Best Western East Zion Thunderbird Lodge

I had a long travel day and then hiked for 6 hours at Zion. Exhausted from the day I was worried about this hotel since it was in the middle of nowhere. I arrived and was greeted by pleasant, friendly service at the front desk. The room was very clean and had all the expected amenities. What an amazing gem out in the middle of nowhere! A good option to stay at if you want to be close to Zion (45ish min drive) and want to pay half the price as Springdale

Excellent Best Western I’ve stayed at. Very clean and rooms are very spacious. We had pool side room. Actually all their rooms were pool side but we had a sliding door that went out straight to pool. The pool and jacuzzi was heated. We actually used the pool even though the temperature outside was around the 50s at 8pm. We would definitely stay at this Best Western again.

The hotel was in a good location- about 12 miles from Zion. The accommodations were good, staff was nice, and they even had a Thunderbird restaurant there which was pretty good. ||If I’m not mistaken, when we were there the breakfast was not offered due to limited staffing issues.

This place was way better than I expected. Nick at the front desk was super helpful upon check-in. The room was spacious and very clean. There was even a rain-head shower in the bathroom! The heat worked well during a chilly night. I wish I had time to check out the cafe as it looked equally appealing. I would absolutely stay here again if in the Zion area.

We have stayed at this Best Western for many years but this visit was the worst! We arrived at 2:00 pm and check in was at 4:00 pm. I paid $20 extra for early check in. Our friends we were traveling with opted to wait. She went back to the office and was given her key at 2:45 without an extra charge! The ice maker closest to our room was not working for our 4 night stay, therefore we had to walk all the way to the next building over for ice, which was out of ice 2 out of our 4 night stay. We checked in on a Sat and I finally had to take out dirty towels to the front desk on Monday afternoon because housekeeping never provided fresh towels nor did they empty the trash!! The front desk said they would notify the owner but that never happened. The pool area was disgusting!! No one ever cleaned the area of trash and 2 days there were no pool towels. Our shower was cloaked day one. Maintenance man was very friendly and cleared the drain immediately. I question how housekeeping cleaned the shower before our arrival and not report that it was cloaked!!!! Totally unacceptable.

Really nicely renovated older property. Family run so they care. Check in quick and efficient. Great place as a base for Zion and Bryce. A nice place for several days, so you can do local experiences that you can book at hotel. Much the better way of entering Zion with far less crowds.

Perfect place to stay the night near Zion. The gentleman checking us in was very friendly and welcoming. Rooms are great, very comfortable beds (best night of sleep in our trip so far!) and the pool and hottub were amazing after a long day hiking. Would defenitely stay again!

What a jewel in almost the middle of nowhere. Clean room, probably newly remodeled. Check in was done in detail without dragging long. Being a history guy, questions about the history of the establishment and area were answered very well. Kanab is only 20 minutes away if you want a store, more restaurants, etc., but the Thunderbird is great. I'd stayed here 30 or so years ago and came back for a bit of nostalgia, and am very glad I did. Very well done all around. Highly recommended if you're entering Zion from the east.

Very pleasant experience, spent night at Mt Carmel Junction!! Very clean and good Experience there !!!

We stayed 3 nights at this motel and enjoyed our stay. We did not expect the room to be so nice! It had a microwave, an air purifier, and a nespresso machine. It was a ground floor room and had a little patio off it. The beds were comfortable, the towels were big, and the place was quiet. We would definitely stay there again!

Amazing rooms. Rustic looking furniture. Has a patio. A diamond in the rough. Pool open all night. Washing & drying machines on site. Nice size gift shop. But closed on Wednesdays & Thursdays.

Friendly staff, great diner, cool little gift shop close to Zion. I recommend! (Get the pie)

Very clean remodeled rooms. We had a nice stay here. Quiet area with a nice gift shop & restaurant attached. No free breakfast-but a great area. Our room had a back patio with chairs. Easy drive to Zion tunnel. We loved it.

