Best places to stay in Grand Canyon include El Tovar Hotel, The Grand Hotel, Kachina Lodge, Yavapai Lodge, and many more.
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is one of the most beautiful family travel destinations in the world.
It attracts a large number of domestic and international tourists every year. The tour of the Grand Canyon can be completed in a day.
But when you extend the tour for a day or two you get to experience the sunrise and sunset which helps defines the beauty with the different color shades of the Canyon. It will also give you time to explore majestic landscapes through various activities including hiking, and helicopter tours.
The best region to visit in the Grand Canyon is its south rim as it has easy access to beautiful landscapes and it is also open for the whole year. The north rim of the Canyon has very few accommodations as it has beaten paths.
The south rim also features historic buildings such as Buckey O’Neil Cabin, Kolb Studio, Hopi House, Grand Canyon Railway Depot, Lookout Studio, and Desert View Watchtower.
It is known that the best place to stay at the Grand Canyon National Park is the Grand Canyon Village as it is positioned inside the park and only a short distance away from the beautiful scenery of the area but the drawback of the area is that the hotels and lodges in the area have higher rates.
Tusayan is another best place to stay while you are visiting the Canyon. The area has hotels that are cheaper and often more luxurious. The airport is also located in the region from where the helicopter tour starts.
Valle is another area with a few hotels and lodges and it is only half an hour’s drive from the south rim. The town is mainly known for its Planes of Fame Air Museum.
Williams town is known as the gateway to Grand Canyon but staying in this part of the region is feasible if you are visiting Grand Canyon as part of a big road trip.
Here are the 10 best places to stay in the Grand Canyon near the south rim when you are visiting with your loved ones.
1. El Tovar Hotel
El Tovar Hotel is considered a historic hotel located at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. The National Historic Landmark was constructed from local limestone and Oregon pine.
The chief architect Charles Whittlesey had envisioned the hotel as the cross between a Norwegian villa and a Swiss chalet. In the past, the hotel had well-known guests including Albert Einstein, Theodore Roosevelt, President Bill Clinton, and Sir Paul McCartney.
The hotel features a fine dining room, gift shops, and a lounge and also provides services including full bell service and in-room dining for breakfast and dinner. It has 78 rooms out of which 12 them are suites and because of its historic significance, no two rooms are alike.
The 12 suites of the hotel have distinctive names, decor, and styles for each suite.
The standard room has one queen bed, two queen beds, one double bed, or one king bed, and the deluxe rooms have two queen beds, one king bed, or one queen bed. There are no elevators available in the hotels.
2. Yavapai Lodge
Yavapai Lodge is located inside the national park and it is only a short half a mile from the Grand Canyon’s rim.
The lodge has 358 guestrooms which have been recently renovated they have updated the furnishing and amenities to make visitors’ stay more comfortable and enjoyable. All the rooms in the lodge include a refrigerator, coffee maker, flat screen television, air conditioner (in east rooms), and ceiling fan (in west rooms). It also offers free WiFi.
The location of the lodge is one of its best features as it is close to restaurants, shops, and banks. The entire lodge is surrounded by Juniper and Pinyon woodlands.
If you are looking for better quality lodges inside the national park.
3. Kachina Lodge
Kachina Lodge was constructed in the years the 1960s directly on the rim of the Grand Canyon.
The rooms in the lodge have a comfortable modern ambiance and similar amenities. Many people choose Kachina because of its famous location as it is in the center of the historic district.
The gift shops, Kolb Studio, restaurants, Bright Angel Trail Head, and Verkamp’s Visitor Center are only walking distance away from the lodge. The rooms with partial Canyon views are also available.
The rooms in the lodge have either two queen beds or one king bed and it also includes a full bath, telephone, refrigerator, flat-screen TV, coffeemaker, safe, and hairdryer.
The guests staying at Kachina need to check in at the El Tovar front desk.
4. The Grand Hotel At The Grand Canyon
The only three-diamond hotel located in the area and one of the few hotels that provide the facility with an indoor heated swimming pool and hot tub.
This luxurious hotel has been in business since 1998 and it is located just a mile away from the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. The exterior and interior of the hotel look like a sprawling three-story chalet with a perfect mixture of modern and rustic design.
The Grand Hotel provides spacious and comfortable rooms. It also has a fitness center, a climate-controlled swimming pool, and a boutique gift shop that sells outdoor gear, Native American jewelry and art, and unique gifts.
This hotel is the best option for people who wants to stay close to the Canyon and enjoy their time in a nice hotel.
5. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon is located in the best Grand Canyon area as it is within a short distance of several main tourist destinations including Hopi House, South Kaibab Trailhead, and Grand Canyon National Park.
The hotel has 196 spacious and comfortable rooms and suites which have varieties of features such as large windows which can be opened as per the need, free wifi, and 32-inch cable TV with an in-room movie selection.
The rooms also feature other amenities such as a telephone with free local calls and voicemail, desk, coffeemaker, iron board, clock radio, and private bathroom with hairdryers.
The hotel also has a swimming pool and provides complimentary breakfast that includes signature cinnamon rolls, fresh coffee, juice, fruits, and varieties of delicious food and hot beverages.
The Grand Canyon airport is located less than half a mile away from the hotel, with taxi services from the hotel and airport.
