. The plumbing, not perfect. The doors, closet areas, not perfect. Kitchen areas added and small but functional. We didn't expect perfection, after all, it is from the 1950's . That is what brings the magic and fun that you can't get at a newly built fancy hotel. My wish, the bar that is at the end of the pool and has windows from the deep end of the pool, get refurbished and open someday. I wish Cindy and David much prosperity in this property so they can take it back to the jewel it was. Go, and then send your friends... keep this magic place going!

Still a fan. I was back over Mem Day and a few changes since my last visit: 1. Bar & restaurant is open year-round now, apparently. Reasonably priced, slow service, decent selection. 2. No kids allowed under the age of 13. Still love it here -- we had a great weekend. It was reasonably priced, relaxing and super low-key.

Completely unacceptable. Called to make reservations but could never get through to a person. Assumed they were just busy and made reservations online. Online reservations mentioned that the restaurant was season and to call to see if it was open (refer back to why I was making reservations online in the first place). Arrive to find absolutely no one in the hotel. Empty. Restaurant closed. Bar closed. And this was at check in time! Find an envelope on the desk with my name on it. Our keys are inside. A form to fill out with our vehicle information, a list of two nearby hikes to take, and a 10% coupon to a local restaurant for breakfast. Open the door to the room and it's immediately obvious that the mattresses are ancient. Even with the bed made you can see the body size indents on each side (it does indeed prove to be a sleepless night as the mattress is completely unbearable). Decide to take advantage of the pool and spa since they're the only things open. They are gorgeous and if I could rate this place on the pool/spa alone it would get five stars. We shower after the dip in the chlorine and the drain is too slow to keep up with the minimal water pressure. Yuk! If all you want in a hotel is a nice place to swim or lounge about in a hot tub this is the place for you! If you actually want to shower without standing in a puddle of your own chlorinated filth or if you actually want to sleep at some point in your stay, look for literally anywhere else (I ended up sleeping in one of the big chairs in the room because the mattress was really that bad).

A HORRIBLE place. We paid $200+ a night for the luxury suite with a view of the work storage yard with piles of junk in the back of the hotel. We had a TV with only about 12 channels - half of them in Spanish. You can't plug anything into the the air conditioner outlet the same time the air conditioner is being used. The same goes for the space heaters which heats the room. We were there when it was very cold. We plugged the coffee maker in at the same time we were using a space heater and the fuse blew. Had to find a workman, walk across a roof to the breakers. I had to ask for a hair dryer (they are only available by request). We had to run the shower in the tub to get hot water into the sink. The WIFI was terrible - spotty and hardly worked. Good Grief. We will NEVER stay there again!

Let me start off by saying I'm not picky. I have stayed in quirky older places in San Diego and San Francisco. What a dump! No one at the front desk just a folder on top of some scratchy towels and the room keys. Got to the room and the key would barely unlock the sliding glass door. The walkway to the rooms is covered with sheet roofing and rugs. The room was hot! Granted it was forecasted to be 117 degrees but a hotel in the desert should have better air conditioning. The large room fan did not help. The mattress was old and hard. We spent less than 5 minutes in the room. Went to the front desk and picked up the 'courtesy' phone but it was disconnected. How does a business run this way?! Do not stay at this place!!

After reading all the great Yelp reviews on this place I booked three nights for the two of us in January 2013.. I'd like to have great things to say as well. Perhaps I was just expecting too much. It was a special request multiple times to have internet. A special request to have hot water in the shower. A special request to have the spa heated up for their 3 hour a day window of opportunity, only to find after two days that it was out of service. Would they have noticed if we hadn't pointed it out? Two hours to get our dinner in the restaurant, with a medium rare filet presented medium well. On the positive side, there's a lot of charm in the place and the setting is fantastic. The bed was comfortable and there are clean towels every day even if you follow the advice on the sign and hang them up to use again. The staff is friendly. Talking to the owner about the little things made it clear to us that he's more concerned about his profit margin than making this a great place to stay. We understand. So take your choice. Make him happy by coming with low expectations and rolling with it, or make yourself happy by booking elsewhere.

