Marathon, Texas, with its 300 residents might seem an unlikely spot for a luxury hotel. But the…read moreGage Hotel, nestled among the desert beauty of West Texas, exudes exceptional coolness. Like its neighboring towns Alpine and Marfa, Marathon is a place where quietude reigns, and the Gage fits seamlessly. The hotel offers a combination of cozy warmth and sophistication. The Western art collection feels like a perfect tribute to the region's history and culture. The staff is friendly and welcoming, creating an atmosphere both relaxed and thoughtful. In Marathon, time slows, and the Gage provides tranquility. It's understated and where restrained western luxury meets the desert's vast, peaceful solitude.

This was my 3rd trip to Big Bend and wanted to make it a point to stay at the Gage Hotel. We got…read moreinto town around 2pm so I went to see if it was possible for an early check in. The front desk was very polite but informed us it wouldn't be ready until 3. No worries, we walked over to the Gage Gardens. Basically, a botanical garden and the only thing green in all of West Texas. It only takes about 15 minutes to walk through it but is very nice. We then went to the brewery/bbq spot to have a few beers while we wait. We went back to the reception desk at 3:45 and room still not ready. We actually didn't get in until about 4:30. Not that big of a deal but a little annoying. The room itself felt old. Old school metal keys, no TV, small room and old furniture (more antique like than outdated). There isn't much insulation as you will hear any noise going on in the hallway. There is no elevator so don't stay on the 2nd floor if you can't walk up a flight of stairs. Of course, my lady friend packed everything and the kitchen sink in her bag forcing me to carry it up the stairs. The grounds are great. Cool courtyard with various fire pits. The White Buffalo bar, V-6 coffee shop and the 12 Gage restaurant are also connected to the hotel. Plus, they own an art gallery, a distillery, and I think the pizza place, brewery and bbq place down the block. Don't get fired from Gage if you work here, there aren't a lot of other places to get employed. You'd have to move! We had drinks at the Buffalo Bar before walking down to Ghostfire pizza. We didn't get reservation in time to eat at the 12 Gage but that was fine because the pizza was really good. There are various style rooms, and we got basically the cheapest one at 289.00 (with taxes and fees) . I don't think it's worth the price for what we received but the hotel itself is decent.

Sometimes, you find solace not because the place is as good as you expected it to be, but rather,…read morebecause it made you feel that all is not lost in the bizarre times we are going through! On my motorcycle, Marathon was just going to be a stop in my journey. I had booked a single night at this hotel, just for a crash and an early start the following day! In the wee hours of the morning, greeted by a beautiful sunrise, I set out to leave and my motorcycle decided that the cold had been too much for the battery to crank my bike. I needed a jump! I was waiting around the office, and when the first hotel employee arrived, she told me the caretaker would be arriving soon, and he would help me. A second employee arrived, on her bicycle, and she went more step, texting the caretaker than someone was in needs of help. The caretaker joined me shortly after. Assessed the situation with me, and went back to his lodge to pick up his truck and jump cables. Guys, this fill my day with joy! finding strangers to provide human empathy to someone's grief was rejuvenating. The place is unassuming, the rooms are simple, all the rest is what counts. I will be returning to that place just for that!

This place is too damn cute! The Gage recommended them since they were at capacity when we tried to…read morestay there. I recalled their adorable billboard on our way back into town. Kristi was so welcoming and wonderful to talk to. It felt like visiting an old friend. Our room was clean and quaint with very comfortable beds. The outside courtyard area was beautiful with tons of flowers and places to sit. You can even lay in the grass! Take a walk around the property and you'll see so many pretty things. It's just a short walk from restaurants and an equally adorable grocery store that you may also see Kristi working at! All around it was another memorable stay in the lovely town of Marathon.

Upon arrival we reached the area that would be our cabin for our stay…read more We called Ingrid and in her heavy Slovakian accent she informed us that she was on the way. A few minutes later she shows up in this eclectic hand painted Mercedes and proceeds to show us around the place. This place is real artsy and literally pieced together with ingenuity and imagination. We stayed in the stone cottage. But there are 4 other places to choose from for a nightly stay. The place has few amenities but it is very practical. I enjoyed it and I would stay here again. If you look closely in the picture I attached you can see Ingrid with her 2 children. They really have thrown together a neat, one of a kind little place.