Our king size room was clean and super spacious! I love how we can park our car right outside the door for easy loading of our luggage.  We had brought our own food and it was very convenient to have a microwave and fridge in our room. There's only one person working at the front desk but she was very friendly.  We did have an issue with our microwave not working, a stop at the front desk and they gave us a replacement on a dolly right away.  The bed was comfortable and there's also Keurig for some caffeine rush before we check out in the morning.  We didn't need to be near Zion as it was a pit stop for our road trip across Utah.  Pricing for a Saturday night was affordable and there's also a Chevron right outside.

From the moment we checked in, we felt welcome. The front staff was friendly and even though the outside of the facilities was on the plainer side, our room was immaculate! The queen beds were sturdy and we really felt the ambiance coming through from the rustic furniture. The beds were comfortable and the room was spacious. The restaurant was mirrored in the same feel even if it did take a few minutes to get seated with the host being caught off guard with a large party. Our server was amazing (I feel terrible I can't remember his name several days later!). He recommended a blueberry beer and the ribs which were both tremendous. The beef tips were also outstanding and it's been one of our favorite road trip meals these last 2 weeks. This stop is highly recommended for whatever you're looking for on your travels and we know you'll enjoy it as much as we did!

Rooms are nice and clean. Beds are comfortable. I was surprised how nice the rooms are. It was a comfortable sleep while passing thru visiting the area.

Decent hotels with some pros and cons. Biggest complaint is that the walls are super thin, and I can hear the TV and crying kid in the room next door. The hotel is in decent shape. All the doors do open outwards, so it is sort of like a motel. The rooms are large and spacious, and does have a rustic feel to it. There is also a hot tub and pool on site however, it is not open in the winter time. No fitness room. Bathrooms are in decent shape. It's location in the middle of nowhere, and we only stayed there for a quick night on our way to Zion which is still another 25min to the East Park entrance. The gas station discount others have mentioned does not exist anymore. The only discount they have is at their restaurant. Overall, no frills quick stay, but I definitely would not stay here for extended period of time.

Excellent location between Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park. It's perfectly situated to get on Hwy 9 to drive to Zion National Park - that route is beyond gorgeous. The room was very clean, they had plenty of electrical outlets, beautiful view out our window, the staff was really nice, the restaurant had good food. We visited in the off-season, in December just before Christmas. I can only imagine during the busy time of the year that it's absolutely packed with happy visitors. They are known for their homemade goods - they make their own "ho-made" bread and "ho-made" pies - delicious!

This is by far the best place EVER!!! Highly highly recommend Kathie at the front desk is unbelievably wonderful and the manager just as wonderful The restaurant is fantastic Lots of options and surprised to find vegan and vegetarian options The wait staff are warm and friendly Right next to gas station and town This is the place to stay for sure!!!!

Reviewing for the hotel only. Clean, affordable, pool and hot tub, friendly service, convenient location. The only thing that knocked off a star was the fact that I got locked out of my hotel room due to "sticking doors" whatever that means. Finally got it open but was paranoid to close it all the way if I went out! Luckily there were a bunch of us with another room next door so it wasn't a huge deal. The attached restaurant is the only place we ate! They gave you coupons for the gift shop and gas station which was nice and helped out a bit!

This Review is of the hotel RV Park. Simply fantastic for such a busy location. Just completed my second stay in 2 years. I will use this park whenever I am in this area. Front desk staff is top notch both times I have stayed.

