Flagstaff Lodging

Small but Scenic Mountain Town has Variety of Places to Stay

Flagstaff lodging has all of the typical motels and hotels that you might expect for a town that's a major stop along the busy east-west Interstate 40 freeway.

But you'll also find interesting historic hotels, bed & breakfasts set in charming neighborhoods and cabins tucked into ponderosa pine forest.

When deciding where to stay, you should know there are three major Flagstaff lodging areas.

The first is the Milton Street area, directly off the I-40 / I-17 interchange.

Here you'll find Flagstaff hotels like the Embassy Suites, Drury Inn, Fairfield Inn and Quality Inn.

The second major Flagstaff motel and hotel district is Lucky Lane at the Butler Avenue exit off of eastbound I-40.

The Milton Road area has a number of Flagstaff lodging options

This area has several motels including EconoLodge, Super 8 Motel and Travelodge.

Hotel-like properties on Lucky Lane include Holiday Inn Express and Howard Johnson Inn & Suites.

Historic Route 66 is the third major Flagstaff lodging area.

This is where you'll see many small, independently-owned motels.

Plus, there are a few major chains such as the Radisson Woodlands Hotel, Best Western and InnSuites Hotel & Suites.

You can expect Flagstaff lodging to be the most expensive during the summer months of June, July and August.

As a general rule of thumb, the closer you are to downtown, the higher the Flagstaff lodging rates will probably be.

For some, staying near downtown or along Route 66 has one major drawback - the train tracks.

Flagstaff might not have existed if it weren't for the fact that the town sprung up during the building of the intercontinental railroads.

While passenger train travel isn't what it used to be, freight trains and Amtrak still ride the rails that pass through the edge of downtown.

A freight train rumbles past the historic Santa Fe passenger train depot, now the home of the Flagstaff Visitor Center

And, they do so at all hours.

If train noise bothers you, you will probably be better off choosing Flagstaff lodging on the edge of town.

We've never been bothered by the sound of the train.

But then we always travel with a sound machine, which does an excellent job of blocking out most noise.

If you are traveling to Flagstaff in summer, be sure to make your Flagstaff lodging reservations in advance.

Flagstaff is a popular summer getaway for Arizonans and a major stopping point for Interstate 40 travelers.

Rooms fill up especially quick on the holiday weekends.

There are many places to stay in Flagstaff, so here are a few Flagstaff lodging highlights...

Flagstaff Monte Vista Hotel
You can't miss the 1927 Monte Vista Hotel in downtown Flagstaff. It has a neon sign on the roof, visible to rail passengers at the train station just two blocks away.

This four-story, 50-room hotel looks like a set piece from an old film noir. The old fashioned rooms have been renovated and include cable television and phones but still retain vintage character. Note that a few rooms do have shared baths.

Several of the rooms are named for some of the famous celebrities who've stayed here including John Wayne, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. But perhaps Monte Vista's most famous guests are the ghosts that supposedly haunt some of the rooms. If you're into the paranormal, Room 305 is said to have the most spectral activity.

The bottom floor of the hotel has the popular Monte Vista Lounge, which has the air of a hip dive and is said to be the place to catch local live music.

Amenities: coffee house & martini bar, lounge with live music on weekends.
Rates: $50 -$140 per night. Note that some rooms have shared bathrooms.
Pet Friendly: Yes with $25 pet deposit
Address: 100 N. San Francisco Street, Flagstaff AZ 86001
Location: Downtown Flagstaff, one block north of Route 66 and the railroad tracks.

Weatherford Hotel Flagstaff AZ
If you're looking for an even more historic Flagstaff lodging, the Weatherford is just two blocks from the Monte Vista, on the opposite side of the street. In its heyday, this turn of the century, three-story hotel was the place to stay in Flagstaff.

William Randolph Hearst, Teddy Roosevelt and famous landscape painter Thomas Moran all rested their heads here. Popular Western author Zane Grey wrote his classic Call of the Canyon while living at the Weatherford.

Built in the late 1890s and now completely restored, the hotel’s lobby still has its old winding staircase and wooden phone booth. By today’s standards, the eight basic rooms are cozy, no-frills and without TVs or phones. Three of these rooms have a shared bath. Two larger, recently remodeled rooms have private baths with claw-footed tubs, TVs and phones. Note that there is no air conditioning in the hotel.

Downstairs is popular Charly’s Pub and Grill, which serves Southwestern-accented American fare such as steaks, burgers, seafood and vegetarian entrees. If you’re staying during the Christmas holiday, don’t miss the annual pine cone drop. The Hotel Weatherford rings in the New Year with a massive gold pine cone that drops from the sky at the stroke of midnight.

Amenities: restaurant, bar, convenient downtown location.
Rates: $49 - $130 per night.
Pet Friendly: No
Address: 23 N. Leroux Street, Flagstaff AZ 86001
Location: Downtown Flagstaff, one block north of Route 66 and the railroad tracks.

The Inn at 410 Flagstaff Bed and Breakfast
Set just north of downtown in a neighborhood of quaint houses, the Inn at 410 is ranked as a top Flagstaff bed and breakfast. This Flagstaff lodging is in a historic, two-story Craftsman house that dates from the 1890s.

