12 Best Hotels in Moab and Southeastern Utah, Utah

Built right up next to the red-rock cliffs, this boutique hotel makes you feel like you're in the wilderness, even though you're on the edge of town and surrounded by luxurious amenities. The exterior was inspired by the cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloans thousands of years ago, and the rooms are similarly earthy with textures and finishes reminiscent of the surrounding desert. Each room also features a private patio and art showcasing the local beauty, and well as other nice touches, from the large showers to refrigerators with freezers. The HozHo spa offers a full range of services. A pool and hot tub are also on the resort's 16 acres, as are glamping teepees, a disc-golf course, a few hiking trails, and fire pits where you can enjoy a quick bite from the outdoor café.

This reimagined roadside motel has morphed into Green River's only boutique lodging, with an upscale western motif and individually decorated rooms right in the heart of downtown. Expect giant showers with river-rock bottoms, comfy reading chairs, vibrant bedspreads, 50-inch flat-screen TVs and Egyptian cotton sheets. The rustic, wooden ceilings are delectably tall, and in king rooms they're 15 feet high. The hot breakfast is cooked to order, with several sweet and savory options to choose from. After a long day of driving or desert adventuring, it's nice to relax by the outdoor pool or courtyard campfire.

At the Bullfrog Marina, this cliff-top lodge has comfortable and clean rooms anyone can appreciate, but the real draw is the view of the lake. Surround yourself with the beauty of nature while in the comfort of the lodge. All rooms have a coffeemaker, mini-refrigerator, and microwave. Hungry? An on-site restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

A local fixture for decades, this centrally located hotel exudes rustic elegance, with a huge, two-story wooden front porch, several smartly furnished cabins, and a series of larger suites set around a courtyard. Some rooms have peaked ceilings, wood trim, and knotty-pine furnishings. A separate building contains a fitness center, an indoor pool, and a shaded patio with comfy lounge chairs. There's also an excellent gift shop stocked with local art and crafts. For couples, especially, this offers a quiet, luxury base for exploring nearby Monument Valley.

With spectacular views of Monument Valley from each room's private balcony, this historic lodge often serves as a base for film crews in the area—and has for years, as cinema greats John Wayne and John Ford used to stay here. It has handsome stucco buildings and simple rooms decorated with Native American art. The best lodging deals here are the houses and suites, which offer full kitchens and much more space than the hotel rooms for not much more money. For a true sense of Goulding's beginnings and history, spend some time at the on-site museum. Also on the grounds, the Stagecoach restaurant serves the area favorite, a Navajo taco, along with many traditional American entrées. Goulding's offers custom-guided tours of Monument Valley and provides Navajo guides into the backcountry, where you're not allowed to venture on your own. The lodge is 2 miles off U.S. 163, at the Monument Valley Tribal Park turnoff, about 25 miles southwest of Mexican Hat.

One of the largest properties in Monticello, which is just under an hour from the Needles District Visitor Center, this is also one of the comfiest, with a heated indoor pool and a hot tub that's just what the doctor ordered for soaking adventure-weary bodies, and the rates are significantly cheaper than almost anything in Moab. Rooms are modestly appointed but clean.

One of the best bargains in town, this timber-frame motel offers small, clean rooms at the south end of the Moab strip near restaurants and shops. Knotty-pine walls, western furnishings, and old movie posters from the many flicks filmed in the area, give it a little more character than most motels in this price range. Ask for a room at the back of the property to avoid noise from Main Street traffic.

One of the best values amid Moab's increasingly pricey lodging landscape, this homey downtown property is, as the name suggests, rustic—but the 35 rooms are clean and comfortable and provide space for families or friends traveling together. Standard amenities include 50-inch flat-screen TVs and kitchenettes. Within a short walk of downtown restaurants and shops, the inn also has a heated pool with a good-size picnic and barbecue area.

The peaceful setting, on the bank of the Green River, is conducive to a good night's rest, and this nicely maintained hotel is conveniently less than 2 miles off Interstate 70, although nearly an hour's drive from Arches. Comfortable, updated rooms are furnished with large beds, and some overlook the river. The premises are clean, tidy, and affordable, and a full hot breakfast is included.

This peaceful spot is a well-known launching point for white-water runners on the San Juan, a river that's famed as the setting of many of Tony Hillerman's Jim Chee mystery novels. The motel's Southwestern-style rustic rooms overlooking the river at Mexican Hat are clean and well maintained. Diners can watch the river flow by at The Juan restaurant, which serves delicious grilled steaks and juicy hamburgers. Fresh trout and inexpensive Navajo dishes add variety to the menu. Call the motel directly for the cheapest rates.

This rustic yet classy spot stands out from Blanding's mix of chain hotels and motor lodges with its serene garden area and individually decorated rooms, all with local art on the walls and Navajo-style rugs on the hardwood floors. Built in 1947, this was Blanding's first hotel and has maintained its historic feel while adding modern touches, including high-speed Internet and flat-screen smart TVs. Each room has its own unique flavor but all exude a sophisticated Southwestern vibe. Large groups can book the Family Suite, with three bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a living room.

The real gems of this roadside motel are the updated cabins with warm, wooden walls and big windows, though traditional motel rooms are offered at a lower price, and all rooms have little conveniences like microwaves and refrigerators. Right in the center of town, the property is aging but has a big following, often booking up months in advance for the busiest times of year. There's a laundry on-site, and right next door is Stan's Burger Shak, which is regionally famous for its burgers, fries, and shakes.