12 Best Hotels in Southwestern Utah, Utah

Operated by one of the area's leading adventure tour companies, this eco-chic resort spread across three properties in the heart of Orderville offers a variety of distinctive, contemporary, and beautifully appointed accommodations, including tiny houses, treehouse-inspired lofts, and fully climate-controlled yurts and canvas glamping tents. Most units are on a hillside just off of U.S. 89 with sweeping mountain views, but the tiny houses are clustered together in a residential neighborhood a few blocks away. There's also a spacious lodge—it can accommodate up to 35 guests—that's geared to large groups. Well-designed kitchens or kitchenettes, patios or decks, premium linens, and stylish private bathrooms are standard in every unit.

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.

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. 

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.

A relaxing and well-kept home base with excellent amenities and a wide range of accommodations—from traditional hotel rooms to luxurious cabins to authentically designed tents and Conestoga wagons—this hilltop lodging lies just a few miles west of Capitol Reef's western border, and many rooms have patios and balconies that overlook the not-so-distant sandstone cliffs. There's a casual Western-style restaurant on the property; buffet breakfasts are available here for an extra charge.

This pleasant, shaded, and centrally located complex, which stands out for its friendly service and immaculate rooms, offers cozy and economical motel-style rooms, larger and more contemporary suites, and more charming stand-alone cabins that sleep up to six. The outdoor pool is one of the largest around, and handy amenities include a guest laundry and a general store with a deli and bakery. Zane Grey, the famous Western novelist, used to rent an 1892 cabin on the grounds.

Sitting on a peaceful pinyon- and sagebrush-shaded mesa a couple of miles north of town, this mini glamping compound comprises seven warmly outfitted yurts, each with year-round climate control, top-of-the-line linens, a patio with gas grill, a well-stocked kitchen or kitchenette, and an ample sitting area with a TV. Most of the yurts sleep up to four guests, but two larger ones can accommodate seven. Complimentary breakfast is delivered to your yurt the afternoon prior, so that you can reheat it and enjoy it at your own pace the following morning.

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.

This beautifully situated outpost of the popular Under Canvas luxury glamping brand in a juniper forest outside Widtsoe, a hiccup of a village about 15 miles north of the national park entrance, offers safari-chic canvas tents decked out with tasteful West Elm furnishings, private baths with eco-friendly products, and USB battery packs to keep your toys charged, plus a restaurant serving locally sourced breakfast and dinner fare. The tents sleep from two to six guests, and each has a wood-burning stove.

This peaceful ranch-style resort with more than 50 handsomely furnished cabins and lodge-style vacation homes that sleep from 2 to 15 guests lies a mere 4 miles from the East Entrance of Zion National Park and offers a variety of activities, including horseback riding, jeep tours, and guided hikes. Amenities vary a bit from cabin to cabin, but all have fireplaces, and many have kitchens and spacious sitting areas. The high-end restaurant, Cordwood, serves some of the tastiest food in the region. Note that Wi-Fi can be unreliable in some units, and although they have TVs, they have no reception and are only for watching DVDs, which you can borrow from the lobby.

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.