Grand Canyon Lodging at the South Rim
 

Just wondering why El Tovar and Bright Angel are considered the top two lodgings and not Kachina and Thunderbird?

Those two are the oldest lodges, historic and with more "character". Kachina and Thunderbird are basically, pretty nondescript motel-type lodging.

For one, Both El Tovar (1906) and Bright Angel (1935) are historic lodges, with rooms or cabins & decor that harkens back to an earlier time. Both these hotels have restaurants, grand lobbies, and are destinations, not just a collection of rooms.

Kachina and Thunderbird are late mid century chain hotel type lodging. All are located directly on the rim, so location is no different between them.

Maswik and Yavapai are set back from the rim 1/4 to 1/2 mile back among the pines - quick walk to the rim from either. Both are rather basic lodging - motel 6 type, but are perfectly fine for several nights.

We stayed at Maswick in October. It was fine, with well maintained rooms, Wifi, etc. Walk to the rim is very short, as J62 said. No matter where you stay, I suggest learning about the food options at the different lodging because you can eat at any of them. For Maswick, the pizza pub has good fresh-made pizza and beers on tap. Its cafeteria makes a fabulous huevos rancheros for breakfast.
I did not care for the dinner at Bright Angel.
Whether or not you stay at El Tovar, consider lunch or dinner (reservations needed for dinner) in its famous dining room. And take a little time to look around the small "museum" room off the lobby that is dedicated to the hotel's origin as a Harvey House.

We stayed at Kachina in October and recommend it. Yes, it is sort of a two story motel (with interior entrances) but we liked the room, found it relatively spacious, clean and we had a killer view of the canyon. We walked to Bright Anfel for dinner one night and breakfast one morning. Dinner at El Tovar was great and we highly recommend. We also had breakfast at El Tovar on our last day and it was first class. Walking to Bright Angel took maybe seven minutes, to El Tovar about two minutes, it's right next to Kachina. If you book Kachina go for the rim view and request the second floor.

There are Bright Angel cabins as well as the lodge. We stayed in one of them - most are 2 units/cabin with door between so that if you need more space, you reserve both sides. They are also small, basic, each sleeping people.

Some cabins are called Rim View, but really they are all a couple of hundred feet from the Rim - and those right at the Rim could be noisy with people walking by.

I've stayed at Bright Angel cabins, elTovar, Thunderbird and Yavapai. Each had its plusses and minuses.

As has been mentioned, the cabin rooms are small, just room to walk around the queen sized bed, but it did have a bathroom. The positive to staying there is it is near to the rim and the lodges and hotel and you can park your car close to the cabin. If you book the lodge, be aware that some of the rooms share the bathroom down the hall.

Thunderbird is like Kachina, clean basic motel style rooms, larger than the cabin room, sometimes you can find a parking spot close by, otherwise you will need to wait until later in the day to claim a close spot. The plus is that they are right on the rim between el Toovar and Bright Angel lodge.

elTovar had by far the nicest linens, more comfortable bed and nicer toiletries in the bathroom. You might have to search for a parking spot real close if you are there at a busy time.

Unlike some of the other parks, the views of the canyon are best from outside the lodging. You need to be right at the rim to get the best panorama, and it is down from there. Not like where you get to look out the window up at a beautiful mountain vista or across a lake. But by stay in the park you get to walk there in a minute or two and take in the beauty and are there before the crowds come and after they leave.

I love you people! This is such useful info and exactly what I wanted to know. I'm only going to be at s.rim for one night. Called El Tovar today and got a room. Just a regular room, but kinda wanted to experience it from RIGHT THERE!

Make sure you make a dinner reservation too! If you want the whole experience this is part of it!!!!

Maggie...Thanks! Yes....definitely are going to have dinner there. Too early to make reservations, but will do exactly 6 months out. Woohoo!

For sunset, you will want to be at the rim a good 45 minutes before sunset. Just walk the rim trail east from El Tovar, find a good spot and sit and watch the canyon as the sun goes down.

Make your dinner reservation for 30 minutes after sunset. If you are coming during the Summer (June/July) sunset will be from 7:30 to 7:45. You COULD try for dinner before, but I think that would be pushing it. The dining room at El Tovar doesn't start seating until 5 PM, and you might not get seated until after 5:15. Since you would want to be at the rim by 6:30 to 6:45, you might have an hour or a bit longer for dinner, and you wouldn't want to have to rush through it.

Thanks again. You people could charge lotsa moolah for this insider trading! MikePinTucson....Just can't thank you enough, all of that is extremely useful, and will do dinner after sunset. The Xanterra agent suggested the sunset shuttle tour ($23pp I believe), but I don't see the advantage of that over what you suggested. What do you think? I haven't looked into it yet, so I'm not really sure what it entails.

I'm such a travel dork that I printed a June 2016 calendar showing sunrises, sunsets and the moon phases, so I'd know when to schedule things.

I definitely wouldn't bother with a sunset tour. For me, it is best to just find one spot so you can watch the canyon walls change colors during sunset.

I also usually bring a (discreetly hidden) bottle of wine and plastic glasses to sip wine while watching.

There's no reason to take a sunset shuttle tour unless you like giving your money away to Xanterra. Skip it and go out on your own.

Exactly.......I truly did not understand the point of staying IN the canyon only to pay someone to take you to where you could walk to see the sunset. :)
Mike...I SO wanted to ask the wine at sunset question...Thanks for reading my mind. Wink.

I though the shuttle buses were free...

The shuttles operated by the national park are free. OP is referring to a shuttle tour offered by Xanterra. Of course they are going to charge for that.