Holiday Inn Chinle

This is one of the cleanest hotels I've ever been in. The staff are helpful and friendly, and the location was perfect for exploring the Canyon. Best of all was the food in Garcia's, which was some of the tastiest we've had anywhere. The tortilla soup, quesadillas, and the breakfasts were unbelievable!!!

We stayed one night last week and overall the hotel is excellent. The room and carpet were clean; very comfortable beds. The bathtub, however, was a bit confining. This property is well kept up, with nice grounds. We ate at the restaurant and the service was very fast and courteous. I ate the Navajo taco and found it insipid, tasteless. Not what I expected. We took a tour of Canyon de Chelly with Adam Teller and it was a great experience, do not miss it. We visited all the overlooks on the south rim right before sunset; we'll never forget the beauty of Spider Rock at nightfall.

Expecting mediocre service and a long wait, it was with some trepidation that we ventured into the restaurant. However, the service for both dinner and breakfast was super fast, professional and very friendly. When the waitress made a small error with our order, she immediately offered a free desert, which wasn't really necessary. The food was certainly the best available in Chinle and the service the best we have experienced in hotels for a long time!

I wonder if the hotel management have been reading the Tripadvisor reviews and made a few changes?!

The room was clean, nicely decorated and quiet. After a long drive, a good night's sleep was important. We couldn't fault it and would certainly stay there again.

A few tips :

The hotel is situated on a Navajo reservation which is dry (i.e. no alcohol). If you will be longing for a cold beer after your journey or day's activity, then I suggest you take some with you. I understand the nearest place to purchase it is in New Mexico, over 100 miles away.

The restaurant at the hotel isn't haute cuisine but it is by far the best in Chinle. However, it is also a popular venue for local wedding receptions, in which case the restaurant is closed to guests, as it was last Saturday evening. It might be worth asking when you make your reservation if this will be the case so you can make alternative plans (or ask when you check in). The Best Western is the next best option but you will need to drive and we didn't feel the food or ambience was anywhere near as good.

The hotel will try and sell you one of their jeep tours of the canyon when you check in, but do some research before you go and talk to an independent company. We chose De Chelly Tours run by Daniel Staley’s family after reading reviews on Tripadvisor, a local newspaper article and their web site. (Be aware that most of these companies have very similar sounding names when you are searching.)

We were glad we took their private jeep tour rather than a local open top truck with a larger number of passengers because apart from the obvious discomfort, we were able to soak up the information provided by our guide as we were driving along - everything from the history of the canyon and Navajo people, to stories of code talkers from WWII who reside locally.

We were not disappointed and would certainly recommend them.

Our two-night stay in Chinle was fabulous, thanks to the staff at the Holiday Inn. From the minute we walked into the lobby, we felt welcomed. Every single person we encountered was courteous and helpful. The room was spacious and comfortable with lots of nice amenities. No trouble getting a rollaway bed and extra towels, and for a change there were plenty of pillows for our family of five. We did not use the pool but it looked nice. Free onsite guest laundry was a major bonus. Location was perfect, about a two minute ride to the Canyon de Chelly visitor center. Wonderful gift shop with lots of nice items to choose from at reasonable prices. The restaurant was outstanding. Huge portions of delicious foods, and the nicest waiter we encountered on our entire trip. I would definitely recommend this hotel.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Chinle for one night as we traveled through Canyon De Chelly Country. I had booked a tour prior to arriving to the park and this hotel is closest to the park visitor center where we met Bobby VanWinkle, of Tseyi Jeep Tours, a Navajo native to the canyon.

The hotel was very nice, southwest atmospheric and very very clean. The service was excellent. The pool area was very well maintained and clean, however, we did not use the pool as we had no time. The rooms were especially clean in all areas, the beds were new and comfortable.

This hotel is attached to an original historic trading post (lobby area). Our meal at dinner was excellent and delicious and the menu offered native and classic food. I would stay here again when I return next year.

We stayed here for two nights and will highly recommend it to anyone who will come here. The room is nice and comfortable, bathroom is clean. Resturant serves good food and they give you vouchers so two adults can eat for free (almost!). Laundry is free of charge. Pool is OK though. We will definitely choose this hotel again if we come back to Canyon De Chelly.

