Utah Hotel Tips by vtveen Top 5 Page for this destination

Capitol Reef Inn & Cafe: with some local touch

If possible (and affordable) we prefer local kind of accommodations to standard chain motels/hotels. These last ones are mostly located outside Torrey, another reason to look around (on the internet). After a lot of research - couldn’t find anything on Virtual Tourist and Tripadvisor - we decided for Capitol Reef Inn & Cafe.

This motel is located along the Main Street in a quiet area (as everything is quiet in Torrey). It is a smaller family owned motel, which offers just nine or ten rooms. These are situated behind the main building in a kind of garden with large trees. In front of our room we had a nice picnic table, so we were able to sit outside in the shadow.
The room itself was very spacious with two large beds; furniture is solid and made of pine log. In the evening - with the lights on - it was absolutely cosy with a local western touch.

The main building has a book and gift shop and a restaurant, also serving breakfast. Otherwise you could buy bread and filling at the general store hundred meters away.
When leaving after two nights we found a small gift from the housekeeper in our room.

If you like a smaller local accommodation Capitol Reef Inn & Cafe is an excellent - and very affordable - choice and a good base for exploring the national park.

Unique Qualities: Small-scaled, more or less basic, family owned and very affordable.

Address: 360 West Main St., Torrey, Utah

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Coming from highway 12 or 24 drive into Torrey, you will find the motel on the right hand side at the end of the town.

Price: US$20-40

Theme: Motel

Website: http://https://www.capitolreefinn.com/

Springdale - El Rio Lodge: no frills and affordable

El Rio Lodge has been closed. The owner of El Rio Lodge builds a new supermarket on site, which we be the only supermarket in town. Just apity this most affordable motel (for budget travellers is closed.

“You get what you pay for.”
That is what their website says. And I think it is the truth. We had one of the cheaper rooms and paid about USD 66,- (tax included) for one night. For such rates we didn’t expect all kind of frills.

We had a room on the ground floor with chairs to sit on the terrace. The room – accessible by a glass sliding door - is not very spacious; it has TV, microwave and airco (although a little bit noisy). Our bed was quite comfortable and we slept quite well !!
People at the front desk – it has also a small gift shop - were not too friendly, but you only see them when checking in.

The location of El Rio Lodge is for free: almost in the centre of Springdale, close to restaurants, opposite to a gas station with a small ‘supermarket’, there is a stop of the shuttle bus almost in front of your room. We had our breakfast in a small café: Mean Bean Coffee House, a stone’s throw away from the motel.

Unique Qualities: We stayed only one day in Springdale and El Rio Lodge was just for our night rest.
And we got what we paid for: an affordable no frills lodge !!

Address: 995 Zion Park Boulevard, Springdale, Utah

Comparison: least expensive

Price: US$20-40

Theme: Motel

Kanab - Parry Lodge: sleeping with Omar Shariff

After deciding for a stay in Kanab during our trip in Utah/Arizona, we knew for sure it would be in Parry Lodge. Since staying in ‘little Hollywood’ and not choosing Parry Lodge would be a ‘mistake’.

Already in 1931a lovely Colonial Home was turned into a tourist lodge and restaurant by the Parry brothers. Parry Lodge was born and the movie business was about to take off. Over the next five decades the lodge served as headquarters for films and ^TV-shows and lots of movie stars stayed in the lodge.

Especially the old part of Parry Lodge with the front desk, lobby and dining room looks has a lot of charm with its more or less outdated interior, chandeliers, autographed photos and notes of famous movie stars. It is just like stepping back in time.

Most of the rooms are situated behind the main building in a quiet setting far away from the highway. All rooms are named after movie stars; we had room 176 – the Omar Shariff Room. This spacious room has a king size bed, which was OK. Room and bathroom were clean.
There is also a pool area and it was nice just sitting and swimming after a day of ‘hot’ sightseeing.

The Old Barn Theatre on the premises of the lodge once was a stable for the ‘movie horses’, but nowadays a movie theatre. After dinner we watched a (part of) a western movie, which was filmed around Kanab. This service is for free for guests !!

The next morning we had our breakfast(buffet) - basic/good value - in the dining room of Parry Lodge; as a guest we got a nice discount and had to pay just ‘a couple of dollars’.

Unique Qualities: The charm and atmosphere of the old main building, linked with modern facilities for an affordable price.

Address: 89 East Center Street, Kanab, Utah

Comparison: about average

Directions: Along Highway 89 in the center of Kanab.

