During our recent four-night stay at The Wayback hotel, we had an overall pleasant experience. This establishment, which is essentially a renovated old motel, has undergone a pretty impressive facelift. The design is kitschy, and fun, and capturing a Palm Springs like vibe that drew us to the property in the first place.
Although the guest rooms are on the smaller side, they are clean and comfortable and come with nice amenities and special touches. We appreciated the presence of a Keurig coffee machine, real coffee cups, and a handheld steamer in room. The housekeeping service was excellent, tidying up the room each day without us having to request it. Additionally, the plush towels provided in the room and at the pool were plentiful and of nice quality.
The pool area, in particular, stood out as a beautifully designed space. Despite the pool being older, it was in excellent condition and the funky seating arrangements and the use of an airstream trailer as the bar added a unique touch. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time there. However, we did have a major issue with The Wayback's pool policy regarding children. The pool is designated for adults only after 5 pm, which we found to be an overly early and disappointing restriction. While we understand that the hotel may not be targeting families, it would be more accommodating to allow families to have access to the pool for a reasonable timeframe, at least until 7 or 8 pm. If the policy were adjusted to allow adults only starting at 7 or 8 pm, it would still provide families with an opportunity to let their children swim while they enjoy a cocktail and a light dinner poolside. Unfortunately, the current policy made us rethink our decision to stay at The Wayback in the future.
We only dined at the on-site restaurant, Paloma, once during our stay. We likely would have utilized it more if the pool remained open to families later in the evenings. The food at Paloma was fresh and very good, leaving us with a positive impression.
Overall, our time at The Wayback was enjoyable, with its charming design and comfortable rooms. However, the pool policy regarding children was a significant drawback for us, and we would hesitate to stay there again because of it. read more