We stayed in the Holiday Inn for two nights, on a 'Mini Vacation,' which includes the room, breakfast, and dinner. This is a lovely hotel, in a setting you can't duplicate anywhere else. The staff are friendly and the restaurant food is good. Be sure to take a jeep tour here. You can book them in the gift shop. The rooms are clean. There was a power outage in town while we were here, and the staff did their housekeeping with flashlights and still did a good job.

The Holiday Inn in Chinle is a quiet Oasis in a dusty, southwestern town. Chinle is not very prosperous, as some of the previous posters have noted -- however the topography makes it hard to cultivate much so one cannot apply eastern standards. The Holiday Inn is located away from town in a nice, green setting. Rooms all have patios or balconies and are quiet and well maintained.

Our room was on the second floor and came equipped with a fridge, standard bath amenities and internet connection. The bed was comfortable, but the pillows were not!

Yes, the pool was closed -- this bothered us only slightly. Yes, the laundry facilities were not available -- but there are laundries in all the towns and we used these. The hotel restaurant is not the best -- we had breakfast one morning and dinner two times. Service is slow and the food is adequate -- the Best Western is a much better option for breakfast, by the way.

All in all, for the price, location and other options, this is a sound choice.

Having read some comments about Chinle and this hotel we expected the worst but couldn't have been more incorrectly informed. The hotel was clean and comfortable, the service was friendly and efficient. Restaurant served good, reasonably priced food and breakfast buffet was included in the nightly rate. Proximity to Canyon de Chelly was a bonus for trips to the rim and for getting to the tour departure point at Thunderbird Lodge.

Would certainly stay here again and recommend to others.

The room is nice, clean, comfortable quiet. The hallway of the rear building where we stayed smelled of smoke, but the smell did not enter the room. Their kitchen was out of order, but they did set up cereals, rolls, juices, etc. in the morning. Had to enter the exercise room through a conference room and found it freezing cold in the exercise room, I couldn't even break a sweat no matter how hard I worked. But overall this was a good value.

Clean and modern. Staff was polite. Walls were thin, so we heard the TV next door till midnight and loose dogs barking in the back. Other than that, everything was fine. Nice stay before / during exploring the amazing canyon.

After driving through Chinle and seeing how scruffy it was, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Holiday Inn was a nice, clean and modern motel. I would stay here again if needed. Was only here for a night.

After reading the reviews on Trip Advisor for Chinle accommodation it was with some trepidation that we approached this Holiday Inn. But we need not have worried.

From our greeting on arrival, to our room, the restaurant and the lovely ladies in the gift shop, we could not have been more supprised. Our stay was just great, food in the restaurant more than adequate, staff very pleasant, and the range of gifts in the shop were a delight.

We did a four hour trip into the Canyon, unfortunately our guide had been doing this trip for too long and did not have the vitality that the scene demanded. We met a farmer with a little shop and he should be guiding as he was so forthcoming on the canyon. We learnt more from him in 20 minutes than from the guide of 4 hours. This canyon is an awesome experience and most Americans do not know it even exists.

But overall we enjoyed our stay in Chinle and would like to convey special thanks to the Park Ranger at the visitors center who sent us over the mountains to Farmington. This was a very spectacular drive and his detail on the road was just great.

Stayed here 3 days/2nites. Hotel sits right next to the entrance of Canyon de Chelly. Got hotel from Hotwire [2*] for $80/nite. Asked for king bed and received it!

The room was excellent and includes a refrigerator. Hopefully you come to explore - nothing on TV.

The bathroom is nice and the shower is, as expressed earlier, rather thin - standard length but the width is smaller than usual.

Did not get a chance to eat at the restaurant but it looked nice. One of the better places to eat in Chinle. [It was closed when we went there for lunch @ 3pm Sat. Went to the restaurant in front of the Best Western, which is situated right next to the High School.]

The only reason why the rating is not 5 star is becuase I reserve that for really something extra special. But note that this hotel is special especially for it being Holiday Inn.

The town is small and you get a local flavor.

Only one store in town - Bashas. 2 fast food places - Burger King and Churches Chicken.

