A once-glamorous resort was rusting away in the California desert.
Then, three friends brought itand the entire townback to life.
Luis Garcia
Occasionally, I have the fantasy of running my own inn.
The entrance to Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel.Credit:Luis Garcia
Maybe its a common dream among travelers.
For me, its certainly an unrealistic oneI couldnt handle the headaches, the bills, or the laundry.
I definitely dont picture myself in this scenario, essentially becoming the town mayor.
From left: A glider prepares for takeoff at Jacumba Airport; vintage clothing at Impossible Railroad Trading Post.Luis Garcia
Melissa Strukel, an interior designer fromSan Diego, didnt see those things for herself, either.
In 2020, she and her boyfriend were on a road trip along Californias Old Highway 80.
Up in the mountains near the Mexican border, they passed a rundown motel.
From left: An old-fashioned at Jacumba’s bar; a retro hotel sign.Luis Garcia
I couldnt stop thinking about it, I couldnt stop talking about it, she told me.
A few months later, Strukel heard the property was for sale and made an offer.
Maybe Hollywood should make a sequel, I thought, and call it “We Bought a Town.”
From left: The hotel’s sunny, art-filled restaurant; a meze board and carnitas tacos at the restaurant.Luis Garcia
Jacumba Hot Springs, population just shy of 900, lies about 70 miles east of San Diego.
There were pockets of trees, their autumn leaves turning golden.
The mountains resembled heaps of reddish rock.
From left: The indoor Echo pool; Corbin Winters and Jeff Osborne, two of Jacumba’s owners.Luis Garcia
When I drove into town, I almost passed right through and out the other side.
Theres no stoplight, just a few shops and weathered ranch-style homes.
It looked like a gold-mining village from the Old West.
A building housing suites at the Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel.Luis Garcia
But a groovy sign that read restaurant.
I met the three owners for a mezcal Old-Fashioned on the restaurants shady terrace.
As they told it, the story of Jacumba is equal parts real estate saga and desert dream.
The Siren Suite.Luis Garcia
Families would drive for days on end, and finding a nice stopover was a big deal.
Jacumba was advertised as a wellness outpost, designed to compete with places like Palm Springs.
During Prohibition, its proximity to the Mexican border didnt hurt, either.
Looking out over the Imperial County Valley from the Desert View Tower, outside the town of Jacumba Hot Springs.Luis Garcia
But that all changed in the 1960s, when Interstate 8 was constructed, bypassing the town.
Tourism dried up, and by the turn of the 21st century, Jacumba had fallen on hard times.
They may have started out as hoteliers, but they ended up becoming small-town planners.
Reception at Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel, in southern California.Luis Garcia
Were all sort of risk takers, fearless, and not out for capitalistic gain, Strukel said.
Were in this for the adventure and the process.
The main attractions are two large outdoor pools fed by mineral-rich springs.
From left: The restored lake in the town of Jacumba Hot Springs; Old Highway 80, which passes through town.Luis Garcia
Indoors, theres a smaller pool named Echo, which is kept at 102 degrees.
After I had settled in, the four of us took a walk through the village.
The trioStrukel, Winters, and Osbornedid not just redo a hotel; they revitalized a town.
From left: A bedroom at Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel; the pool scene at the resort.Luis Garcia
The lake is now full of water, landscaped, and open to the public.
A fire in the 1970s had left the arched, pink-walled structure a roofless ruin.
But the towns patrons had festooned it with candles, rugs, heat lamps, and a bar.
Free concerts are held there most weekends.
Winters, one of Jacumbas co-owners, volunteers as a waitress.
Its amazing what theyve done, he added.
(About 70 percent of the hotel employees live nearby, the owners said.)
We love the people of this community, Strukel told me.
Theyre like family now.
We want everybody to feel really good and welcomed.
A version of this story first appeared in the May 2025 issue ofTravel + Leisureunder the headline Bubbling Over.