It was great staying in the Spirit Room! Definitely the most unique place we've ever stayed. There…read morewas so much to look at in the museum room and it was a perfect base camp for running around the Big Bend area! The bed was so comfy and the shower was warm! Ingrid was super accommodating. We were supposed to stay at the Goat Shed but they they had to do repairs following the recent storm. Ingrid easily got us into the Spirit Room with no hassle! And she still let us have access to the star gazing area, lounge area, and kitchen at the Goat Shed. Thank you again, Ingrid!!!

Do you color outside the lines? Like eclectic over garden variety? Speaking of garden,Eves has a…read morefantastic one in development for 23 years. The garden forms a beautiful area fringed by rooms for your stay. Colorful, comfortable and charming is your first impression. The owners are welcoming and it almost feels like visiting friends. If I had it to do over I'd choose Eves and you should Too. Go!

Peaceful and pretty. The indoor garden is lovely to sit around. The host was super friendly and…read moreprovided nice breakfasts. Very relaxing atmosphere.

I was very underwhelmed by this experience. My family and I drove 6 hours just for us to arrive and…read morethis man be so rude. We arrived 3 minutes late and he said "We already started. The earth doesn't stop for no one" but yet another family arrived 5 minutes after us and another 20 minutes after the start time and they were a different ethnicity and got greeted with a handshake and a warm welcome. Very telling of what his values were. My family got picked on as well. No one was fixing the telescope the way he said to but yet when my family went he made my fiancé go back to fix it themselves yet helped everyone else and had nothing to say. I wouldn't recommend giving this guy your time or money but that was our unfortunate experience and NEVER going back.

Please save yourself the trouble and book a star party at Mcdonald Observatory in Fort Davis, it…read moremight be an hour away from this place but the quality in hosting is leagues better. Our host William spent an hour on one target, the Orion Nebula if i remember correctly. He kept interjecting with semantics regarding vocabulary which added nothing to the star party. He showed us ONE constellation, Orion (shocker). Then after an hour had passed a party of six showed up late and proceeded to waste the rest of the attendee's time bringing them back up to speed by showing them all the same Orion Nebula. It being 11:30pm (star party started at 10:00pm) I decided to leave and enjoy the beautiful night sky alone. I did not think one could manage to remove the awe inspiring nature and curiosity from astronomy but William managed to do so. Like I said, please book at the Mcdonald Observatory, it costs more but you get a complete and more fulfilling experience as a newcomer to astronomy. They provide a tour of most if not all of constellations visible in the night sky, multiple targets from better telescopes and teach you the steps required to view through the telescopes. All the hosts from Mcdonald Observatory work for UT Austin so they are also very knowledgeable. And its only 25 dollars as opposed to 10 dollars at this place.

I don't understand the high reviews here and on google. 5 stars is a resort scoring perfect. This…read moreplace is run down and unkept. Did not expect just a gravel parking lot with electric posts. We couldn't level facing the correct direction so we had to pull in the wrong direction. This made using the electric and water with what we carry not possible. $30 charge to change your site even though only four sites out of 33 sites in our section were being used. WiFi is on the porch of the store and laundry behind it quite the walk from our site. Would not recommend and would not go back ourselves.

the old ladirs there are rude and let a grown man into women's restroom while a little girl was in…read morethe correct restroom. the best experience was dealing with the young lady about our camp spot

If you like peace, solitude, dark skies, open space, and privacy, Tin Valley is the place for you…read more We spent 5 nights there and Ronda the owner was a wonderful host. There are only 8 sites and each site has electrical hooks up for both 50 amps and 30 amps. Ronda brought us water one evening and has a honey wagon as needed. A wonderful place to stay if you want to visit Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, Terlingua, and see the darkest skies in the country. We'll have to return with the appropriate cameras and telescopes next time. It may be a little intimidating to get there, as it's 13 miles on a country road off US 118 and another 1.5 miles on narrow dirt road, but you will be rewarded for your perseverance. Tin Valley is a slice of paradise for those who seek it.

A wonderful place to stay, super friendly, amazing views, dead quiet at night, no city lights at…read moreall, more stars than you have ever seen. Plus a backroad into big bend, 20 miles of dirt then 22 miles down hwy 385, need to be smart in deep sand or have 4wd. 50amp electric, no sewer but dump station, also no water but they will bring it to you in a pump truck, they will also take way you grey water (with a different tank!) Located on a 100 acre ranch with its own mountain, lots of dirt trails, Old indian lookout at mountain top.