Thunderbird Lodge Reviews

Claims to have free parking which is true but you are in competition with the thousands of people here to see the Grand Canyon. Asked front desk where to park she stated to come back after sunset because that's when people clear out. Even the registration parking was full had to circle just to check in. Had to leave my car full of luggage and hope that no one breaks into it. There was no loading/unloading zone either just plenty of signs where you cannot park and that they will tow your car. This is unacceptable. They could easily institute a permit for hotel guests to park in the lots around the hotels. On another day that we went into town for dinner came back had to park and take a bus back to the hotel. Usually it is a convenience to stay in the park here it is not you are better off staying off property and coming in and then take the bus. At least at the end of the day of hiking or what not you do not have a journey to your bed.

I scared myself when I opened the blind and saw a deer.... he didnt care

Very clean accommodation, convenient location. The Thunderbird lodge itself is very small and has no food or shopping available, but the surrounding properties owned by Xanterra offer both quick bites and full service restaurants as well as gift shops. Many locations are currently closed due to the pandemic, dining options are extremely limited.

The room itself was excellent. Partial canyon view, ample hot water, and a heater in the bathroom, great for chilly winter mornings! Wifi worked great. The only negatives were the tv (the picture was fuzzy) and the water pressure could be a bit stronger. Overall great place to stay.

Location is the main attraction. It is located right against the Canyon and hiking trails and places to eat are near by. Parking is limited, due to people coming in for day trips. Room was fine. Location is by far what makes this place stand out.

Rooms were just okay. Being only a few feet from the rim was amazing.

Great location and views. Very complete breakfast, good lunch & dinner menus. Lovely historic feel.

Right on the rim of the Grand Canyon. That makes for a pretty nice stay. We really enjoyed our time there.

Rooms are nice and tidy. Dining options are terrible.

Of course this is the perfect place to stay during your visit to the canyon. A bit pricey but it's worth the "right on the rim" accommodations. Can't beat it unless your walking to the river.

Nice place, but the toilet paper holder and the lamp in the room were broken. Other than that it was a very nice place to stay.

cozy little place with great access to the Grand Canyon

The view from our room was amazing with a quick walk to the bright angel lodge and the rim.

Retro building with modern fittings! Quiet and beautiful location.

Nice room at a nice location! The room was clean and I loved the soaps!

Very good location, Grand canyon was visible from our room. However the room wasn't ready until after out check in time and the wifi (which I needed for my job) cut out frequently and was slow when it did connect. Overall it was a good experience, but if you rely on the internet,aybe not the best choice.

Great place. The room was nice and clean, plenty of space, and had the basic amenities. Unfortunately the thermostat didn't seem to be accurate and the room was fairly cold. But it wasn't too bad as the blankets kept us nice and warm.

Our room overlooked the Grand Canyon. Who cared about anything else? Actually my wife did. Our room was just fine. Clean and comfortable. Did I mention we overlooked the Grand Canyon :-)

Straightforward motel building which has relatively recently renovated rooms. Very convenient with fabulous views!

View is great. Location is fantastic, you can easily take shuttle to any nearby viewpoints or restaurants.

Our room 6241 had the lower level roof just below the window. This by means detracted from the magnificent Canyon view --- it was wonderful. The room had been redone with contemporary soft goods. The bathroom had also been redone in a contemporary fashion. A very satisfactory room & experience.

The room is spacious and practical, especially the USB sockets are in the right place. Wifi is only in the lobby. Check-in takes place at the Bright Angel Lodge, it is best to enter these in the sat nav, otherwise it is difficult to find the Thunderbird Lodge, especially on arrival in the dark.
The lodge is right on the rim and the bus station of the shuttle bus is just around the corner.

Room was fine. People were nice. NO parking. Maybe 50 percent enough for guests. Nowhere to eat. Maybe 10 percent enough for people trapped here. We had to go back out of the park. They said the restaurants were booked for Months! We left after one night even though we paid for 2 and we re glad to be gone.

A clean and comfortable place, but the best thing is to wake up at dawn and see the stars from the window

It is OK. Not great but a nice location. The room's toilet and sink were not functioning too well but were fixed right after calling front desk.

a bit older Wifi available but not fully functional at full occupancy

Nice Place to stay at grand Canyon. Environmental friendly.

