Is parking available at the property?

Yes, free self-parking is available on-site. However, parking is limited.

Is breakfast offered at the hotel?

Breakfast is available at the Thunderbird Cafeteria, where guests can enjoy a satisfying meal.

Does the hotel allow pets?

Yes, pets are allowed with a fee of USD 25 per pet, per night. Service animals are exempt from fees.

What are the check-in and check-out times?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM and check-out is at 11:00 AM. Early or late check-in/check-out may be available upon request and could incur additional charges.

What accessibility features are available for guests with disabilities?

The property offers limited wheelchair accessibility, including accessible parking and facilities.

Where is the hotel located in relation to key landmarks?

The hotel is located in Chinle, within a national park, just a 5-minute drive from Canyon De Chelly National Monument and Hatathali Museum. It is approximately 5.6 miles from White House Overlook and Trail.

Thunderbird Lodge - Apache County Hotel

Average nightly price at Thunderbird Lodge by month, last 12 months (USD)
Month	Average price
January	$78
February	$80
March	$99
April	$111
May	$108
June	$99
July	$96
August	$93
September	$109
October	$116
November	$82
December	$74

What guests think

Thunderbird Lodge is a simple, historic motor-lodge at the entrance to Canyon de Chelly, praised for its quiet setting, generally clean rooms, friendly staff, convenient on-site cafeteria and gift shop, easy parking, and the ability to book canyon tours.

Many appreciate the rustic, vintage character and Navajo-run setting, which adds local history and atmosphere. Rooms can feel dated, and some guests cite maintenance or housekeeping hiccups, occasional odors, or noisy climate units; food on site is basic and can be inconsistent, with limited alternatives in town. Overall, it suits travelers seeking practical comfort over polish.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

On-site cafeteria and a sizable trading post, with Canyon de Chelly tours departing from the property. Parking by the room and shaded grounds are convenient; facilities are basic and include a laundromat, though occasional outages were reported.

Related guest reviews

10

Sandra

Jul 3, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Oasis in an arid area. Cottonwood trees shading cool grassy areas, birds flitting around. Quiet, peaceful, out of the town and right at park entrance. Great gift shop, reasonably priced art.

10

Michael

Jun 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

A very nice hotel. Everything was ready as promised. We enjoyed the on-site cafeteria and the ability to book a tour of Canyon de Chelly there too.

10

Melisande

May 18, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great place to stay if you are going to Canyon de Chelly. The rooms are clean and comfortable with a decent fridge and microwave. There is a laundromat on site. Cafeteria style dining offers a limited selection but food is fine, not fancy.

8

Mary

Oct 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice hotel at the entrance to Canyon de Chelly. Clean with comfortable beds for a reasonable price. Single story hotel which was nice for people with limited mobility. Breakfast was not included but there was a cafeteria on the premises open for breakfast and dinner. Would stay there again.

10

Deborah

Sep 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Beautiful setting, the architecture was perfect for the area and the Room was very nice with rustic furniture. It had a refrigerator, microwave and a coffee pot, which is getting harder to find at the hotels.You park right by your room door so very easy to unload the car. Lots of landscaped areas for the dogs to investigate and plenty of area to take a nice walk.

4

Joshua

Oct 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

This place is a dump. The rooms are shabby and dark. The laundry facility (with one washer) was out of service. The restaurant (really a “cafeteria”) was terrible - the food was dished largely from a steam table - barely warm) by unfriendly staff. Disappointing that this is the main option near this spectacular National Monumment.

10

Tricia

Dec 23, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We enjoyed our stay at the Thunderbird Lodge. Rooms were clean and spacious. Staff was friendly and we liked that the property had a shop with local Navajo crafts and a cafeteria on site. It’s also convenient to book a tour of Canyon de Chelly via the lodge. The property is safe and quiet and had everything we needed. We appreciated the complimentary water in aluminum bottle (being green) and welcome cedar packet. The only suggestions for improvement are that the rooms could use an update and the shower drain was slow to drain. Overall, this is a great place to stay!

10

Corinne

Oct 4, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Restauramt on site. Tour for the canyon was on site.