Stayed here for two days and really enjoyed it. They have everything right there for you. There are a few places you can drive to in that area and check out. They have a cool coffee shop called the rock stop which sells crystals and serves coffee and ice cream and then there is a really cool cave near by called the Dragons Belly which is a cool must see. The restaurant attached is really fun to go to and they actual play oldies the ones I remember listening to with my dad when I was a young girl. Not the "oldies" which are basically 90's music they play on the radio today.Lol. Try their apple pie and ice cream and coffee they are fantastic. We had breakfast our last day which was a bit bland but nice to not be over salted like the majority of places that serve their food now and days. Gas station is right next store too. Perfect gas station store to get any snacks or quick breakfast before heading to the national parks. Zion, I felt was around the corner. So it didn't seem so far like other reviews claim. Even Bryce felt close by. Everyone we encountered here was so freakin nice. I loved it. The only issues I had was that the shower was crappy. It wasn't working the best, the shower head in particular so when you opened the door water got everywhere. Even turning the shower head to the side didn't help because it barely budged. The floor was too slippery. I slipped twice and thankfully I didn't fall on my butt. Walls are thin and I could hear the t.v from the other room next to us. Also, we had a blackout for 4 hours during our stay but it was already midnight so it wasn't a big issue. It was just scary pitch black. Other than that I would say we had a blast and will use this hotel again in the future.

Place was very clean! Good place to stay at if you're trying to save a little money. Stayed here while visiting Zion and it's quite bit of a drive but again worth it to save a little money. ONLY thing I can complain about is it's literally in the middle of no where with only about 1 or 2 places to get food so you have to get food while down in Springdale because also everything closed super early! Besides that very good and clean

"You're hot and you're cold, you're yes then you're no." The only complaint I have about my stay here is that the water temperature in the shower was spazzing out. I set it to warm, but it kept alternating between really hot water and and ice cold water! I wasn't severely burned, but man it hurt! The bed is super soft and comfortable and the room is spacious. They even have a dining table with two chairs, a microwave, refrigerator, and Keurig machine that comes with complimentary k-cups they refill each day! Even the shampoo and lotion was nice--Pantene and Vaseline brand (what my boyfriend likes to use). Other than the shower, I wouldn't mind staying here again if I came back to Zion. The lodge is just ten minutes outside of Zion National Park. It's also more than half the price per night of what you would pay if you stayed in the park.

I don't give a 1 star rating lightly, here it comes... Parking: plentiful Location: Good - right between Zion and Bryce. Ambiance: Motel-ish Rooms: Strange - we played a game - see who can find a right angle in the room. We couldn't figure out how to set up the roll-away in the room because it was so oddly shaped. The room has been remodeled, but just barely. There were bugs in the room, I got bit twice. I don't think there were bed bugs, but I kept waking up in the middle of the night feeling them crawl and asked my hubby to turn on his cell phone light to check the bed. There were 2 holes in the wall near the head boards. I filled one in with TP, but the other was fist sized and I didn't think there was enough to fill in the hole so I just left it. There was what looked like a booger under my hubby's pillow. He didn't tell me at the time because he didn't want to gross me out. Bathrooms: Small, but fairly clean. I've never seen a tub that small before. I felt a little claustrophobic. I sat down to use the toilet when we first got in and there were about 4 squares of TP left on the roll. I had to immediately switch to a new roll - luckily there was one on the toilet. I get the feeling that they are cutting corners where ever they can. No free breakfast: This is the first and only Best Western that I've been to that didn't have a free breakfast. It's connected to a restaurant though that serves "Ho-made" pie with a stand-up cutout of a "Ho". Needless to say, I did not bring my 9 year old son to that restaurant. Service: Charged for roll-away we couldn't use (and which they really shouldn't have charged me for since the person I talked to on the phone said there was no charge), front desk lady seemed annoyed at me for asking to have the charge removed, said the manager wouldn't be in until the next day and they'd have to ask. They did refund the $10 which is worth 1 star. This is a small thing, but kind of weird - the cleaning lady knocked on our door at about 9ish in the morning to check if we were gone yet so she could clean the room. Check-out wasn't until 11, I'm not sure what that was about. Recommendation: Our whole party left the place scratching our heads wondering what was up with this Best Western. Next time we'll be staying somewhere else.

Updated large room with comfortable western themed furnitures. Refrigerator but no microwave in the room. No free breakfast either. Very strong and fast wifi. We paid $139 for the night which was very acceptable.

Food was great! Home made fresh, the homemade pie was a bonus at the end of the meal. Service wasn't the best but it was because they were super busy. Will for sure go back when I am in the area.

