The Grand Canyon offers too much to see in one day. In Grand Canyon Village you can stay right on the rim at Bright Angel Lodge, Thunderbird Lodge, Kachina Lodge, or El Tovar Hotel. Maswik and Yavapai lodges, in the woods about two blocks back from the rim, also offer rooms. All of these may fill up from early April through October. The town of Tusayan, outside the park nine miles south of Grand Canyon Village, provides additional places to stay. Although last-minute rooms may be available, reservations from six up to 23 months in advance will give you the best choice.
Grand Canyon Village
Xanterra Parks & Resorts (6312 S. Fiddlers
Green Circle, Suite 600N, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, 888/297-2757 or 303/297-2757
advance reservations up to 23 months, 928/638-2631 same-day reservations, fax 303/297-3175,
or online at www.grandcanyonlodges.com)
operates all the lodges here, as well as Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Canyon
and South Rim mule rides.
One of the grand old hotels of the
West, El Tovar has offered the Canyon's finest accommodations and dining
since 1905. This national historic landmark offers rooms—no two alike—with
modern conveniences, yet it retains an old-fashioned lodge ambience. Guests enjoy
a restaurant, concierge service, lounge, and gift shops. Four of the 12 suites have
Canyon views. Room rates run $123 d for a standard double up to $175 d for a deluxe
and $225-285 for a suite.
The rustic 1935 Bright Angel
Lodge sits on the rim a short distance from the Bright Angel trailhead. Hikers
and other visitors gather in the lobby, patio, restaurants, and lounge of this popular
place. Rates for historic cabins run $84 d, rim cabins $105 d, and rim cabins with
fireplace $127 d. The Buckey O'Neill Suite dates from the early 1890s and is one
of the oldest structures in the park; it costs $241 d. Rooms in the lodge cost $49
with sink only, $55 with toilet, and $67 d with toilet and shower or tub; other
facilities are down the hall. The Bright Angel History Room displays memorabilia
from early tourist days and a "geological fireplace" in which Canyon rocks
have been laid in the proper stratigraphic sequence. A series of murals in the Bright
Angel Coffee House/Lounge by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie includes some humorous scenes.
The transportation desk in the lobby organizes mule trips, bus tours, and Phantom
Ranch accommodations.
Maswik Lodge, two blocks south
of Bright Angel Lodge, has a cafeteria plus cozy cabins for $64 d (closed in winter)
and basic rooms for $77 d in the south section, and larger, nicer rooms in the north
section at $119 d. Yavapai Lodge, one mile east of Bright Angel Lodge near
Market Plaza, offers modern rooms for $91 d in the west section and slightly better
rooms for $103 d in the east section; there's also a cafeteria here; the lodge may
close for part of the winter but opens during the holidays.
Kachina and Thunderbird Lodges, on the rim between El Tovar and Bright Angel
Lodge, offer modern rooms for $115 d back side or $125 d canyon side.
Tusayan
Motels, restaurants, an RV park/campground, an IMAX Theater,
and other tourist services line the highway in this compact town nine miles south
of Grand Canyon Village. They're all well signed. Prices run on the high side for
accommodations, though they drop in winter or any time business is slow.
Valle
You'll pass through this tiny town 28 miles south of Grand Canyon
Village if you're coming on the direct routes from Williams or Flagstaff. Grand
Canyon Inn has a restaurant, outdoor
pool, and a gift shop, but the restaurant may close part of the winter. The office
also rents rooms in the Grand Canyon Motel across the highway. Reservations
are recommended on summer weekends.