My wife and I enjoy nature, the great outdoors and like minded couples. We enjoy interacting with…read morecouples as friends do. We're not swingers and we aren't interested in sex so if that's your concern you have nothing to worry about. This is also not a gay retreat, another concern that we had. The experience here is akin to hiking the trail and finding a nice hot spring to soak in, au natural if you prefer. Just be yourself, have a drink or a smoke and meet others if you like. Personally, the experience reminded me of when I lived in Thailand. The couples reminded me of the expats I used to hang out with. Great staff and great place to relax while you forget the pressures of the world around you. We'll be back.

If I could give it 10 stars I would. Clean, respectful and the best people come to hangout to…read morerelax! Management is quick to answer any and all request. I highly recommend this place, been coming for years.

This review is the official notice of my resignation from the (dis)honorary title of "Dirt Bag…read moreClimber". Moonlight Mesa Retreats currently offers two different homes for rent in Joshua Tree. This review is for the "Rio House". The house is in the Monument Manor sub-division uphill from HW 62, only a half mile from the entrance to the park. From the outside the house is pretty non-descript. It sits on a five acre lot and has a fenced in backyard. Inside the house you will be stoked by the following features: *Three huge bedrooms, we're still not sure which room is the "master bedroom". One room has a Queen size sleigh bed w/ feather cover and a patio to the backyard. One has the bookcase, and stereo, and wide screen HD TV, and sofa. Upstairs is the (master?) with it's own bathroom, and craftmatic vibrating bed! *New kitchen with black granite counter top, ss gas range, convection toaster oven, dishwasher etc. All- Clad (copper core!) cook wear, lots of stem wear and assorted dishes. *Dogs welcome *Super quiet, and close to the park. For five nights it cost $900.

Book early because all of the houses fill up fast. I was in a rush to book so I chose Quail…read moreCrossing. Looking back, it seems like Sunset Terrace or Rio House might have been a better choice for us. Quail Crossing is described on Moonlight Mesa's website as their "most secluded rental" so I expected some major seclusion but there were quite a few neighbors within a short distance. I suppose it's like saying I am the tallest of the three Asian girls but it still doesn't necessarily mean I'm tall. Get it? Unfortunately, the weather was not very good the two nights we were there. We were only able to enjoy the beautiful outdoor space the first afternoon when we arrived. After that, it rained and was ridiculously windy. When the rain finally cleared up, it was 40 degrees outside so we spent the majority of the weekend indoors. Parts of the house reminded me a little too much of Ikea. However, I do have to say that the house was very well equipped. It had all the condiments and spices you need for cooking, tons of toys for kids, lots of DVDs for entertainment, and all the miscellaneous items you don't realize you need until you do like extra paper to make shopping lists, tape, and even a martini shaker. Each of the bathrooms had hair dryers and flat irons and although you had to bring your own shampoo and conditioner, they provided body wash. Also, Christa was very easy to work with and responsive by email. I would recommend Moonlight Mesa Retreats to anyone looking for a reliable, comfortable, and clean rental in Joshua Tree.

If you are looking for the ultimate relaxing retreat to get away from it all, Villa dei Fiori is an…read moreabsolute must! I have stayed in many vacation rentals in Colorado, Lake Arrowhead, San Diego, Barcelona and Madrid (just to name a few). But this Villa by far exceeds them all - I had the opportunity to stay twice - in Fall as well as Summer and I will certainly return. The Home: There are three bedrooms - each uniquely decorated with nice views. The home is air conditioned and very comfortable even in the hotter months. If you like to cook while on vacation, you will not be disappointed with the quality of the utensils and cookware in this kitchen. The knives are really nice and very sharp, there are utensils of every kind and the cookware is very extensive - not to mention a very nice collection of spices. If you love attention to detail, you will love this beautiful home and it's history. It is a space of eclectic beauty boasting gorgeous interiors, art work and a book collection like no other that allow for hours of reading enjoyment. There are so many beautiful details in this home, it would be impossible to name them all. The Property: The property itself is astounding. If you are looking for a true Joshua Tree experience of breath taking rock formation views, you need not even leave the property as there is plenty of day hiking just outside the doors of this amazing home. The property has a gorgeous completely gated pool as well as a spa and both are very secure. The peacefulness while laying by this pool is therapeutic. I have never experienced such tranquility watching hawks sore high above the rock formations set against crystal clear blue skies. Roaming the property is such a delight as there are acres of land and adventures to explore as you search for the hidden rock cave. Along the way you will find meticulously manicured landscaping of beautiful trees, native shrubs and elaborate rose gardens. It is very secluded and free from noises of the city which is especially nice if you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the rat race. I can not say enough nice things about Villa dei Fiori including the owner Dale who is such a delight and has wonderful stories of the home and the lovely surroundings. The pride and love he has for his home is very evident in all the details. I have stayed in other properties in Joshua Tree. This by far exceeds them all. Once you stay once, this will be your hidden get away gem forever. Shout out to Dale the owner: Thank you for providing your lovely home for others to enjoy and your gracious hospitality.

