Under Canvas Grand Canyon — Hotel in Four Corners States

My sister, a teenage exchange student and I stayed at this property during the Columbus Day weekend, and we were looking very much forward to trying an Under Canvas property out. Unfortunately, the stay left us very disappointed. Rather than rant, I'll mention a few specifics: ||- Check In: Typically, when you check in, there appears to be a whole spiel that you are supposed to get to show you around the property and explain how things like showers work in your tent. We arrived late because of a flight delay, and I don't know if it's because the usual staff were gone, but we got a very cursory explanation. The guy who took us to our tent, waved his hands around to point out obvious features. When we asked about pillows for the sofa bed, he fluffed up two of the sofa cushions and said we could use those (we later found pillows in the chest in the room). Later when we went up to the front desk to ask for more blankets, they provided them, but we had to carry them back to our tent ourselves in the dark on an unfamiliar property. ||- Food: I don't know if it was because it was the end of the season but there were substitutions made on multiple dishes without any prior warning. Meat that one member of our party asked for it be rare arrived well done, and meat that we asked to be medium well arrived rare (on multiple occasions). Once when we complained about the skirt steak, the staff readily admitted that it was a bad cut but it was what they had. When we asked about the trout, they actually warned us away from it saying that it's pretty bland. Breakfast took 30-40 minutes to arrive. ||- Cleanliness: Be forewarned that there is no housekeeping in your tent for the duration of your stay unless you ask for it. In the common areas, it was really nice that they had s'mores and fire pits out, but they didn't clean them periodically enough, so on two out of the three nights we were there, we found several to be completely trashed by previous guests - aluminum cans in the fire, garbage and dirty trays and plates in the chairs. ||- Pack and go food: They only had 3 kinds of sandwiches including an almond butter and jelly in their fridge. We also saw the same stale-looking sandwiches there two days in a row. When we inquired about lunch boxes to go from the restaurant, they provided us with an interesting menu, but we were told that they made them before 10am the DAY BEFORE you need them (In other words, by the time you eat them, they are more than 24 hours old). I would plan on making alternative arrangements. ||- Tent temperature: When we were there, it got cold at night. The tents provide a wood stove, which they are supposed to show you how to use. The staff person, who showed us to the room didn't, so when we tried to figure it out ourselves, we ended up with a ton of smoke in the room. (We did talk about how we would not want to be here during the middle of summer because we can't imagine being able to cool the tent down enough for it to be comfortable). ||- Shower: As part of the resort's eco-approach, the shower requires holding down a lever for the water to flow. That means that you have to wash with only one hand. In our case, the experience was further soured by the fact that the heater wasn't working, which we only discovered after I tried to shower. Maintenance person came relatively quickly in ten minutes, but it was just another thing that soured us. (The fix was relighting the pilot). ||- Basic golf cart safety: At the end of the stay, we asked for help to get our luggage. Two of us loaded our bags first and got in the cart. The driver started driving away as the third was loading her luggage in the cart. ||The good things: |- The property is beautiful. |- The night sky is as beautiful as they promise. |- The private guide they can arrange through a third party outfit was first rate (and very worth the price). |- The s'mores are really fun for kids, and a nice touch. |- Restaurant prices are reasonable. |- No one will tell you this, but they do have hot water bottles available if you ask for them. |- The common toilets are comfortable, but we found trash overfilling a couple times. |- If you snag them in time, they have a handful of hiking poles available for you to use. |- Free filtered water to fill your water bottles. ||All in all, the staff are friendly, but comically untrained and unhelpful. We did not see the resort manager on the property at all, and given how bad the experience was across the board, I imagined the problem is at a management level. I always worry about eco-resorts because sometimes resorts use it as an excuse to cut corners, and this one felt very much like it. ||Basically, I would expect this to be a DIY set up. It's glamping in the sense that there are tents there for you in a beautiful location, and they have food and alcohol there. If you don't expect service, you might be pleasantly surprised to occasionally get some during your stay. ||It was doubly disappointing because a couple we had met socially had raved about this property when they came before the pandemic. It made us wonder if something changed since then. ||It's possible that it's only this property that has problems, but it left me reluctant to...

