Bryce View Lodge

Bryce View Lodge is the sensible choice for travelers who plan to spend their days in the park and want a clean, affordable room close to the entrance. It is part of the Ruby's Inn resort family in Bryce Canyon City and stands at 105 East Center Street, a few minutes' drive from the park entrance and across the street from the Best Western Plus Ruby's Inn, whose facilities guests can use. The rooms are straightforward: two types, one with a single king bed and one with two queen beds for families and small groups. All are non-smoking, with free WiFi, a coffee and tea maker, cable TV and a direct-dial phone. Breakfast is included, served in the Ebenezer's Barn and Grill building nearby. Guests have access to the indoor pool and whirlpool at Ruby's Inn, a real bonus at this altitude, along with a business center and 24-hour coin-operated guest laundry, useful on a long road trip. Parking is free and there is a free airport shuttle. Pets are welcome for a nightly fee of around $40 plus tax, which makes it one of the easier places near the park for travelers with dogs. There is a resort fee, so check the total price when booking. Everything in the Ruby's Inn complex is within walking distance: the Cowboy's Buffet and Steak Room, the general store, the Old Bryce Town shops and, in summer, horseback rides, a rodeo and ATV tours; in winter, the Ruby's Inn Winter Adventure Center rents gear for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

The appeal of Bryce View Lodge is simple: it puts you in Bryce Canyon City for less, and it shares the facilities of a much larger resort. Ruby's Inn has been welcoming visitors to Bryce for more than a century, and the complex functions as a small town for travelers, with dining, shopping, a gas station and activities. Staying at Bryce View Lodge gives you all of that at a lower rate, in a quieter building, with the pool across the street. The rooms are dated but clean and functional, and for most visitors, who will be out at sunrise and back late after stargazing, that is all they need.

Getting the most from a stay. Set off early for sunrise at the rim, a few minutes' drive away; come back for breakfast; and use the afternoon for the pool, a horseback ride in season or a stroll through the shops. In winter, rent snowshoes at the Winter Adventure Center and walk the rim, and if you are visiting on Presidents Day weekend, join the Bryce Canyon Winter Festival with its free clinics, tours and competitions. Ask for a room away from the road if you are a light sleeper, and book ahead in summer, when the town fills with tour groups.

Who should stay. Budget travelers, families watching costs, road-trippers on a tight schedule and anyone traveling with a dog. It is not a place for luxury or atmosphere, and it lacks canyon views; for more comfort, look at the Bryce Canyon Grand, and for a characterful retreat, at Stone Canyon Inn in Tropic. But as an affordable, practical base with good facilities nearby, Bryce View Lodge is hard to beat.