Rented Dune Buggies from here, which was an experience of a lifetime! Not only did we go on an epic trail all day, and hit some amazing sand dunes (seriously, could spend all day there!), but Ed was beyond accommodating. I had a bad experience where I hit another dune buggy (long story, but passed someone who said there was no one ahead). At the end of it, the buggie was undriveable. Instead of calling it a day, Ed was more interested in making sure we enjoyed our entire day and immediately set us up with a replacement! I walked in feeling pretty bummed and that the day was ruined. Ed could have easily been upset/rude/you name it. Instead his attitude was fantastic, and quickly broke the mood. I would highly recommend them, and easily return the next time I'm there!

The room we got was as expected. My biggest gripe is the very small little toiletries. The shampoo provided was barely more than a quarter sized blob, and I stayed here with two other people. The area is pretty sparse. We booked here because we had originally intended on going to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park. We ended up only going to Zion and I didn't know it at the time, but it is a long drive, especially at night. It's twenty minutes of dark, nothing driving. That's after twenty minutes of mountain driving from the visitor's center. There were very few dining options and did not include breakfast. We did get coupons for the attached gas station though. That was probably the best part.

Finally: a good Zion National Park surrounding overnight stay location for an acceptable price Not really much to say Clean, solid and for one night ok The Motel Restaurant is running under a different management and have good dinner and breakfast options. For me a bit too pricy' but it tasted good The rooms are clean but kind of old fashioned We paid 80$ for the night/room and got voucher for the Motel gift shop (Zion Park) and for the local Mount Carmel Junction gas station- alright Around this county area are not many other overnight staying alternatives.... Soo..... It's ok

This place was a blessing in disguise. We were on our way to Bryce Canyon from Zion National Park. Stuck in the seasons first snowstorm at night, with EXTREMELY unsafe driving conditions. We ended up at this best western. The blonde lady at the desk was extremely kind and welcoming. The room was nice and clean. They charged us a fair price at the the site, no price gouging or taking advantage of the fact that there was a snow storm outside. Would definitely recommend this place! Thank you!

Room was excellent, but no elevator. Staff is very helpful. Offered to bring a microwave to a room without one. Restaurant was ok, not great, and overpriced. They are supposedly famous for their pies but we didn't have any. Great decorations, clean, beds were wonderful. Has a 9 hole golf course for those who golf.

Certainly met our expectations, for an inexpensive and convenient property between Zion and Bryce. Co located with a nice but seemingly expensive restaurant, with summer-time prices in the middle of February, but when you are the only show in town, I guess that is what you get. We had a discount and it was not applied to the bill, something we noticed only the next day. The hotel was also cheaper than the AirBnB places we investigated. Quite convenient, and our room was recently renovated. The door out the back led directly to the hot tub, which was also appreciated. They had no change for a large bill at the register, which seemed odd and was inconvenient.

Nice looking hotel but housekeeping is terrible. Found short hairs all over one pillow and in bed. Then found four or five of these hairs in tub and on bathroom floor. Soap residue not cleaned out of tub either. Called front desk to complain and they will note it but there's really nothing they can do because the hotel is booked up and same with area. Update: We waited until the partial refund went through to update this review, but I wanted to say that when we checked out, I explained to another person at the front desk, Amanda, about the hair all over the place. She was appropriately concerned for us and literally ran all over the property looking for manager so he could authorize a $50 refund (she was out of breath upon return). We appreciate her customer service.

This place was very good. We stayed last summer during a southwest road-trip and it was clean and comfortable. The late check-in was a little shaky, but the rooms were very nice and the restaurant was awesome. If you're looking for a base camp for Zion National Park then look no further because this is it.

Wonderful! He rooms were great, the service was very friendly, and everything was very clean. An easy drive to Zion and we got to see a lot more of the park. I'd stay here again if I came back to visit to park.

This review is for the restaurant. We did not stay here but we did eat dinner here. Steak was bland and veggies were store bought frozen kind that taste rubbery when you cook them. The spaghetti my wife had came out cold and the garlic bread was stale. We asked the waiter to reheat it and came back like warm. The waiter was very nice but y'all need to hire another cook or buy a better microwave. Greatly disappointed after a long day in Zion.