10

Joanne

Oct 17, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The Thunderbird Lodge is a delightful place to stay while visiting Canyon de Chelly. The rooms are clean and comfortable. It appears that they have recently been renovated in a sophisticated southwest design. There is a nice gift shop and restaurant on sight.

10

Patricia

Oct 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was clean and comfortable. Liked that there was bottled water in the room. Enjoyed the cafeteria and the Navajo culture.

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Cleanliness

Rooms and linens are generally clean, with many reviews noting tidy, well-kept spaces. Occasional lapses include missed service, leftover linens or hair, and some pest sightings.

Related guest reviews

10

Michel

Oct 29, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room was spotless. The staf was courteous.

8

Joshua

Jan 5, 2026

·

Stayed 3 nights

We stayed here while visiting Canyon de Chelly. It was a great place to stay. The sheets and towels were clean. The room was clean and in good shape.

6

Suzanne

Sep 29, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Really nice, accommodating staff. Clean rooms. Comfortable beds. Plenty of outlets for charging, including USB ports. Quiet. Very convenient to Canyon de Chelly. Typical budget hotel rooms. Microwave and mini-fridge worked well. Room had a table and two chairs. Also a patio table and chairs outside the room. Shower left much to be desired in terms of water pressure. As is so often the case, housekeeping was not all it could be. We stayed two nights, but the room was not made up while we were there. We had to request toilet paper, coffee, coffee cups from the front desk. There was no bath soap, but fortunately, we'd brought our own. Saddest of all was the stray dog who seems to live on the property.

4

Michael

Apr 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Checked in at front desk. Most unfriendly person behind the desk. Got to my room, no toilet paper at all, and all the dirty towels from the previous stay were stashed behind the bathroom door. In the morning the shower from the room next door was so loud it woke us up at 6 am. Ate breakfast at the cafeteria, cold food and all the orders were wrong.

10

Richard

Jan 8, 2026

·

Stayed 2 nights

Clean room, quick easy friendly checkin. Quiet, rustic room. Easy access to Canyon de Chelly.

4

Mark

Feb 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hair in both beds, a lot in one, two hairs in the other. They brought us linen at 9:30 pm but no offer to remake the bed. After we stripped the bed we realized they brought one sheet. We made do and went to Denny's for breakfast the next day. The restaurant is cafeteria style. Tips are requested before you get food or service. Diner at the Thunder Bird was out worst meal on our trip with zero service once we sat down.

4

Marilyn

Sep 10, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Found roaches in our room. Room smells bad. Carpet is very old and stinky. Reception clerks are not friendly. They had long sour faces. Unwelcomely. Food choices at the restaurant are limited. Very pricey, too. Sales clerk at the souvenir shop was pleasant.

10

Tricia

Dec 23, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We enjoyed our stay at the Thunderbird Lodge. Rooms were clean and spacious. Staff was friendly and we liked that the property had a shop with local Navajo crafts and a cafeteria on site. It’s also convenient to book a tour of Canyon de Chelly via the lodge. The property is safe and quiet and had everything we needed. We appreciated the complimentary water in aluminum bottle (being green) and welcome cedar packet. The only suggestions for improvement are that the rooms could use an update and the shower drain was slow to drain. Overall, this is a great place to stay!

10

Michael

Oct 29, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Efficient, helpful check-in and clean comfortable room

10

James

Dec 31, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was clean

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are basic and often dated, though many find them comfortable and quiet; some note renovated touches and rustic Southwest decor. Drawbacks include small or tight bathrooms, occasional odors or noisy AC/heaters, worn fixtures, and sporadic Wi-Fi or TV issues.

Related guest reviews

8

Patricia

Oct 6, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was clean and comfortable. There was only one setting on the A/C unit, on with loud fan or off. There was a ceiling fan which helped. Overall decent accommodation for the price. We wanted to eat in the cafeteria on our last day but it was takeout only due to a water line problem. Nice and close to Canyon de Chelly, which is why we were there.

8

Jacqueline

Sep 3, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

For the price, it was an excellent stay but it is a motel and the bathroom needed some TLC. The toilet tank had a cover that didn't fit and the shower head and pipe were loose and wobbly. The cafeteria on the grounds is convenient but people we asked said they didn't recommend it, so we didn't try it. The town has a Denny's and we ate there.

