What happens when a luxury Tauck tour encounters a natural disaster and suddenly needs a new hotel? Welcome to the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, Arizona, where my Tauck Spirit of the Desert tour ended up after the Grand Canyon South Rim hotels closed because of a major water-supply failure. When one hotel door closes, another opens — even if it is 60 miles away!
The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel offers comfortable, approximately 300-square-foot double rooms, but don't expect luxury accommodations. My room featured lighting so dim that reading after sunset became an adventure, a 45-inch television rather than the 65-inch screen I would have preferred, and a housekeeping policy that apparently requires guests to discover hidden instructions before requesting service. I failed that treasure hunt, so my room went unserviced!
There are some definite advantages. The Fred Harvey Restaurant breakfast buffet was quite good, although breakfast is generally not included in a standard room-only reservation and costs approximately $20 per person. Apparently, even Fred Harvey hasn't figured out how to make breakfast free! The hotel's location just three blocks from historic downtown Williams makes it easy to explore this charming Route 66 town, with its restaurants, shops, and Western atmosphere.
But what about the cost? My estimate suggests that staying in Williams instead of at a comparable Grand Canyon South Rim hotel can save approximately $50 per person per night, assuming two people share a room and drive to the canyon. The catch? The journey takes approximately 75–90 minutes each way, including possible waits at the national park entrance. Over two days, that's potentially five to six hours of driving and waiting. Apparently, the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel offers a complimentary attraction: plenty of time to admire the Arizona highway!
This is certainly not the kind of hotel I normally associate with a luxury Tauck tour, but given the extraordinary circumstances, Tauck found a practical alternative that allowed us to continue visiting the spectacular Grand Canyon rather than cancel that portion of our trip.
My verdict: The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel is a reasonable and potentially economical choice for visiting the South Rim, particularly when accommodations inside the national park are unavailable. Just bring a reading light, don't expect automatic housekeeping, and remember that the Grand Canyon itself is still a considerable drive away!
Watch my complete hotel review video to discover what I liked, what disappointed me, and whether the savings justify the distance.
This video is part of my Tauck Spirit of the Desert Tour Video Series, featuring reviews of the hotels, national parks, food, flights, and memorable experiences from my 55th Tauck tour.