I have never given a review before good or bad . But since this hotel will charge you for your entire stay even when you choose to go elsewhere I want to save people the extra money. I would recommend you never stay at this hotel . It might of been great in its time but , having to drive on a dirt road into a dirt parking lot should of been our first warning. Over to the left of the parking lot is a building( possibly old hotel rooms) that had a collapsed roof and you could see the toilets inside since half the walls are missing. Then when you walk in the smell of old musty is overwhelming. I was given a room that had floor to ceiling glass which might be nice if I you couldn't see in . Also they had replaced one of the glass walls ( as evidenced by all the broken glass) . Oh and let's not forget your free breakfast which is actually a $10.00 off coupon to a restaurant on the other side of Borrego which according to the menu posted at the desk bacon and eggs 13.99 not sure how that's free .. anyway when looking at pictures be sure to look at how long ago they were taken no improvement has been made .

We love to stay here. This weekend was another great experience. The rooms are nice, big, and the beds are really comfortable. The rooms aren't swank, but it is clean, was cool enough over a very warm weekend, quiet, it met our needs. Our room overlooked the desert, amazing to see this view in the morning. The hotel is mid century which I love. There is a little museum that features local artists. They have lots of little places you can sit and enjoy.. a coffee bar like space, a space with a fountain, and of course next to the pool. The pool temp was perfect. The pool is huge and beautiful, surrounded by palms. Nightime stargazing here is beyond belief. The bar serves the best drinks ever. The restaurant is fabulous. We have stayed in the suites in the back with our kids. I prefer the rooms with views, but for a family that includes teens they worked out well, we had plenty of room to spread out. When you stay, the palms gives you a voucher for breakfast at the red Ocotillo restaurant in town.

The ghost of The Rat Pack haunts the old lady for good reason. It is pure class bordering a wonderful state park. A mid century masterpiece with huge rooms over looking the biggest pool in town. Worth every penny.

My wife and I have stayed here twice. Each time we had a great visit. Like the other reviewers it is not a Ritz but 100% a 5* for what it is. A nice sized friendly place to stay right off the state park. Both times we walked up the canyon in the park and Both times we saw the "goats" just how lucky can you be. That said we had some great meals at the restraunt. Good (cool) swims in the pool and some GREAT sit around in the sun (or shade for me) and read your book without being bothered. A great place to visit and spend a weekend.

Vintage Hollywood Glam with that Rat Pack Feel: Wow! What a Diamond in the ruff.........Our RainbowRV.com group visited this place on a recommendation from a fellow Rainbow RV member; we had reservations for 24 at the Hotels Restaurant. The Hotel itself takes you back to that mid-century era and gives off that Hollywood Glam feel where Stars like Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant, Rock Hudson would make this their own personal hide-away. The dinning experience was incredible, with a 3-course meal that left your taste buds spinning in delicious decadence. I had the House Meatloaf, my partner the Chicken Cordon Bleu, our friends the Steak, and Half Cornish game hen; we all had a taste of one anothers food choices and all were equally decadently delicious. Yes, this Hotel and Restaurant has seen its better days, but don't pay attention to the "dirt" road that leads up to the Hotel, nor the purple hollowed out buildings just adjacent to the dirt parking lot. Alot of the Money that is being used to refurbish this hotel went into your Dining experience, The Cocktail Bar, Patio, and Hotel Rooms. The Pool is a work in progress; but what a Pool it is...........Olympic in Size and in depth...............I can't say enough good things to convince you of trying this DIAMOND in the ruff Hotel & Restaurant. Thank You Palms Hotel for an incredible experience; an experience we will not soon forget. FYI: Please do a Facebook Fan Page, I couldn't find one on Facebook. Would love to Book all Rooms for a future RainbowRV Rally Event at your Hotel & Restaurant :). Tim Rainbow RV

