10 Best Hotels in Moab, Moab and Southeastern Utah

Moab's only four-star hotel is right downtown, though also standing next to the area's famed red rocks, giving you the best of both worlds, surrounded by the kind of luxury that's hard to find in rural Utah. The interiors are spotless and chic, inspired by the surrounding natural beauty and the area's mining history, with touches of gold, orange, yellow, and earth tones. You'll find locally informed art and petrified wood tables in each room. There's a good restaurant on-site, as well as the only spa in town. The beautiful pool is one of Moab's best.

One of the premier luxury resorts in the Southwest, this swanky wellness retreat on the banks of the Colorado River is the place to be when you need to escape the modern world—so long as money is no object. It's 17 miles from Moab, and that remote setting is a big part of the draw. People come for the stunning landscape studded with towering red cliffs, buttes, and spires. The connected cabins have tall ceilings and are furnished with hefty log beds, tables, and chairs, along with western art and rugs. Some even have bathtubs with sweeping views of the beauty just out your door. In addition to a full slate of spa services, optional activities include river rafting, mountain biking, and even taking a UTV out for a spin. Kids can shadow the ranch's wranglers and watch as they feed the many animals that call the ranch home. The Sorrel River Grill offers upscale meals with seasonal ingredients, which you can eat on a pleasant porch overlooking the river. For a real treat, reserve one of the Homestake Dinners, multicourse meals made with ingredients sourced from the ranch and local farms, served family-style to small groups alfresco in the summer and early fall. 

Near the heart of downtown Moab, this historic inn is one of the most charming B&Bs in the region, with elegant rooms surrounded by lawns, gardens, and wondrous shade (a real treat in sunny Moab). Owner Emily Niehaus, a former Moab mayor, calls this "profit for purpose," as the inn supports Heron School, which serves academically gifted children with learning disabilities. Expect great service and lots of little touches, including rooms with carefully chosen antiques and coffee stations. Every morning, each guestroom receives a "breakfast basket" assembled just for them, with their choice from an array of home-baked pastries and other treats, to go along with the hot dish served in dining room. In the afternoon, make sure to grab a freshly baked cookie. As you cool off in the inn's outdoor pool or soak in its hot tub, you'll find it hard believe you're not out in the country. 

This lavish ranch resort is the biggest splurge around—and it's worth absolutely every penny. The rooms are opulent, with a cowboy charm that permeates the private decks, picture windows, and custom-made, bright wooden furniture. Every room here offers a spectacular 360-degree view of mesas, mountains, and the Colorado River. Here, you can take advantage of horseback rides, guided hikes, spa services, and yoga classes at some additional cost. At the Sorrel River Grill, the most scenic dining experience in the Moab area, the seasonal menu changes regularly to incorporate the freshest ingredients, many of which come from the resort's own gardens.

The confluence of Main and Center Streets is the epicenter of Moab, and this comfortable, contemporary, impeccably clean hotel anchors the intersection, providing a perfect base for families. It's just a few feet from the Moab Information Center, the Mill Creek Parkway Trail, and all downtown shops, outfitters, and restaurants (including two restaurants on the property itself). The staff is friendly and the rooms are quiet, despite the downtown location, and the outdoor pool is a wonderful respite on hot days. Ask about the unique suites above Gloria's Corner Cafe near Main Street. Like many hotels in town, rates plunge during the dead of winter and the the hottest days of summer.

This eclectic inn stands out for its fun design, brightly colored walls, desert-inspired art, and varnished adobe construction. The furnishings and decoration are all decidedly contemporary, combining wood, stone, metal, and tile, and some rooms have fireplaces. The pool, hot tub, and courtyard overlook a shady pathway that winds for several miles along Mill Creek. Though you wouldn't know it, all the rooms are time-shares (units available for purchase).

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.

In addition to bungalows and town homes, this 18-acre historic property offers an expansive, private, shaded meadow, where guests can rest on lounge chairs and hammocks, wade in a cold-water spring, and even barbecue their dinner on an outdoor grill. First developed by William Grandstaff in the late 19th century, the ranch house is on the National Register of Historic Places, while the spacious, studio-style bungalows and townhouses are tidy and modern, with high ceilings, private balconies, and tons of natural light. Bungalows come with kitchenettes, while townhouses have full kitchens, a washer and dryer, and other amenities. 

Director John Ford discovered this working cattle ranch in the late 1940s and used it as the setting for several of his westerns, and you can feel transported into one as you gaze onto the Colorado River and high canyon walls from your simple but elegant room. The River Queen cabins are especially nice, with private decks overlooking the rapids below. All rooms have western-style decor, including log furniture and Saltillo-tiled bathrooms. Attractions include an on-site winery, a movie memorabilia museum, and plenty of space to walk and enjoy the location. The helpful staff are happy to arrange guided rafting, hiking, biking, and off-road tours throughout your stay. Although it's not a traditional guest ranch, horseback riding, guided by real-life cowboys and cowgirls, is also offered. With all the adventure here, you'll probably work up an appetite, and The Cowboy Grill at Red Cliffs serves excellent meals. It's a good thing, too, because town is about 14 miles away.