lodging Grand Canyon and Bryce / Pool
 

Hi there,

Grand Canyon:
We are planing a trip to the grand canyon with kids in the summer and I would love to stay in the park. However, I also would love to have the possibility of going to the pool with the kids after some sightseeing etc. Do you know if any of the hotels that have a pool (e.g. grand hotel tusayan) allow for a day access agains a fee? Similar question con

Second question: Would you stay at Maswik or at the rim such as el tovar or kachina if cost not necessarly the decisive factor?).

Bryce
Is it also "worth it" to stay in Bryce Canyon NP rather than a bit outside (not the price but more comfort etc) or is it less important there concerning "beating the crowd in the morning etc". Same question concerning the pool issue as above.


TIA

I personally see no advantage to being in Kachina or Thunderbird. My go-to lodge at the GC is the Yavapai. It's run by a different concessionaire then the other lodges. Rooms are basic (similar to Maswik). I like that you can park right by your room and there are multiple dining options right nearby. Tour bus operators book large blocks of rooms there and cancel what they don't need in the week or days ahead of check-in so it seems that there are always rooms to be had there if you check back frequently. Book whatever you can find asap then change later if you want to, but you must secure lodging asap. My last trip to the GC was during the height of covid and I was astonished how limited the dining options were in the park. I don't know if they've improved. TRIP REPORT

In your situation you may be better off just staying in Tusayan. I can't see a hotel allowing non-guests use of a pool but who knows.

At Bryce, my personal preference is to stay at Bryce Lodge in the park. It's less about crowds and more about the serenity after day visitors leave, dark skys, and the short walk to the canyon rim at sunrise or sunset, or any time. You can stop back in your room any time you want and still enjoy being in the park.

We've been to Bryce twice and have stayed right outside the park both times. It's such a short drive and takes so little time to get from Bryce Canyon city to the park that I've never seen the benefit of staying inside the park. However, I've visited in the winter, and there were never lines at the entrance - I'd imagine that it's a different story in summer.

The hotel we stayed in - Best Western Plus Grand - has a pool - and a very nice breakfast. I'd be surprised if they allowed non-guests to use their pool, even for a price, but you'd have to ask them.

We go for Rubys Inn at Bryce--the pool is great. Super short drive into the park.

Other than the terrible overpriced restaurant, we enjoyed staying at the Bryce Lodge, getting up early and walking to the rim in our PJs to watch sunrise.

I've only every stayed around the Bright Angel cluster of lodges in Grand Canyon, of those Maswick the best for a family. The only in-park restaurant at that end that I liked was the Pizza Pub which stays open later than the rest of the food court. Never went to El Tovar restaurant as my experience with other NP restaurants is that they are overpriced and mediocre in a conference hotel way, supplied by Sysco (a Sysco truck actually ran into the back of our shuttle bus at the Grand Canyon once). Think Disneyland but worse. Hardly seemed worth the time and expense. Usually you go for the view on the slight chance that you will get a window table (such as the restaurant at the North Rim) or the decor (e.g. Ahwahnee).

We just returned from our trip and we stayed in the Lodge at Bryce. (actually not in the lodge itself but the Sunset motel). For us, it's the convenience of going out to view the night skies, and also getting up early for sunrise. The service and food at the Lodge was nice; we enjoyed our dinners there. If those 2 things aren't important (evening night skies and sunrise), then I don't think it's that important to stay in the lodge inside the park.