Think Glamping not European Villa…read more With so many glowing reviews on VRBO, I was a bit slack jaw upon arriving at how very un-Villa or 'stunning' this house actually is - It is a shack placed in heaven. My 3 stars here are based on my expectations created by the owner's VRBO and Website description. If you suspect it's going to be worn around the edges like everything else in the desert, you will not be disappointed. I believed what I read. So here I am with an honest review and photos. This house sits on an amazing lot right up against the Butt Crack boulders that Joshua Tree is famous for. You will be met by Dale, the guy in the photos and a very nice and caring man if not a 'little' OCD. He will take you on a 45 minute tour of the house. He will ask which of your party will be the 'light monitor' and he's serious. He will ask who will be doing the dishes because 'it's best to have the same person put them away if they are the one that took them out' - but don't worry if you forget because every cabinet has a photograph of the placement for the well worn pots, silverware, dishes, etc all put away like a surgery tray and you are to keep it that way. The unattractive cramped kitchen is also the main entrance foyer pass through. Dale texted us during our stay about things he forgot to tell us during our orientation, like it's windy cover the jacuzzi, close the doors, watch the snakes. Super helpful of course.. Meanwhile, grumpy neighbor requires that you do not make noise on the west side of the house. Which is where the pool and caves are. So at 4pm Dale fretted over my 6 year old who was laughing while exploring the caves. "he's not listening to what I said" Inside, furniture is pushed in a row against the walls like a house party (or funeral). Oddly, there are only 2 lounge chairs located in the front yard a few feet from the quiet street. But no loungers near the pool nor the drop dead gorgeous rear yard. No hammock. No cushy sofa. Nothing for horizontal chilling out, although we grabbed a pad and laid on the awesome boulders like sunning lizards. Pool impossibly freezing. Jacuzzi great. The only bathroom is tiny and gloomy 'be careful what you flush or you will be charged if we have to call the plumber'. The sheets are older and soaked in fabric softener, there are no extra sets of sheets or blankets. No throws. Pillows are dead. If you like nice bedding, bring them. The scratchy, polyester floral coverlets smell like your old Aunt Martha in Florida. Dale needs to hit Home Goods big time. There are french doors but only 1 window in the entire house that opens (master), so at night when the critters come out or during the frequent winds, you are to 'be sure to close all the doors'. No fresh nighttime air to lull you. The house is in a bowl geographically so no view of the sunset, but climbing makes it worth it. Stay here for the yard, which is so amazing and wonderful you'll be tempted to ignore the house. But I had to write this poopyhead review so others can manage their expectations.

First-come, first-serve. No showers at campgrounds within the park. Brush up on bird baths before…read moreyou go. Weekend campsites are tough to score during spring peak season (March-April). Get there on a Thursday if you can swing it. If you can't, get there at the crack of dawn on Friday. Campsites will probably be full, but if you have faith and perfect timing, you'll whine/pout in the car for awhile until you snag one as someone else is leaving. This ended up being the case around 6:30 am, when we tested our luck at Ryan Campground after Jumbo Rocks was full. Ryan Campground has 31 campsites. If a post has an orange envelope clipped to it, the site's taken. Otherwise, it's yours. Sites are fairly spacious and surround a cluster of boulders. We snagged #16 for $15/night. If it's a weekend, it's a guarantee people will be circling the grounds each day in search of a site and asking if you plan to leave. They will also approach you at night and ask for advice on a place to camp. If you're feeling altruistic, keep in mind it's 2 vehicles per site. Make sure to consult the weather forecast beforehand--what we thought would be a little breeze ended up being 30 MPH gusts of hell. We took the ominous warning from the state park ranger lightly, who devilishly giggled after saying "no, you won't blow away." We didn't, but our tent collapsed, as did 80% of the tents surrounding us. Amidst our elemental battle, a couple pulled up to ask if we were leaving. We weren't, but invited them to share our site with us. The 4 of us combined couldn't keep our tent upright against the wind. An hour later, a torrential downpour forced us to throw everything into the car and sleep in a hotel. We returned the next morning when the wind died down. The weather didn't deter anyone, the sites were still full. Our tent dried out during the day and we were able to have a great experience. Highly advise a night hike to Ryan Ranch, but bear in mind you may encounter desert stragglers who've ingested hallucinogenics. It's entertaining. No matter your experience of Ryan Campground, you're sure to come away from it with a good story.

