Trip GrapevineTop places, picked by travellers

Joshua Tree · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels in the historic centre, Joshua Tree

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Updated 1 September 2026 · 60 Joshua Tree hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Joshua Tree, out of the 60 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.9904375 down to 4.8.

2BR Desert Cabin | Hot Tub | Fire pit l Panoramic Views l Near Park + Town is the one I would book myself.

2BR Desert Cabin | Hot Tub | Fire pit l Panoramic Views l Near Park + Town

Highest rated of the five

2BR Desert Cabin | Hot Tub | Fire pit l Panoramic Views l Near Park + Town

★★★★★4.9904375 from 320 reviews

2BR Desert Cabin | Hot Tub | Fire pit l Panoramic Views l Near Park + Town comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.9904375 from 320 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is found under downtown and around $319 a night on the dates we checked.

60 hotels in Joshua Tree qualified for this list and five made it. Lil Cactus | Cute Cabin in DTJT w/ Outdoor Shower is the one I would book if the first is full.

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. 2BR Desert Cabin | Hot Tub | Fire pit l Panoramic Views l Near Park + Town1

    2BR Desert Cabin | Hot Tub | Fire pit l Panoramic Views l Near Park + Town

    ★★★★★4.9904375 from 320 reviews

      Check rates Read more

    • Lil Cactus | Cute Cabin in DTJT w/ Outdoor Shower2

      Lil Cactus | Cute Cabin in DTJT w/ Outdoor Shower

      ★★★★★4.9 from 597 reviews

        Check rates Read more

      • Village House - Hot Tub, Pool, walk to shops3

        Village House - Hot Tub, Pool, walk to shops

        ★★★★★4.9782176 from 331 reviews

          Check rates Read more

        • Indian Cove Campground4

          Indian Cove Campground

          ★★★★★4.8 from 650 reviews

          • Kid friendly

          Check rates Read more

        • Chasing The Moon: Walk to Pappy's & Tub Views5

          Chasing The Moon: Walk to Pappy's & Tub Views

          ★★★★★4.8975687 from 255 reviews

            Check rates Read more

          How this list was put together

          60 Joshua Tree hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

          Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

          The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

          What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

          Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

          Ellie Brandt

          Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

          Works weekends at an animal shelter and saves the pay for off-season flights. Hostels, night buses, and volunteering at animal sanctuaries for a bunk. Six countries in three years.

          Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.