Small but you cant beat the veiw of the south rim , in the grand caynon village

Great location on South Rim of Grand Canyon. Spacious, comfortable room was nestled right on top of mountain facing Canyon. Downfall was no microwave or coffee maker. Everyone working in this facility was short tempered and rude including phone operator. Bathroom spacious with hair dryer and ironing board.

The room was room 6209. wifi does not enter. Also, radio waves could not enter without Verizon. Be careful when traveling from Japan. The room was very nice.

Room 6213 was right next to the Grand Canyon and you can view the canyon right from the windows. The room was clean and well maintained but not up to date. You are paying for the view from the room and the closeness to the Grand Canyon rim which is literally 20 feet or so from the window of this room.

Just passing through, the drinks were quick, friendly and simple

Beautifully remodeled modern rooms (see photos) with Grand Canyon views at a modest price (at time of visit).
WiFi available in-room, which can be helpful as some people's cellular carrier may not have service here.
Two-queen-bed rooms available at time of visit.
Thanks to the other reviewers for helping us choose this as our place to stay during our Grand Canyon adventure.

Great hotel in the Grand Canyon. Has clean rooms, comfortable beds, and hot water, what more could you ask for in a place like this. Walking distance to everywhere in the village and the shuttle buses help take you places further.

Staff, location, all was great. What wasn't so great is getting bit by bed bugs.

When you come you should know, There is no parking! They say there is self parking. Had to walk 1 1/4 mile to find a place to park. The grand canyon lodging is built for 1946 tourism. The room was ok, clean, what I was expecting, but didn't expect no parking available. I feel bad for the older crowd having to hoof their luggage a mile.

Very convenient location Rooms were nice enough, but we found the bed's too soft and we didn't care for the pillows much. Most of the parking was a block or two away, in front of Bright Angel Lodge. If your room was on the second floor, you have to Lug your luggage up a flight of stairs. However, each hotel choice had pros and cons, and I would probably make this choice again.

Nice lodge with quick access to the canyon. Decent facilities (fridge) and reasonable rates compared with other national park lodges.

Had an accident and called them an hour after the 48 window and they would not cancel the reservations. They are always 80-90% full and to not be able to cancel one reservation is crazy.

This place was so cool, plan to stay here next trip. Always have a great time exploring the Grand Canyon

Beautiful views and great room. Staff is attentive and on site dining is wonderful. Breakfast at the El tovar is a must.

Rooms are sufficient as a place to sleep between adventures. Good location in village on rim.

As far as location and views go, 5/5! However, if you re rating the lodge, there s a few bumps. Be prepared to use cell phone data, as the WiFi is very slow and unreliable. Though WiFi isn t very important when you come to a place like this, if you would like to share photos with friends and family back home, if can be a little difficult. Rooms are pretty dated and AC is mediocre and not very strong. Beds are OK but pillows are not very comfy. You re obviously spending your money on the location, not the room. But, bathroom is very nice and comes with everything you could possibly need. Room also comes with a Keurig! Staff is also very friendly and helpful.

We went to walk the Bright Angel Trail, and drank there in the Thunderbird Lodge. Good service and everyone happy

It had a nice view and it was cool that they had coffee in the rooms, the inside decor was very lodge like

I got to wake up, look out my window, and see into the Grand Canyon. It's really hard to beat that. The staff was really easy to work with. Checking in and checking out was a breeze. The room was immaculate. We'll be coming back.

Duuuuuude. What a cool place to stay! The hotel itself is ok. Nothing fancy.... But you are STEPS from the edge of the canyon. Incredible location.

I'm not sure this place deserves 3 but this is what happened. The hotel itself was pretty costly. Had to go to the diner next door for breakfast and dinner. It was first-come-first-serve at the dining room. Couldnt make a reservation. Wish More

We loved our stay here! We had a partial canyon view. The day and night walking was fantastic! The room was surprisingly new and clean! Bathroom was fine. Had nice products. Beds were fine. Overall really great experience.

The food situation is weird because there aren t a lot of options so plan accordingly. The lodge food needs help :)

Small but ok rooms. Food average. WiFi useless, so don't expect to be able to use the internet to plan you day at Grand Canyon. Sure it's close to the canyon, however overpriced for that it is.

