The ice machine charges a quarter for a bucket of ice. The microwave is free, but disgusting and practically useless.
This is just one of the massive roaches we saw...
Dead flies in a filthy windowsill.
Bathroom
Cigarette burns on tub in non smoking room.
Love the Neon, especially at night!
Parking lot the evening we arrived. Not late either.
Motel's sign as soon as one pulls up.
The garbage can for the room.
Ugh, sperm sheets
Jerry R.
Jul 15, 2022
I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about the attitude of the owner or clerk or whatever. I have a litany of complaints about this hotel, but the one thing good I can say about it is the people I interacted with were friendly and eager to help. The price was good, too: Just $66 to stay in a Route 66 hotel. Clever. It all looked nice from the outside... until you look closer.Things started out bad when we walked into the room and it was, literally, 96 degrees in those cramped quarters. We turned the AC on high, went to find a place for a beer (there weren't any suitable -- it's a REALLY dodgy part of town), came back, and it was down to 87 degrees in the room. Ice water will do the trick, I thought, then found out that the ice machine COSTS MONEY. Paid my 25¢ for a bucket of ice, then went back to the room to make some Cup o' Noodles. No coffee maker in the room. Manager tells me there is a microwave for customers to use, so I went there to boil water in the dilapidated 30-year-old appliance. Five minutes later and my cup of water still wasn't boiling.But the room sure was! The sweltering heat was concentrated in the bathroom, where the water pressure was reminiscent of an octogenarian with an enlarged prostate. The room was clean-ish, though it looked not to have been dusted since Clinton was in office.On the whole, it was a terrible experience. Someone willing to spend some money on the place -- other than for cosmetic issues -- might make this hotel a place worth staying in. My advice, skip the Route 66 theme and stay in a nice hotel in a nicer part of town.
Read More
Roxanne B.
Nov 30, 2021
Stayed in room 103 on 11/20/2021 and 11/21/2021. Check-in was easy, and I did decline to put my DL and DOB on the registration slip. Room was vintage nostalgia adorable! Large and well-appointed with desk, dresser, chair/ottoman and two nightstands. The bed was comfortable and the pillows perfect firmness for me. The room had a fridge, but no microwave or coffee. The closet was huge and the shower hot with great pressure. The bathroom floor was warm - was it heated from below? If so - wow. They do have ice, but it's $.25 a bucket. The only negatives this stay were the low pressure in the bathroom sink faucet and a local twea%er knocking on the door at 11AM.Each night cost $65.Grade: BStay again? Absolutely
Read More
Tomas W.
Sep 6, 2021
Very nice and clean place! You can check in at anytime at night without any reservations or online booking. Just walk in pay $65 per room with friendly staff and enjoy your quiet night sleep! Bed is very big and comfortable, ac works fine , bathroom stylish and clean. I'm f you travel on Route 66 and want cheap place to sleep this one is really cool!
Read More
Joel M.
Jul 30, 2019
Not sure about the other rooms but room 101 and 102 Are Route 66 cool. Get 101 if you can. The bed was comfortable and the room was quit. The room was clean and seemed to have all new linens. I know they have refurbished 26 of 51 rooms. The staff was nice. Downside - microwave is next to ice machine and charged me a quarter for the ice. And yes the neon sign was da bomb. Great value.
Read More
Donna H.
Sep 3, 2019
Filthy sheets and filthy bathroom. The shower drained very slowly. Very disappointed with what has happened here.
Read More
Jennifer K.
Aug 7, 2022
This is not the Route 66 motel you are looking for. I found this motel when researching vintage Route 66 motels while planning our vacation; this one came recommended on some blog post re Route 66. I was surprised both at the low price and the availability during the busy summer months. The hotel staff was exceedingly friendly when I booked days before our arrival, and I was thrilled to find a vacancy. The front desk was less hospitable upon check in and I was concerned when I only saw one other car in the parking lot. We went in search of dinner in downtown Tulsa, assuming we'd return to a full parking lot, but only saw one additional car when we returned. I was not convinced of the cleanliness of the rooms so slept on the top of the bed with my own blanket and pillow not wanting to crawl under those sheets and bedspread. My 9 year old daughter was scared to sleep there given the condition of the room and the two random men waking the motel parking lot that night so we slept with the lights on all night. The bathroom had cool Route 66 tile, but otherwise wasn't the cleanest and for some reason was 15 degrees hotter than the rest of the room. Overall adequate for a one night's stay. And, as others have mentioned, the neon sign photographs well at night. We also noted the 25 cents for ice, but my kids liked the vintage ice machine. Also, front desk provided us 4 quarters for free when we tried to break $1 for the ice machine the next morning; so not all bad.
Read More
Julia W.
Feb 26, 2009
If we're working under the Yelp assertion that 2 stars = "Meh. I've experienced better," then yes, Desert Hills Motel is a two star joint. I hate giving shoddy reviews in general, especially when service or food isn't downright deplorable, but the truth is, I *have* experienced better than what this motel offers.I admit it. I was suckered in by the neon sign on our trip through Tulsa. We were exhausted from a long day of driving, but not so tired that we would settle for any old junky motel with crappy signage. Not on Route 66. So we were lured by the neon at Desert Hills, learned that they charge less than $50 per night and thought we'd chance it. In the end, it wasn't a horrible experience, but you do get what you pay for.In this case, that meant we got a bed and a TV in an air-conditioned room that somehow still felt humid and smelled a bit stale. Now, I'm kind of a freak when it comes to bathrooms--sometimes even nice hotels don't live up to my bathroom standards. One tiny spot of anything (hard water stain, a bit of missing grout) and I get the shivers. This bathroom was not dirty or gross, but it was soooo bare bones. The little towels were awfully scratchy, the lights kind of permanently dim. No bugs, no visible dirt or anything--but not what I'd think of as a standard hotel bathroom. As I said, you get what you pay for.All said and done, we got a good night sleep for a song. Anyone who's ever gone camping or stayed at hostels (neither of which I've really experienced) would probably give a more favorable review, but still, "I've experienced better." The sign was pretty kick ass, though.
Read More
Blake G.
Dec 6, 2024
As a Tulsa native, it's been some time since my last stay at the Desert Inn. This establishment hasn't changed in the last 50 years and is known as a no-tell hotel. Its recent claim to fame is its appearance on the TV series "Tulsa King," starring Sylvester Stallone, where scenes were filmed in the lobby, a room, and the parking lot. The portrayal on television as a dump mirrors its real-life condition. The areas along Route 66, also known as 11th Street, and the regions north are generally not recommended for visits, especially at night.In the '70s, the place was a hit among Will Rogers High School students. Rooms cost $5, and a six-pack of Coors was just $1.75. We'd rent three or four rooms, stock the bathtubs with ice and beer, bring our girlfriends, and party the entire weekend. It was a cash-only business with no ID checks. As long as we paid, anything went. The parking lot would be packed. It was a blast back then, even though the area wasn't safe, and it's even less so today. If you're visiting Tulsa and need a hotel, opt for south Tulsa or downtown to avoid break-ins or unwelcome visitors. Most things have stayed the same except for the price, and no more high school students are there on weekends.
Read More
Grace S.
Aug 17, 2023
This motel was awful!!!! The room reeked of cigarettes And mothballs and the bed didn't look like it had been cleaned in months. I also saw three massive roaches in the bathroom and what looked like they're feces all on the corners of the walls and bedding which had holes from of course cigarettes.
Read More
Mark E.
Sep 7, 2022
Great place, very accommodating, we ran in to tire problems. Wonderful place and great people who run the hotel Would recommend and will stay again Thanks
Read More