Independent Motels
Beyond the norm
One of the reasons why we like traveling through the USA so much, is the excellent infrastructure that can be found almost everywhere. As for accommodation, there are of course countless hotel chains, but also always great small, often family-run, hotels that offer a great alternative.
A few of them, in which we have stayed during our travels, we want to present here in random order. We liked them for a variety of reasons. Some have a special location, others were just nice and cozy. Since these individual houses are not comparable, the order does not represent any valuation.
The View
Indian Rte 42, Oljato-Monument Valley, AZ 8453
HOMEPAGE
Description: The facility of The View was opened in December 2008. In addition to the hotel, it features a restaurant and a trading post offering traditional Native American art. Built directly on the Rim, the room balconies offer magnificent views of Monument Valley's striking mesas. The hotel has three floors. All rooms have balconies from which you can enjoy the view. Both the sunrise and the sunset are really worth seeing.
Even though the prices here are really very sporty, the hotel is well booked almost all year round. If you want to have a room on a certain date, you should book it well in advance.
Breakfast: No breakfast included in the room rate. But there is a restaurant where breakfast is offered.
Our rating: We treated ourselves to a night at The View Hotel in October 2014. We liked the stay here very much. The view is magnificent and worth every penny. It was great to sit on the balcony in our pajamas and wait for the sun to rise.
The rooms were large, nicely furnished and most importantly, clean.
The restaurant was just mediocre, but with the great view from the dining room featuring huge picture windows, the food really isn't that important.
We can definitely recommend an overnight stay here.
Our visit: One night in October 2014
Yosemite Lake Cabins
31191 Hardin Flat Rd, Groveland, CA 95321
HOMEPAGE
Description: The Camping Cabins belong to a large RV Park, with are all kinds of camping possibilities. There are different cabins, for 2-8 persons, with different equipment and in different price ranges. The RV Park is located just a few minutes outside of Yosemite NP on the road to Groveland. There is a store, a gas station and a common room with free wifi. If you want wifi in the cabin, you have to pay extra.
For trips to Yosemite Valley, allow about an hour's drive.
Our cabin was equipped with all the amenities. There was a seating area with TV, a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom with shower and a bedroom. In terms of space, it can perhaps be compared to a large caravan.
Breakfast: No breakfast included in the room rate.
Our rating: With a few minor drawbacks, we liked the cabin quite well. Some things could use a little renovation or a more thorough cleaning, but on the whole it was ok.
Like everything near Yosemite National Park, the prices are very high for what is offered. Here you pay in any case for the location.
If you want to stay overnight near the park you have to accept the prices everywhere. Apart from that, we can recommend the cabins. We would stay here again.
Our visit: Two nights in September 2019.
Hidden Canyon Ranch
2000 Hidden Canyon Pkwy, Baker, NV 89311
HOMEPAGE
Description: Hidden Canyon Ranch is a privately operated, B&B-like motel in Hidden Canyon, a few miles southeast of Great Basin National Park.
It takes about half an hour to drive to the Lehman Caves. The ranch is one of the very few places to stay near the national park.
The ranch offers all amenities, even a small store. The rooms are located in a U-shaped extra building. The rooms each have a small fully equipped kitchenette and a table with chairs. The size is very comfortable for two people.
There is almost no infrastructure around the ranch. Baker is the next bigger place. There is one visibly operated restaurant here. (Supposedly there are three, but we only found one).
Breakfast: The room price includes a buffet breakfast. This is partly prepared by the hostess. There is a fresh, hot breakfast dish every day. The rest is the same as the usual motel breakfast.
Our rating: We spent two nights at Hidden Canyon Ranch in September 2019.
Everything was very well maintained and lovingly designed. The rooms were very well equipped and clean. We felt very comfortable and can recommend this hotel to anyone looking for accommodation near the Great Basin National Park.
We especially liked the peace and seclusion here. No clue how you get the idea to live here, but as tourists we enjoyed it very much.
Since there is only one restaurant in Baker, you should plan your meal before visiting and bring what you need for your stay if necessary. There is a fully equipped kitchen in the room. One also has the possibility to use the grill in the outdoor area. The nearest larger town with supermarkets is Ely, which is about an hour's drive away.
Our visit: Two nights in September 2019.
Description: The motel is located at the eastern end of Williams directly on Route 66, which can be easily explored on foot from the hotel. The rooms are not particularly large, but are nicely renovated.
Breakfast: Here breakfast is not included in the room rate, but there are several restaurants in town that offer a hot breakfast.
Our rating: We liked our overnight stay here very much. The staff at the reception was very friendly and we immediately felt welcome and comfortable. We also got some great tips for things to do in the city. The location of the small motel is ideal if you want to explore the sights along Route 66. Good value for money here.
Our visit: One night in June 2023
Stone Lizard Lodge
88 W Center St, Blanding, UT 84511
HOMEPAGE
Description: In the area surrounding Blanding, overnight accommodations are not very abundant. So it is all the nicer to have a really nicely renovated, privately run motel. It offers rooms in different categories. Because the choice in the region is limited, we would definitely recommend to secure a room in advance.
Breakfast: Breakfast is included in the room rate and is served in a B&B style breakfast room. There are freshly prepared dishes such as breakfast muffins and egg dishes in addition to the usual items such as bread, coffee, jam, etc.
Our rating: We liked the Stone Lizard Lodge very much. The facility is clean and very nicely designed. The rooms were also individually decorated and very clean.The breakfast was exceptional, because at a large communal table you could chat with the other travelers. The food was also tasty and a lot more varied than usual. We would stay here again anytime.
Our visit: One night in October 2018.
Description: The Blue Sage Inn & Suites was newly renovated a few years ago and offers an additional, quite affordable option to stay in Blanding. The room and bathroom were a sufficient size for us. Everything was neat and clean. Parking is available right in front of the room.