Price: US$20-40

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.parrylodge.com

Tropic – the Bullberry Inn: affordable stay nearby Bryce

We were looking for accommodation for our Bryce Canyon visit and came across the village of Tropic and more specific The Bullberry Inn. This ‘bed and breakfast’ is located along Scenic Byway 12, just outside Tropic. It is a quite new and nice building surrounded by vast green lawns and during our visit with some horses around.

We had our room in a more or less separate building (on the photo the smaller ‘house’ on the right), which has two rooms. Rooms are rather spacious, although a little bit Spartan with massive home made pine log furniture; bed and bathroom were fine. Our room had a porch, which was nice to relax.
From the Inn you even have a view of the mountains of Bryce.

Wally and Nettie (the hosts) offer a ‘full country breakfast’. But on our request we got a ‘light breakfast’ with juice, coffee/tea, toasted bread, egg, some fruit and ‘of course’ BULLBERRY jelly.
This is an old family recipe made from local picked bullberries, which only seem to grow in this region. When leaving the Inn you get some of the jelly to take home.

After having seen the hustle and bustle in and around Ruby’s Inn nearby the entrance of Bryce Canyon NP (it is a real tourist trap), we were very happy that we decided staying in Tropic; a lot nicer and more affordable, paying just USD 95, (incl. taxes and breakfast).

Unique Qualities: Quietness and space around the Inn.
Affordable (for Bryce).

Address: 412 S State Highway 12, Tropic, Utaj

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Just east of Tropic along highway 12 to Cannonville.

Price: US$40-80

Theme: Bed and Breakfast

Website: http://www.bullberryinn.com

Moab - Mayor’s House Bed & Breakfast: Hidden gem – yummie breakfast

We intended to stay three nights in Moab we were looking for nice (at least with a swimming pool) and affordable accommodation and therefore we did a lot of research on the internet. At last we found Mayor’s House Bed & Breakfast, which looked nice and had good reviews.

This bed and breakfast indeed is located in a beautiful and spacious former house of Moab’s mayor. It is situated a couple of blocks from the centre (but on walking distance) in a quiet suburb. The house is surrounded by a garden with lovely trees, which provide a pleasant shadow in some places. Using the swimming pool after our day trips to Arches and Canyonlands was quite refreshing while enjoying the afternoon sun and the red rocks of the Moab Rim.

Breakfast is one of the highlights in Mayor’s House; often with fresh baked waffles, pancakes, muffins or something else and always with fresh healthy fruit. We asked for a less American breakfast and it was custom made. Breakfast is served between 7.30 and 8.30 am (little bit early but anyway you can start sightseeing on time) at the large breakfast table; ideal for meeting and chatting with other travellers.

We stayed in the Miner’s Room, the smallest and cheapest room of the house, but for us no problem at all. In the evening we could read a book or do some ‘paperwork’ in the large and stylish living room.
We paid (June 2008) about USD 100,- per day taxes and breakfast included !!

Unique Qualities: + +
The setting of this bed and breakfast in a quiet suburb with lots of trees and shadow, but still on walking distance to the centre.
Its fantastic ‘yummie’ breakfasts
Affordable for Moab

- -
It is not possible to lock your door, but knowing that we took our precautions and it wasn’t a big issue for us
It is rather hard to make a reservation and getting a confirmation.

Address: 505 Rose Tree Lane, Moab

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: 4 1/2 blocks east from Main Street

Price: US$40-80

Theme: Bed and Breakfast

Website: http://www.mayorshouse.com

Mexican Hat, San Juan Inn: perched along the river

San Juan Inn is one of the three accommodations in Mexican Hat. It is a motel like inn, built in two storeys and perched along the San Juan River. There is also a river access and one can relax on benches and chairs on the border of the river.

Our room was rather spacious and had an excellent bed. We used the gallery on the first floor as balcony and enjoyed the views of the river and the surrounding landscape. We were absolutely unlucky with a power failure, so we didn’t have light and airco during a long part of the evening. To be honest we didn’t miss the airco and with an open window it was even fresh.

On the premises are also an exercise room (too hot for us), a laundry, a restaurant and the former trading post (now more or less a ‘normal’ shop) with an internet connection.

Unique Qualities: Its location:
- nearby a couple of major sights like Goosenecks State Park, Moki Dugway, Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley;
- just outside the Navajo Indian Reservation, so it is allowed to drinka beer or wine.

Cheaper alternative (June 2008: we paid USD 88,-) for the accommodations in Monument Valley.

Address: Mexican Hat, Utah

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Along Highway 163, next to the bridge over the San Juan River.

Other Contact: SanJuanInn@Citlink.Net

Price: US$40-80

Theme: Motel

Website: http://www.sanjuaninn.net/index.aspx