Just a few days ago, we wrote about the Grand Canyon Railway's spring packages, which deliver savings of 20% to 50% on getaways that include a stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in nearby Williams, Arizona, and roundtrip tickets to and from the South Rim aboard the vintage Grand Canyon Railway.
But what if you have your heart set on staying inside Grand Canyon National Park? As luck would have it, Xanterra, the company that operates lodges and dining facilities inside so many of our national parks (and it happens to run the Grand Canyon Railway) is offering a "Spring Breakaway to the Grand Canyon" package that includes lodging at either Maswik Lodge ($165 a night) or Yavapai Lodge East ($150 a night), free sightseeing tours, and other perks. This package includes:
- accommodations at either Yavapai Lodge East or Maswik Lodge North (end-of-March rates are $153 and $170 a night, respectively)
- Sunset or Hermits Rest motorcoach tour of South Rim ($20/adult for Sunset tour; $25/adult for Hermits Rest tour; always free for one child 16 and under per paying adult. Value of $40-$50/day)
- breakfast for two adults at lodge cafeteria (estimated value of $12 x 2 adults = $24/day)
- discount of 10% to 20% on gift shop purchases
Both lodges enjoy stellar locations within a short walk of the canyon's rim, but Yavapai Lodge East seems like an especially convenient choice for families. Each room features a mini refrigerator and the lodge sits adjacent to a handy market plaza with a general store, bank, and post office.
Let's suppose a family of four wanted to book a two-night stay at Yavapai Lodge East and take the two-hour Hermits Rest sightseeing tour of the West Rim one day and the 90-minute Sunset tour of the South Rim on the second day. If booked independently, these elements of the trip would cost $306 for lodging ($153 x 2 nights) plus $90 for the tours ($25 x 2 adults + $20 x 2 adults), for a total of $396. Breakfast for four people will cost about $40 each morning, or $80 over two days—bringing the total for these components to $476.
Meanwhile, if the same family booked their two-day getaway with the Spring Breakaway package, they would spend $300 ($150 x 2 nights) for lodging and sightseeing tours. On top of that, we figure they'd also spend $32 on breakfast ($8/kid x 2 kids x 2 days). Comparing apples to apples, the package spend comes to $332.
Deal or no deal? This offer turns out to be a surprisingly good value. While there's virtually no savings on the hotel portion, the free sightseeing tours and adult breakfasts add up to a respectable 30% in savings for the overall getaway—but only if you take a sightseeing tour each day.
The Spring Breakaway is available from March 5 to 25. Book by phone by calling 888/297-2757 (303/297-2757 from outside US) or book online using promo code SPRING. Travelers should book their choice of motorcoach tour at the same time they book the package.