This is an old school lodge with a nod to the 60's, but it's clean and has modern amenities (like flatscreen TV). Ground level rooms has a back patio with a view of the pool. The kitchenette is huge. It is a convenient pitstop between Zion and Bryce Canyon National Park. Oh, it's also super cheap for a place this well kept!

Staff is nice. Clean, recently renovated. Good atmosphere, right outside Zion. I really like staying here more than staying in Springdale. Pool, hot tub, golf. Cute little ships in Orderville. This gives you more access to parts of the park that are less used.

I have been here several times over the years when driving between Phoenix and SLC. Sadly the food is no longer a reason to stop here. The pies are still good but the it looks like the rest of the menu has gone downhill. I have had the chicken and bacon wrap here before and it was excellent however Thai time it was more of a salad wrap (literally it was salad mix) with a bit of chicken and a smidgen of bacon. The chicken tortilla soup was delicious however there was nary any chicken or tortilla to be found. The pie is still delicious however and if that is all you want I recommend it, but don't bother with a meal beforehand.

We stopped by the Thunderbird while on a trip to Southern Utah. They served up some fairly decent burgers and had a surprisingly good beer selection. The only thing that wasn't too good was the scones. They looked real good on the outside but were not cooked at all on the inside. My guess is that they put frozen dough balls in the freezer and don't let them thaw before cooking. Knowing what I know now, I'll order the "ho-made" pie they brag about next time.

This is a comfortable place to stay and convenient to both Zion and Bryce National Parks. Big, rustic rooms--not fancy but clean and well cared for. Check in process was rather slow and cumbersome. Needs to be streamlined somehow. But they have the best sign I've seen in a long time!

This was perfect for my family of four! There is a quaint little diner on sight, which was great after a kind day at Zion or Bryce Canyon. (We ate there twice.) We also loved that there was a gas station right next door. Perfect for early morning coffee! The room was nice and clean. The decor had a very rustic feel, with log furniture. The beds were nice and comfy! There is even a laundry room on the premises! Only $1.50 to wash and $1.50 to dry. I took advantage of that! The gift shop was very reasonable. Everyone that I care in contact with that was employed here was super nice and helpful! Will recommend!!

Really don't have any complaints. Was clean, staff was nice even though we got to checking in at 1am. Wifi, mini fridge, flat screen tv that you could actually watch. We paid 100 incl taxes for one night. Right next to a chevron if you need gas. The restaurant was nice as well. Had an outdoorsy feel to it. I had the American burger and it was decent. I've had better for the same price, but then again this was kinda in the middle of nowhere, and for that it was pretty good.

Glad this place is nearby! Comfortable, clean, really close to the parks (especially Zion) -- can't ask for much more.

I loved this place! The rooms are charming and have an rustic feel to it. The rooms were extremely clean. Its about a 30 minute (Scenic) drive from Zion national park. The rates are affordable and rooms were available even when all lodges within the park were full. Their restaurant has some really great food and liquor. The cajun grilled shrimp was good. They also had good breakfast options. A great hotel if you plan to spend time at Zion national park!

Food was not very good. The salad bar was sad, soup was tasty though! Nevertheless, a fun little place with a rich history. Go for the kitch, not the food.

Between our trek from grand canyon and zion, we got stuck in a bit of storm. So we decided to wait it out one night here. It was a good price for the one night we stayed. Room was nice. Front desk reception was great. Pros: I love the restaurant that's in the lobby. the Ho-made pie is Delicious. I had the thunderberry and my bf had the apple. It's a very diner feel. Staff is great. and the food was totally americana at its finest. Cons: The only reason why this place is getting 4 instead of 5 is for two reasons. 1) There are two different heaters in the room. One near the beds didnt work so it took a while for the other heather to warm up the room. 2) the water temp in the shower was a little hard to control and temper. It also fluctuated a bit even when not turning the dials, but that could be due to other guests as well. but I wasn't showering during a peak time. Definitely woulds stay here again.

