9 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

On a bluff with outstanding views of red-rock palisades, this motel with clean, basic, and reasonably priced rooms (a basic breakfast is included) is one of the closest to the western entrance of Capitol Reef National Park. There are two restaurants on premises, one serving steaks and upscale American fare, and another more casual spot with good pizza and barbecue and a patio with fabulous red-rock views.