We stayed for two nights; 9/2/2016 and 9/3/2016.

We stayed for two nights; 9/2/2016 and 9/3/2016.

We arrived in the middle of a torrential downpour, as we now know that early Fall is considered "monsoon season" in and around the Grand Canyon.

So this is worth noting because....given the rain and wind, and our total and complete unfamiliarity with the area, we had no idea where we were going. First off, there are *zero* signs for the Thunderbird Lodge as you make your way down the various roads after entering via the South Rim entrance. So a heads up....follow the signs for the "Bright Angel Lodge". After circumnavigating the hotel area two times (including the train depot and the "village"), we decided to roll the dice and pop into one of the hotel-looking structures and ask for directions. Next tip....some of the free-standing structures are standalone and there isn't a "front desk" or anything remotely helpful to assist you in determining where you may be. We came across a fellow traveler, and they directed us to the Thunderbird Lodge front desk. We arrived, and as the gentleman behind the counter seemed preoccupied with his computer, we gave him a minute. Or two. After several moments, he looked up and appeared to have been rudely interrupted when he asked "Yes....?". I asked if he could check us in, and he said he could. Great; from my years of travel, that is one of the main functions of a front desk. Anyways, I attempted to inject some levity and suggested that the Thunderbird Lodge add a sign or two to help folks determine where they are. Well, he didn't like this one bit; he said there were signs all over and implied I simply didn't see them. So after getting our keys, and once the rain stopped (it did finally stop, and the rainbows were magnificent), we looked about for the signs. We saw two; one was a sign affixed to the side of the building by the door, that you could only see if you were on the sidewalk on your way to the building. The second was one that *maybe* someone could see if they knew exactly where to look; understand that this sign was located in the proximity of the parking lot, and a vehicle's passengers would only see if if they turned INTO the parking lot assuming they knew where they were going.

The location of this hotel can't be beat. We had elk right outside our window one morning. The rooms were cozy and clean. We had a wonderful experience with the young lady at the Kolb Studio; she went out of her way to act as a tour guide for ourselves and another party. Hats off to her.

Bottom line: decent enough hotel, some really annoying quirks, but at the end of the day, they know that you can't stay anywhere else....because there is nowhere else to stay.