One of the biggest detours we took on our road trip across the American West was to Monument Valley. I had made a list of everywhere I could think of going. This one was the most remote and inconvenient. But I figured that when else could I take the opportunity to go see it for myself? I certainly wasn’t going to fly into Las Vegas or Salt Lake City and drive all day.
But if I was already driving 2,300 miles from Seattle to Austin, then adding a 200-mile detour through the Navajo Nation didn’t seem so bad. To give you some sense of how far in the middle of nowhere this place is, we stopped at Arches National Park along the way. Moab was probably the biggest development between Monument Valley and Salt Lake City.
The one problem is that Monument Valley is about seven hours from anywhere else. You will not be able to make it a day trip and should plan ahead for overnight accommodation. There are a couple of options we explored. First, the town of Mexican Hat, UT, has a couple of motels that don’t look half bad. But you will not be in the valley to watch sunrise or sunset. Second, Goulding’s Lodge is the “famous” place to stay. It is within sight of Monument Valley but not necessarily close.
We chose to stay at The View Hotel, which is located inside the tribal park itself and located on the edge of a cliff facing the valley. You are as close as you could possibly be. The hotel shares its facilities with a visitors center, gift shop, and restaurant. In my opinion, there’s no better place to stay.
You’ll need to pay a park admission fee to enter the tribal park whether you are a visitor or staying as a guest. However, we arrived after 5 PM when the admission booth was closed and managed to avoid it.
There are a variety of room types at The View. Most have either two beds or there are a very small number of suites with a king bed and a sofa, so book well in advance if you are picky. You have the choice of booking on the first, second, or third floor or in one of the cabins separate from the main hotel property. I don’t think it matters much which floor you’re on; we were on the first and thought it was fine. But I recommend against the cabins. The view from the hotel is better, and the amenities are better. We paid about $200 plus tax for our one-night stay.
The room itself is comfortable, with a good bed and some newer furniture. There is decorative art on the walls (you can buy something similar in the gift shop), and the WiFi was surprisingly good. Just head to the lobby if you need a stronger signal.
I’m not sure why they offer a television since the main appeal is to visit the valley or at least admire it from your balcony. I did the latter with a nice bottle of chardonnay and some Juanita’s tortilla chips. (I have since eaten my last bag that I brought from Seattle and am very sad.)
Back inside, the bathroom was consistent with the hotel room: nothing luxurious but certainly more than adequate. I had no idea what to expect from my first visit to an Indian reservation, yet this was better than your average Holiday Inn. Still, it was notable that the hotel made several obvious efforts toward water conservation and environmentally friendly toiletries and paper products.
The restaurant was also a pleasant surprise given I didn’t know what to expect and there are very few options offsite. I did know from reading in advance that there would be no alcohol for sale; fortunately I’d already had my own tipple. I recommend you order the green chili stew and red chili posole, which are their specialties, but I think anything off the menu would be good. Breakfast in the morning was your typical hotel buffet with eggs, toast, cereal, and yogurt among other things.
That restaurant, officially named The View Restaurant (and sometimes indexed online as The View Restaurant Monument Valley), is the hotel’s own dining room and the main year-round sit-down option inside Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, with continental breakfast and dinner served there and a grab-and-go lunch available at The View Deli.
I also recommend visiting the gift shop, and I almost never say that. The only reason we didn’t buy any pottery is we were concerned about breaking it during the second half of our trip.
The real beauty of Monument Valley is in the early morning when the sun rises behind the buttes. Sunset can also be pretty if you are on the other side, approaching the valley from the north. To really experience all that Monument Valley has to offer I think you would have to spend a couple of days and include time to venture into the park. There are a variety of tours that can be arranged through the hotel.
Unfortunately this trip only allowed us time for one night. We managed to arrive before sunset and watch the view from our balcony. We were so tired after a long day traveling across Utah that I was not inclined to rise early. Still, I set our alarm for a few minutes before sunrise. It was definitely worth it, and it was a smart choice to stay at The View Hotel where all we had to do was walk out to our private balcony. There’s even a Keurig machine to make your own coffee!
