I hate to write a poor review. The only thing going for the Lodges is the location. We are a camping family with realistic expectations. The lodges were dated and dingy, comfy beds and lots of hot water, however! And the team did a great job of snow removal. The fact that the Lodges cannot figure a way to have a microwave anywhere on the premises when the restaurants close early and/or are closed due to Covid makes it a really rough time. The idea of paying a premium is to park the car and enjoy the stay without driving. I will, unfortunately, recommend to people to stay anywhere by Xanterra and I will not make reservations at the locations at other National Parks based upon this previous stay.

Thunderbird Lodge as pretty much all the lodges in the park are directly on the rim. We stayed 3 nights in room 6235 and the location was phenomenal. We could see the Grand Canyon directly from our room. And once outside the room , the Canyon was just steps away, I loved it. To wake up to this for three days was refreshing. Tips: stay at one of the Lodges if visiting for more than a day, its do worth it. There are lines to get into the Canyon daily that you will avoid, and the mornings are less crowded. Make reservations in advance for El Tovar as it is only restaurant open inside the Canyon, but there are other places to eat right at the gate as well as a general store. At night have flashlight available, it gets pretty dark. Lastly pack for layers and if going in the Winter, prepare for snow. It snowed on our 2nd day, and it was beautiful. However during the actual snow storm, the Canyon was not visible, but once the snow stopped the Canyon was right there sparkling with snow caps. Enjoy

The Thunderbird Lodge is a great location to stay if you plan to hike the Bright Angel Trail or the South Rim Trail. It was unbelievable that we were just steps from the South Rim. The prices are a little expensive but in terms of convenience you can’t beat it. I wish there were more places to eat near the lodge but a lot was closed because of Covid-19. Everything is expensive here so plan accordingly. I would definitely stay here again. The room was very clean and comfortable but there really aren’t any amenities here. You are paying for the convenience of being so close to the South Rim.

We originally booked the Maswik lodge, but were upgraded to this Lodge due to construction. It was a tight fit for our family of 5 with just 2 beds. We had brought along an air mattress to also use. The staff was nice enough to provide bedding and pillows for us. We had a partial rim view. Not much to see. It was very nice to walk outside our hotel and be steps away from the rim.

Sure, you are paying to be right on the rim. But it’s not worth it. I’d rather spend $150 less and stay in Tusayan. The rooms are fine, but the beds were not good. Neither the wife or I slept well. The parking situation is ridiculous. There’s no guarantee you’ll get a parking spot anywhere close to the room. You have to fight with all the visitors to the canyon for parking. The housekeeper was waking us up at 8:00 am. Plus, there’s no where to get a good meal so you have to drive to Tusayan anyway. Don’t bother.