Grand Canyon National Park has brand-new hotel lodgings on park grounds—the first ones in more than 50 years, according to the hotel's operator.
The freshly constructed and just-opened Maswik South Lodge replaces accommodations of the same name that stood on the same site amid a ponderosa pine forest about a quarter of a mile back from the canyon's South Rim.
The 120 new units are part of the larger Maswik Lodge, which also encompasses a North lodge and a central complex with a food court, pizzeria, activities desk, and park shuttle stop.
Neither the rooms in Maswik North nor the lodge amenities are new—just the 90 standard rooms and 30 kitchenettes of Maswik South. So keep that in mind when you're making reservations.
Built in the early 1970s, the South lodge's six buildings had become badly outdated by 2019, when they were torn down and replaced with a quartet of more modern structures built by Xanterra Travel Collection, the private company that operates concessions in numerous U.S. national parks. Xanterra runs all of the Grand Canyon lodges except Yavapai (operated by Delaware North).
In a news release, Xanterra says the exteriors of the new Maswik buildings incorporate the stone pillars of the original motor lodge built on this site back in 1927 by the Fred Harvey Company.
(Credit: Maswik Lodge South © Xanterra Travel Collection)
But everything inside was built from scratch. Guest rooms feature contemporary decor inspired by the reds, oranges, and ochers of the canyon. Additionally, interiors have textiles and artwork meant to suggest Native American designs and local fossils.
All units have outdoor patios; kitchenette rooms have full-size fridges, a two-burner stovetop, and cookware.
We are pleased to draw your attention to the air-conditioning unit visible in the room photo at the top of this post. Previous Maswik South guests were not afforded that luxury. In Arizona, no less.
The latest edition of Frommer's Arizona & the Grand Canyon puts Maswik in the moderately priced tier of the park's onsite accommodations—a notch or two below the "rustic yet luxurious" El Tovar Hotel.
The new Maswik South won't change that—and the property is too far back from the rim to supply views of the canyon from rooms—but the lodge should keep visitors comfortable.
Reservations are open now, with nightly rates starting at $229. As always with national park lodges, slots fill up quickly so book as far in advance as you can.
For more info or to make a reservation, go to GrandCanyonLodges.com.
