There’s only a few places to stay in Marfa, and they’re all as unique as the one before. You won’t find a Holiday Inn or Motel 6, and for good reason. Each of the hotels in Marfa has a distinct personality of it’s own, and have their own reasons for checking in for a night or two (or three). The Pasiano and El Cosmico were our first experiences in Marfa, but this time we wanted to settle in to the Thunderbird Hotel. We had small sneak peaks on our last trek to Marfa, and wanted to experience it’s vintage appeal. Located behind a blue wall littered with cacti and a neon sign, there’s no lobby, no check-in – you’re immediately immersed in a courtyard full of local plants with a sparkling pool in the center. All 24 rooms face the pool and have easy access to the grounds.
Tip for staying at the Thunderbird? Be okay not checking into an office and having to walk to their restaurant to snag your keys. We’ve learned that this is just apart of the charm of this city and moved on, but we ran into a couple that seemed a little disoriented by the process. You’ll check into your beautifully designed, minimal room with modern finishes. There’s no TV, you’ll have to check out an iron, and there’s not a mini fridge to keep your goodies cold – But with a room so charming, you can easily look past those things. Linens are fresh, the room is bright, and one of our favorite parts was the curated toiletries in the bathroom (seriously, we’re trying to snag these at our local Whole Foods ASAP).
The Thunderbird offers up a few things if you want them – You can rent a typewriter if your Macbook isn’t doing the trick, or a record player – But my favorite part (and dream come true – Looking at you Courtney Kerr) was renting their infamous blue bicycles. I mean…. I had to snag an orange one since one of the tires was low, but that’s neither here nor there. With close proximity to the famous Food Shark, we were able to ride down the street to grab lunch.
Spend your afternoons swimming in their cabana-surrounded pool. You’ll meet unique travelers and swap stories about what you’re doing that evening – and if a desert storm rolls in, you can spend the afternoon on your patio watching the rain pass. Seriously – Thunderbird promotes a life of leisure and we’re on board. While we’ve only stayed at 3 out of the 4 Marfa hotels, we rank Thunderbird high on the list. Prepare for some quirk and the unexpected and you’re sure to have a good time. If you’re not convinced by any of this – You will be after seeing Courtney nearly getting arrested for biking against traffic.
PACKING LIST
Swim Suit
Sunscreen
Mitch Shampoo & Agave Bar Soap
Mitch Hair Gel
Wine (Don't forget the corkscrew)
Sunglasses
BYOT (Bring Your Own Towel ... especially if it has flamingos on it)