I had booked this hotel based on reviews here and wasn't disappointed with the quality of the rooms or the location of the hotel, which is indeed right next to the entrance to the Canyon de Chelly park.

Similarly, the remarks on the friendliness (or lack thereof) of the staff are very true. Particularly at breakfast, you can sit around for half an hour without anybody so much as feigning to take notice of you. This experience was shared by essentially everybody in the restaurant, several people having to shout to get attention and to at least get some coffee before their bus group left.

So if what you need is a clean, nicely equipped room very close to the park, then this is your place. If you plan on being pampered by attentive staff, then look elsewhere.

We are a family of five that stayed at the Holiday Inn Canyon de Chelly in July. This is a good choice because of its proximity to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The accommodations are fairly standard for a Holiday Inn, except that the architecture and landscaping adhere to the southwest motif. The rooms a clean, spacious, well appointed, and the rates are reasonable. There is a large swimming pool, a fairly good restaurant and an excellent gift shop. The motel is managed and staffed by Navajo, so it was a good opportunity for the kids to meet Native Americans. A staff member in the gift shop took the time to teach us a few basic Navajo words. The inn is located a few miles from the town and is surrounded by beautiful desert scenery. Jeep or horseback riding tours of the National Monument can be arranged by the staff. We enjoyed our stay.

My wife and I stayed here the last week of April, 2007. This is a good hotel, clean with well-appointed rooms. They have a restaurant on the premises where we had dinner and breakfast. Our dinner was good. I ordered a club sandwich and my wife ordered a pasta with Alfredo sauce. We both thought our meals were good. The next morning we did not want a big breakfast, and most of the items on the menu seemed rather expensive to us and like more than we wanted to eat, so we each ordered just a cinnamon roll and some coffee. We were disappointed that the cinnamon rolls were as small as they were. I've ordered cinnamon rolls at other hotels and found them to be quite sufficient for breakfast, but here they seemed rather small and not sufficient by themselves for breakfast. There is a gift shop on the premises, right in the main building across from the restaurant and only a few feet from the main check-in counter. The gift shop has lots of items, but did not have a badge and pin for Canyon de Chelly, which is what my wife was looking for. The visitor center for the park did not have badges and pins either. She eventually bought those at the Thunderbird Trading Post inside the park, which is next to the Thunderbird Lodge. Still, the my wife says this hotel does have a "beautiful gift shop." Our room was quiet and clean and quite comfortable. There was a coffeemaker in the room. We thought our room was quite spacious. We would stay at this hotel again.

Good location near that canyon. The canyon is definitely worth seeing. Booked for $80/night, which came to $94 with all taxes. The hotel is clean and the restaurant is good.

Picked this hotel due to its proximity to Canyon do Chelly. The hotel was of a good standard and was handy for booking trips of the canyon. The restaurant had plenty of hearty food in American size portions - but the kitchen closed at 8.30pm. Be warned, not only will your stay be alcohol free, but you'll be tucked up in bed by 10pm!

This is a very nice, basic hotel. Our room was not ready by 3pm which is check-in time, but was ready about fifteen minutes later. Other than that, it's been very nice.

The restaurant has a good selection of food, including room service, but one of the better values is the box lunch to go which you can order ahead of time to take with you when you head out to Canyon De Chelly or other local points of interest.

The hotel was very pleasant and secluded. Rooms were clean and comfortable. The restaurant was good. This is the closest hotel to Canyon de Chelly National Monument.

Nice hotel for a one night stay. Room clean & well maintained. Pool was closed but looked nice. Laundry room was at no charge (must be a first)! Very well located for Canyon de Chelly. Had dinner & breakfast in Garcia's restaurant on-site, very, very nice.

