22 Best Hotels in Southwestern Utah, Utah

The nationally renowned, Kanab-based Best Friends Animal Society runs this smartly designed, pet-centric motel that offers a slew of amenities for travelers with four-legged friends, including a fenced dog park and water feature, pet treats and beds, built-in cubbies for snuggling and napping, and dog-walking and pet-visit services. Even if you're visiting without animals, it's a fun place to stay, as rooms have striking pet photos, unfussy contemporary light-wood furnishings, tile bathrooms with sliding barn doors, and kitchens or kitchenettes in the suites. Proceeds help fund Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, which a shuttle bus can take you to visit, 10 minutes north of town. An airy and modern gift shop–café sells pet-related gifts, outdoor gear, and coffee; continental breakfast is served here in the morning.  Members of Best Friends receive $20 off the nightly room rate.

Many of the rooms in this stately Georgian Revival inn are more reminiscent of Colonial Williamsburg than the Utah high desert, but they contain the kinds of plush amenities you'll appreciate if celebrating a special occasion or a grand theater weekend—think stone fireplaces, large balconies, and claw-foot tubs or Jacuzzis. It's just a couple of blocks to the theater as well as the Southern Utah University campus. The house is surrounded by fragrant gardens, and rates include an extensive full breakfast. 

With cattle-print throw pillows, papier-mâché mounted deer heads, log walls, and custom beds with rattan or carved-wood headboards, the playful vibe at this quirky 16-room boutique inn sets it apart from the usual budget-friendly lodgings in the Zion and Bryce area. Within walking distance of downtown restaurants and shops, the cozy lodging is part of The Canyons Collection, a small group of stylish but reasonably priced hotels and vacation rentals in Kanab.

Each of the eight rooms in this smart, contemporary lodge in downtown Escalante has a patio with grand views of the surrounding mountains, plus plenty of cushy perks like French presses and fresh-ground coffee, plush bedding, and 50-inch smart TVs. The accommodations are ideal for longer stays, with plenty of room to spread out and kitchens in some rooms. The guest laundry is another handy amenity.

It's all about the panoramic views at this exceptionally well-maintained mid-century modern boutique hotel set high on a ridge overlooking downtown St. George and the red rocks beyond. Rooms have top-of-the-line bedding, 50-inch TVs, refrigerators, Keurig coffeemakers, and modern bathrooms with granite counter tops, vessel sinks, and premium toiletries. Other amenities include an outdoor pool, deck, and gym, all with the same magical vistas. The adjacent Cliffside restaurant serves lunch and dinner and enjoys the same spectacular views.

In a dramatic, New Mexico adobe–style building, this upscale inn with spacious rooms and lots of big windows is 5 miles west of town—at the mouth of a canyon on the edge of the national monument—and has hikes right outside its door, as well as hosts who are happy to provide guidance on regional treks. Most rooms are in the main inn, with a few others in neighboring buildings, and some have private exterior entrances. Rates include a delicious full breakfast, and several units have kitchenettes or kitchens. The three-bedroom log cabin is a great option for larger families and groups but comes with extra charges for breakfast and cleaning. The Inn's North Creek Grill, open seasonally for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, is popular for its wood-fired pizzas and scenic patio dining.

Of the several hip glamping resorts that have opened in southern Utah in recent years, this sprawling compound on the west side of Escalante might just offer the best balance of a gorgeous contemporary design—accommodations are in sleekly restored Airstream trailers and cozy glass-walled cabins—and a welcoming communal spirit, thanks to an inviting patio served by a food truck, a huge pool, and a drive-in movie theater with seating in vintage autos. Note that only the deluxe cabins have private baths; guests of all the other accommodations have access to the common bathhouses, which are beautifully appointed with indoor-outdoor showers and look like those you might find at a posh spa. This pet- and family-friendly resort also has about 70 RV sites. The on-site general store carries a nice selection of craft beverages and prepared foods.

A few blocks from the interstate and near Southern Utah University, this two-story economical motel has spacious rooms with exterior entrances, refrigerators, microwaves, and—in the case of suites—kitchens and jetted tubs. It's a 20-minute walk or a short drive to downtown restaurants as well as the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Perks include a heated indoor pool, hot tub, and exercise room, and the free breakfast spread is pretty good. Some rooms are pet-friendly.

Within walking distance of downtown, this retro-inspired member of Best Western's stylish Aiden boutique hotel brand is a great value with an attractive pool, hot tub, and sun deck, and rates include a full breakfast buffet and free bike rentals.

