15 Best Hotels in Moab and Southeastern Utah, Utah

Built right up next to the red-rock cliffs, this boutique hotel makes you feel like you're in the wilderness, even though you're on the edge of town and surrounded by luxurious amenities. The exterior was inspired by the cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloans thousands of years ago, and the rooms are similarly earthy with textures and finishes reminiscent of the surrounding desert. Each room also features a private patio and art showcasing the local beauty, and well as other nice touches, from the large showers to refrigerators with freezers. The HozHo spa offers a full range of services. A pool and hot tub are also on the resort's 16 acres, as are glamping teepees, a disc-golf course, a few hiking trails, and fire pits where you can enjoy a quick bite from the outdoor café.

Moab's only four-star hotel is right downtown, though also standing next to the area's famed red rocks, giving you the best of both worlds, surrounded by the kind of luxury that's hard to find in rural Utah. The interiors are spotless and chic, inspired by the surrounding natural beauty and the area's mining history, with touches of gold, orange, yellow, and earth tones. You'll find locally informed art and petrified wood tables in each room. There's a good restaurant on-site, as well as the only spa in town. The beautiful pool is one of Moab's best.

The confluence of Main and Center Streets is the epicenter of Moab, and this comfortable, contemporary, impeccably clean hotel anchors the intersection, providing a perfect base for families. It's just a few feet from the Moab Information Center, the Mill Creek Parkway Trail, and all downtown shops, outfitters, and restaurants (including two restaurants on the property itself). The staff is friendly and the rooms are quiet, despite the downtown location, and the outdoor pool is a wonderful respite on hot days. Ask about the unique suites above Gloria's Corner Cafe near Main Street. Like many hotels in town, rates plunge during the dead of winter and the the hottest days of summer.

At the Bullfrog Marina, this cliff-top lodge has comfortable and clean rooms anyone can appreciate, but the real draw is the view of the lake. Surround yourself with the beauty of nature while in the comfort of the lodge. All rooms have a coffeemaker, mini-refrigerator, and microwave. Hungry? An on-site restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

A local fixture for decades, this centrally located hotel exudes rustic elegance, with a huge, two-story wooden front porch, several smartly furnished cabins, and a series of larger suites set around a courtyard. Some rooms have peaked ceilings, wood trim, and knotty-pine furnishings. A separate building contains a fitness center, an indoor pool, and a shaded patio with comfy lounge chairs. There's also an excellent gift shop stocked with local art and crafts. For couples, especially, this offers a quiet, luxury base for exploring nearby Monument Valley.

This eclectic inn stands out for its fun design, brightly colored walls, desert-inspired art, and varnished adobe construction. The furnishings and decoration are all decidedly contemporary, combining wood, stone, metal, and tile, and some rooms have fireplaces. The pool, hot tub, and courtyard overlook a shady pathway that winds for several miles along Mill Creek. Though you wouldn't know it, all the rooms are time-shares (units available for purchase).

With spectacular views of Monument Valley from each room's private balcony, this historic lodge often serves as a base for film crews in the area—and has for years, as cinema greats John Wayne and John Ford used to stay here. It has handsome stucco buildings and simple rooms decorated with Native American art. The best lodging deals here are the houses and suites, which offer full kitchens and much more space than the hotel rooms for not much more money. For a true sense of Goulding's beginnings and history, spend some time at the on-site museum. Also on the grounds, the Stagecoach restaurant serves the area favorite, a Navajo taco, along with many traditional American entrées. Goulding's offers custom-guided tours of Monument Valley and provides Navajo guides into the backcountry, where you're not allowed to venture on your own. The lodge is 2 miles off U.S. 163, at the Monument Valley Tribal Park turnoff, about 25 miles southwest of Mexican Hat.

One of the largest properties in Monticello, which is just under an hour from the Needles District Visitor Center, this is also one of the comfiest, with a heated indoor pool and a hot tub that's just what the doctor ordered for soaking adventure-weary bodies, and the rates are significantly cheaper than almost anything in Moab. Rooms are modestly appointed but clean.

One of the best bargains in town, this timber-frame motel offers small, clean rooms at the south end of the Moab strip near restaurants and shops. Knotty-pine walls, western furnishings, and old movie posters from the many flicks filmed in the area, give it a little more character than most motels in this price range. Ask for a room at the back of the property to avoid noise from Main Street traffic.

One of the best values amid Moab's increasingly pricey lodging landscape, this homey downtown property is, as the name suggests, rustic—but the 35 rooms are clean and comfortable and provide space for families or friends traveling together. Standard amenities include 50-inch flat-screen TVs and kitchenettes. Within a short walk of downtown restaurants and shops, the inn also has a heated pool with a good-size picnic and barbecue area.

Maybe the best deal in all southeastern Utah, this family-operated inn sits right on the river, with clean, basic rooms and a pool that's a godsend on blisteringly hot days. There's tons of delectable shade and walking trails to meander on, and most amenities are just a short walk away. If you're lucky, you'll get to catch one of the occasional slide shows by the friendly owners on local geology, art, and history. The Recapture also rents out fully furnished vacation homes, available by the day, week, and month.

The peaceful setting, on the bank of the Green River, is conducive to a good night's rest, and this nicely maintained hotel is conveniently less than 2 miles off Interstate 70, although nearly an hour's drive from Arches. Comfortable, updated rooms are furnished with large beds, and some overlook the river. The premises are clean, tidy, and affordable, and a full hot breakfast is included.

This peaceful spot is a well-known launching point for white-water runners on the San Juan, a river that's famed as the setting of many of Tony Hillerman's Jim Chee mystery novels. The motel's Southwestern-style rustic rooms overlooking the river at Mexican Hat are clean and well maintained. Diners can watch the river flow by at The Juan restaurant, which serves delicious grilled steaks and juicy hamburgers. Fresh trout and inexpensive Navajo dishes add variety to the menu. Call the motel directly for the cheapest rates.

This rustic yet classy spot stands out from Blanding's mix of chain hotels and motor lodges with its serene garden area and individually decorated rooms, all with local art on the walls and Navajo-style rugs on the hardwood floors. Built in 1947, this was Blanding's first hotel and has maintained its historic feel while adding modern touches, including high-speed Internet and flat-screen smart TVs. Each room has its own unique flavor but all exude a sophisticated Southwestern vibe. Large groups can book the Family Suite, with three bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a living room.

Aptly named, the hotel is all about the vista—prices increase the higher the floor, and almost every room looks out to the Navajo Tribal Park's famous "Mittens." The rooms are fairly simple, though the Navajo sand paintings, authentic rugs, and traditional bedspreads make for nice touches. Each room is also outfitted with a microwave, refrigerator, and flat-screen TV. Premium cabins are a great option if you're looking for more privacy.