Review is for the hike, the payoff is an abandoned adobe homestead with the main structure still…read morestanding and old parts strewn around the base of Ryan Mountain. Joshua Tree will always have a special place in my memory. I came camping here for the first time as an elementary school kid and my friend's father taught me how to pitch a tent, spot constellations, and different types of rocks. Luckily, my kids seem to have inherited the same feelings and loved their time at Ryan's Ranch. Hike is an easy 1.1 miles out and back but you can spend much more time scrambling on the rocks which we did. There are Joshua Trees everywhere you can walk right up to. My favorite part was total freedom to explore. It's not like many hikes that have a set path and barriers to stay in, a lot for the rock scrambles are very close to the trail and there is easy visibility so you won't get lost if you don't wander too far.

It's a fantastic concept. The decor and 20th Century Modern aura is there for anyone who might want…read morethat. I recently purchased a 2006 Keystone RV NRG Toy Hauler right there in Landers. She needs friends.

We were so excited to come to this, especially for our 1 year anniversary. It looked perfect on the…read morewebsite. A nice little getaway. When we arrived we met...no one. No one was there. No one let us in - we let ourselves in (gate has a combo lock - we were given the combination via email). It would have been nice to have someone show us around, even if there's not much to show - but something at least. We stayed in "kates hairstream". Each airstream is padlocked with another combination lock. As we entered we thought it was super cute. Very colorful! Very clean! But we both agreed that these airstreams need updates. It seems like all they do is paint them every so often. Just a few add-ons would help. Like adding handles to the cabinet doors. Or an actual door to the bathroom (unless there was a hidden one??) would be nice. Also, why the permanently closed windows? It can get very stuffy. Outside, there was a pool, but it could not be used. It's seasonal, according to the website. They could definitely make the lot these airstreams are on, a little more alive. Cutesy decor would have made it nicer. Every airstream had a little deck to step off on to. A piece of astroturf in front of the deck. A shade above to keep the sun from beating down on you. Lights with burned out bulbs which hung on the shade thing. We didn't mind this. It looked nice. But I thought the plastic picnic table didn't go with the aesthetic. All in all, we didn't have the best time. Mainly due to my girlfriend having claustrophobia and freaking out over the windows being sealed and someone being able to lock us in with that padlock on the outside of the door. It still made for a fun memory though to look back on and laugh! One more thing - the price. It costs 200+ cleaning and taxes. So the total was $269. $269 for ONE NIGHT. That's insane. For what it was, the price is way too expensive. P.s. get a microwave

Once again thank you for the fantastic stay! We love it out in the desert and your homes are the…read moreperfect location to enjoy the natural beauty of the desert Many thanks to Irene and Greg!! Check out these pictures if you're not convinced

Owner put us through stressful situation, they never sent us email or response or code to get in…read more Stranded in the middle of nowhere. Did not respond all day to our messages. Just took our cash and didn't care afterwards

A nice place to live if you don't mind the heat and the wind…read more Everyone is very nice here, I don't have a single negative comment about anyone. The lots are large and private and well maintained. The Pool & Sauna are beautiful along with the Clubhouse, Tennis courts, Pickle courts & other games. The LAUNDRY room is very nice&cheap. The Clubhouse has a beautiful solid oak pool table and a very nice PingPong table with much more. I would totally recommend purchasing a Lot here. I've been here 4 years and I just love it!!!

If you like rustic, quiet and secluded environments with lots of natural landscaping you will love…read morethis space. This is a beautiful place just 15 minutes outside of downtown Palm Springs. What is lacks in luxury - it makes up for in natural beauty. This is a campground so don't expect the Hilton and you will LOVE it. Everyone here is friendly and nice, very much a community feel. It does get windy here but that's the desert, with or without being close to the windmills. It doesn't usually last long unless there is a storm. Personally I feel this place is a hidden gem.

