The Grand Canyon is without a doubt amongst our nation’s greatest natural wonders.  Grand Canyon National Park has 1,217,403 pristine acres and is one of the crowning jewels of America's 378 national parks that you simply have to see for yourself.  There is absolutely no better way to see and explore this great chasm carved over millennia through the rocks of the Colorado Plateau with its awe inspiring views than to be a guest at the area’s only full-service resort.  The well maintained and extremely well managed Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn is arguably the best place to stay in the Grand Canyon area.

The 12 acre Squire resort is technically located in the town of Tusayan, but even locals and letter carriers refer to the area as Grand Canyon, Arizona.  The north west Arizona resort is only moments away from the South Rim entrance of Grand Canyon National Park (which also happens to be the most popular and most accessible section of the park).  South Rim viewing areas with adjacent parking are only a few minutes drive from the park entrance.

The Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn with its expansive grounds offers an impressive assortment of amenities such as handsomely appointed suites with in-room Jacuzzis, cable television, iron, hair dryer, coffee maker, voice mail, alarm clock radio and complimentary wake up service, and more.   The resort has an onsite health and fitness spa, heated outdoor swimming pool (seasonal), indoor Jacuzzi and sauna, barber shop and beauty salon, tanning center, and masseuse by appointment.  There are nicely landscaped and manicured grounds complete with tennis courts (free for guest use - and if needed, guests wishing to play tennis are even provided with complimentary tennis rackets and balls).  You’ll also be impressed with the Squire’s competent and polished staff and concierge who can help you arrange a variety of air and land tours and activities, and answer just about any question you and the rest of your party can come up with. 

The Squire serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets (depending upon the season), offers award- winning fine dining at the Coronado Room, which along with its adjacent Bar and Lounge, are open daily from 5:00pm to 10:00pm), and has a full service restaurant and coffee shop (the Canyon Room).  We dined at each of them and found all to be quite good.  We were pleasantly surprised to find such a wide variety of fresh breads, fruits, cereals, and pastries, and well as the impressive lineup of entrees and specialties including delicacies such as rack of lamb, venison, elk, veal, escargot, prime aged beef, pastas, organic greens, gourmet soups and sauces, and so on.  The Coronado Room's excellent ingredients, preparation, and presentation of these and other dishes, and the formidable international wine list are more than enough to satisfy the most discriminating guest.   If your taste runs towards more simple fare, the Canyon Room's hamburgers, hot dogs, pizzas, sandwiches and wraps, and cook to order breakfasts, are also expertly prepared and quite tasty.  Besides a full international wine list, the Squire has an impressive collection of soft drinks (with free refills), and ice cold imported bottled and domestic beer bottled and on tap.  Ordinarily, one would expect to have to drive to Flagstaff, Phoenix, or Las Vegas for such culinary delights or even for casual American cuisine of this caliber.

We enjoyed visiting the newly remodeled Squire Lanes six lane bowling alley located in the lower level of the main building, which is adjacent to the Saguaro Sports Bar and Lounge, and a video arcade/game room.  The gift shop in the main lobby also has thousands of times including quite an assortment of Native American handcrafted collectables at moderate prices, as well as jewelry, apparel, books, views, film, toiletries, and snacks.  

The Squire also has 4,745 square feet of meeting space.  The resort's Zuni Room, Anasazi Room or Navajo Room will comfortably accommodate groups as small as 20 or as large as 250; each room can be set up for your specific needs making it a perfect venue a corporate retreat, conference, family gathering, wedding, etc. 

Granted, there are some accommodations inside the park, but they cost considerably more and lack many of the amenities available to guests staying in town at a full featured resort like the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn.  Most guests like visiting inside the park during the day but prefer the convenience and economy of being nearby outside the park when the sun goes down.  Simply put, the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn really lives up to its promise to provide you with "the ultimate canyon experience." 

If you drive into Grand Canyon National Park admission is $20 per vehicle for seven days.  If you leave the park and plan to return anytime within that seven day period make sure you save your receipt because with it you can reenter as often as you like for no additional charge.  You may wish to purchase the National Parks Pass instead, an annual pass that provides admission to any national park charging an entrance fee.  The pass costs $50 and is valid for one full year from the first use in a park.  More than 80% of the proceeds from the sales of National Parks Passes go directly to supporting priority projects in the national parks.  Watch your speed while driving, speed limits tend to be lower in the park especially near the "village" area, and the park rangers who use radar dole out quite a few tickets to speeders.  

Visitors are able to explore the splendor and majesty of one of the seven modern wonders of the world by day, as they discover the unique ecosystem that is the Grand Canyon which begins on the high desert of the Kaibab Plateau, and takes them through several climates and habitats as they walk or drive to the rim for the most breathtaking view of their lives; and if they wish descend into the canyon, on foot, riding on top of a surefooted trail-wise mule, or as a passenger on a float or whitewater rafting trip. 

