It’s also steps away from the Rim Trail, a 12.8-mile trail that winds its way along the rim from Hermit’s Rest to the west all the way to the Kaibab trailhead to the east. While there is no lobby to gather in, its location is fantastic as it sits on the canyon rim in the heart of the South Rim’s historic district. While Thunderbird was completed after the anniversary, it was designed to provide comfortable rooms, not be a charming classic National Park Service hotel. It was part of a larger decade-long construction effort by the National Park Service to build more infrastructure in the park in time for the National Park Service’s 50-year anniversary in 1966. Being in central location, you are right next to the shuttle stop which is great and walking distance to a lot of the restaurants/dining options.Conveniently located between El Tovar and Bright Angel Lodge, Thunderbird Lodge was built in 1968 and its concrete facade reflects the era. This shouldn't be a deal breaker and though frustrating at times, we were in the middle of nowhere basically so understandable. So have some patience! Internet is slow and only allows for 1 device use at a time. So the room door/room key is a bit finicky so it resulted in us having to go to the front desk a couple of times which was a bit of a hassle considering you had to go to the Bright Angel lodge for front desk service and check in. So if you want to save a few bucks, I would opt to just not have a room with a view. We had a partial view of the canyon which was great but again, being so close the canyon it really doesn't matter if you have a view or not. Our room was clean and spacious (bathroom was a bit crammed but very manageable). You pay for the location (literally 10m away from the canyon) so don't have high expectations because I can guarantee you that whatever the price you paid for the room will not be comparable to other hotels in other locations/cities at the same price. Overall we were very happy with our stay at the Thunderbird. Also, I will mention that Jackie and Monica at the Bright Angel Front Desk were most welcoming and friendly. Overall, a good stay, but dinner was way better. Remember, also, that the rates are set by the National Park Service, and if I am correct, the NPS gets a percentage of these revenues. Yes, it is expensive to stay in these places, but this is also one of the world's premier locations. On the downside, the floor lamp is really cheap and tacky and some of the paint jobs look sloppy. The bathroom supplies were good and the heat worked fine. Not true - there is a good selection of coffee and tea available and a fridge. Another reviewer said there are no amenities in the room. The rooms are standard old style motel in size and they are perfectly clean and the beds comfortable. ) This has never happened and they certainly serve a useful purpose. These buildings were built in the 60s and do not win any awards and my understanding is some years ago the National Park Master Plan was to eliminate this building ( along with adjoining Kachina Lodge. I have not stayed in this lodge, part of Bright Angel, in many years, although I did work at Grand Canyon for four years, so am familiar with the facilities. These rooms were the only ones available in GC Village at the time the reservation was made, although there was a " Rooms Available " sign posted in Bright Angel lobby last night. My friend and i stayed here last night after enjoying an excellent Christmas dinner at El Tovar. We luckily found parking on the street below, in front, and toward El Tovar, so parked there to unload/load and just walked to/from the desk in Bright Angel. Others have mentioned the parking and the one-way system if you go to Bright Angel to check in. No comfortable seating in room and no public seating area except El Tovar lobby that was dark and cold from door opening. We were there when very cold, so we did want to spend some time in room or lobby or somewhere warm in the evening reading or watching a movie. Could hear neighbors through connecting door. That may help keep room warm/cool, but irritating. Room was really dark-had to stand under lamp by window to read anything. What I didn't like-bathroom was tiny, but served its function. Staff at Bright Angel check in was friendly. What I liked-convenient location to rim, restaurants, and view of canyon (with people standing, taking photos throughout the day). I booked a partial view room in case the cold temperatures had us in the room during the day, so we could still enjoy the view.
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