With a name like Death Valley, the US national park has always conjured up images of harshness and heat, and while it’s true that the location boasts some scorching sand dunes and rugged mountains, it’s also home to a lush oasis. One hotel has undergone a complete overhaul, and has reopened on a site where 80,000 gallons of ancient waters rise to the surface every day.
The Oasis at Death Valley recently underwent a $100 million renovation and is divided up into two separate experiences. The 224-room family-friendly Ranch and the 88-room boutique Four Diamond Inn luxury retreat. Originally called Furnace Creek, it was built in the late 1920s and was famed as a winter getaway for celebrities such as Clark Gable and Ronald Reagan. Some scenes from the original Star Wars films were even filmed nearby.
The Ranch now has a town square, complete with a courtyard as well as new retail and food facilities, an ice cream counter, a retail store and The Last Kind Words Saloon.
The property has a renovated fine dining restaurant and cocktail lounge, a spa, verandas with views of Death Valley and the Panamin Mountains, gardens and a spring-fed swimming pool. Twenty-two private, one-bedroom casitas have also been added, as well as the new Missions Gardens which has outdoor areas and spaces for weddings and events. Western art and shaded outdoor terraces can also be found across the resort.
“We’re seeing a new level of visitor that is open to the national park experience but that isn’t interested in roughing it. We are honored that guests are choosing to experience all that Death Valley has to offer while making The Oasis their home base to create lasting memories,” Trey Matheu, General Manager of The Oasis at Death Valley told Lonely Planet.
More information is available at the official The Oasis at Death Valley website.