I stayed here one night in mid October on a tour through the canyons of Northern AZ and was very pleasantly surprised. During this trip, my lodgings ran the gamut and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. This has to be one of the nicer Holiday Inns that I’ve stayed in; and as I’m usually not a Holiday Inn customer (bad experiences from years ago) it impressed me enough to think of taking another look at this chain. My room was spotless and roomy, the bed comfy, and the bath very accommodating. There were good amenities, i.e. adequate toiletries and linens, iron and board, alarm clock, nice collection of local info. I did not use the pool or laundry, so I cannot comment here. I had dinner at the restaurant which was just fine, and my wait staff was very friendly and anxious to please. Yes, this is the Navajo Nation, but it is not a different country! Like any civilized society, I imagine rude behavior is just that – whether on the part of the host or the guest. I live in Charleston, SC and trust me when I tell you that people on vacation can be thoughtless. I digress; the only trouble I experienced was with the concierge. He was clueless of the ranch (2 miles down the road) that I needed to contact due to very inclement weather. Whereas I’m sure he isn’t intimate with every citizen of Chinle, it’s just not that big a town – especially interrelated business ventures. Hmm… Other than that small annoyance, it was a very pleasant experience. Yes, I will stay with them again.

A fairly basic Holiday Inn close to Canyon de Chelly. Stayed one night in July and found rooms service & dining all adequate or better. Pleasant pool.

Remember there is no alcohol available which for the thirsty Irish tourist slightly ruins dinner!

Thoroughly enjoyed hearty breakfast before hiking down into the canyon.

Highly satisfactory only minor problem was a short search for a working ice machine for the white wine.

Excellent location for Canyon de Chelly. Large, clean, well appointed room. Good service, particularly in the restaurant. Would recommend.

We spent a night here last week. It was probably one of the nicest Holiday Inn's we've ever stayed in. Room was clean and spacious. Grounds are nicely maintained. It is about a 2 minute drive from the Canyon de Chelly Visitor Center. Some of the other reviewers complained of the service. I believe some of that is due to cultural differences of the Navajo people. As another reviewer said, it is another country. That is true as it is on the Navajo reservation.

We ate dinner in the restaurant and found it to be acceptable. There aren't a lot of other choices in Chinle. I had the Navajo taco. It was a little heavy on the beans for my taste, but the flat bread that made the base was quite good. We would certainly stay here again.

We spent a wonderful two days at the hotel and were very impressed. The rooms were spotlessly clean; the service was friendly and efficient. The food in the restaurant was good and cheerfully served. We enjoyed a wonderful jeep tour of the Canyon de Chelly:our guide was very informative and entertaining. We would gladly go back again, and reccomend it to friends.

We recently spent two nights here when visiting Canyon de Chelley. It's a very nice Holiday Inn, quite clean and comfortable. We used the pool and enjoyed it, and especially appreciated the complimentary washers and dryers. Garcia's Restaurant is certainly not gourmet but just perfect for Chinle. As others have noted, alcohol is not served anywhere on the Navaho reservation, so bring some wine to your room if you want drinks. We also loved Canyon de Chelley, and found it just as fascinating as the Grand Canyon - it's not to be missed on a trip to Arizona.

First off, Chinle is a very run down, depressing area. We ate at one of the few dining options in Chinle. It was an A&W fast food joint. As we were eating we quickly realized we were like sore thumbs. Everyone in this town are relatively poor and the natives are not really that friendly. In the restaurant we were approached by a drunk homeless man who claims to travel and has been traveling for the past 30 years.

As for the hotel, it was okay, not great. The room was rather small, especially because we need to fit a rollaway into the room. It needed a good remodel, very basic hotel, even for a Holiday Inn. But, given the area, it was probably a luxury resort.

There were plenty of dogs who just wanted food, and were friendly. Unless your going to see the Canyon stay away from Chinle!

The facilities and amenities at this Holiday Inn are much like many other major motels in the south west. There are several separate two storey buildings; the room doors open to interior corridors rather than directly onto the carpark. This means that the many, many stray dogs hanging around the motel can’t actually sleep on your doorstep but are kept waiting outside near the cars (see photo)

The room was a standard two Queen bed motel room with a chair, a desk, and a television. The bathroom was small but adequate for an overnight stay. Wireless internet access worked well. Housekeeping applied liberal amounts of room deodorizer to the room and to the corridors, possibly to hide something but maybe just to be sure.

The desk service at check in and out was efficient although not overly friendly. They did apologize for the on-site restaurant being closed due to an equipment breakdown.

The Holiday Inn is located very conveniently at the entrance to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Downtown Chinle is a couple of miles away and there are several fast food restaurants there as well as The Junction restaurant which is part of the Best Western motel.

