stovepipe is significantly cheaper then furnace creak ranch. i would love to save the $50-75 difference but i can't find many pictures of stovepipe. i understand that is is a basic motel room but what is the pool like. i want a pleasant place to lay out and relax. are there pleasant places to walk around at that location. is the ranch significantly better room wise, location & pool? thanks for any help you provide.

I've stayed there twice--most recently a year ago. It's an old-fashioned motel and a bit of a dump. There is a reasonable restaurant on the property. I've never stayed at the other more upscale place that's a few miles away.

I am heading there this weekend and staying at Stovepipe Wells for that very reason - I want to make it a cheap weekend trip.

I've stayed at Furnace Creek Ranch (not the nicer Inn) and thought it was overpriced for the money. So I'm not really expecting much, although I did get a "deluxe" room. They are both managed by the same company.

If you still want info I can give you a firsthand report when I get back.

johnh - i'd love to hear back from you re the hotel. hope you had a good weekend.

My point is that it's the kind of place you'd expect to coast $45, but it costs $110. The rooms are dumpy.

I just got back on Tuesday. Yes, jimshep is sort of right, it's basically one step above a Motel 6. I wouldn't call the room "dumpy" exactly, because it was clean. Just very basic and in severe need of a makeover.
And the walls are paper thin.

I didn't eat at the restaurant but checked out the dinner menu - very pricy ($20 and up), which made me suspicious because national parks are not usually known for fine dining.

Staff seemed very friendly and helpful.

The pool is fine, but small - much smaller than the one at Furnace Creek Ranch, which is actually quite large.

I preferred staying at Furnace Creek in the cabins and would probably do so again, not at Stovepipe Wells. But like I said, this was a low budget weekend trip, and for that it did serve a purpose.