I guess I will start this review by doing a ditto with what the owners have said on other review responses, and that is that this hotel is not for everyone. This hotel is an alternate reality portal, and that is a good thing if you are into interesting and fun hotels in interesting and remote towns. The Palms is a great hotel if you want to get away from it all, if you love old movie stars, if you like swimming and if you love great food. Do not expect a bell-boy to coming running out to your car to get the luggage. It is not that kind of place. Do expect a nice quiet hotel that has both great and somewhat odd amenities. We stayed at the hotel this last weekend (July). A number of restaurants in the area are either closed or cut back their hours in July. The onsite restaurant and bar were closed this last weekend. Not great, but we accepted the fact. We have in the past gone to both the bar and the restaurant, and I can tell you they are both wonderful with great service. And because the restaurant was closed you also did not get the benefit of the piano player who is quite remarkable. The pool was wonderful. As a swimmer, I love to swim laps and the pool is ideal and just the right temperature when the air hits 114 degrees. The only negative thing that I can say about the hotel is that the air conditioner in the rooms overlooking the pool are not up to the task in the heat of the day during the summer. They work fine at night, but do not expect to take a nap after your pool laps because you will get hot. That is the time you go find a bar in town to cool off. I noticed the chamber of commerce in their literature made the same comment regarding the air conditioners. Some people said that they did not see anyone at the front desk. That is a true statement. In fact, the only person that we saw that worked at the hotel was as I was dropping off the keys when I was leaving. The rest of the weekend, we saw nobody: which was fine with me as I had no need to see anyone at the hotel. Overall, I highly recommend this hotel. And yes, I did take one star off for the air conditioner. I need my beauty-sleep afternoon nap as I am getting old.

We stayed at the Palms for the first time over the 3-day President's Day weekend in one of the 2 casitas off the pool. We loved our room because we had privacy, a wood burning fireplace with plenty of wood provided, a door out to the pool, spectacular views, a spacious sitting area, and we could park our motorcycle right next to it . We sat at the pool reading and/or working on the computer one afternoon and we had a road runner run by, rabbits nibbling the grass next to us and all kinds of birds in the palms surrounding the property. The quiet was wonderful and the stars were so close at night you felt you could reach out and touch them. We enjoyed meals at both of the restaurants on site--a free breakfast was provided each day for guests of the hotel. The food was very good and I would say the meals at the Krazy Coyote steak house were exceptional. If there was one downside to our visit it would have to be the service, which was very slow, especially on Saturday evening, our first night there. Sunday was a vast improvement. This was one of the nicest and most restful weekends we have spent anywhere and we will definitely be back!

We finally made a reservation for New Years weekend and booked it in April to assure a spot in this beautiful desert location. This was a step back in time to the 50's when the stars of Hollywood came out for a quiet retreat. The Hotel is in fairly good shape, a little "worn around the edges" but otherwise neat and clean. The wi-fi service was a welcome addition since their is only direct tv access and no telephones (good!). If you want some peace and quiet and enjoy the desert outdoors, this is a wonderful spot to be!

I want to give this place 5 stars for just existing - it is a great get away and full of character. But I don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction. The Palms is a wonderful place, but don't expect the Ritz Carlton. That said, if you are looking for comfortable accommodation in a beautiful setting, the Palms has it. My sister and I just spent an evening in one of the deluxe queens room (with separate living room) and left wondering why we didn't book a longer stay. This property is wonderfully convenient to everything in Borrego Springs, including hiking in Palm Canyon, which can be done right from the inn. The pool alone makes it a destination The Palms also has a nice bar/restaurant on site, the Krazy Koyote. We enjoyed dinner there, and it was packed. Great atmosphere and delicious, reasonably-priced food. The decor is a combination of retro/whimsical, and we enjoyed the nice touches everywhere, from the games and walking sticks in the room, to the magazines in the lobby. This is the kind of place you can retreat to and just relax. The inn is sited perfectly to be able to take in the sunrise from the patio and many of the "view" rooms. I couldn't find any mention of it in advance, but I can now report that the lobby has free WiFi. And we were able to access it from our room. I think it's a great testament to The Palms that I'm longing to be back there again tonight rather than back at home.

