The 5 Best Hotels For Unlocking A Grand Canyon Hike

While the Grand Canyon is famous for its stunning views and challenging conditions, the area is home to a handful of diverse and rejuvenating hotels that can improve the visit of even the most grizzled hikers. Whether it’s stocking up for a multi­day trek to the canyon floor or recovering by the pool afterward, these five hotels close to the park’s limits offer unique charms that can bring it the best in any trip to one of America’s most famous landmarks.

Photo: Rob Witt

While the Grand Canyon is famous for its stunning views and challenging conditions, the area is home to a handful of diverse and rejuvenating hotels that can improve the visit of even the most grizzled hikers. Whether it’s stocking up for a multi­day trek to the canyon floor or recovering by the pool afterward, these five hotels close to the park’s limits offer unique charms that can bring it the best in any trip to one of America’s most famous landmarks.

1. The Grand Hotel at the Grand Canyon

Just one mile from the park in Tusayan, the Grand Hotel at the Grand Canyon is one of the biggest and most popular options in the area, offering three floors of rooms, free Wi­Fi, and a Southwestern aesthetic that puts travelers in the mood. The Grand Hotel has a big lobby that’s good for staging before setting off on your canyon expedition. The pool and the hot tub prepare and calm bodies for the stress of the trail.

2. Maswik Lodge

Just a quarter­mile from the canyon, Maswik Lodge started out as one of the original motor lodges in the 1920s before receiving a modern overhaul in the ‘60s. With 250 rooms, a food court and pizza pub, the lodge is a great place to meet fellow campers. Every room has a refrigerator, too, making it easy to stock up on water and supplies for the upcoming trek.

3. Canyon Plaza Resort

Hikers who want to bring their best friends of the furry kind can rest their heads at the Canyon Plaza Resort. The resort has a pool and bar, but travelers will be most at ease by the rules allowing two pets. Those who are looking to see wildlife even bigger can head to nearby Bearizona Wildlife Park, where visitors can observe local bison, bears, and bighorn sheep an hour’s drive from the canyon’s south rim.

4. Phantom Ranch

Hikers looking for a good night’s rest on the trail itself can stop at Phantom Ranch, the only hotel located below the canyon’s rim. About 7 miles down the South Kaibab Trail and about 10 miles along the Bright Angel Trail, Phantom Ranch is only accessible by foot, raft or mule. Hikers stay in bunks much like they have for nearly a century. Booking might be harder than the ensuing climb: The ranch recommends travelers book as much as 13 months in advance.

5. El Tovar

Hikers who love history will appreciate El Tovar, one of the original hotel jewels of the American West and a hotel of choice for Teddy Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, and more recently, Paul McCartney. Intended as a cross between a Swiss chalet and Norwegian villa, El Tovar offers up European luxury that can soothe tired feet and allow hikers who’ve finished their trek to unwind in style. Stay in bed with the hotel’s gourmet in­room dining and enjoy the full bath that’s the envy of the West.