California Central East
Furnace Creek Inn
Two outdoor swimming pools, sauna
bathing suit req
fee $$$
address:Death Valley, CA 92329
how to get there: On Hwy 190, about 30 miles NW of HWY 127.
phone:619-786-2345
shelter: lodging
food: grocery store/restaurant
payment accepted: unknown
massage: unknown
I suspect (but don’t actually know) that the rates are set by the National Park Service. I wrote a story once about how the exorbitant rates were arrived at for the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite, and it involved a complex comparison with, of all places, the Valencia in La Jolla and if I recall correctly, the Santa Barbara Biltmore. The Furnace Creek Inn has no competition at the high-end within about 100 miles, but the last time I sent friends there, they complained it felt dated and not well kept up.
Kevin
June 10, 2003
If Furnace Creek’s owners dropped their extremely high rates, they’d get more local business. They’re greed-heads in the worst way.
Rachel
June 10, 2003
Worst thing about Furnace Creek is that they’ve got this beautiful pool with a view across Death Valley that’s spring fed, by a HOT spring. I jumped in it one time after a hot day of hiking and nearly barfed.
Andrew Rice
June 11, 2003