When we go to a National Park we like to stay as close to the action as possible. That way we have lots of time to explore and don’t waste a lot of time going back and forth. It also means that we can more easily get an early start which is always a bonus! When we were planning our spring break trip to Death Valley I knew I wanted to stay right in the park but since I didn’t want to camp on this trip our options were somewhat limited. That’s okay though, because as you’ll see in our The Oasis at Death Valley review these accommodations were wonderful!

the history of The Oasis at Death Valley

The Oasis at Death Valley is made up of The Inn and The Ranch. The two locations are located in the Furnace Creek area of Death Valley about a mile away from each other. The Inn at Death Valley opened on February 1, 1927 as The Furnace Creek Inn with twelve rooms. The Ranch opened in 1933 and recently went through a $150 million dollar renovation. There is only one other motel accommodation in the entire 3 million plus acres in Death Valley National Park. Due to its long history many Hollywood stars stayed at The Inn at Death Valley while filming here.

staying at the Ranch with kids

accommodations

Though we didn’t stay at The Inn, my husband did stop at the lobby on our way to The Ranch and it seemed less geared towards families. We stayed on site at The Ranch in their cottages which sleep six. These cottages are duplex units so you will have one shared wall but we never had an issue with noise. We had plenty of room with a living area with pull-out sofa and two queens in the bedroom. I was also pleasantly surprised to find a washer and dryer in our unit! There’s also a mini fridge and tv in both the living room and the bedroom.

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The Ranch also offers motel-style rooms on a single floor that have a king bed or two queens. These rooms have all been gorgeously remodeled and feature their own signature bath and body products. Be aware that you will not be able to park right at your room and will have a short walk from the parking area.

amenities

The Ranch at Death Valley features a beautiful “Town Square” with restaurants, shops, and an ice cream parlor. It was nice to know that everything we might need was right there. I had read lots of negative reviews about the food–in a nutshell that it wasn’t very good and was overpriced. We ate a lot of our own food in our cottage but we did splurge once at the buffet for lunch and treated ourselves to ice cream. The ice cream was absolutely delightful. Not only was it delicious but the parlor itself was adorable. Unfortunately, the buffet was quite a let-down with minimal and mediocre food options that were priced very high. Save your money and bring your own food but treat yourself to some cool and delicious ice cream!

| Exploring Death Valley National Park with Kids |

Our favorite thing about The Oasis at Death Valley was definitely the spring-fed pools–both the Inn and the Ranch have one. The pool at The Ranch was large with lots of seating and was located adjacent to the sports courts. There are also community fire pits available and a playground for the kids. There are even stables on site where you can go on horseback rides. If anyone in your group likes golfing you can also golf at the lowest elevation golf course in the world at The Furnace Creek Golf Course at Death Valley. Personally, we spent our mornings hiking and our afternoons cooling off in the pool and didn’t have time for other activities.

bottom line–

This review of The Oasis at Death Valley wouldn’t be complete without my honest opinion, right? In a nutshell we loved our stay here and would definitely recommend it. The renovations are gorgeous and it’s so peaceful to walk around the grounds. The locations is also prime and near a lot of hikes as well as the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. It is disappointing to me that I can’t recommend the food, especially since our family really isn’t that picky. However, the location and pool more than make up for it and good deals can be found throughout the year!

Would you rather stay at The Ranch or The Inn?