4 Best Hotels in Kanab, Southwestern Utah

The nationally renowned, Kanab-based Best Friends Animal Society runs this smartly designed, pet-centric motel that offers a slew of amenities for travelers with four-legged friends, including a fenced dog park and water feature, pet treats and beds, built-in cubbies for snuggling and napping, and dog-walking and pet-visit services. Even if you're visiting without animals, it's a fun place to stay, as rooms have striking pet photos, unfussy contemporary light-wood furnishings, tile bathrooms with sliding barn doors, and kitchens or kitchenettes in the suites. Proceeds help fund Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, which a shuttle bus can take you to visit, 10 minutes north of town. An airy and modern gift shop–café sells pet-related gifts, outdoor gear, and coffee; continental breakfast is served here in the morning.  Members of Best Friends receive $20 off the nightly room rate.

With cattle-print throw pillows, papier-mâché mounted deer heads, log walls, and custom beds with rattan or carved-wood headboards, the playful vibe at this quirky 16-room boutique inn sets it apart from the usual budget-friendly lodgings in the Zion and Bryce area. Within walking distance of downtown restaurants and shops, the cozy lodging is part of The Canyons Collection, a small group of stylish but reasonably priced hotels and vacation rentals in Kanab.

Constructed in 1929, this landmark lodge hosted dozens of movie stars during Kanab's movie location heyday and is now a fun and simple, well-located base for budget-minded parks visitors. Accommodations are basic but have been nicely remodeled over the years. A reasonably priced breakfast buffet is served daily just off the lobby, which is lined with photos of Ronald Reagan, Barbara Stanwyck, Clint Eastwood, and others who stayed here while filming in the area. During the warmer months, Western movies are shown in the Old Barn Theater, complete with popcorn and ice cream.

Just a few miles beyond Zion National Park's East Entrance and about 16 miles northwest of Mount Carmel Junction, this scenic, 4,000-acre ranch offers a varied lineup of lodgings and a dizzying array of activities. Choose from cabins of different sizes, rambling vacation homes with kitchens, glamping options, tiny houses, or even a Conestoga wagon with bunk beds that sleeps six; you can also pitch a tent or hook up an RV. Kids love the cubbyhole-like sleeping areas shaped like covered wagons (they sleep up to four). Play miniature golf, or go ziplining, horseback riding, or rock climbing. After a long day on the ranch or exploring the park, head to the spa for a massage. There's also a restaurant and a large pool and deck.