8

Scott

Jul 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Overall, a nice clean room and property. For us the bed was too hard and the portion of the bathroom with the toilet and shower was really tight.

6

Alice Jean

Nov 7, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Staff was very polite & courteous. Pillows were very hard plus need new bed blanket.

6

Teri

Oct 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room clean- bathroom tub peeling and very dated

4

Jeffrey

Apr 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

No tv service for the whole stay. Miserable hour after hour in room with no tv. Should be rebated.

8

Beth

Nov 21, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Clean, somewhat dated motel in a stunningly beautiful area. Great value for the price

10

Joanne

Oct 17, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The Thunderbird Lodge is a delightful place to stay while visiting Canyon de Chelly. The rooms are clean and comfortable. It appears that they have recently been renovated in a sophisticated southwest design. There is a nice gift shop and restaurant on sight.

6

Tamara

Nov 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room has a strong odor

6

Robert

Jun 9, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Check in was lousy, had to wait until 3pm. Pillows wereway too soft, even when stacking two together. The room was originally built about 1930, but since remodeled. WIFI was weak signal.

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Service

Staff are widely praised as friendly, helpful, and efficient, with quick responses to issues and accommodating tour or room requests. A few guests reported curt front desk interactions, limited desk hours, or inconsistent follow-through.

Related guest reviews

10

Todd

Nov 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Friendly staff, clean and comfortable room, quiet

2

JESUS ISRAEL

Jun 23, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We arrived at.midnight and no one attend us , even though 24hrs of attention. We decide to go to other hotel.

6

STEVEN

Aug 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The property is in a unique location with great access to the canyon. Check in was acceptable. The original rooms were located in back of the office with unpleasant odors. The front desk person reassigned us to accessible rooms in the front that were acceptable. This location has one on-site cafeteria that offers limited food selections at an average quality. The morning front desk manager was busy and less than customer oriented.

10

Stella

Jul 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This was our third stay at Thunderbird Lodge and we’ll keep coming back. Room are spacious and clean and everything works. The staff is very friendly and we have been quite pleased with our stay. Highly recommended!

10

Judith

Nov 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Quiet location and everything was clean and all expected supplies were there. We had a problem with the TV and they had someone there within 5 minutes to fix the situation. Highly recommend.

10

Robert

Apr 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was friendly and very helpful. We were so pleased that they could dog-sit for us while we took the four-hour canyon tour. And our tour guide, Elten, was knowlegeable and personable. We learned a lot about indigenous history and the geology of the canyon.

10

Walter

Sep 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Pleasant staff. Received a call regarding my door that wasn't completely closed. Appreciated the attention to detail.

10

Bruce

Oct 31, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Wonderful staff—so helpful!!!!

4

Trinna

Feb 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The first desk lady was not polite and changed our room placing us closer to all rooms already taken, we had rooms in different area that was not in crowed area. We traveled in far and would not let us use restroom in office area even after seeing us dancing around. Need better service who knows customer service skills..

10

Matthew

Jul 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Our AC unit was not functioning. We called the office and the staff were quick to find us another room. Great area.

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Location

Unbeatable location inside or at the entrance to Canyon de Chelly, with quiet, scenic grounds and easy access to rim drives and tours. The surrounding town is remote with limited dining options.

Related guest reviews

10

Alice

Apr 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Location is convenient right in Canyon de Chelly. We enjoyed our stay. We had lunch at the cafeteria and prices are reasonable.

8

Charles

Apr 16, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The proximity to the park was perfect.

10

Fremina

Sep 10, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great hospitality

10

Scott

May 23, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The lodge is in a great location just inside the national monument property. It's set in a very quiet, lush, beautiful spot. The room was clean and quiet. We loved our stay.

8

Garth C

Apr 23, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Right at canyon entrance in historic setting with welcoming warm energetic staff. Room was clean and bed comfortable. Great star gazing at night.

8

Julie

Oct 13, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff were very friendly. The location and scenery are beautiful. Not many choices for food in the area.

10

Christopher

May 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location for visiting Canyon De Chelly. Clean and quiet property.

