Joshua Tree’s Airbnb castle seemed charming. Reality was different.

Seekers of solace and non secular reduction have lengthy been drawn to Joshua Treean unincorporated stretch of Southern California inside the high desert. The area’s distinctive architecture — a mixture of geodesic domes, midcentury ranch homes and buildings constructed into rock formations — emphasizes these mystical environment by incorporating nature into design.

Castles, nonetheless, are uncommon to search out round these elements.

There is one notable exception: the Castle House, a short-term rental that lets company keep at certainly one of two “guard tower” turrets on an expansive property near Joshua Tree National Park. The listing You describe this pair of tiny properties, which have appeared on HGTV, as a “medieval piece of architecture” that “blends indoor-outdoor living with an emphasis on entertaining.” From itemizing pictures, no less than one of many towers had an accessible rooftop, outfitted with chairs so company may drink in sunset-streaked views of the distant mountains.

The prospect of staying in a castle turret within the Mojave Desert seemed quirky sufficient to warrant a go to, so I checked in for a one-night keep in late March by way of short-term rental platform Airbnb. Unfortunately, the concept proved to be way more charming in idea than in execution.

The turrets are positioned proper on the entrance of the property as you drive in previous the doorway gate. As a moniker, the Castle House is a bit deceptive. It would not describe the turrets however relatively a sequence of stays on a 12-acre property that features the guard towers, a handful of yurts and a number of other bigger properties all on the identical property. The websites are usually rented piecemeal, however the complete place could be rented out for a little bit underneath $4,500 per night time.

The Castle House is certainly one of many short-term leases within the desert which have cropped up during the last a number of years. Since the late 2010s and into the early days of the pandemic, communities within the desert like Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley have develop into contentious boomtowns for these kinds of properties, which vary from no-frills campgrounds to historic party houses to mansions boasting their very own private water parks.

The short-term rental explosion, partly, has precipitated residence and rental costs within the area to skyrocket: The San Francisco Chronicle reported in 2022 that residence values ​​in Joshua Tree had jumped 69%, and the close by metropolis of Twentynine Palms wasn’t too far behind, at 63%. According to this report, they have been the second and third most coveted actual property markets within the state of California, respectively, on the time.

Although the high-end market stays robust, some smaller desert stays are pivoting as soon as once more and looking for out long-term tenants, because the Los Angeles Times has reported. Some, just like the Castle House, have continued to supply company a spot to remain (and glamp, in the event you go for a yurt).

In such a aggressive surroundings, one would suppose that leases would take larger care to make sure a clear and comfy keep. But strolling into the turret, I was struck by how unkempt it felt. Huge, soiled smudges have been seen on varied rounded partitions inside the house. The overhead gentle fixture on the second flooring had metallic protruding of it. Later within the day, I dropped one thing underneath the mattress; When I peered in there to retrieve it, the ground and surrounding areas have been dotted with mud bunnies, crumbs and different particles, as though it hadn’t been cleaned in a very long time.

The constructing’s design additionally left a lot to be desired. While I was sitting outdoors, I may fairly actually hear every part my neighbors have been speaking about inside their castle turret, given how poorly insulated they seemed to be for sound. I was scared to climb as much as the rooftop that I’d been so excited to take a look at at sunset, which opened up by way of a hatch on the second flooring on the turret — the metallic rungs of the steps seemed maybe too precarious to climb up with no spotter, and I apprehensive that making an attempt to do it with naked toes would trigger me to slide (footwear weren’t allowed inside the house in any respect).

I’m properly conscious that the excessive desert is usually a harsh surroundings, and that excessive climate and different realities make it unreasonable to anticipate the identical comforts as large cities. Sand is unavoidable. Strong winds regularly knock out the ability, the web or each out right here. It’s oppressively sizzling a lot of the yr. You may discover some spiky creatures in your footwear. And a glamping property, just like the Castle House, may need a festival-style trailer with bathrooms as a substitute of particular person bogs.

Yet at a worth level of $280 an evening, it isn’t unreasonable to anticipate that these bogs may stand up to a dozen or so individuals utilizing them all through the day. I seen early on that the bathrooms have been a bit difficult to flush fully; By dusk, one of many two bathrooms was out of fee and virtually overflowing.

One factor the Castle House has going for it, although, is the landscaping. Each turret got here with a small metallic desk and chairs outdoors, and the tasteful low lighting on the property’s palms created a stunning ambiance for gazing up on the stars. Other individuals staying on the property had opted to both convey their very own firewood or buy some there ($12 per bundle) to take pleasure in a nighttime bonfire in entrance of their yurts.

But even the magic of the desert itself wasn’t sufficient to salvage the turret. For practically $300, different close by choices abound — maybe with practical bathrooms.

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