Death Valley is wonderful. The question is whether staying at a lodge inside the park is worth the money. It's definitely worth it at Yosemite Valley Lodge, Zion National Park Lodge, and the Grand Canyon. To stay outside the park at these places and then schlep in and out makes the experience much less wonderful. However, Death Valley National Park is huge. You're going to need to drive to get to most of the scenic places, such as Zabriskie Point, Artist's Palette, Golden Canyon trail, and the dunes. So staying in Stovepipe Wells, about a half hour away, isn't such a big deal and the food choices are a lot better. Location is not a reason to stay at the Ranch. That said, it's an attractive lodge with a wonderful view. The breakfasts at the other lodge, the fancier one, the Inn at Death Valley, are not that expensive and are very good indeed. We didn't want to spring for the very expensive dinner there. The buffet at The Last Kind Words Saloon was pretty good, especially if you like to be able to eat a lot. But you pay a lot as well. Another great feature of the Ranch is the lovely swimming pool with a great view. The water in May, however, was bathtub warm, hardly refreshing. We drove to Stovepipe Wells for one dinner, and made use of the General Store for two lunches and one dinner. That's not a bad option. The beds at the Lodge are comfortable and the room is large. But the toilet paper holder was missing a rod and that never got fixed, despite my telling the front desk and a mail. There's only one chair on the veranda, despite it being a double room. The wifi is surprisingly good. We're glad we came but if we were to come back, we'd probably stay in a motel in Stovepipe Wells for half the price.

Horrible because the rooms have no noise isolation. You hear your neighbours conversation and during the night it’s not nice. Horrible because the buffet is just horrible (and very expensive for what you get). Horrible because the staff of the other restaurant (an extremely well decorated place) is absolutely not friendly. So, don’t waste your money to be badly served by a non friendly staff before a white noisy night. For half this money you get a fantastic bedroom with a great view in Vegas.

Disappointing Birthday Weekend Getaway Experience at The Ranch at Death Valley As someone who planned a birthday weekend getaway to The Ranch at Death Valley, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of empathy and understanding displayed by the hotel staff when I had to cancel due to a medical emergency involving my wife. Despite my situation, the hotel refused to provide a refund and instead redirected me to Hotels.com, playing a frustrating game of pass-the-buck. Attempting to resolve the issue became a frustrating ordeal as neither party took responsibility, leaving me feeling helpless and unheard. The lack of compassion from the individuals answering the phones only added to my frustration, as they seemed unwilling to bend the rules even in extenuating circumstances. In the hospitality industry, one would hope for a more accommodating approach, especially when faced with unforeseen emergencies. Unfortunately, my experience with The Ranch at Death Valley left much to be desired in terms of customer service and understanding. Overall, my impression of The Ranch at Death Valley is marred by this incident, and I would caution others to consider their policies and approach to customer care before booking a stay. A disappointing end to what was supposed to be a celebratory occasion.

I would like to give the hotel and restaurants a 1.5 star but that choice wasn't available. I understand that this destination is far from most places. It also has been here for a while and should have systems in place to provide good accommodations and service for the money they charge. The hotel room had short sheets on the bed. Large gap under the door and my wife found a bug crawling on the floor. Motel six would probably be better. The sloon restaurant was way over priced for the food and definitely the service. "SO BAD" The buffet gave you a choice but the staff did not maintain the food. My suggestion is to stay outside the park and drive the hour into the park. Bring your own food for lunch and snacks. I was born and raised in California. I am ashamed that we cannot have a better resort at such a fabulous place. Shame on us.

We were swayed by the video for The Inn at Death Valley; looks fantastic. When reserving online, had the choice between the Inn and Ranch at Death Valley. Never been before, the Ranch offered us a good deal. We took it. Check in was with a bored and not friendly young woman behind the desk. Maybe she was having a bad day, maybe get out of the customer service industry. Walked in the room; both of us know the smell of mildew old hotel rooms; this wasn’t working for us. Back to the desk, got a room with less smell. Carpets, drapes, walls carry that odor. This motel is tired. There are five bottles of soap dispensers in the bathroom; two by the sink, three in the shower. The hand soap and lotion was in the shower with the shampoo and body gel at the sink. Pool was a welcome! One restaurant is a buffet, not for us, one was not open, it was Wed., one open. The bartender was so busy we had to wait a long time for our drinks, and of course, we felt bad for him. Understaffed like everywhere. Went to the general store for coffee, and saw a lot of food that could be microwaved? Where is our king “deluxe” room microwave? Like I said, it’s tired, it’s old. Nowhere else to stay, but we can’t go back. So over tired motels.