Arne’s Royal Hawaiian Motel

Loved this place! Stayed in November of 2015. There seemed to be no one at the front desk and most of the rooms were boarded up. Desperate for some sleep, I wandered down the row, turning door knobs along the way. Finally (Rm 112) I found a door that was unlocked and not boarded up. Although the lights didn’t work I was wearing my headlamp so that wasn’t really a problem. Sitting down on the edge of the unmade bed to remove my shoes, I began to sense that I was not alone in the room. Turning, I was immediately alarmed to see that somebody else was asleep on the other side of the king bed! Or so I thought! Closer inspection revealed that this woman had been «asleep» for quite awhile — perhaps 2 or 3 years! (long enough that she was pretty thoroughly mummified and didn’t give off much of an odor.
Gathering myself, I realized that it wouldn’t do much harm to lay down and catch a few «zzz’s». I wanted to get an early start the next morning anyway and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have to worry about being tempted to wait around for the continental breakfast. (Ha, Ha!)
The mattress proofed comfy and the toilet seemed to work (although there was no water in it — «Hello– we’re in the middle of the desert, for cryin’ out loud!»)
I’ve stayed in better, but if you’re in the middle of the Mojave and bone tired this place will work!

I’d like to tell you a little story about this terrifying place–
In 2006, I moved from Northwest Indiana to Palm Springs for my job. Since I did not have much stuff, I just loaded up my jeep and drove across the country. I planned to do it in 2 days, but on the first day, I left later than I planned (hard to say goodbye!) and only made it to Lexington, Nebraska. I got up early on Day 2 and drove all day. 18 hours later, I’d just passed Vegas and was pretty tired. I saw signs for Baker and the World’s Largest Thermometer, so I was optimistic about the lodging possibilities!
I pulled off the freeway and found I only had one option– Arne’s Royal Hawaiian Motel. It looked very «Bates Motel» as the previous reviewer mentioned, but I had no other options. I should have either stopped in Las Vegas an hour earlier or just driven the last 3 hours to Palm Springs. But I didn’t. I was young and stupid.
Let me tell you about the lovely accomodations I had for a mere $ 50!
— The «bed» was a mattress on the floor. No other furniture in the room except a tv hung from the wall.
— Blue shag carpetting that went from the floor right up the wall and to the ceiling. Yes. Every surface except the ceiling was covered in this carpet.
— A pile of someone else’s clothes in the corner!
— TV turned on with a light switch and only got one channel (which at one point in the evening showed a Law and Order episode about a girl who gets murdered in a hotel room).
— The shower stall was so moldy/​mildewy that when I stepped into it, the floor sank down (I wore flip flops!). No hot water.
— I also noticed in the morning that the small window in the bathroom had no glass or even curtains. It was just an open hole to the outside.
Needless to say, I did not get much sleep. I don’t even recall getting inside the blankets/​sheets on the bed, I think I just slept on top. What a nightmare!!! So happy to hear it is now closed.

This place is no longer in business. But its deserted shell gives off a creepy Bates motel vibe. Not to mention that the whole royal Hawaiian theme is a bit out of date.
Norman!
Yes, mother?