Bright Angel Lodge & Cabins

Description:

• Guests of Bright Angel Lodge, which was renovated in 2007, stay in tightly clustered buildings along the rim west of the main lodge. In the 1930s, the Fred Harvey Co. sought to develop new, affordable lodging for the many visitors who had begun driving to the canyon. The company contracted Mary Colter to design the lodge and cabins. She built the cabins around several historic buildings, including the park's old post office and the Bucky O'Neill Cabin, the rim's oldest continually standing structure. Since those days, Bright Angel Lodge has become the South Rim's hub -- and most crowded area.

  Low-end accommodations start with clean, spare rooms in two long buildings adjacent to the main lodge. The lodge rooms are the park's least expensive; they get as low as $60 per night. Each has a double bed and desk but no television. Some don't have private bathrooms, either. Other lodge rooms have double beds and toilets but no showers. Still others are appointed like standard motel rooms, only with showers instead of tubs.

  Rooms in the historic cabins are slightly more expensive but still an excellent value. Most of these popular cabins house two guest rooms; the majority of them have open-frame ceilings and windows with bright-colored frames. The units nearer the rim are quieter than the ones along Village Loop Road, where traffic can get heavy.

  At the high end of the price range are the 12 rim-side cabins, which offer views of the canyon and probably the neatest overnight experience available at the canyon. Four include fireplaces; the historic Bucky O'Neill Cabin, one of the park's oldest structures, boasts a fireplace, a wet bar, and canyon views. The rim-side cabins tend to fill up far in advance, so plan ahead.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010