The hotel was above average. There is no elevator so heavy bags may be an issue for some folks. The room size was fine, the king bed was very comfortable. TV not the best (picture/reception) The balcony would have been more enjoyable if there were chairs to sit in. The pool was not open yet but it was good size and in a sunny location. The resturant in the hotel is really the only place to eat. The food was average. Be warned, they do not sell wine or beer, it's on the Navajo Reservation so no alcohol peroid. It's a comfortable hotel for a night traveling on the road.I would recommend it. Also, tours leave right from the parking lot for Canyon De Chelly; the enterance is only .3 miles up the road.

It is quite possible that the Holiday Inn is good accomodation for Chinle, but it is no Hampton Inn! It is just a regular Holiday Inn.

Therefore, the room is ok and it is clean, but that's all there is to it. Free internet sometimes worked, sometimes it didn't. Do not expect culinary delights at their restaurat.

They supposedly serve breakfast from 6.30 to 10.00 (or 9.30, I don't remember exactly), but when we arrived to have breakfast at 8.30 the breakfast area looked like an army went thought it and there was not much food left. When we were seated, they just turned off the lights over the breakfast buffet (which was dirty and empty anyway). So we got up and ended up having breakfast at Burger King.

So, if you can find a better accomodation in Chinle stay away from the Holiday Inn, if not, it's ok, but not worth the money.

The Holiday Inn was fine, the restaurant was fine, the location just outside Canyon de Chelly was perfect.

The tours booked out of this hotel did NOT look like a good choice, however. A much better choice would be Antelope House Tours -- [--]. (See my review under Canyon de Chelly National Monument.)

The location cannot be beat as it is very close to the entrance to Canyon de Chelly. It is not fancy by any means but it is very clean & the staff is very friendly & helpful.

We were unable to check-in until 3 pm as they were soldout but we were comfortable hiking White House trail with all of our stuff in our SUV. It is a pretty secure parking area. The hotel was willing to give us a late checkout the next day until 2 pm which we felt was very fair.

Garcia's restaurant at the hotel is quite good.

Canyon de Chelly has fantastic hiking & history. We did the hike to White house, a Ranger-guided hike and wished we had time to do a day hike with a guide. My words cannot adequately describe the beauty & historical significance of Canyon de Chelly. It is one of the best experiences we have had among many great ones in the Southwest.

The hotel was in reasonably good shape, the rooms were clean and, the best part, it's very close to Canyon de Chelly, which is a MUST see.

They were doing some exterior work on the pool and other areas and those weren't open at the time we stayed.

Just got back from a one night stay in Chinle. When we first started looking for places to stay, it seemed all the hotels had bad reviews. We picked the Holiday Inn because our tour of the Canyon de Chelly originated from this hotel.

The hotel grounds well groomed. The rooms were nice - clean rooms and bathroom, comfortable beds, air conditioning. The pool was clean, but there were wasps around the pool area and the pool was chilly despite the hot air temperature.

The restaurant at the hotel, Garcia's, was also good. We had dinner there - ribs, burgers, navajo tacos, and more and everyone in our group enjoyed there meal.

I would recommend this hotel to others staying in Chinle.

We stayed for 2 nights in late September. Comfortable and clean room. There is a pool, but during our stay the bottom was rather slimy, and we were not tempted to go into it a second time. However, we did find the free-to-use guest laundry next to the pool useful.

We were disturbed by noise from the neighbouring rooms on both nights, so I guess the walls must be pretty thin.

The staff were pleasant enough but seemed somewhat disengaged from the process of looking after their guests. This was particularly the case in the restaurant, where we managed to get what we wanted, but other guests seemed to be having problems.

By European standards the hotel was reasonable value for money, but did not compare well with some other hotels we stayed in during our visit to the US. On the other hand, there are not very many alternatives near the Canyon de Chelly, so we would probably stay there again if wanted to visit it again.

Superb location for visiting the Canyon the next day.

Bathrooms needed some upgrading work but was acceptable and clean.

Breakfast was an additional charge, but reasonable choice and not that much over-priced.

