Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn Near Bryce Canyon National Park [In-Depth Review]

There are very few hotel options near Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon City, Utah, was even smaller than we expected, and we found just half a dozen hotels in the area, including the park’s lodge.

Best Western has 2 properties in the area. Fortunately, I had some Best Western Rewards points, and we saved over $200 on 1-night stay in early April.

While the Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn offered impressively more amenities than we could use in 24 hours, the breakfast exemplified quantity over quality. This isn’t a hotel I’d go out of my way to visit again, but it provided a quality stay during a road trip around Utah’s national parks.

Booking Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn

As the name implies, the Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn participates in Best Western Rewards, so you can earn and redeem Best Western points there. During our 1-night stay in early April 2025, the cheapest room (an interior room with 2 queen beds) was $223.15 per night for Rewards members. Children 17 and under were complimentary when staying in a room with a paying adult.

The cost for a 1-king bedroom was slightly higher at $288.25 per night for members, and both rooms were interior rooms without views of the natural settings Bryce Canyon is famous for.

Award stays were available, and we redeemed 20,000 Best Western points for our stay at a redemption value of 1.1 cents per point. That’s nearly double our average valuation of Best Western points at 0.6 cents each.

Earning Best Western Rewards points isn’t as simple as earning points in some other hotel groups. The program doesn’t have transfer partners with credit card points, such as American Express or Citibank. Additionally, Best Western’s hotels aren’t coveted the way hotels are in other programs.

Even still, you can earn points through Best Western promotions, hotel stays, and the program’s pair of co-branded credit cards.

Hot Tip:

The Best Western Rewards^® Visa Signature^® Card earns 4x points at Best Western properties, while the Best Western Rewards^® Premium Visa Signature^® Card earns 10x points on Best Western spending. Both provide some level of automatic elite status. If you don’t have either card, paying for your stay with a general travel rewards credit card can help you earn extra points on your spending.

Location of Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn

The hotel is a 6-minute drive from the Bryce Canyon National Park visitors center. The Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn is in the middle of Bryce Canyon City, a small town with fewer than 350 residents.

The nearest commercial airport is in Cedar City (CDC), Utah, which is only served by Delta Air Lines flights from Salt Lake City (SLC). Getting to the hotel from Cedar City takes about 90 minutes by car.

St. George Regional Airport (SGU), also in Utah, is roughly 2.5 hours away. It’s served by Delta, American, and United from hubs in Dallas (DFW), Denver (DEN), Los Angeles (LAX), Phoenix (PHX), and Salt Lake City (SLC). Flying here and renting a car may be a better option.

Checking In

Finding the hotel was easy, thanks to the enormous sign on the corner.

Pulling into the entrance, an overhang at the front door indicated that arriving guests should park along the right side, and the left side was to be kept open for through traffic. A few other cars were parked here for check-in, and we found a spot for our rental car behind them.

The hotel immediately gave off a rustic vibe, with its wooden doors and cowboy-themed artwork above the main entrance.

The vaulted lobby inside was spacious and bright, thanks to overhead skylights.

The lobby, with its stone fireplace, wood beams, wall panels, and multiple animal heads on the walls, gave off hunting cabin vibes.

Even though half a dozen guests were in line for check-in, we waited less than 5 minutes before a friendly employee called us forward. He smiled warmly while asking for ID and a credit card for incidentals.

As we chatted, the desk agent asked if we preferred a room on the top (second) or bottom floor, noting that there were no elevators for the location of our guest room. We chose a room on the top floor.

As he prepared our keycards, I noticed a sign about the hotel’s $5 nightly resort fee, covering the numerous amenities we found at the property.

At this point, the employee asked if we’d stayed at the property before. Since we hadn’t, he provided a map, which was useful, given how large the property was. We hadn’t grasped its expansive size until this point. Using the map, he explained how to get to our building, Elk Lodge, and highlighted the location of the main restaurant where we’d get complimentary breakfast in the morning.