I'll start with the good. Walter at the restaurant is fantastic. Always happy to see you and take your order. Now I'll tell you about the not bad, but annoying. It took over 50 minutes to check in. We kept waiting, and when I finally got someone's attention to ask what we were waiting for, she said it was because I had to wait for a golf cart so she could show me where my tent was and I would just have to wait longer. I didn't wait longer, I simply followed the map and found it. Our room wasn't stocked at all. 2 dead batteries, no towels, no wash rags, no matches for the fire. Just an empty box. I called and asked for towels and matches and batteries. Nothing came. Day 2, I stopped at the front desk around 6:45 am and asked for those items again. (Arrived back at 8pm. None of those items came, and when I walked down to the front desk to pick them up myself, no one could help me because they don't keep those items there). Also, that morning our group of 26 women were getting ready to go hike the grand canyon. We were gathered together, excited about our morning and were drinking our coffees and tea when one of the male employee had to walk past us. He very loudly said "yeah, if you call could, like, not be HERE, that would be great!". Then he put his hands on either side of his face like blinders and walked past us. No one was blocking anything, he clearly just couldn't stand the sight of us. I was told that they could light our fire for us, and to call before we arrived back. So I did. No one lit the fire, and still no matches. Annoying right? So the next day, I called early in the morning and asked if they had my package that was delivered the day prior. The woman I spoke to said she would check and call me back. Now this may come as a surprise, but she didn't call me back. So I walked down to the front desk. Asked for my package again. She rolled her eyes and said nothing ever came in. I told her I had a receipt that it was delivered and asked if she could check again. She said she would and would bring it to me in the event tent. She didn't. So when it came time to pick up our pre-order lunches, mine wasn't there. No big deal, the manager was overseeing our group and said that someone else must have taken it. So he walked around asking the other ladies if they took my lunch- they hadn't. Then he realized that they didn't look at the back of the page and had missed some. I said "while I have you, I've been asking for my package all day. It's my glasses. Could you also please help me look into this, here's the receipt that it was delivered. " So the manager asked the same woman that couldn't help me find my package to make sure they made me my lunch. I specifically asked for the quinoa bowl, and even though there's no mushrooms in it, I made sure to note that I'm allergic to mushrooms and if she could please let them know. I got my lunch, they found my package and I went back to class. Shortly after eating about 1/3 of my lunch, I was sick. And then violently ill all night. The only thing that makes me that ill is mushrooms. And I would hate to think that it was intentional, however, given the very clear indication of how the majority of the employees felt about us from the very start, I feel like it was intentional. Now the worst part. The next day, I went down to the front desk area to get some tea. While I was sitting outside, a woman collapsed by the tables. I ran inside, grabbed some water, brought it out to her then back in to get her some electrolites and a cold rag. I let them know that a woman had collapsed and she was over heated and 16 weeks pregnant. Shocker- they don't have rags... Not a single person came to help for 45 minutes. And that was after another guest came over to help me. He is a doctor and he helped me get her inside and check her out. When the staff finally did come to help, they were like "I think we're going to have to call 911". Yeah. No sh*t. A pregnant woman collapsed, but it's far better to stand at the front desk and wait for someone else to find a cold rag....

We recently stayed two nights at Under Canvas Grand Canyon in a suite tent, and it was our very first glamping experience—and an exceptional one at that. From start to finish, everything about our stay exceeded expectations.

The tent itself was beautifully appointed and felt surprisingly high-end, with thoughtful furnishings and design details that struck a perfect balance between rustic and refined. We were absolutely blown away by how comfortable the bed was—honestly one of the best nights of sleep we’ve had at any hotel. It felt like sleeping on a cloud, and combined with the cool desert night air, it made for a truly restful and cozy experience.

Due to recent county rulings, the use of the in-tent furnace was not allowed during our stay—but we understood and honestly didn’t mind at all. The tent stayed comfortable, and warm blankets were provided. They also equipped the tent with battery-powered fans to help with airflow during the day, and portable power banks to charge phones or small devices. Any time a power bank ran low, we simply called the front desk and they happily replaced it right away. The staff also offered coolers and ice upon request, which was especially helpful for keeping drinks cold or storing medication.

Service was wonderful throughout our stay. The team was friendly, welcoming, and eager to help with anything we needed. At check-in, the staff took the time to walk us through everything—from how to use the lanterns and showers, to where to park, and even offered to help with our bags. They made sure we felt completely at ease from the start and were always happy to make accommodations to ensure our stay was as enjoyable and comfortable as possible.

Our son especially loved the unlimited s’mores at the nightly campfires and spent plenty of time swinging in the hammocks. We also really appreciated the complimentary water, tea, and coffee available in the main lobby tent. While we didn’t participate in the scheduled activities, it was nice to see offerings like morning and evening yoga, guided meditation, trivia nights, and live music, which added a beautiful ambiance in the evenings. We will definitely partake in the activities next time we visit.

The lack of Wi-Fi and electrical outlets inside the tent really encouraged us to unplug and fully relax. And the nights? Absolutely breathtaking. It was our first time experiencing a truly star-filled sky, and we were lucky enough to see the Milky Way stretch across the horizon. We even captured a few stunning star photos that we’ll treasure.

For dining, we really enjoyed the quick-service style menu with locally sourced ingredients. On our first evening, we shared the Graze Board, their Burger of the Day, and the Cilantro Lime Rice Bowl with Shrimp—all fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. The next night, we tried the Steak Bowl and finished with a cheesecake dessert that hit the spot. While their specialty cocktail had sold out, the bar staff happily whipped up a custom version for me that was just as fabulous. We also enjoyed their iced lattes, which were refreshing after a long day outdoors.

Food is not allowed inside the tents, which we totally understand given the wildlife in the area, but drinks are okay—something that made winding down with a nightcap or morning coffee on the deck feel extra special.

We stayed in tent 70, which I truly believe is one of the best on the property. It was a short walk to the restaurant and activity area but still felt remote and peaceful, offering that ideal balance of convenience and privacy.

Overall, our stay at Under Canvas Grand Canyon was unforgettable. It offered everything we hoped for in a glamping experience: comfort, nature, incredible stargazing, great food, and a warm, thoughtful team. We left feeling relaxed, refreshed, and already dreaming of...