This Holiday Inn was about on par with other I have stayed at. The choices in Chinle are limited, and from prior reviews Holiday Inn appeared to be the best choice.

The price was right at only $91 for a weeknight in early summer. Check-in was quick and easy, and the room was clean and prepared when we arrived. We ordered room service for dinner since we had just driven several hours and really just wanted to relax. Even though the room we were in was a separate building, the food was hot and fresh and arrived quickly. The quality was decent - but their Southwest fare left something to be desired, considering the quality of the food around the region in general. The roast chicken was actually not bad at all.

Our only real complaint was the age of the linens. The pillows themselves were getting old - some were even stained a bit. The towels were starting to get ratty and stained, and the bed linens were starting to get worn. However, none of the other classic signs of aging hotels (mold in bathroom, heavily worn carpets, cracked plaster) were present.

We ate both breakfast and lunch in the dining room. The service and quality of the food in the dining room was good for both meals - I've found that this is the first place that most hotels in this price range fall short.

We did not visit the pool, but could see it from our room. It appeared to be clean and in good repair.

In general, this was a clean and well-maintained hotel with average amenities. I would stay here again on a future trip to Canyon de Chelly.

We stayed for one night on July 20. We chose the Holiday Inn because a pool would be great for the kids. It was disappointing that the pool was closed (water green), but in the end we were rushed and probably we would not have had time to swim anyway- because we maxed our time at the Canyon....but if we were staying 2 nites it would have made a difference to us Seems a long time for a hotel to be out of service, but hopefully it is in operation by now. The front desk staff was very courteous. The restaurant people were friendly. The gift shop prices were good compared to other areas in Arizona. When you make your reservation request a main floor room. It was hard lugging furniture for 4 up the stairs when you're tired and hungry. No elevator in the building we were in. The room was adequate. The internet service was good. The food at the restaurant was good - our children said they had the best burgers of any of the places we saw in Arizona and Utah. Sleeping dogs on parking lot ok, good for a photo. Had to go to restaurant to get ice.

You have got to be kidding me to give this more than a 1 Star rating. It is really an unkept facility. One of the inportant factors of my selecting this olace qwas the name and quality I am accustomed to at Holiday Inn's.

First, we registered and there was NO mention that the pool was closed. I tell you, living in Arizona and having a pool myself, these people need to get with keeping chemicals in balance, especially for the amount of people staying here. My God, the pool was lime green with about a inch of mold or something floating in it. It was the most disgusinting thing I have ever witnessed at a hotel.motel and especially a Holiday Inn. We were looking foward to a long day of sight seeing, tours of the Canyon, and coming back and jumping into a fresh, sparkling pool to cool down...Forget about it! It was terrible and filty and they had the pool fence locked so no one would get near it. They kept draing the pool, into the parking lot which you had to keep walnig through to get in and outof the hotel buldings we stayed in, then refill it with a couple garden hoses. No chemicals added at all..they did this for the 4 days we stayted, there. The morning we were checking out, the pool had turned mor elike baby diaper brown.....someone from Hoikday Inn need to look at this property to ensure healthy environment.

Second: A bunch of notoor cycles riders came in on our 2nd night. Nothing against motor cycle or rider at all, but my God, they parked their bikes in a row, all along one side, even parking over the handicapped spaces. They enjoyed themselves until around 1:0AM, outside, drinking their refreshments, laughing, talking, etc.etc.etc.. Theylef taround 5:00AM and reved up their motorcycles and probably woke up everybody within 3 miles of the place. terrible ..they drove off and did not return that evening.

Third, Stray animals I guess...poor things...stray dogs laying around, begging for food and water, walkin gthrough the grounds/complex. I do not hthink they were carrying any kin dof disease or would be aggresive, but they sure are skinny and are in dire need of food and water and just someone to take them to a good home.

Fourth: There was only on elady who was competent enough to handle a front desk/registration. The others are useless, rude, do not greet you as a customer but rather than just a number. The majority of the time they could not even answer questions, even about the local things to do. I know this is BS sinc ethey LIVE there and could have very easily tol dus how to get to the canyon, what to do and see in the area, etc.