Nice hotel in Borrego Springs, right on the edge of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Convenient location, spacious rooms, giant pool, unbelievable panorama. Not all rooms are remodeled, so be sure to ask for one that was. Ours was a remodeled room, and it was spectacular. Big perk: the restaurant in the hotel was surprisingly gourmet for being such a small remote town. Breakfast is served at Red Ocotillo (which is in town, but not in the hotel), and it has some of the freshest food I've had in a long time in SoCal. The same owner, David, very nice guy, owns both the hotel and the restaurant. The hotel staff is friendly and accommodating. Big thanks to Alissa and David.

The hotel staff is rude. After commenting that we were waiting for their restaurant to open, the girl at the desk suggested that we go and check out the pool. Old and dirty, but it is the desert. My girls (ages 12,14 & 17) found the croquet sticks/balls in the grass next to the pool. After playing for a few minutes, staff comes out and rudely tells me that this is for guests only. "Tell your children to stop". By the looks of the hotel, there weren't any guests. She could have told us before we went out there. One star.

Last year when we arrived, we too found a deserted front desk, but all our papers and towels waiting for us on the front desk (nobody around) - and it was more or less self service. this year, however, we had a wonderful warm greeting (two people behind the front desk) - all our questions answered - our room was ready before 3 (it's room #5, the best room here in our opinion - on the corner, next to the desert, upstairs - fabulous views and quiet)... king bed - like last year, we found the room MORE than comfortable - that WONDERFUL 4-poster bed (how I wish we could take it home with us) is incredibly comfortable (I'm lying in it right now using the free wifi to write this review) - room is huge - two armchairs and a coffee table, we have hair dryer, coffee machine, microwave, fridge, tv only has 4 channels though, all of them Spanish (but we're not here to watch tv, so we couldn't care less about that). This room has NOT been remodelled - which we're PLEASED about - we love the quaint feel inside and the 4 poster bed - the restaurant's menu looks AMAZING - we didn't eat here but wanted to - what a great selection they offer and excellent prices - there is someone playing the piano downstairs in the main lounge area, where there is a roaring fire and christmas decorations - it could NOT be more cozy or welcoming. I really don't want to write such a glowing recommendation because then next year, it may be fully booked and we may not be able to get a room - but it's just wonderful. Yes it's quirky - had to get the housekeeper to unlock the door because the lock is practically broken - THEY REALLY SHOULD FIX THAT - water is lovely and hot - there is a HUGE HUGE swimming pool and hot tub - really - what more could you want from a desert oasis hotel? There is a $10 breakfast credit at the Red Cotillo, which is nice of them - room has heating and air conditioning - lighting isn't great, could do with a couple more outlets to charge phones and things - but those are TINY complaints - you're here for the OUTSTANDING incredible view, the silence, the stars at night, the nostalgic feeling about the place - we just love, love love it. It's no slick, automated sole-less Holiday Inn, you won't find tiny plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles here, thankfully - it's just different. We just love everything about it - it's unique, different, warm, historic (amazing history behind the place) - a little quirky - and there's absolutely nowhere else in Borrego Springs we'd rather be than here. I WANT THIS BED!!

My fiance and I love to go to Borrego Springs for weekend getaways. We like to go and relax and do absolutely nothing! I also enjoy doing astrophotography at night. We used to go to the Palm Canyon RV Resort, however we were open to try something different. Our stay at the Palms at Indian Head was fantastic. The room was very spacious. I also like the information about the area that we got during check-in. The pool area is very nice to take a swim or just sit and relax. The close proximity to the state park hiking trails is also a plus! We cannot wait to go back to Borrego Springs and stay at here.

