Caliente Hot Springs Motel and Spa

Current status: closed

Caliente Hot Springs Motel and Spa looks closed, and there is no sign of a reopening date. Several things point the same way:

• In 2026 Yelp and MapQuest both list the business as closed.
• The official website, calientehotspringsmotelandspa.com, was still up in February 2025. By August 2025 it showed a web host’s “suspended” page, and it no longer loads at all.
• The property was advertised for sale on a commercial real estate site as a motel and spa on Highway 93.
• A hot spring guide that last updated its listing in late 2024 said the motel was temporarily closed and expected to reopen in spring 2023. There is no evidence that it did.

This page stays up so travelers searching for the motel know what to expect. If it reopens under new owners, we will update it. Call (775) 726-3777 before you plan around it. If nobody answers, assume it is still shut.

What it was

The town of Caliente takes its name from the hot springs nearby (“caliente” means “hot” in Spanish), and this property sat on that water at the north edge of town. According to a 2017 report in the Lincoln County Record, the place began in the early 1900s as the Culverwell Hotel, built by the Culverwell family on their ranch. It drew miners, railroad workers and cowboys. It was later rebuilt as the Caliente Hot Springs Motel and Spa.

Jan and John Cole bought the property in spring 2004. It was open to the public from 2004 to 2007, then leased out as long-term employee housing from mid-2007 until 2015. The Coles then closed it for a full renovation and reopened it to the public in March 2017, with a new blue-and-white look.

The setting was simple: a low motel against the hillside, with a year-round spring-fed stream running between the buildings and US-93. The grounds had a grassy, shaded park, a fire pit and a barbecue area, and the lawn was used for weddings and parties.

The tubs

The soaking setup was private rather than a big communal pool:

• Bathhouse: four private tiled soak rooms, each with a step-down tub. Natural mineral hot spring water flowed in at about 104°F40°C, and you could adjust it hotter or cooler with hot and cold taps. Soaking in the private rooms was clothing optional.
• Guest rooms: 18 rooms in all. Six had the spring water piped into jetted baths, so you could soak without leaving your room. All rooms had a flat-screen TV, microwave and refrigerator, and some had kitchens or kitchenettes.

The bathhouse was sold as day use, separate from overnight stays. Pets were not allowed, and children had to be supervised.

Prices and booking

There are no current prices, because the business is not taking guests. Older rates found online are years out of date and should not be relied on. If the motel reopens, expect booking by phone at first, since the old website is gone.

Getting there

Caliente is on US-93 in Lincoln County, in southeast Nevada.

• From Las Vegas: Take I-15 north, then US-93 north to Caliente. The old motel website put the property about 150 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
• From Ely or Pioche: Come south on US-93. The property is at the north end of town, near the turn for Youth Center Drive, so you reach it before the town center.

The historic listing address was 2 Youth Center Drive, at US-93 North. Parking was beside the motel. The site is private, so do not walk the grounds or try the water while it is closed.

When to go

Caliente sits in a narrow desert canyon in southeast Nevada. Spring and fall are the most pleasant seasons, summers are hot, and winter nights can drop below freezing. None of that matters for this motel until it reopens. For now, plan your Caliente stop around the state parks and the town itself.

Where to stay nearby

Caliente still has small motels in town, including the Rainbow Canyon Motel and the Shady Motel on Front Street. For camping:

• Kershaw-Ryan State Park, near Caliente, has a campground, hiking trails, picnic pavilions and a small natural swimming pool.
• Cathedral Gorge State Park, north of town near Panaca on US-93, has a campground.

Lincoln County has six state parks in total, so the area works well as a base for a few days even without the hot springs.

Safety notes

• Private property: The closed motel is private land. Trespassing to reach the spring water is illegal and risky, since pipes, tubs and buildings are not maintained.
• Long empty highways: US-93 has long gaps between services. Fill up in town and carry water.
• Summer heat: Daytime highs can be harsh in the canyon. Plan outdoor time for mornings and evenings.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Caliente Railroad Depot, a two-story Spanish mission style station built in 1923 for the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, now holds city offices, a library and a gallery. Rainbow Canyon, south of town, is known for rock climbing. And Cathedral Gorge is worth a stop on any drive north on US-93.