Review: Maswick Lodge, Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

Continuing on our road trip, our next stop was Grand Canyon National Park, where we opted to stay at the Maswick Lodge because it was one of the more affordably priced lodges inside the Grand Canyon.

Was it a good decision?

Review: Maswick Lodge, Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

About Maswick Lodge

The Maswik Lodge, named after a Hopi Kachina believed to guard the Grand Canyon, offered a blend of history and rustic comfort. The original “Motor Lodge” was constructed in 1927 by the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad. The lodge underwent renovations in the 1960s, replacing many of the original cabins with contemporary hotel rooms. The only architectural component remaining from the historic lodge buildings were the original stone pillars.

Image: grandcanyonlodges.com

At A Glance:

• Average Nightly Cost During Stay: $303.60
• Loyalty Program: N/A
• Loyalty Category: N/A
• Discount Applied: N/A
• Room Type as Booked: 2 Queen Bedroom
• Room Upgrade: N/A
• Resort Fee: N/A
• Parking Fee: None

Booking/Redemption

Location & Parking

The lodge was located inside Grand Canyon National Park, within several acres of Ponderosa pine forest on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, just a short quarter-mile walk or bus ride from the canyon’s edge and the Bright Angel area.

Parking was free with our reservation, but there didn’t seem to be a lot of extra parking spaces. We noticed some guests had to find parking in other lots or along the main roads.

FHOP Tip: The Bright Angel Lodge/Grand Canyon edge area is technically within walking distance, but we found it more convenient to just drive over rather than take the long walk.

Lobby

The main building of the lodge housed the registration desk, gift shop, food court, and a pizza pub.

Front Desk & Check-In

There was, unsurprisingly, a long line to check-in. Strangely though, the front desk wasn’t the most friendly during check-in.

One of the front desk staff got unreasonably hostile when I asked for a [free] NPS hiking map, it was bizarre to say the least. But I eventually did get the map!

Welcome Package

NPS Hiking Map

The coveted hiker map!

Room Key

Cliffrose Building

We stayed in the Cliffrose Building, which was a short walk/drive away from the main reception area.

Room Walkthrough Tour

Room Entrance

Bedroom

The room was standard size for a hotel and included a table with two metal chairs, a TV stand with a dresser, a mini-fridge, and an in-room coffee maker.

The room was clean and comfortable, if not a basic room.

Living Area

Room Amenities

Closet

Bathroom

The Grand Canyon National Park Lodges provided us with their own brand of toiletry products, which seemed to be of OK quality.

View From The Patio

We didn’t have much of a view, but we did have a small patio out back.

We were surprised in the morning by the sight of three mule deer hanging out next to our patio.

Food Court

The lodge offered several dining options in a food court just past the reception area, including a popular pizza spot.

Gift Shop

FHOP Tip: What’s Nearby: There were plenty of things to do near the lodge. We visited the Grand Canyon Village, hiked part of the Bright Angel Trail, and took a trip to several viewpoints on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.

Dinner At Harvey House Cafe At Bright Angel Lodge

We caught the sunset at the Bright Angel Lodge, before deciding to eat over there instead of going back to Maswick Lodge.

By the time dinner rolled around, we weren’t very hungry, so we opted for Harvey House Cafe instead of the Arizona Steakhouse.

I was surprised to find they had a nice selection of beers, and the food was very good – far better than what we had expected with simple quesadillas and tortilla soup.

El Tovar Hotel

For breakfast, we decided to head over to the legendary El Tovar Hotel. We browsed the lobby and gift shops before heading over to the dining room.

FHOP Tip: Just because you aren’t staying at the [pricey] El Tovar Hotel, doesn’t mean you can’t eat there

Breakfast At El Tovar Hotel

For breakfast at El Tovar, we arrived as early as possible to get a table with canyon views.

Overall, the menu was quite reasonably priced, and the food was delicious. We went with the Eggs Benedict (amazing!) and the French Toast (perfect!).

Grand Canyon & Hiking Trails

The Grand Canyon is famous for its views. Here are some of the easier rim-only hikes we did during this trip.

THE FHOP BOTTOM-LINE 10 RATINGS

The Bottom-Line Review: Maswick Lodge, Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

Overall, our stay at the Maswick Lodge was fine. If this was a stand alone hotel in the middle of a mid-size city, I’d probably rate it significantly lower. However, this is a rare hotel near one of the most visited spots in one of the most popular National Parks, so the scale has to be different. And the location was very good. It was key saving the 30 minutes forested drive time – each way – in and out of the park to the nearest town.

Besides its location, the lodge did have a lot going for it – a unique blend of history, reasonably priced accommodations,  standard and comfortable rooms, a food court and gift shop. Unfortunately, I was not impressed by the service.

We were impressed by the Maswick’s proximity to the Grand Canyon, the Bright Angel Lodge, and El Tovar hotel – that proximity really made a a big difference to us and the quality of our trip to the Grand Canyon. Which is why, all things considered, I rate the Maswick Lodge a 7.5 out of 10. Just don’t ask for a Hiking Map at the front desk .