Fifth: The resturant was so-so..A good breakfast selection, but man, the chef sure made a mess out of the dinners! Over cooked, burnt and their special they must have prepared a month or two in advance. Tough tough pork chops, pasta was pasty, not completed cooked, etc. Only on eserver of the several we had I would recommed as polite, remembering what you ordered, courteous. She was the heavy set girl...very very accomodating and nice and informative of her native land and what to do and see.

I asked about getting some kind of deal or a break on the nightly rates since the pool was inoperable and was a definate health issue. He said no, he could not give anyone a discount since we received a AAA discount already. The other person traveling with us who had their own room was given a night free for the 'inconveinence' of no pool as was advertised. So, I asked the person to let me speak to the manager of the hotel since they just gave our caompanions a free nights lodging. He stated he WAS the manager and that he would not give us a break. I said that our friends just got a night free, I booked the rooms for both of us so what is the difference? He just said " It was the reservationist perogative to give a discount or not. " SO I said so you won't give me any kind of discount, is that what you are telling me?" He said, "that's right"

I will definately go back to Canyon De Chelly, for sure, but stay at one of the other 2 hotels in the area, The Thunderbird Lodge, which is old but kept up very nic eand you have all the amentities you need, or The Best Western as you come into town.

Overall, I was very disappointed with the whole setup of this Holiday Inn and how they ran it and kept it acceptable. I would hope even though this property sits on the Navajo reservation that the power that be at Holiday Inn will start monitoring thyis facility, getting things fixed, working, running and insure there are no health issues!

I have to agree with some of the reviews posted that Chinle is not, in itself, a tourist attraction. In fact I think it is fair to say that far from being " scruffy " it is a complete dump. There is nothing whatsoever to commend it other than this hotel and especially Canyon De Chelly itself.

First the hotel. I can only say that that is an oasis in a desert. Heart sinking as we drove further and further into the abyss that is Chinle our spirits were restored when we turned into the hotel.

The reception staff on arrival were fine and our room was ready. As for its space and cleanliness these had not, in any way, been compromised. Sliding doors onto a patio area overlooking the pool were a bonus. The bathroom was a very good size and the towels were plentiful and up to the mark. The shower was hopeless however and I now know I should have mentioned this because after the first night wrestling with poor pillows I left a note for housekeeping asking for

firmer pillows. These were waitng for us on return - so full marks there.

There is nowhere to dine in Chinle other than the hotel so you have to use the restaurant. All in all the standard and quality of dining was slightly less than average and at times the level of service wavered between amateurish enthusiam and downright indifference.

There is a nice gift shop but the service there was also erratic.

Check in had been fine. Check out (by the hotel manager who was on duty) was not. He was insistant on charging me for a lunch - packed or otherwise - which we had not had. Eventually with ill grace he determined that the voucher was for breakfast which we had had that morning. The additional local taxes were a bit unexpected.

Do not let this put you off visiting the area however as the jewel in the crown is Canyon de Chelly itself. Just a few minutes up the road the canyon is stunning, magnificent and wholly evocative.

I am at a loss to know why so few white Americans visit this stupendous and wonderful area.

I decided to stay at the Holiday Inn on my recent Canyon De Chelly trip.

My purpose there was for creative business. I found the hotel to be among the best I have stayed in on the Navajo Nation (there have been others). The room was clean, quiet, and comfortable. All the amenities that I regularly use were there, and the staff members were friendly and helpful to the best of their ability. The one down side was a guide that I hired to take my 4x4 into the canyon. He was a self proclaimed musician and film-maker. I agreed to buy his CD only to be very disappointed by the quality of the production, musicianship, effects, editing and mixing. I think this fellow thought a great deal more of his music than most who are not so subtly asked to buy it! I can only hope his DVD is of better quality than his CD. This was only a minor issue, as his guiding was poor, he constantly talked about wanting to get home to "look on the internet" and how hungry he was. This man could do well to study the traditions of the Swiss mountain guides (famous throughout the world for their excellence). At the Antelope House ruins, I had to inform him that I was ready to go as he was busy having a snack and chatting with his friends who run the overpriced concession there. We went on to the White House ruins, where one of his friends rudely corrected my Navajo. All the time that this guide was with me, he expressed how much of a hurry he was in to get back "to check the internet." None of this was enough to seriously damage the experience, however it is enough to say that it left a bad taste in my mouth. Suggest that if you take a guided tour into the canyon or drive your own 4x4, do NOT hire a guide from the Holiday Inn, but go to the visitor's center and hire one there. It will still be hit or miss, but you might get a person who knows the art of guiding.