In a lush valley framed by towering white cliffs, across the road from the Maynard Dixon and Edith Hamlin Home and Studio, this bucolic compound consists of well-appointed cabins, a verdant horse pasture, apple orchards, a pool and hot tub, and a farm market and bakery. The spacious accommodations have plenty of country charm (some have fireplaces) as well as modern conveniences like Roku TVs and fast Wi-Fi. 

About 13 miles beyond the East Entrance of Zion National Park, this low-slung motel with clean, spacious rooms decorated with rustic lodge-style furniture is a good option if you also want to be within an hour's drive of Bryce Canyon National Park. Nestled in the Zion mountains foothills, the hotel is bordered by the sprawling greens of a nine-hole golf course and home to a funky ’50s-style restaurant known for country-fried steak, burgers, and homemade pie.

With its stunning scenery and prime location, this modern mission-style lodge is a welcoming base for outdoor adventures and offers a number of amenities, including a bar and grill, outdoor deck, indoor pool, and hot tubs, plus a spa where you can enjoy a range of body and beauty treatments. Rustic-chic guest rooms have modern bathrooms, premium bedding, and 49-inch TVs, and the more spacious suites include sleeper sofas and stone fireplaces.

Most rooms in this motel in the sweeping high desert 6 miles southwest of the park entrance and close to Red Canyon have pleasant views of the surrounding pine trees and the mountains in the distance. In addition to a variety of room types, the property offers separate cottages, as well as an RV park and campground. A grocery store, restaurant, and gas station are here, too.

This contemporary B&B set in a sagebrush canyon just outside Tropic's small downtown offers a number of noteworthy perks, including a delicious made-from-scratch breakfast, close access to a trail that leads right into the park, and individually decorated rooms hung with the dazzling landscape photography of owner Edgars Erglis—one-on-one photography classes are offered, too.

This cheerfully decorated, economical, and intimate seven-unit boutique property in tiny downtown Tropic is just 15 minutes east of the park and on the way toward Escalante. Accommodations are a mix of cozy motel rooms and larger cottages, and each is individually furnished. There's also a pretty garden with benches and chairs—a lovely place to read a book or relax after a long day.

This single-story 1930s-era motel in Panguitch's cute historic district doesn't look like much from the outside, but the rooms are clean, have refrigerators and microwaves, and are among the most affordable within striking distance of Bryce, Zion, and Cedar Breaks. There's a grill and picnic table for guests to use.

Although there's nothing fancy about this low-slung adobe motel on the edge of downtown Escalante, the simple rooms have all the basics you need for a comfortable night or two—microwaves, fridges, coffeemakers, HDTVs, climate control—and one larger suite with a kitchenette sleeps six. In the evenings, guest gather around the shared firepit.

If you don't care about frills but do plan on adventuring in the area, consider one of this property's seven simple but cute log cabins, which share a bathhouse, or the large family cabin that sleeps four and has its own bathroom; tent sites are also available. On premises there's an outdoor gear store and a restaurant, and you can book fly-fishing and hiking excursions, as this property is also a tour operator.

The largest hotel in southern Utah may be a pretty conventional mid-range chain property, but it also offers some appealing perks, including large and separate kid and adult pools, expansive canyon vistas, and significantly cheaper rates than hotels in Springdale, which is less than a 20-minute drive.

In the tiny village of Hatch, 15 miles south of Panguitch, you'll find this nicely maintained and reasonably priced campus of cozy cabins and standard hotel rooms, all of them spotlessly clean and attractively decorated with modern furnishings, large flat-screen TVs, refrigerators, microwaves, and high-quality bedding.

Constructed in 1929, this landmark lodge hosted dozens of movie stars during Kanab's movie location heyday and is now a fun and simple, well-located base for budget-minded parks visitors. Accommodations are basic but have been nicely remodeled over the years. A reasonably priced breakfast buffet is served daily just off the lobby, which is lined with photos of Ronald Reagan, Barbara Stanwyck, Clint Eastwood, and others who stayed here while filming in the area. During the warmer months, Western movies are shown in the Old Barn Theater, complete with popcorn and ice cream.

Just a few miles beyond Zion National Park's East Entrance and about 16 miles northwest of Mount Carmel Junction, this scenic, 4,000-acre ranch offers a varied lineup of lodgings and a dizzying array of activities. Choose from cabins of different sizes, rambling vacation homes with kitchens, glamping options, tiny houses, or even a Conestoga wagon with bunk beds that sleeps six; you can also pitch a tent or hook up an RV. Kids love the cubbyhole-like sleeping areas shaped like covered wagons (they sleep up to four). Play miniature golf, or go ziplining, horseback riding, or rock climbing. After a long day on the ranch or exploring the park, head to the spa for a massage. There's also a restaurant and a large pool and deck.