This place looks older on the outside but it was clean and nice!! Don't be deceived! There aren't many food options in town--we were here in winter and I'm not sure if places close for the season . We had dinner in Kanab (about 30 min away) since most places in town were closed ... the restaurant attached was open and we had a great breakfast there. The Service at the hotel was GREAT! I would go back !!

Young adults on a spring break road trip. We got to Thunderbird and our room key didn't work, but the third time was the charm (figured out it was daylight savings messing with the keys). The room was nice and clean and everything worked but the toilet. After much hassle, the Front Desk was amazing enough to upgrade our rooms--not just change our rooms--without missing a beat. A great experience and very close to Zion National Park. Definitely recommend.

This was a wonderful little hotel, and a great place to stay. Close enough to both Bryce and Zion to be a great home base for a national park tour in the area. Highly recommended, and infinitely better than Ruby's Inn. Cute rooms, good internet, and a very friendly staff. Also, oddly enough, the attached restaurant was pretty decent, with great service. If I'm ever in that area again soon, this is where I'll be booking.

I have been a regular here for a few years now. I make it a point to come up to Utah to visit my grandparents once or twice a year. I am from Vegas and the hotels here are loud and not clean to my standards. The rooms at this Best Western are quiet, clean, and cozy. They are exactly my style. Jane that works at the front counter helps me each year. She is super friendly and has a personality of gold. Such a nice gal. Give her a raise! ;)

We were travelling through, and stayed in Zion longer that anticipated, we decided to drive through, and didn't have a reservation for the night. After one hell of a stressing ride, in the dark, we stumbled upon this Best Western late in the evening around 9-10 PM, went in and we managed to get a room super cheap. The room was very spacious & clean, with a large bathroom, the beds were comfy and we had a good night. The hot tub and the pool were large and nice as well, only a shame that there wasn't a breakfast included, however definitely a recommendation for people.

Unfortunately we weren't able to assess the quality of the motel itself, but faced a super weird and rude "welcome" from a lady that was on duty the night of 29th (today) We are on a road trip from California, headed to Zion Park and arrived at the motel around 10:30 pm, no one was at the reception desk, we tried to call anyone, no response, after a short pause we overheard a noise from the bathroom, walked over, while a lady walked out of the door. We asked if she was working here and the response was "no, they just gave me the keys and I come clean this place, I get off on that" Yeah.. this is pretty rude and unpleasant to hear after 5 hours of driving, I hope management will take an action. Thanks

My husband and I were passing through from Zion to Bryce Canyon on a Saturday night and were desperate for a place to lay our head for the night at almost 8p. We got the last room...a king suite for a crazy $200. We were, however, very impressed with the suite! Extremely spacious, clean, comfortable, and beautifully decorated. We were going to take a dip in the outside hot tub, but it was extremely packed so we opted for a nice soak in our gigantic bathtub. Unfortunately, there was no free continental breakfast.

In the middle of nowhere.....or the middle of Zion and Bryce, to be exact. Wish we would have stayed closer inside Zion National Park, though. (The website is deceiving to its proximity). However, rooms were clean and comfy - nothing fancy though. It was like a ghost town when we were there, but we did enjoy the slopes for our kids to sled down right next to our room. Friendly and helpful staff members too! Water is HOT!!! So be careful when washing your hands.

Our flight to Utah landed later than we expected so we called the hotel to let them know we will be checking in around 2:30am. They were very nice and said they will leave a note with instructions on the front door. We finally arrived and the note said to press the call button. A man answered and said he will be right over. He was extremely nice and didn't seemed bothered at all that we arrived in the middle of the night. Even after we checked in and was headed to our room, he waited around to make sure we got into the room ok and didn't need anything else. The room was very nice with lots of space and new renovations. The back patio into the courtyard was a nice surprise with green grass and views of the pool and hot tub. Would definitely stay here again! Great, clean rooms and excellent customer service.