You are basically paying for the location, our room overlooked the rim. The room was dated and a little worn-out which made them seem dirty even though they were perfectly clean. No real issues or complains besides the price.

One word. Location. Super awesome location and if you're lucky your room will have a view of the canyon.

Great view and facility. However, it was dissappointing that there weren't kitchens in the cabin. I should get used to it but wasn't really happy to find out there's weren't any hot plates and oven.

The great room overlooking the canyon, free wifi that is appreciated by the lack of coverage in the area. Great

The customer service here was so disappointing and the room was not worth the price we paid ($261 per night). We arrived on a cold night with a lot of luggage and the receptionist didn't even bother to tell us that out room was in another building with no elevator. When we were trying to exit a building in the wrong direction with all of our luggage she just stood there watching us and said nothing. One member of our party injured their back trying to carry their suitcase up the stairs because the staircase did not have adequate lighting. When we mentioned this at checkout, another receptionist did not even apologize or acknowledge what happened, just told us our balance was paid and dismissed us. There are options outside of the park that would have been much more comfortable and just as convenient as far as access to the canyon. Don't waste your money here.

Good location inside the park and steps from the rim. Rooms have been redone. They are now a comfortable motel room. Beds were moderately comfortable. Nothing fancy for sure, except for the price $400+. It's all about location.

What a great view from our room, worth every penny. Good room services as well.
Located right on the canyon rim it just doesn't get any better.

Large rooms, some of which have views overlooking the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It may not have the historic past of the El Tovar but the rooms are much larger and more comfortable than the El Tovar.

cozy little place with great access to the Grand Canyon

1950s-ish in appearance. Very well maintained. Refrigerator and Keurig coffee in the room, but no microwave. No breakfast with the room. Thermostat controled the hot-water heat well. Very short walk to restaurants. Rooms sort of small. Shower worked well.

The lodge is original to the park and has 100 year-old charm. Rooms are updated as possible. Wifi is adequate. Parking can be a hassle, bit the overall location is great.

Right on the canyon, fairly average hotel. Parking was a bit limited though.

Los cuartos son comodos y serca del Canyon. The rooms were comfy and close to the Canyon.

Pricey, but the location can't be beat. Since it's located right on the basin, it's perfect if looking to go on an super early hike down to the valley.

Rooms were just okay. Being only a few feet from the rim was amazing.

We just went back from the trip to Grand Canyon . The Thunderbird lodge is just next to Bright Angel Lodge. Very close to bright angel trailhead and the rim trail is just behind the lodge. Room clean and comfortable. Like it very much.

This hotel is the one to stay at when going to the Grand Canyon! Really peaceful :)

This place is great with it being on the rim. The beds we're comfortable and we stayed in a room with our own bathroom. It's well worth it waking up and having the canyon right there.

We stayed at Thunderbird Lodge with my grandma, who is permanently disabled. Getting a wheelchair for her was very easy and access to the room was not too bad by wheelchair, but it would have been nice to be more direct. Finding parking was the biggest difficulty as every spot was taken up. It seems that people other than guests are allowed to park next to the hotels, so finding a space is VERY difficult. Which is an ever bigger problem with a handicapped guest. We eventually found a space that someone else was just leaving but it took a while. The room itself was pleasantly furnished but for 4 people, there was not much extra room. The closet barely held 3 jackets because of a safe that was also in there. The bathroom worked just fine and was easy for my grandma to use. Overall, the room itself was nice but the problems with parking and not having more direct access for wheelchairs takes a star away.

Hotel Staff were great! Top notch views! Free bus is GREAT! Especially since parking is tough! The earlier you get there the day you check in, the better chance for parking spot.

Beautiful place to stay right by the Grand Canyon. Not the best view from the room but being outside is better anyway.

Location unbeatable, in a few steps on the edge of the canyons, morning and evening can enjoy the tranquility in front of the tourist crowds. Of course, the building is old, but rooms are clean, view of the canyon, all the best!

Decent place to stay the night. Great food in the dining room. Only downer was the not so good view of the canyon from our room when we were told we had a canyon view.