We went to the O2 spa during a takeover of the spa. Took one of the suites, the Tiffany. Fridge,…read morecoffee maker, good size closet as well as a nice bathroom. And a new split AC unit. It did take hours for the bedroom to cool down, but we had a fold out bed we used until the room got to a sleeping temperature. Very cute, well decorated. As are all of the rooms. Every room is very different. From a disco ball in one room, a 4 poster bed with draped linen in another, to the lobby with a couple of refrigerators, an oven, plenty of dishes, cups and silverware, a TV, bathroom, books and a couple of couches, it is very comfortable. There is the pool in the middle of the spa that goes to 7' deep. Unfortunately, the minerals in the water that we go to resorts like this for, eats the plaster in pools. It is not smooth, it is very pitted and textured. But the water more than makes up for it. Someone brought a pop up that we could put in the water for shade, what a game changer. There is a good size jacuzzi that is hot... hot hot hot. I could get to my knees, other folks could sit in there for a good 30 minutes or longer. Then there is the koi pond. Hotter than the pool, cooler than the jacuzzi. And it only gets knee deep, but is in such a pretty area. The spa is clean, it is older, but taken care of. Every room comes with an outside table and chairs, there are bungalows that you can reserve or rent. Lots of places to lounge.

Well where do I start? My 3-day trip to O Spa 'Resort' was my 4th trip. And probably my last. I did…read more3 day passes since Coachella rates were $450 a night. I arrived on Friday to a cold main pool (i wish I'd measured the temp) and the overflow drain was plugged and backing up into the pool. Crud was flowing into the pool. So a cold dirty pool. Ok. You see, I'm a hot springs nerd and this is why I go to O Spa. For the water. Clean unchlorinated water. Upon then investigating the lower shallow pool, all the fresh hot water was on full blast in that pool and going to drain and down the hill. All that hot water SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE MAIN POOL. So I spoke with Marcos the new manager about it and he's awesome. I told him about the fresh water pipe that used to flow into the main pool and its valve which was now cut off by a saw. Why? So I get why they didn't want more water going into the pool as it will literally overflow if the drain is clogged. Ok, I convinced him to pump out the overflow drain (I went to my van to retrieve a pump... who brings a pump to a resort? ME! I told you I'm a hot springs nerd). By the time I had come back, Marcos had connected a length of pipe to the hot source! Awesome ! Let's pump this cold nasty water out and fill with CLEAN. NOPE! Rick the owner intercepted my idea and was scolding Marcos when I came back with the pump in hand. 'Why is he holding a pump?' I overheard him ask. TO FIX THE PROBLEM! I retreated to my lounge chair without saying a word and began thinking I should forfeit my 3 days of money and go to Mi Kasa or any number of other hot springs on that Miracle Hill. But no, I stuck it out. So now they are filtering this stagnant water and heating it. While you have FREE HOT FRESH WATER FROM THE EARTH! This is not why I came... to swim in cold chlorinated water. Ok so by Sunday the pool had finally heated to 92 degrees (yes I measured it because I'm a hot springs nerd) and it was decent enough. I didn't put my head under water tho. Nope. But with this method of heating, the other two pools got out of whack. The grotto pool was a nice 97 degrees Friday where many of us watched Coachella together (thanks to me also bringing a 2.1 sound system and an iPad) , but then Saturday night, it was 102 degrees and you couldn't just stay in for hours. Why? Because the main pool overflow drain! Fix that! You have to! Is that even legal? Seriously, what does the Riverside County Health Department think about that? I'm going to inquire. Fill the pool with fresh hot water and let it drain. Let it flow. I am one of the few people that use and even know how to fill the stand-alone bathtub. It's awesome to drink morning coffee in your own tub in the chilly desert air. But again, you have to turn off the lower tub valve to provide pressure to the bathtub. And if you close it all the way? The whole system crashes and then there is zero water. PUT SOME SIGNS UP! Also, you have to bring your own bathtub drain plug. They can't provide a bathtub drain plug? So the bathtub is useless unless you're a nerd like me. Ok, now let's talk about ice. People have to leave the resort and drive into town to get ice for their drinks? Are you serious? The rooms were $450 a night (Coachella rates) but you can't provide ICE?! The Vevor icemaker they have looks ancient and the display was glitching out. GET A NEW ONE. From my quick math with Coachella and Stagecoach rates, that place hauled in $60,000 just in April ! Not including mine and others day fees! Fix that overflow drain and fix that ice maker! Buy a new one! So instead of relaxing for three days like I wanted to, I spent most of it dealing with cold pools or too-hot hot pools. We had fun thanks to my speakers and Coachella. But it's like camping there. It isn't a 'resort'. It's a campground. Gotta bring your own ice and your own bathtub plug. I've tried to help and had a way to fix the problem but was met with glares and anger. Go buy a pump! They aren't expensive. This isn't rocket science guys. I'm a former mechanical engineer who thrived in thermodynamics and am a hot springs junkie. I'll go elsewhere where the water is clean and not chlorinated. It's a hot springs after all isn't it? FIX. THAT. OVERFLOW. DRAIN. Then we can talk. And maybe I'll come back and bring my money.