Each of the luxurious ten units is individually decorated and named and have fireplaces. The Southwestern Suite ($235) is filled with regional Native American arts and crafts and even has a kiva-style fireplace and a Jacuzzi tub for two. The Observatory Suite ($300) is decorated with astro-photography of the Northern Arizona night skies and has a full kitchen and two-person walk-in shower.

The Sonoran Serenade ($170) is the coziest room with a queen-sized iron bed draped with Spanish lace, a Mexican tiled fireplace and a tree-top view of downtown.

In the morning, rise to one of their delicious, award-winning breakfasts. Dishes such as orange-stuffed French toast, artichoke-potato frittata and curried cornbread pudding with pumpkin sauce are served in the country-style dining room. When the weather is nice, eat out on the patio for lovely garden views. In the afternoon, gather for tea and homemade cookies. There's also a front porch with a swing and a garden gazebo for relaxing.

Amenities: large guest rooms (some with patios) have refrigerators, TV, DVD & VCR, exercise room, complimentary laundry facilities, storage area for mountain bikes and skis, three-course breakfast daily, afternoon tea, garden gazebo with hammock, large living room with fireplace, two high-speed internet wireless hot spots property-wide.
Rates: $170 - $300, depending on room type.
Pet Friendly: No
Address: 410 N. Leroux Street, Flagstaff AZ 86001
Location: three blocks north of downtown Flagstaff.

Hilton Garden Inn
For a more modern Flagstaff lodging, we've found the Hilton Garden Inn to be a good choice. This comfortable Flagstaff hotel is just a short drive from the Interstate 40/17 interchange. Plus it's less than a 10-minute drive to downtown Flagstaff, Route 66 and Northern Arizona University.

The rooms are spacious and have hospitality centers with microwaves, mini refrigerators and coffeemakers. All rooms have complimentary wired hi-speed internet and wireless internet access, a large work desk and ergonomic chairs.

There’s a nice indoor pool and Jacuzzi for year-round swimming and a complimentary fitness center. There’s also an automated teller and a coin-operated laundry.

The Pavilion Pantry is an on-site convenience store offering toiletries, beverages and ready-to-cook meals that you can heat in your room’s microwave. The Great American Grill in the Hilton's lobby serves a buffet style breakfast daily. It wasn’t the best breakfast we’ve ever had but it was free!

Amenities: kitchenette, indoor pool, fitness center, elevators, ATM, laundry room, convenience store, breakfast buffet, evening room service, 24-hour business center, Rates: $139 - $151Pet Friendly: No
Address: 350 W. Forest Meadows Drive, Flagstaff AZ 86001Location: Near Interstate 40, west of Milton Road.

Embassy Suites Hotel Flagstaff AZ
With its large, two-room suites with kitchenettes, we found the the three-story Embassy Suites is a great Flagstaff lodging for families. There's plenty of room here for parents and kids to be comfortable.

The recently renovated all-suite hotel has a separate living area with a sleeper sofa, chairs, a dining table.

Both the living room and private bedroom have their own TVs, so there's no fighting over which channel to watch. You can easily prepare a meal in the room with its convenient microwave, coffee maker, sink and mini-refrigerator. Plus, there's a full cooked-to-order breakfast that's complimentary with your room cost.

Outside, there is a small garden area with tables and chairs for relaxing in addition to the pool and spa.

This Flagstaff lodging is also close to Northern Arizona University, so it's a convenient Flagstaff hotel for parents seeing their kids off to the college. The Embassy Suites Hotel Flagstaff AZ is also very near downtown Flagstaff and Route 66.

Amenities: outdoor heated pool and hot tub, restaurant and lounge (breakfast and Happy Hour only), fitness center, business center, coin-operated laundry, room service, florist, lounge, cable television with on-demand movies.
Rates: $119 - $159
Pet Friendly: No
Address: 706 S. Milton Road, Flagstaff AZ 86001
Location: about 3 miles from Interstate 40 on the east side of Milton Road.

Arizona Snowbowl Ski Lift Lodge and Cabins
Located at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the Arizona Snowbowl is Arizona’s northernmost ski resort. Rustic and down-to-earth, the Snowbowl is a casual, family-friendly ski area.

But you don't have to be a skier or snowboarder to stay here. The lodge and cabins, set at the edge of the Coconino National Forest, are available year-round for anyone.

There are 25 rooms and cabins. These Flagstaff cabins are comfortable and fully furnished with beds and bedding, TVs and front porches. Some cabins have gas fire places. The Ski Lift Lodge has a full-service restaurant serving continental style breakfasts, dinners and lunch on weekends.

During summer and fall, the Agassiz ski lift becomes the scenic Skyride, which takes you up to the top of Agassiz Peak for amazing views that stretch all the way to the Grand Canyon.

Amenities: restaurant, daily happy hour, 32 ski trails, terrain park, 4 ski lifts, hiking and biking trails, disc golf (in summer).
Rates: $69-$89 per night.
Pet Friendly: No
Address: P.O. Box 40, Flagstaff,, AZ 86002
Location: at the base of Snowbowl Road, seven miles northwest of Flagstaff on Highway 180.

This information was accurate at the time of our visit. All contact information, availability, access, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the facilities before making reservations and/or travel plans.

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