Red Feather Lodge is a family-owned, no-frills hotel in Tusayan about a mile from the park, usually one of the cheaper ways to sleep close to the South Rim. Tusayan hotels sit outside the park gate, so they are a dependable alternative to in-park lodging.
Red Feather Lodge is the budget-minded choice in Tusayan. The lodge says it sits just one mile from the Grand Canyon, about a 10-minute drive to the South Entrance, and because it is outside the park, lodging status inside the park does not affect it. That makes it a useful fallback when in-park lodging is unavailable and Tusayan is busy. The property is family-owned and dates back to a small motel that opened in 1963; today it is much larger and split into two parts.
You choose between a four-story hotel wing with interior corridors and an elevator, and a two-story motel wing with exterior corridors and stairs only. The hotel wing is quieter and easier with luggage; the motel wing is usually cheaper and lets you park near your door. Plaza Bonita, a Mexican and American restaurant, is on site, and coffee and tea are available around the clock, but breakfast is not included.
There is a fitness room, a 24-hour coin laundry, free Wi-Fi and free parking for guests, and two Level 2 EV chargers on a first-come basis. The outdoor heated pool and hot tub are seasonal, typically open from about May to September, so do not count on a swim in winter.
Dogs are welcome in designated rooms for a nightly fee if you tell the lodge in advance, which makes Red Feather one of the easier Tusayan options for road-trippers with pets. The trade-off is that rooms are plain and older in style than The Grand Hotel or the Squire, and there is no resort-style pool complex.
If you plan to spend all day at the rim and want a clean, reasonably priced bed close to the gate, it does the job well. Ask for a hotel-wing room if you are sensitive to noise or have heavy bags, and book early for spring break and summer weekends.
Why stay here
- ✓About a mile from the park and roughly a 10-minute drive to the South Entrance
- ✓Choice of hotel-wing rooms with interior corridors or cheaper motel-wing rooms
- ✓Plaza Bonita restaurant on site
- ✓Seasonal outdoor heated pool and hot tub, typically late spring to early fall
- ✓Dogs allowed in designated rooms for a nightly fee, with advance notice
- ✓Free parking, Wi-Fi, fitness room and 24-hour coin laundry
- ✓Family-owned and operated
- ✓Outside the park, so the park entrance fee applies on each visit
Good questions
Is Red Feather Lodge inside the national park?+
No. It is in the town of Tusayan, outside the park gate, so the status of lodging inside the park does not affect it.
What is the difference between the hotel and motel rooms?+
Hotel-wing rooms are in a four-story building with interior corridors and an elevator. Motel-wing rooms are in a two-story building with exterior corridors and stairs, usually at a lower rate.
Can I bring my dog?+
Dogs are allowed in designated rooms for a nightly fee, and the lodge asks for advance notice. Check the size limit and current fee with the lodge when you book.