I love this place, but I can see the writing on the wall I have owned a restaurant and hotel (they were very successful ,I'm retired at 48 )and when a hotel starts running on a skeleton crew, answering machines answering the phone exclusively, nearly impossible to reach a human here. Even when you show up your towels and room key are sitting on the counter . They're paying no one to be at the counter.(again no regard for the customer) Main items like the Jacuzzi not working, these are things that have happened to me many times here, all they did was give me a $20 off my bill, The Jacuzzi here is awesome secluded and a big part of why I go there. When a restaurant or hotel make cuts in the management the hotel, i.e, skeleton crews items not working, this means there are financial problems, and to cope with financial problems they are having you and I the customer make up for their financial problems by us being inconvenienced. I hate to see this happen to such a wonderful place. It was my favorite place to go for the winter and I don't go there anymore. You can't get anybody to answer the phone in the restaurant for reservations either... again being inconvenienced because the owner does not have the money to run the place the way it supposed to run, someone answering the phone someone taking reservations, how about just putting a phone in the restaurant area....instead the phone rings at the front desk which we already know isn't going to answer it's self. Actions speak louder than words... the owner of this establishment actions tell me: they want to continue to charge the same amount, they want to continue to make the money they made when this place was run right, and they want to do that without spending any money themselves. And if you're the owner of this place, reading this, and you aren't having horrible financial issues right now... shame on you!

Its so interesting. I used to be like some of you folks who think of the Palms as a "timeshare" and a hidden gem. It was our hideaway- we referred friends from out of the area and spoke highly of the facilities, the vibe, etc. Well, after at least 5 visits to the Palms, the last visit was a nightmare. Mainly due to what's known as "Room #7". I should have known something was amiss when wewere told to drive our car to the back of the facility. Then- we saw it- JESUS H CHRIST! It must have been built as an owners residence or maids quarters. I can't believe that they would actually use this as a room and were going to charge us $168/night. It's poorly ventilated, dirty and dark. There is one single window. The steps are rickety and its separated from the A/C unit (which blows very loudly by a single chain). Someone had literally just smoked a joint, as the room lingered with the smell (eh, I'll be dude-like. That part didn't bother me too much, and mom is an old hippie, but maybe this would have been a deal breaker for others). It took my mom and I less than one minute to turn around and walk back the stairs. She was upset and couldn't even believe this would be an option for guests, so I went back to ask the front desk clerk if there were other options. I had booked this room about 5 weeks in advance, and I know there are a handful of rooms, but they were sold out. The front desk clerk did inform us of their policy that if we weren't satisfied, we wouldn't be charged, so fortunately we didn't incur any expenses. The most upsetting part was that we didn't get a single apology, only this explanation: "Well, there's no way to know what room you will get. If you had called to make your reservation, we would have explained this "style" of room". She did help us call and found that the Borrego Springs Resort had vacancy. So, come on guys. Perhaps you should update your website to let your guests know this? No one wants to drive out here and get this suprise. My mom and I are both really easy going, but our vacations are few and faw between, and a room that was easy to access with a pool view was all we wanted. This was a total bummer. As much as I love the pool at the Palms and have many good memories, this soured my love for the place. Moral of this story- be SURE to request a pool view room. I didn't know this WAS NOT an option, but now you do.

I love Borrego, and used to love The Palms at Indian Head. My favorite time to go was in the summer. I used to get up early and hike from there up into Palm Canyon. I'd pack a little breakfast, and hang out by the water and eat, enjoying the solitude. It used to be that I recommended the place to people interested in visiting Borrego, but no more. I stopped in one day with a friend and was verbally insulted by a staff member at the front desk, in the presence of both my friend and a local business owner who was conversing with the boorish gal behind the counter. I was so upset by the encounter I wrote a letter to the manager, and never heard a thing. They used to be my go-to when visiting the area. Now, I wouldn't consider staying there. For those without young children I now recommend the Borrego Valley Inn.