He also indicated the checkout time, including the express checkout option, and contact number for guest services before showing us information about the local area and on-property amenities on the other side of the brochure.

Breakfast was included for all hotel guests, and we received a breakfast voucher indicating it covered 2 guests. We were instructed to give this to our server at breakfast the following morning. Additionally, we were told that ample, complimentary parking was available for guests.

Elite Benefits

I have Platinum status with Best Western Rewards, thanks to the program’s “Status Match, No Catch” offer, which is available throughout the year. Platinum is the program’s third tier out of 5 elite status levels, offering 15% bonus points on paid stays, early check-in and late checkout (based on availability), complimentary bottled water at check-in, and a gift of 500 bonus points at check-in.

We received the complimentary water, though the employee didn’t mention early check-in or late checkout. As we were only staying 1 night, loading our belongings into the car in the morning before checkout time wasn’t an issue, taking them with us as we drove around Bryce Canyon National Park the next day.

I received the 500 bonus points within 24 hours of our stay and 250 bonus points for taking a survey, which I received by email a few days after our stay.

Hot Tip:

Best Western offers a simple status match for guests with elite status in other hotel programs. If you have elite status with another hotel chain and are visiting a Best Western property, there’s no reason to stay here without getting elite perks.

2 Queen Guest Room

We stayed in the Elk Lodge building near the rear of the property. Signs on the sides of the buildings made them easy to identify.

Rooms were accessed from an exterior walkway with curtains for privacy on the nearby windows.

The views from our room weren’t great, as there was construction work on the nearby lake.

About half of the doors in our building had shoddy paint jobs, where it was obvious that peeling paint in the past had simply been covered with a fresh coat of paint without cleaning it up first.

Immediately inside the room, there was a small tiled area. The rest of the bedroom was carpeted.

Our room had an earth-tone palette and 2 queen-size beds. Historic photographs of the area were on the walls.

Each bed had 4 pillows plus a leather decorative pillow. At the foot of each bed, there was an extra blanket.

There was a nightstand between the beds. Here, we had a phone and a lamp. Each side of the lamp had an outlet, plus we found additional outlets on the wall nearby.

Across from the beds was a wooden dresser with a TV on top. Several placards provided information about using the hotel’s Wi-Fi, the no-smoking policy, and contact information for the activities desk.

We also found a double-sided plastic stand with information on the dresser. The front highlighted the numerous local activities we could do — some for free and others with a cost.

The back side of the placard highlighted on-site and nearby dining options.

Along with a microwave on a dresser shelf, a door in the dresser opened to reveal a minifridge.

We had a wooden desk with a rolling computer chair near the door and next to the dresser. The lamp had a “do not disturb” sign with information about the Best Western Rewards status match program — a clever marketing opportunity.

A small single-serving coffee maker was on the corner of the desk. We found single-serve items nearby, including cups, stir sticks, and creamers.

Our room had an air conditioning unit, an armchair, and a leather ottoman next to the window.

There was also a round, wooden table near the door.

Bathroom

The bathroom was in the rear of the room, and we were impressed by the size of the mirror and the counter. The mirror ran the full length of the wall, and so did the counter, providing incredible storage space. The single sink here looked a bit lonely.

Next to the sink, we found miniature bottles of shampoo, body wash, and conditioner, plus 2 bars of soap — all from Pharmacopia.

In the far corner, we had an outlet, several plastic cups, and an ice bucket.

In the corner was a small bathroom with a door for privacy. This room held the bathtub, including another bar of soap and a bath mat on the ledge.

There was also a shower head, and the pressure was good. While flimsy, the shower curtain stayed put because of the magnets at the bottom.

This room also had a second sink and a small mirror, both on the same side of the room as the toilet.

Above the toilet, a shelf and bar held towels and washcloths.

