Family of four - parents, 10-year old and 13-year old - traveling to Zion in April. Trying to decide between Zion Lodge and Desert Pearl Inn. What are your thoughts?

With a 10 yr old and a 13 yr old, I would want more space than one hotel room. In case you don't know, Flanigan's in Springdale has 2 two bedroom, split level apartment-type units with a living area w/TV, TV in one of the two bedrooms, queen beds in the two bedrms, and a sofa bed in the living area, w/a wet bar, fridge, coffee maker area also, and one full bath. Just an option to give you more space (and more personal space of ryou and your spouse) than a hotel room. Those units at Flanigans are great- they are in the back of the hotel, quiet, and have their own little patios w/patio furniture. We stayed in one last year. I got it for the same price as a room at Desert Pearl.

We stayed at Desert Pearl a few years ago for a spontaneous labor day long weekend trip to Zion. We got a great rate and really enjoyed our stay. The location is terrific. The rooms are very comfortable and well appointed. I highly recommend.

I second POlson. Our girls were 11 and 14 when we stayed at the Desert Pearl, and they're still talking about it--the pool, the view from our balcony, the movies you can get from the front desk, the beautiful room, etc. Yes, it's one big room, but we had plenty of space and enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

There is something to be said for waking up in Zion. We did so, and as we had breakfast, we watched the sun hit the top of the highest peak. Then, the light crept down the cliffside, slowly illuminating the canyon. Go to my Zion album at http://community.webshots.com/user/bookhall . You'll get a sense of that unforgettable experience...

Thank you all for your help. Based on the feedback, I think we're going to go with the Desert Pearl. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I think it was Best Western Zion Lodge - our Cosmos tour took us there for an overnight stay. The restaurant was really good (dinner was not included in the tour) but kinda far from everything.

Being on a tour it was fine, the tour bus took us everywhere, but with 2 children you probably want to minimize the driving time.

The Desert Pearl Inn is a good pick. The park shuttle stops in front of it for easy access.

Here is a park map with the shuttle stops on it -

http://www.cccarto.com/wmaps/Zion/index.html

I stayed in Zion a couple of years ago at the Cliff Rose lodge in Spingdale. It's the closest lodging to the park entrance (you can easily walk). The room had a bedroom in front and a pullout couch in the back room, and a nice common deck along the back that overlooked a grass area where deer commonly grazed. The river runs along the back as well. I heard the Desert Pearl was nice also.

A couple of things to keep in mind are there are no cars allowed in the Park, unless you're staying at the Zion Lodge. The shuttles are great. One thing I didn't do, but I thought was a great idea, was to take bikes up to the end on the shuttle (they have racks)and coast back down to the entrance. It's a great way to see the park. There's not much peddling, but it might be a little challenging for your 10 year old. Remember there aren't any cars though and you can always get back on a shuttle to get back. One other thing to keep in mind is cellphone don't work, at least mind didn't.

I ate at the Bit and Spur and the Spotted Dog. Both were great.

Is it possible to rent bikes there?

Yes, there are several bike rental companies in Springdale. It's a beautiful and easy ride, even uphill.

Another thing that looked fun was renting tubes and floating the Virgin river. April may be a little chilly, I was there in July and it was hot.