Rates, Fees, and What’s Included at The View Hotel
The View Hotel adds a nightly amenity fee of $19.99 plus tax per room on top of the room rate. According to the property’s own site, that fee covers a $20 gift certificate to the on-site trading post, continental breakfast, WiFi access, bottled water, parking, room coffee, and summer movie screenings when weather allows. Guests also pay a separate charge to enter Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, currently $10 per person per day plus $15 per vehicle, and the hotel does not include that fee in its room rate. Because the tribal park is Navajo Nation land rather than a unit of the National Park System, federal passes such as America the Beautiful are not accepted there. The hotel does not have a swimming pool and does not allow pets.
Location, Address, and Getting There
The hotel’s mailing address is PO Box 360457, Monument Valley, UT 84536, and map and GPS entries usually give the road as Indian Route 42 with an Oljato-Monument Valley, UT 84536 address. That mailing address is in Utah, but the hotel building itself stands just south of the 37th parallel in Navajo County, Arizona, which is why plenty of booking platforms list it as The View Hotel Monument Valley AZ. Kayenta, Arizona, the closest town with a wider range of gas stations and services, is roughly 24 miles south by way of Indian Route 42 and US-163, about a 30 to 35 minute drive. Mexican Hat, Utah, mentioned earlier in this review, sits a comparable distance north, roughly 22 to 25 miles.
Where Else to Stay Near Monument Valley
Travelers searching for hotels close to Monument Valley beyond The View itself typically end up choosing a direction. Heading north on US-163 leads to the motels in Mexican Hat described above. Heading south leads to Kayenta, Arizona, which has a larger cluster of chain and independent lodging, including the Kayenta Monument Valley Inn, for anyone comparing places to stay at Monument Valley on a smaller budget than the in-park hotel allows. None of those options put a guest inside the tribal park itself or on the rim overlooking the buttes, which is a large part of why The View Hotel is widely regarded as the best place to stay in Monument Valley for sunrise and sunset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The View Hotel the Same as The View Lodge Monument Valley?
There is no separate property called The View Lodge. The official name is The View Hotel, and the other variants are just how search engines and travel sites index the same clifftop hotel inside Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
Is The View Hotel Located in Utah or Arizona?
The mailing address is Monument Valley, Utah, but the hotel itself sits about a mile south of the state line in Navajo County, Arizona. Both versions show up in listings for that reason.
Does The View Hotel Have a Pool?
No. The View Hotel does not have a swimming pool on site.
Is There a Resort Fee at The View Hotel?
The hotel charges a nightly amenity fee of $19.99 plus tax, which covers WiFi, parking, continental breakfast, bottled water, room coffee, and a $20 gift certificate to the on-site trading post.
Do Guests Still Pay to Enter Monument Valley When Staying at The View Hotel?
Yes. The Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department charges a separate park entrance fee, currently $10 per person per day plus $15 per vehicle, regardless of where a visitor is staying.
How Far Is The View Hotel From Kayenta, Arizona?
Kayenta is about 24 miles south of the hotel by way of Indian Route 42 and US-163, roughly a 30 to 35 minute drive.
Is Alcohol Served at The View Hotel?
No. Alcohol is not sold anywhere within Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, consistent with Navajo Nation policy.
Is The View Hotel the Best Place to Stay in Monument Valley?
For travelers who want to wake up inside the park and walk out to a private balcony for sunrise, The View Hotel is generally considered the best place to stay in Monument Valley, since it is the only hotel located inside the tribal park itself. Travelers on a tighter budget can look at hotels close to Monument Valley in Kayenta or Mexican Hat instead.
What Do The View Hotel Reviews Say?
Reviews on the major booking sites tend to single out the sunrise and sunset views from the private balconies and the on-site restaurant, while a recurring complaint is that rates run well above the motels down in Kayenta.