Breakfast: The "breakfast" hardly deserves the name. In the room next to the reception there are a few cereal bars and coffee. However, there is a nice bakery across from the hotel where you can have breakfast.
Our rating: We quite liked the small motel. It offers a good alternative to staying in the area. Even if it is nothing extraordinary, we found it to be a good value for the money. The poor breakfast is definitely a negative point.
Our visit: Two nights in June 2023
Inca Inn
570 N Main St, Moab, UT 84532
HOMEPAGE
Description: In and around Moab, hotel prices have risen extremely in recent years. The Inca Inn is one of the hotels that still offer a good price / performance ratio. For us, this was also the main reason to choose the hotel in October 2014 for two nights. The hotel is a traditional motel, where you can park directly in front of your room door.
The hotel is located a little outside downtown, nevertheless, you can easily reach the town`s restaurants and stores on foot.
Breakfast: The price includes a small breakfast. Nothing really spectacular, but good to get a little something in the stomach.
Our rating: We were pleasantly surprised by the Inca Inn. The entire facility is very well maintained and clean. The rooms are simply and functionally furnished. The bathroom in our room was very small and offered little storage space, but everything was neat and clean. We felt completely comfortable here and would stay here again at any time.
The only minus we would perhaps mention is the breakfast, which consisted solely of muffins, oatmeal and coffee. However, since this does not play a major role for us, it is also not a decisive factor in the hotel selection.
Our visit: Two nights in October 2014.
Broken Spur Inn & Steakhouse
955 East UT-24, Torrey, UT 84775
HOMEPAGE
Description: Torrey is basically the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park. It's a tiny town, but has quite a few places to stay because of its proximity to the national park and other highlights in the Southwest. The Broken Spur Inn & Steakhouse is a hotel separated into three houses with exterior doors and an attached restaurant.
Breakfast: The room price includes breakfast, which is served in the attached restaurant.
Our rating: We spent four nights at the Broken Spur Inn in April 2022. The rooms were spacious, functionally furnished and offered everything you need for a pleasant stay. Everything was clean and tidy. We were comfortable and would stay here again, especially because of the great location.
The steakhouse is also definitely worth recommending.
Our visit: Four nights in April 2022
Austin´s Chuck Wagon Motel
12 W Main St, Torrey, UT 84775
HOMEPAGE
Description: Torrey is Capitol Reef National Park's gateway, so to speak. It's a tiny town, but it has a relatively good tourist infrastructure because of its proximity to the national park and other highlights in the Southwest. Austin's Chuck Wagon Motel is located in the middle of town and is a nice, family-run motel. The entire facility is very well kept and clean.
Breakfast: Breakfast is not included in the room rate, but there are several restaurants in town that offer a hot breakfast. In addition, there are small items for breakfast in the attached, small supermarket.
Our rating: We spent one night at Austin's Chuck Wagon Motel in October 2018. The rooms were functionally furnished and offered everything you need for a comfortable stay. Everything was clean and tidy. We also felt comfortable here and would stay here again, especially because of the great location.
Our visit: One night in October 2018.
Description: This relatively new hotel opened in September 2017 and offers an additional place to stay in Escalante. The hotel is attractively designed and offers very nice large rooms with a large bathroom. In the hotel you will also find a restaurant. The price per night is in the upper range.
Breakfast: Breakfast is included
Our rating: The hotel itself is fine. The rooms are large, nicely furnished and offer everything you need for a nice stay. Nevertheless, we were disappointed, in view of the very high price, especially by the surroundings. The breakfast was ok by american standards but did not go beyond the standard. Here, too, you accumulate a mountain of garbage. At this price we would expect at least proper plates and silverware. The restaurant had the feel of a station hall. The food was prepared in the same room, behind a partition. This was a bit strange. The food itself was ok. There were laundry machines available for guests. However, these did cost an additional fee.
We liked the hotel and enjoyed the stay. We just expected more given the really high price.
Our visit: Three nights in June 2023
Circle D Motel
475 W Main St, Escalante, UT 84726
HOMEPAGE
Description: The Circle D Motel is not a particularly great motel, but it is located in the middle of the great landscape of the Southwest and offers a good base camp for exploring the area. Escalante is a small town in the middle of nowhere and so there are not many other places to stay in the area. The Circle D Motel is a typical motel. It consists of two buildings and offers the possibility to park the car directly in front of your room door.
Breakfast: The room rate does not include breakfast, but there is an attached restaurant where you can have breakfast.
Our rating: The Circle D Motel is not a modern new motel, but during our visit it was clean and offered everything you needed for a nice stay. The room (No.1) was very large and also offered a second room with sofa, table and a kitchenette. The motel is a bit outdated, but if you don't need a lot of luxury, this is a good place to stay while exploring the area. We would stay here again.
Our visit: Two nights in October 2018.
Kanab Suites
157 W Center St, Kanab, UT 84741
HOMEPAGE
Description: Kanab Suites Motel is a family-run, tiny, one-story motel in the middle of town. It' s easy to reach everything on foot. The rooms are furnished in a modern style. Each contains a fully equipped kitchen, dining table and several chairs. The motel is a typical American motel. It offers parking right in front of the room door.
Breakfast: Breakfast is not included in the room price. But you have the opportunity to prepare your own breakfast in the kitchen. All the necessary equipment, e.g. stove and toaster are available.
Our rating: The Kanab Suites Motel has modern and nicely furnished rooms it offers everything you need for a pleasant stay. The room was very large and also offered a fully equipped kitchen so you could have cooked yourself. Everything was very clean and gave a great impression of quality.
We really liked the motel during our stay in April 2022. We would definitely stay here again.
Our visit: Three nights in April 2022