Closet

Across from the main sink and counter area, sliding doors revealed a closet. Inside were multiple hangers, an iron, an ironing board, a box of tissues, a laundry bag, and a hair dryer.

Amenities

The list of amenities at Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn was impressively long.

National Park Shuttle

A complimentary shuttle to Bryce Canyon National Park stopped in front of the hotel. Next to the hotel’s main entrance was a booth with information about the shuttle. While it looked like someone used to work at this window, we got the impression that no one had been inside this booth for a while. Now, it just holds information for guests to read.

Pool and Hot Tub

The hotel had an indoor pool at the rear of the main building — the same building as the lobby and meeting rooms. Entering the pool area required tapping a keycard. The pool is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Glass walls surrounded the pool, and there was seating near the glass in multiple places, providing a dry place to sit and watch your family play without the risk of getting wet.

Basketball Court

The hotel had an outdoor basketball court at the rear of the property for anyone interested in playing.

General Store

The store was like an entire Walmart Supercenter — not just some small shop selling trinkets like most hotels have. The store was large enough to merit a map on the wall near the entrance. The store operates from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. during the summer but closes earlier at 9:30 p.m. during winter.

The store had its own entrance from the side of the property (to the left if you’re looking at the main entrance), though it was also possible to enter the store from multiple points within the main building.

The store sold a wide range of items, including snacks, drinks, clothes, cowboy hats, trinkets, and more.

The rear of the store also had many food options, including produce, single-serve drinks, packs of beer, hot coffee, and even a hot dog roller like you’ll find at your local 7-Eleven. There were also charcoal bags for the grill, instant noodles, and options for those planning to cook or just eat something already prepared.

There was also an ample section of camping supplies. Whether you need a tent, RV repair supplies, tools, or anything else for the outdoors, you can probably find it here.

Another part of the store had local handicrafts; we found books and postcards nearby.

The store also had a large section of artwork — so much that it spilled into the hallway between the lobby and the swimming pool. Local artisans were featured prominently.

Mail Services

A full-service U.S. Post Office was in the corner of the store. Guests could send and receive mail here. The hours were 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

A shipping counter was in another corner of the store, where people could send stuff anywhere in the world if they didn’t want to carry it home by hand.

Ice and Vending Machines

Each building with guest rooms had an ice machine and a vending machine selling Pepsi products.

Drink Station

A station with a drinking fountain, water bottle filler, and complimentary hot coffee was near the entrance to the pool area at the back of the hotel’s main building.

Liquor Shop

There was a state liquor agency off the main lobby. It was closed on Sundays and holidays, but it operated from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on most days.

Laundromat

The hotel had a laundry facility available 24 hours a day. This was in a building to the left of the main building (directions when facing the main entrance to the lobby).

Camping Facilities

Camping at the edge of the property was possible — whether in a tent or RV. Costs varied by what type of campsite you wanted, and campers could access showers in the laundry building.

There were cold-weather hookups for RVs for those using the campgrounds at the periphery of the hotel grounds, but the camping facilities only operate from April through October.

Parking

Complimentary parking was available for hotel guests. Spots were available in various locations, and larger spaces for trucks and RVs were available.

Gym

The gym was at the rear of the main building, past the pool. This modest fitness center was open 24/7 and had a rack of free weights, a multi-function machine in the middle, and several cardio machines on the other side. Accessing the gym required tapping a guest keycard.

Safe Deposit Boxes

Guests needing to store valuables could use safe deposit boxes at the reception desk.

ATM

Between the 2 sets of doors in the lobby, we found an ATM for convenience.

Internet

Wi-Fi was available across the hotel’s large footprint. Speeds were modest, but the connection was reliable.

Meeting Facilities

The hotel’s conference center, which had 5,300 square feet of multi-purpose space and multiple meeting and banquet rooms, could hold up to 300 people.

The meeting rooms were along the hallway between the lobby and the pool, and there were 4 breakout rooms available.