I want to say that we have visited the Palms 5 times over the years, and each time has been a unique experience. We have learned that the main rooms are hot in the summer. the pool is a delight whenever, and the cabanas are perfect anytime. My experience has always been fine, while staff is hard to find, they are responsive. My last visit has left me pondering, however. When I received my credit card statement, I was surprised to find an added charge. When I called, I was told our linens had red stains they couldn't get out. I am post menopausal, we don't drink wine, we had no food in the room that could explain tomato stains, and I didn't stab anyone, so I couldn't begin to comprehend how our linens came to be stained. So I caution you to have them sign you off before you leave the premise.

The hotel is great, my wife and I have stayed there twice now. Our most recent stay was actually great as well, however, there was a complete misunderstanding about "extra charges." I bought vouchers through a mass email deal offered through the Palms with the understanding that I could use them over the weekend for an extra $20 per night. When I made the reservation through an employee named David, I reminded him that there should be an extra charge so he should probably take my credit card number down... Our stay was great, as I said, but I was surprised to see the "extra charge" was $112.00 for the two nights. I called to ask about the the charges and the employee, Angela, nicely explained that it was $40 extra per night for a total of $80 and $32 in taxes. I told her that I undertood the extra charge for the weekend to be $20 per night, and she again, nicely, told me she would have a manager call me back. This was Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Today is Tueday and nobody called me, so I figured I would use a break at work to figure out the situation. I talked to David, the employee who made my reservation and explained the misunderstanding. David chose a hardline stance and explained how the misunderstanding was completely on my side. This took me by surprise, so I entertained the conversation, pointing out that never until I got the bill did they tell me how much the "extra charge" per night was. Theoretically, they could have charged me absolutely anything and, according to David, I should have paid it. Of course, this is ridiculous, as almost the entire conversation with David was, so we ended the conversation with me promising him as little business for him as possible. One example of the disrespectfulness and low class-ness of the conversation was David's sarcastic suggestion that he refund me the voucher price and charge me the full price of $169 per night. This would be a non-issue had David had a cordial and calm two-minute conversation explaining that it was simply their policy to charge $40 per night and an apology for not making that clear to me before hand. If you have read this far, you can tell by my rant, that this is an issue of false advertising (nowhere is extra per weekend night charge clear) and horrible business. Really a shame, I still have two $99 vouchers valid for M-Th nights, and apparently $40 per night if you would like to use them on the weekend, if anyone is interested in them ;)

My fiancee and I just had a lovely two night stay at The Palms. It was a few days before Christmas, and we were the only guest in the 11 room hotel! Marcela greeted us and offered to show us a few rooms so that we could choose our favorite. We chose one of the rooms on the upstairs level overlooking the pool and the desert and mountains beyond. The room is all windows on one side, with gorgeous views. The stars here were amazing, and we enjoyed a lovely evening in the jacuzzi star gazing and relaxing. The hotel has a fun 1950s decor, and was once the destination for Marilyn Monroe and Bing Crosby (though the original bldg burned down and was rebuilt). It was relaxed and had a great feeling of access to the outdoors with the large deck and pool area overlooking the desert. Only two suggestions for improvement: 1) the pool is not heated during the winter, and the water is cold!! (temperatures drop to the 40s overnight, and the pool keeps that chill all day). We were disappointed by this since after a hot sunny day we'd been hoping to take a swim, but it was too cold. 2) The room is all windows facing east. The curtains were in about 7 separate panels, that didn't slide well (they were cloth around the rod, rather than the metal sliders). We could never get them to fully close, there were always gaps between the panels, which reduces privacy and also lets in the morning sun. It would be worth investing in curtains that cover the full window and easily slide back and forth on metal hangers. Other than those two small areas, we absolutely loved The Palms! We will be back again :)

Charming Owners - Not! This is what they had to say when I disputed 50% of the room rate/cancellation fee which they had previously agreed to credit me. I had no problem with them keeping the other 50% as I had to cancel within 48 hours and not their required 72 hours. Straight from the correspondence the owners submitted to the credit card company: What a Jerk. Hahaha! This guy just doesn't get it. . . . What a pain in the butt. How's that for customer service?!