The good news: great staff, substantial (included) breakfast, clean spa, reasonably-priced laundry, and location.
The good part is that this hotel and the weird municipality it sits in is minutes from the Park. It's unbelievably convenient and the only reason to stay here. The included breakfast is substantial, and I appreciate the availability of fruit and non-dairy milk substitutes for my coffee (they include almond and oat milks), but the big highlight of our stay is the super warm and friendly staff, particularly the receptionist Oana, who made us feel super welcome, gave us good advice, and was probably the only reason we didn't walk out the door, instead of giving the place two nights and then leaving only a day early. Oana is definitely an asset and we hope the company treats her right.
We are in the hospitality business and we provide a hot tub, so out of caution I won't use one unless I've checked the safety of the water with testing strips. I'm delighted to report that the spa passed with flying colors, but more on the spa further down.
The bad news: floor cleaner, weird hot tub, lack of 21st century food choices.
The overwhelming smell of floor cleaner followed us everywhere we went--the elevator, the bathroom in our room, the workout room (which I couldn't use because I was gagging), the laundry room--every room or space with a hard floor. I guess I can understand the desire to convey how clean the place is through olfactory evidence, but there are other ways! There is so much cleaner on the floor that you can feel the stickiness on your soles.
So, the hot tub is clean, well maintained, and all, but what's up with the jets? They are located on the sidewalls, pretty much where no-one could ever use them, except that they provide the concept of jets by being loud and, well, bubbly. But they're no use whatsoever. The decor is sadly dated.
Where to eat in town? We preferred to eat in our room rather than face the limited meat-and-two-veg, fried or broiled menu items that were consistent across town. We went down Rt 12 to Bryce Canyon Pines to eat, but while good (and have terrific pies), it's pretty much what you would have expected in any restaurant in town, which means the menus haven't changed since the 1970s. There really wasn't any option in town that felt healthy or flavorful.
Next time we go to Bryce we hope that things will improve, but we won't commit to three nights.