Old West Photos

Those looking for a fun, memorable item to take home could take an Old West-style picture. Found near the meeting rooms in the main building, this space had all the costumes and accessories needed for a memorable picture. Appointments were recommended.

Activity Bookings

A desk at the front of the lobby could help guests book any activities they wanted in the local area, whether at the hotel or elsewhere.

Pet Friendly

The hotel accepted dogs weighing up to 80 pounds, and other animals required approval from the hotel before check-in. There was a $40 daily fee for having a pet in your room.

Food and Beverages

The sole on-site restaurant offered guests a daily, complimentary breakfast buffet, though the hotel also provided convenient access to 2 other nearby restaurants.

Cowboys Buffet and Steak

This was the only restaurant on the hotel grounds. Located near the main lobby, it was accessible through an exterior entrance and a hallway from the lobby. During the summer season, Cowboys Buffet and Steak operates from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. During the winter season, the restaurant operates from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant serves 3 meals a day throughout the year.

There was ample seating inside the restaurant, including tables with chairs and booths. The restaurant’s decor continued the property’s Old West and log cabin vibes.

We had breakfast here on the only morning of our stay. The focus was on food quantity, not quality. The buffet had 2 sides offering the same foods to spread out the crowds — and there were definitely crowds. Breakfast was madness, with people elbowing us out of the way to reach utensils and food they wanted.

Options included American fare like scrambled eggs, French toast, potatoes, and sausages.

Another stand had fruits, cottage cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. While a few fresh oranges were available, other fruits on the buffet clearly came from a can, including the thick, sugary syrup your doctor wants you to avoid. The placement of the “picked vine ripe” sign on the wall was quite ironic.

At the rear of the buffet, we found drinks, bagels, bread, and a toaster. The drink machine had several types of juice, which tasted somewhat like juice with added sugar and water.

Several cereals were available on the buffet. People seemed determined to make a mess, and staff struggled to keep the area tidy.

Servers also passed through the dining room to offer (and refill) coffee to guests, but most of the breakfast experience was self-serve at the buffet.

The lunch and dinner menus can be found here.

Canyon Diner

The Canyon Diner wasn’t on the hotel’s grounds but was across the street from the entrance and walkable. This restaurant serves American fast food from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily between April and October.

Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill

Located next door to Ruby’s, this full-service restaurant had live entertainment and was open for dinner daily. Focusing on barbeque and country music, Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill operates from April through October and has a buffet setup.

Service

The hotel staff’s service had some highs and lows during our visit. Our check-in experience was friendly and efficient, and the experience was similarly positive when checking out. Additionally, everything worked as expected in our room, which was clean when we arrived.

We found employees in the store and those working the activity desk to be genuinely helpful when we asked for information about various amenities at the property.

The negatives for service revolve around breakfast. Hotel staff can’t make people be patient or respectful to other guests, so they’re not to blame for those who shoved us in the buffet line. However, guest behavior created a messy buffet area, and staff could’ve done much better at keeping the buffet clean and organized. The mess of cereals was a great example.

The waitress at our table also wasn’t very friendly. She brought coffee, asked for our breakfast vouchers, and did so without smiling. A buffet setup doesn’t lend itself to stellar service, but there was room for improvement.

Beyond these issues at breakfast in the morning, we still had more positives than negatives with the service. For example, housekeeping staff members were friendly and greeted us with smiles when we passed by.

Checkout

Checkout was easy. Since we’d only stayed 1 night and had used points, we had no bill to settle in the morning. We simply dropped our keycards at the desk, confirmed our $0 balance, and then headed to explore the park.

Final Thoughts

Given the lack of options in the local area — both in general and for using rewards points — travelers visiting Bryce Canyon National Park may wind up at the Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn. It provides a decent stay without any frills in the room or the service, but the hotel has a jaw-dropping number of amenities to keep your family entertained while you’re in the area.

Despite some negative aspects, I would be willing to stay here again if I find myself in the area.