Good stay at this bucket list property – Review of The View Hotel, Monument Valley

Let’s be upfront about this–The View is not a luxury hotel and the dining options are limited. But I can’t believe anyone is coming here to “get away from it all” or to experience fine dining. Instead, his place is all about access to Monument Valley, and it delivers on that front. Every room faces the valley and has an incredible view of the landscape below. And tours for the valley pick you up right in front of the hotel, which is very convenient (there are a lots of companies to choose from–we used Three Sisters and were very pleased).

The rooms are fine–more spacious than you’d expect and with comfortable beds and good showers, but nothing special. I don’t think paying more for the top floor is worth it–the views looking up aren’t that much better than lower floors, and if you want to stargaze, you should go out to the hotel patio anyway.

The restaurant is…well, they are trying, I guess. they are pretty much the only game in town unless you bring in your own groceries, and while I wish they would provide some authentic local or Navajo cuisine (the website claims to provide access to a local cook, but it’s a hassle and they didn’t push it or make it very easy while we were there), it makes for a filling, if expensive, dinner. The servers are trying their best and clearly learning, so we gave them the benefit of the doubt. The food is expensive and obviously from Sysco or a similar provider, but again, it’s not what anyone is there for. (My husband and I did a full “Kitchen Nightmares” makeover thought experiment about the restaurant after we left–there is so much potential for a truly unique eating experience right there!)

I hate to close on a negative note, but I have to echo what a lot of other reviewers say here–the reception/check-in staff members need some serious training in basic hospitality. Our experience was with a young woman who walked the line between rude and genuinely hostile, which did not make for a good first impression at all, especially when you know that you’re already paying high prices for a non-luxury stay. (Other staff members were very polite, to be fair…but HOO BOY, that check-in moment! Yikes.)

Overall, if you want to see/tour Monument Valley, you pretty much have to stay here, and the benefits of the location and view make it worth putting up with some of the less pleasant aspects of the experience, for sure.