I am at a loss to understand the cheery reviews that have been offered for this establishment, or why it is listed as No. 1. Even by rural Arizona standards this is a mediocre establishment in every conceibable respect.

The front desk personnel are rude. We complained of a strange odor in our room and nothing was done to deal with this issue.

The food in the restaurant is also middling and not worth the price. You can say that about the entire hotel.

Be sure to avoid the tours of the Canyon de Chelly that are offered at the hotel, as better and less expensive tours are available at the Thunderbird nearby. We learned this the hard way.

We stayed here one night. The room was well above average and a bargain.The people do not want to work here and it shows. They act as if they are sorry you are there and are inconviencing them.I'm from New York City originally and I know rude, these people could give lessons to a bus driver in the Bronx!

I stayed at the Holiday Inn for two nights during a 5 week tour of the National Parks of Utah and Arizona. Our room was clean, spacious and well equipped.

Several of the reception staff and restaurant greeting staff were less than friendly and made us feel somewhat unwelcome. Several times our requests for assistance were greeted with an attitude that indicated that it was too much trouble to help.

We found the written warnings in the hotel rooms about personal security somewhat off-putting and the attitude of the staff did not help our uneasiness.

The two Navajo taxes on the final bill came as a complete surprise; these were not mentioned at the booking stage.

The Canyon itself is beautiful but the lack of access for walking compared with all the other National Parks is really disappointing.

The service was poor. We had a problem with the keys not working. Five trips back to the office were made. Each time the clerk expressed wonderment that they did not work but continued to give us keys that did not work even with various hotel staff trying out the keys. Finally, the desk clerk personnel changed. After one more non working key set, he changed the code and eureka, this worked. Why wasn't this done before and saved us two hours of our time walking back and forth to the office to resolve the problem?

We ordered food from the room menu. Two items were missing. The dining room person said the menu had been changed but they had not changed the menu in the room. One item had been removed.(yet, the price remained the same!) and the other item, she said, was not included on the original menu. After much conversation and waiting as she checked with the dining room manager, we were given the one item. Back to the room and upon checking the room menu we found the dining room person was mistaken, the second item was included. So back to the dining room, more conversation, more waiting and finally, we got the additional missing item. It wasn't worth the wait as not only was the food cold but it was mediocre at best.

No problem at all with the physical environment of this hotel - room large and decent, grounds well kept, very clean guest laundry which was much appreciated. Housekeeping style and service rather eccentric for an american hotel. Out of four meals in the restaurant we received satisfactory service only once. There were errors with meals, with bills including being given someone else's credit card, and very slow service. We stayed for two nights and both our beds were stripped early in the morning with bedding piled on chairs. They were not made up again until late afternoon which made it virtually impossible to use the room during the day. Definitely another country!

Several of the hotels guest ameniites were not available...guest laundry, swimming pool and internet asccess in my section was unavailable. Keep away from Garcias breakfast buffet...scrambled eggswere so watered down they were barely recognizable as eggs and the fruit bowl had very little fruit for five dollars. Go to the Junction ( Best Western)

Stayed here for three days and regretted it from day one. The front desk clerk at checkin steered us to an overpriced, hotel-affiliated tour of the canyon, when a far cheaper and better tour was available up the road at the Thunderbird Lodge. We were gypped by $50.

When I complained to the gift shop manager, she laughed and proceeded to be nasty and insulting.

The room was OK, though the maid sprayed some kind of room freshener that gave the room a cruddy smell, and several complaints did not end the practice.

The restaurant was simply awful. Terrible service, lousy food. I ordered roast chicken and the waitress delivered a tiny fried chicken. I ate there a couple of times before discovering a much much better restaurant down the road at Best Western.

The front desk staff are snotty and have an "attitude."

This hotel lured me in by offering prices that are very slightly less than can be had at the other nearby hotels. Take my advice and STAY AWAY.