Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [192]
Lees Ferry Lodge
4 miles west of Navajo Bridge on N. Hwy. 89A (HC 67-Box 1), Marble Canyon, AZ 86036. ☎ 800/451-2231 or 928/355-2230. www.leesferrylodge.com. 10 units. A/C. $56–$95 double. MC, V. Pets accepted.
Some of the best porch-sitting anywhere can be enjoyed outside the low sandstone buildings of this sleepy roadside lodge, a popular stopping place for trout fishers visiting the tiny "Arizona designated place" of Vermilion Cliffs. Although the hotel sits close to the road, traffic is slow at night, and the overall effect is restful. Paintings of wildfowl, trout, and flowers grace the small, rustic rooms. The only things not relaxing are the showers, which erupt like Old Faithful, only less faithfully. Comparable accommodations can be found a few miles away at Cliff Dwellers Lodge, but the restaurant here, the Vermilion Cliffs Bar & Grill, surpasses other area eateries.
EAST OF THE PARK
Cameron Trading Post Motel
Hwy. 89, 54 miles north of Flagstaff (P.O. Box 339), Cameron, AZ 86020. ☎ 800/338-7385 or 928/679-2231. Fax 928/679-2350. www.camerontradingpost.com. 66 units. A/C TV TEL. June–Oct 15 $89–$119 double; Oct 16–Jan $59–$79; Feb–Mar 1 $49–$69; Mar 2–May $69–$99. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Pets accepted in smoking rooms only.
Each stylish room here features unique, Southwestern-style furnishings, many of them handmade by the motel's staff. The motel's Hopi building borders a terraced garden with stone picnic tables, a fountain, and a large grill. Ask for a room on the second floor of the Hopi or Apache building to get the best view of the surroundings. There's also a restaurant and an immense trading post on the premises.
TUSAYAN
Tusayan is about 1 mile south of the park. The town is neither cheap nor particularly charming, with gas, lodging, and food priced about 20% higher than the same items in other gateway towns. However, Tusayan's location makes it the best option for folks who don't have a room inside the park and wish to stay closer than Flagstaff or Williams. A midpriced chain hotel in Tusayan is Grand Canyon Rodeway Inn Red Feather Lodge (☎ 800/538-2345 or 928/638-2414) on Highway 64. Next door is a Holiday Inn Express (☎ 888/ 473-2269 or 928/638-3000).
Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn
Hwy. 64, 1½ miles south of the park (P.O. Box 130), Grand Canyon, AZ 86023. ☎ 800/622-6966 or 928/638-2681. Fax 928/638-2782. www.grandcanyonsquire.com. 250 units. A/C TV TEL. Apr–Oct and Dec 23–31 $105–$185 double; Jan–Mar and Nov–Dec 22 $65–$135. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
There's a lot to do at this hotel, which prides itself on being the only full-service resort at Grand Canyon. You'll find two restaurants (including the town's best, the Coronado Room, reviewed later in this chapter), two bars, tennis courts, a beauty shop, an exercise room, and an outdoor swimming pool. The kids will love the family recreation center, which features bowling and video games.
At $15 to $25 extra, deluxe rooms are spacious, thick-walled, and quiet; they're among the most comfortable in town. The standard rooms are no larger than the rooms at the other area motels, but they do offer hair dryers and coffeemakers.
Grand Canyon Quality Inn and Suites
Hwy. 64, 1 mile south of the park entrance, next to the IMAX Theater (P.O. Box 520), Grand Canyon, AZ 86023. ☎ 800/221-2222 (reservations only) or 928/638-2673. Fax 928/ 638-9537. www.grandcanyonqualityinn.com. 232 units. A/C TV TEL. Apr–Oct 20 $140 double; Oct 21–Mar $100 double. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
In summer, guests here sun themselves around the large outdoor swimming pool and hot tub. In winter, they head for the hotel's atrium, where tropical plants and palm trees shade an 18-foot-long spa with a waterfall. As the area's hot tubs go, this one is the grandest, with jets to massage every aching joint. When guests finally finish soaking, they return to some of the most pleasant accommodations in town, including a number of rooms with private decks