10

James

May 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Its location within the Canyon de Chelly National Monument was ideal. Quiet with nice comfortable rooms.

10

Andy

Jun 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Perfect spot for touring the Canyon

8

Michael

Aug 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Solid property for an overnight stay to see the canyon. Convenient to the park entrance and tours.

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Dining

On-site cafeteria is convenient and reasonably priced, with some enjoying breakfast and Navajo dishes. Feedback on quality is mixed: often described as basic or average, occasionally poor or affected by closures or water issues—and options in town are limited.

Related guest reviews

8

Patricia

Oct 6, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was clean and comfortable. There was only one setting on the A/C unit, on with loud fan or off. There was a ceiling fan which helped. Overall decent accommodation for the price. We wanted to eat in the cafeteria on our last day but it was takeout only due to a water line problem. Nice and close to Canyon de Chelly, which is why we were there.

8

Mary

Oct 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice hotel at the entrance to Canyon de Chelly. Clean with comfortable beds for a reasonable price. Single story hotel which was nice for people with limited mobility. Breakfast was not included but there was a cafeteria on the premises open for breakfast and dinner. Would stay there again.

8

Jacqueline

Sep 3, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

For the price, it was an excellent stay but it is a motel and the bathroom needed some TLC. The toilet tank had a cover that didn't fit and the shower head and pipe were loose and wobbly. The cafeteria on the grounds is convenient but people we asked said they didn't recommend it, so we didn't try it. The town has a Denny's and we ate there.

8

Cinda

Dec 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room, staff pleasant and efficient. Loved Trading post. Cafeteria close although food was average. It was hard for me because I have Celiac and have to eat gluten free. But there were always salads and vegetables.

8

Jo

Oct 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Natv cafeteria on site was good, fod and service

8

Steven

May 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Not a lot of accommodation choice at Canyon de Chelly but I’d say Thunderbird Lodge easily beat the nearby Holiday Inn for charm and a good position close to the Canyon. The rooms were clean and comfortable, not super smart, but fair enough for the price. The cafeteria is the only on-site dining option where friendly staff served up pretty basic food. Easily the best things on offer were the Mexican and Navajo offerings, I’d stick with those myself.

10

Shelley

Apr 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Comfortable lodging near Canyon de Chelly. Everything worked well. TV had more channel choices than most motel rooms. Dining at the Thunderbird’s cafeteria was tasty and not costly.

4

Mark

Feb 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hair in both beds, a lot in one, two hairs in the other. They brought us linen at 9:30 pm but no offer to remake the bed. After we stripped the bed we realized they brought one sheet. We made do and went to Denny's for breakfast the next day. The restaurant is cafeteria style. Tips are requested before you get food or service. Diner at the Thunder Bird was out worst meal on our trip with zero service once we sat down.

10

Yakov

Oct 22, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Absolutely the best location to explore the Canyons! Nice, friendly and efficient service. Clean, spacious rooms with 2 Queen beds. Cafeteria open 6am-9pm serving nutitional breakfast and traditional Navajo food. Blue corn pancakes are to die for! 😋

10

Michelle

Oct 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very convenient for access to Canyon de Chelly. Cafeteria onsite makes meals (although not fancy) easy. Lovely grounds. Despite a break in the water main and a full hotel, harried staff were helpful and pleasant.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11 $140	12 $140	13 $142	14 $249	15 $197	16 $139	17 $139
18 $130	19 $130	20 $138	21 $139	22 $158	23 $139	24 $138
25 $148	26 $128	27 $127	28 $137	29 $109	30 $116	31 $112

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
1 $101	2 $101	3 $100	4 $99	5 $101	6 $100	7 $101
8 $102	9 $102	10 $102	11 $99	12 $101	13 $102	14 $100
15 $102	16 $102	17 $107	18 $105	19 $100	20 $102	21 $105
22 $100	23 $98	24 $103	25 $99	26 $104	27 $105	28 $104
29 $99	30 $100

Thunderbird Lodge

Prices for Thunderbird Lodge

Monthly average prices

About this property

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Double Room

Room, 1 King Bed

Room, 2 Queen Beds

Guest reviews of Thunderbird Lodge

Who stays here?

What guests think

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Good to know

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