4 Best Hotels in Williams, North-Central Arizona

Nestled among two acres of pine trees a ½ mile uphill from Route 66, this upscale B&B has decks with good views and a flagstone patio with a hot tub. Decorated with simple, Asian-inspired furnishings, rooms all have king beds, flat-screen TVs, and luxurious bathrooms. Hearty breakfasts—including eggs and British-style sausages—will ready you for the hour-long drive to the canyon. Gracious hosts Claire and Nick, originally from the United Kingdom, gladly help guests plan itineraries.

Sleep in a historic railcar or a stone cottage from a 1938 motor lodge at this 13-acre property at the forest's edge on the outskirts of Williams. The best rooms are the 1929 Santa Fe red cabooses: both are family-friendly (and can sleep up to six people), with two sides separated by a bathroom, giving parents a little privacy. The original wooden floor and tool equipment add to the authenticity. Cottage rooms are built from the local sandstone known for its variegated colors. The motel also has grills and an outdoor fire pit, seven "dry" campsites (there is no water in the campsite, but restrooms, showers, and laundry are close by), and a 47-space RV park with full hookups.

Designed to resemble the train depot's original Fray Marcos Hotel, this upscale place features attractive Southwestern-style accommodations with large bathrooms and comfy beds with upscale linens. Neoclassical Greek columns flank the grand entrance, which leads to a lobby with maple-wood balustrades, an enormous flagstone fireplace, and oil paintings of the Grand Canyon by local artist Kenneth McKenna. Original bronzes by Frederic Remington also adorn the lobby. Adjacent to the lobby is Spenser's, a pub with an ornate 19th-century hand-carved bar; next door is the Fred Harvey Restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

This restored saloon and bordello from 1897 now houses a small, antiques-filled B&B. Guest rooms are on the second floor; ask for the "Best Gal's Room," which has its own sitting room overlooking the train tracks, forest, and mountains. All four rooms (one is interior, with skylights) are quiet, as the only train traffic is the Grand Canyon Railway. Even if you don't stay here, the fresh pastries served in the first-floor coffee shop are worth a stop.