Throughout the canyon there are repeated geological sequences of uplift, erosion (due to the river's constant wearing force), submergence, and deposition of materials. The canyon's multicolored rocks, steep and embayed rims, mesas, “temples,” and the isolated towers, and other eroded rock forms catch the contrast of sun and shadow and glow with changing hues of great beauty.  The canyon walls are dotted with plant life that varies from subtropical at the base to sub arctic near the rims.  Also dotting the canyon walls and the rim are hundreds of ancient pueblos, the people who inhabited them and their ancestors have long since vanished, except for the Havasupai people who still occupy the western part of the canyon.

You can also explore more of the Grand Canyon which stretches 277 miles, is one mile deep, and is from four to eight miles wide aboard scenic flights offered by the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn's sister companies, Grand Canyon Airlines (De Havilland Twin Otter Turbo Prop 19 passenger with Vista Liner large windows and special seat configuration for viewing), and Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters (Bell 206 Jet Ranger 6 passenger and Ecostar Quiet Turbo Prop 6 passenger) - flight seeing ranges from $79 for fixed wing, and $115 to $175 for helicopters.  When you return from your flight an optional VSH, DVD, and color portrait are available for purchase at a nominal cost.

What I like most about the Squire is that its a magnificent full-service resort, and at the end of the day as darkness sets into the canyon (and there is no canyon viewing to be had), you return home to the genteel oasis that is the Grand Canyon Squire Inn and set down to a tasty moderately priced buffet, a nicely prepared meal at a full service restaurant, or treat yourself to an incredible fine dining experience that rivals trendy eateries in the big metropolises.

In the main lobby you'll also discover an interesting Cowboy Museum with all sorts of artifacts from the American West as well as an impressive three-story Grand Canyon-themed waterfall "The Canyon Wall," and lifelike cowboy bronze sculpture "Round 'Em Up," and wall mural by the noted southwestern artist and sculptor Kenton Pies.  Kenton stylized his Canyon Wall and its waterfall to "Recreate the exotic ambiance of the Grand Canyon Inner Gorge." 

When it comes time to go out exploring activities abound at the Grand Canyon.  You can go horse back riding at Apache Stables where you will find the three or four dozen horses, tack and gear, and trail guides to be par excellent.  There are guided tours offered by Grand Canyon ATV Adventures abroad top-of-the-line Polaris ATVs from their fleet – complete with automatic transmissions, hands free two-way radios in the helmets, and lots of great scenery.  An experienced naturalist guide tells you about the area's history and explains what you are seeing over the radio as you are driving.  Refreshments are available for those moments when you pause to gander at the wonders of the geography, fauna, flora, and native critters.  If you want to cover more ground and leave the driving to someone else, you can spirit away by van on day and sunset tours. 

You can take a tour to the western side of the park to the village of Supai, the home of the Havasupai Indians (the native people that have lived there since A.D. 1300). The name Havasupai means "People of the blue-green water" which describes the color of the Havasu Creek that feeds into the Colorado River. 

Speaking of the Colorado River, the Squire's concierge can arrange for you to take float and whitewater rafting trips down the Colorado River, and a wide range of other tours and activities.  If you get bit by the nightlife bug there are lounges and clubs nearby for music, dancing, karaoke, authentic Native American performances, and more.  You can visit the IMAX National Geographic Theater in town, which is only a few minutes walk from the Squire (and another one of the resort's sister companies).  As you explore the town you will discover there is a McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Subway, Internet Café, gift shops, ice cream parlors, grocery stores, filling stations, Native American craft fares, etc. and just a short stroll down the road is one of the most amazing geological phenomenon you will ever encounter in your lifetime spanning as far as the eye can see – the Grand Canyon!  You’ll have a blast!!!

The Squire has 250 air-conditioned rooms with complimentary, cable TV, high speed wireless Internet, coffee makers, hair dryers, irons, great linen including oversize plush towels and good quality soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion.  All rooms come with complimentary Continental Breakfast.  There is plenty of ice, vending machines, and for a mere $5 charge you can even have a refrigerator setup in your room.  The Squire is open year round; summer rates range from $140 to $159, winter rates range from $90 to $119.  The Squire's deluxe rooms are nicely decorated, large, and comfortable.  If you wish to pamper yourself further, however, larger suites are also available. 

Often times resorts in national park and tourist intensive areas suffer from bumbling seasonal help, but with almost four decades of experience behind them the proprietors of the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn, and their highly professional General Manager, Greg Bryan and his staff of 190 have good service down to a science.  The Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn is an extremely well maintained and well run full featured resort that will help make your visit to the Grand Canyon a memorable, pleasant, and enjoyable experience, which explains why it was chosen to receive Travel-Watch's 2004 Editor's Choice Award for the Grand Canyon's Best Hotel/Resort.