6. Grand Canyon Inn & Motel
Grand Canyon Inn & Motel is only 20 minutes drive from the Grand Canyon. It is a family-owned business that has been passed down to four generations.
The motel was first built with 33 rooms and today the Grand Canyon Inn and Motel have expanded to 101 rooms. The family of the hotel also provides water and trash services in the area.
The rooms and suites of the motel have their original design from the twenties but they have made some appropriate modernization that looks welcoming and comfortable.
They have three types of rooms available single, double, and queen rooms. The single and double rooms are located in the annexed building across the main building Inn which features wifi, television, air conditioner, and shower. These rooms don’t have telephone services.
The queen room is located in the main Inn building. The room comes with a refrigerator, shower with tub, iron board, TV, wifi, hair dryer, air conditioner, and two queen beds.
The motel is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu features delicious food items which include hamburgers, steaks, quesadillas, charbroiled chicken sandwiches, salads, and many more.
The Grand Canyon bar is known for severing the best alcohol-distilled spirits. It also serves varieties of local craft beer and refreshing drinks.
7. Under Canvas Grand Canyon
Under Canvas Grand Canyon is the highly recommended place to stay in Grand Canyon. The place provides all the luxury of a hotel combined with outdoor camping.
Under Canvas is situated only 25 minutes from the south rim entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. It is in a secluded area surrounded by juniper and pinon forest. Under Canvas has been named one of the best resort hotels in Arizona by Travel + Leisure.
It provides various amenities such as organic bath products, on-site dining, USB battery packs, fire pit and s’mores, west elm furnishing, and complimentary activities.
The place has nine different types of tents.
- The Suite Tent (king-sized bed and lounge area with queen sofa bed)
- The Stargrazer (king bed with night sky viewing window above the bed)
- The Deluxe Tent
- Safari Tent
- Safari with 3 Twins (three twin beds)
- Suite with Kids Tent (traditional suite plus private adjacent tent with two twin beds)
- Stargrazer with Kids Tent
- Deluxe with Kids Tent
- Safari with Kids Tent
The six tents have a private bathroom but Safari Tent, Safari with 3 Twins, and Safari with Kids Tent have a shared bathhouse. All the tents include wood burning stove with complimentary firewood.
Under Canvas’s culinary menu offers seasonal foods and beverages with locally sourced ingredients.
The resort is also located in 11 other places including Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Glacier, Great Smoky Mountain, Lake Powell-Grand Staircase, Moab, Mount Rushmore, North Yellowstone-Paradise Valley, West Yellowstone, Zion and ULUM Moab.
8. The Lodge On Route 66
According to The Lodge on Route 66 website, it is the Williams’ upscale luxurious lodge located along Historic Route 66.
It is situated within walking distance of its historic district, old west main attractions, shops, parks, train station, and restaurants. The rooms of the lodge have air mattresses covered in 100% cotton sheets.
The lodge offers eight different types of rooms for the guest to choose from.
- 1 Queen Room
- 1 Queen Suite
- 2 Queen Room
- 2 Queen Suite
- Queen Suite with Full Kitchen
- 2 Queen Family Suite
- King Suite
- Executive Suite
All the rooms in The Lodge on Route 66 have a large flat-screen TV, air conditioner, hair dryers, complimentary toiletries, and coffee. The executive suite features Turkish travertine Jacuzzi tub and a double-headed walk-in travertine shower.
The lodge also features a tour desk and allows the guests to enjoy their time on the terrace. It also provides a continental breakfast which is included in the hotel’s rate.
9. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Williams
La Quinta Inn & Suites is a perfect hotel when you have planned to explore Flagstaff, Coconino National Forest, and more. It is situated off I-40 and historic Route 66.
It is the best mid-budget hotel which includes an indoor pool, on-site fitness center, hot tub, and business center. The hotel provides free Bright Side Breakfast and wifi.
The guest rooms are non-smoking and include amenities like a microwave, mini-refrigerator, desk, iron and board, and a flat-screen TV. Some guest rooms have a decorative LED fireplace.
La Quinta Inn & Suites is the gateway to natural wonders as it is surrounded by Bill Williams Mountains and the Kaibab forest.
10. Grand Canyon Railway Hotel
When you are planning a trip with your friends and family to Gran Canyon the railway makes it easy with packages that combine hotel accommodations and train travel.
The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel is the best and most convenient if you are willing to venture out and explore the area. If you are looking forward to exploring the Native American ruins to the northeast, the red rocks of Sedona, the ski resort on the San Fransico Peaks, or the Grand Canyon, this hotel is positioned in the middle of the mentioned sites.
The hotel has 298 rooms which include Standard rooms, Deluxe rooms, Suites, and The Rail Baron Suite. The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel provides dining options at the Fred Harvey Restaurant and Spenser’s Pub.
Fred Harvey Restaurant restaurant provides buffet-style breakfast and dinner. The breakfast menu includes foods such as pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, fruits oatmeal, and more.
Every night the dinner menu includes inspired recipes used by classic American railroads from golden age.
Spenser’s Pub is a signature room in the hotel as it has a custom handcrafted mahogany bar which was built in the late 1800s. The hotel features other amenities such as a business and computer center, electric vehicle charging stations, a fitness center, and golf at a higher level.