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Joshua Tree · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels on the beach in Joshua Tree

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Updated 1 September 2026 · 61 Joshua Tree hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Joshua Tree, out of the 61 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.95 down to 4.871102.

The Sunset Showdown is the one I would book myself.

The Sunset Showdown

Highest rated of the five

The Sunset Showdown

★★★★★4.95 from 659 reviews

The Sunset Showdown comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.95 from 659 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 the beach and around $253 a night on the dates we checked.

61 hotels in Joshua Tree qualified for this list and five made it. 2BR Desert Cabin | Hot Tub | Fire pit l Panoramic Views l Near Park + Town is the one I would book if the first is full.

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All five, ranked

  1. The Sunset Showdown1

    The Sunset Showdown

    ★★★★★4.95 from 659 reviews

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    • 2BR Desert Cabin | Hot Tub | Fire pit l Panoramic Views l Near Park + Town2

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

      ★★★★★4.9904375 from 320 reviews

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      • Desert Home Private Oasis Outdoor Space & Hot Tub3

        Desert Home Private Oasis Outdoor Space & Hot Tub

        ★★★★★4.871102 from 708 reviews

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        • modern casita | Joshua Tree tiny home4

          modern casita | Joshua Tree tiny home

          ★★★★★4.9004436 from 451 reviews

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          • The Raven House - Renovated Homestead Cabin5

            The Raven House - Renovated Homestead Cabin

            ★★★★★4.9020834 from 336 reviews

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            How this list was put together

            61 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.