Provo, UT

If you’re planning to visit Bryce Canyon, consider staying at Ruby‘s Inn, a tourist attraction in itself. Some people may think it’s a little gimmicky, with lodge décor and a themed “Old West” town across the street, but really what else would you hope to find in a fairly remote southwestern town outside a national park? If you ask me, it certainly beats spending the night in an overpriced, run-down motel!

What I really like about Ruby’s Inn is that it’s thoroughly modern lodging with just about every convenience you could want, yet there’s a lot of history. It dates back to 1916, before Bryce Canyon was even dedicated as a national park, when Rueben & Minnie Syrett started hosting friends and visitors at the “Tourist Rest” they established near the rim of the canyon. Once Bryce Canyon was dedicated a national park, the Syretts moved the tent houses to their nearby ranch and called it Ruby’s Inn. Business grew, and somewhere along the way it merged with Best Western, but it’s still owned and operated by the original owner’s family.

Ruby’s Inn is comprised of a main lodge and satellite buildings. We were lucky enough to get a room in the main lodge at a great price–another benefit to traveling off-season. The rooms were spacious, spotless, and comfortable. It was great being in the main lodge with the lobby, pool, restaurant, and general store right there, instead of having to go back out into the cold. And since days are short in the winter (when we visited), we were back from exploring the parks early enough to enjoy every amenity Ruby’s Inn had to offer.

The highlight of Ruby’s Inn is the cozy lobby lounge. After swimming in the pool (open until 10 p.m., and surprisingly crowded in the evenings), we snuggled up with our daughter on comfy leather couches near the stone fireplace. It’s the perfect place to unwind, chat, read a good book, or drink a glass of wine (BYOB). The Cowboy restaurant is open until 9 p.m. during the winter, and the menu is mostly comfort food, with the buffet being the most popular menu item. The General Store is open until 9:30 p.m. You’ll find all of the usual tourist suspects there, from jewelry to magnets, mugs, tees, and postcards, plus artwork, geodes, etc. The grocery section is overpriced, as you would expect, but convenient and well-stocked. I liked that Ruby’s didn’t gouge gas customers. They weren’t the cheapest, but weren’t the most expensive, either.

Other services on site at Ruby’s include an RV park & campground, Canyon Diner, Utah state liquor store, Hertz car rental, one-hour photo, post office, ATM, foreign currency exchange, laundry, and free wi-fi. I lost my connection a couple of times but I’m not going to complain—it was free! Another thing that really impressed me was the wealth of area information on their website and at the lodging. They provided maps, clear directions, and information about Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Zion, and other things to do in the surrounding areas.

I can’t vouch for the rooms in the other sections of Ruby’s Inn but I would imagine they have a reputation to uphold. Off-season, you can’t beat the amenities for the price. It’s open year-round and great for families, tourists, and even a romantic getaway. I wouldn’t stay anywhere else in Bryce.