Anyone here stay at a National Park Grand Canyon hotel?

[Snoozan]

I'm heading out to AZ the end of Feb. 2010 and my DH and I are planning a couple days in the Grand Canyon(South Rim)area. Is it worth it to spend the extra $$$ to stay in one of the hotels in the Grand Canyon park, run by the National Parks Service? These hotels seem to be pretty basic motel rooms - nothing fancy - guess you're paying for the opportunity to be near the rim. I could probably get a hotel outside the main gate areas for a bit less that would probably be more updated and with free breakfast. I'm just not sure which way to go. Anyone been in this area lately?

[Jeanne B]

Absolutely!!! We spent one night at Kachina Lodge and it was SO worth it, I don't recall the room being much more than $100, it was basic (and neat and clean which is all that mattered to me) but the view was fabulous. We woke up in the middle of the night and there were elk grazing out on the lawn between the lodge and the edge of the canyon so we opened the window and watched them for a while, it was amazing, I got up early in the morning before the day visitors arrived and went outside and watched them again, took pictures, walked along the canyon, it was such a peaceful morning that your typical day visitor doesn't experience, by the time most of them got there the elk were gone...so I highly, highly recommend it!!!

View from our room window...

[tar heel]

We thought it was worth it and would definitely do it again.

[redzinner]

In 2009 Disney used the Thunderbird Lodge as part of their Southwest Splendors Tour (Adventures by Disney) during the stay at Grand Canyon. Reviews can be found on the Disboards Adventures by Disney forum.

[bicker]

That Kachina Lodge looks incredible.

Unfortunately, they want $180 per night.

[MrsPete]

My advice is a little off-topic because I stayed at the NORTH Rim, but we absolutely loved it.

We stayed in a two-room Pioneer cabin (they do have a hotel inside the North Rim, but it's kind of piddly and far from everything). It was pretty expensive for what it was, but they had the benefit of location-location-location! We had two bedrooms with a bathroom between them. The cabin had heat but no air conditioning (didn't need it -- even in July), and it included a refrigerator but no microwave.

If you stay at the North Rim, there is nothing nearby. Nothing. You cannot run out to a restaurant just outside the park, and there are no other activities nearby. You go for the canyon and its activities.

I absolutely loved the North Rim. It was not hot, even in July. It wasn't so horribly crowded, again, even on July 4th. We had no trouble getting reservations for mule rides. Every evening people gather at the Lodge and watch the sun go down, and the staff lights a monumental-sized fire in the walk-in fireplace; waiters come by and serve drinks.

I would love to go back, and I wouldn't even consider staying outside the national park.

I've also stayed in cabins in Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Custer State Park. I put them in the category of "expensive but worth it".

[Wishing on a star]

We visited the Grand Canyon last spring.

We did not stay at one of the lodges, but our tour was a Sunset Tour. We spent the afternoon at The Village where two of the lodges are. We had lunch at one of the Lodge Restaurants (The Arizona Room, I think?) and this included staying at one of the nice overlook areas to experience the sunset, till after dark.

I can tell you that sunrise and sunset, (the morning and evening) are worth it. This is really when to 'experience' the Grand Canyon. If we ever return, I will hope to be able to stay in GCNP.

[MM27]

I stayed in one of the Frontier Cabins at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. They did their job, but nothing close to luxary. Think bed, walls, shower, toilet and sink. That's what you got. There were some amazing views nearby though.

[BillSears]

I stayed at Thunderbird in April and I loved it! Staying at the canyon watching the sun set. Being there as night falls and the crowds disappear. Walking around and seeing all of the animals come out at night. Then waking up early to walk out of your hotel room and watch the sunrise over the canyon.

I might have saved $100.00 staying off-site but it was worth it to me to stay one night on the canyon rim.

[maelstrom]

Those elk are enough to make me want to stay at one of these hotels. I have this "thing" about animals with antlers... I think that deer, moose, elk, caribou, etc are just about the coolest things ever. I would *love* to see a moose in person, but I'd have to go way upstate (I live in New York) or into Canada to see them anywhere close to my home. I actually had no idea that elk lived at the Grand Canyon, and I definitely did not see any there when I went (a long time ago). I also didn't even know that the National Parks Service ran hotels at the Grand Canyon. We just returned from a wild west adventure (Phoenix, Disneyland, Los Angeles, Hollywood, & Las Vegas), so it'll be a long while until we head out there again, but I will definitely keep these hotels in mind for next time. And the elk! :D