![]() The room rates are very reasonable for a National Park as were the dining options. The first and best thing about the Thunderbird Lodge is that you are literally steps away from the Grand Canyon, and that right there should be enough. And if you are planning on hiking down into the canyon at all, it is nice to get an early start without having to drive to get there. The true value comes in having the whole South Rim to yourself after 5pm when the tourists leave for the night. So be prepared to do a little bit of work when it comes to getting checked in, parking, and lugging your bags to your room. The Wifi is incredibly spotty in the rooms, but even cell phone coverage with data is limited out there. All of these are the same types of amenities you will find at a Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, etc. Each day, every room received a USA Today outside the door. The room included a Keurig with different tea and coffee choices. The bathroom had nice lotions, soaps, etc. The décor and bathrooms have been recently updated. The room itself can be a little cramped with four people and all their luggage however, shame on you if you are spending that much time in your room. That said, we could walk out the hotel and be staring in the big hole in the ground about 50 steps from our hotel door. There was no elevator that I know of, you have to schlep your own bags up stairs to get to your room, and you may not have much view if you are on the backside like we were. As another reviewer pointed out, the motel is probably 50 years old and has some "logistics" challenges. So if you want top of the line accommodations (or those that are more modern), you should probably stay elsewhere or prepare to pay much more to stay at El Tovar. I have stayed at several NPS properties in other parks and have to say that this lodge is pretty nice by NPS standards. For those who have never stayed in NPS lodging before, you need to know that you are paying for the location - always. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |