Consistently Excellent

This was our second stay at the Gonzo Inn. It was just as terrific as the first time around and we would not hesitate to stay there again. We recommend it highly and without any reservation. The staff are warm, welcoming and very comfortable with 4-legged guests. The Inn is just off the Main Street, close enough to walk to all the restaurants and shops, but on a quiet dead-end with no traffic and no noise. The local dog park is quite large and only 2 blocks away. The backside of the Inn runs along a bike and footpath that leads to an easy walking trail (somewhat damaged by recent flooding but very accessible).

We requested rooms with direct access to the outside, which meant it was easy to deal with midnight or very early morning potty calls. The first time, we had a room that opened to a fully enclosed private courtyard, which was perfect for us. This time our room opened directly on to the less private but very clean grassy area behind the Inn. We would prefer the former, but the latter also worked very well for us. There is an excellent cafe attached to the Inn that has a good variety of home-cooked breakfast options. Service animals only in the cafe itself, but if you are a guest, the staff gladly give you a tray to take back to your room. We have now travelled 3 times across the country with our dog, and this is by far the most pleasant, convenient place we have stayed.

Apr. 22, 2023

Exceeded all expectations!

Everything about the Yavapai Lodge was terrific, starting with all the staff who were uniformly cheerful, efficient, informative and welcoming at every step along the way. They were great about dogs and were happy to have our puppy join us for meals in the lodge dining area. Our room was simple but recently redone, so it had tons of charging outlets as well as new lamps, bathroom fixtures, etc. We were able to park directly outside our room door, making loading and unloading easy. This also meant that our dog had ready access to the surrounding woods which made that aspect of traveling with a pet easy.

The dining hall has simple but reasonably good food at a reasonable cost. The large market place is close by and has everything you could want. We were visiting during the low season, but the Lodge staff are obviously used to dealing with a lot of visitors with calm, friendly efficiently. The Lodge itself is inside the part perimeter, so once you are in through the park entrance gates, you can easily and quickly get to everything you might want to see and do.

One note of caution has nothing to do with the Yavapai Lodge: the Rim Walk is an unbelievable experience, but for most of it, there are no fences or guardrails. You are walking comfortably on a concrete path next to a drop-off of thousands of fee. It can be a little terrifying, especially if you have an exuberant puppy who loves to chase the squirrels. So be prepared to keep your dog under control!

Apr. 19, 2023

Great fun!

Very hip and very comfortable and very dog-friendly, Arrive is in the center of the South Main St. arts district. It takes about 90 seconds to walk to the powerful National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated. Across the street is a small grassy area with poop bags and disposal bin. (It’s in front of the fire house, so be sure to clean up after your dog but also stop to chat with the very friendly firemen.) A 5 minute walk in the other direction takes you to the beautiful Bluff Walk overlooking the Mississippi River. The hotel itself is a stylishly converted warehouse with spacious rooms, very comfortable beds and cunning interior design. The coffee shop and bar have an excellent, if limited menu. Hotel staff could not have been nicer or more helpful. This was our best, most fun stay on our cross-country trek.

Apr. 08, 2022

Close to perfect

Newly remodeled, this establishment is sleek, modern and very comfortable. It is close to a ton of restaurants and other retail stores but is located on quiet cul de sac with modern low rise town houses, so there is little or no traffic noise and no worries about dogs and cars. There were a lot of people with dogs, but everyone seemed to be very welcoming and tolerant. We (and many other guests with dogs) had a ground floor room with easy access to the well-lit parking lot. The area for dogs to potty was just across the lot — large grassy and wooded area, with plenty of space close to the lot but also some wooded paths leading off around the town houses. Poop bags and bins readily available. Breakfast was ok, reasonable but not outstanding. Our experience here was close to perfect: highly recommended.

Apr. 01, 2022

Trying hard

Santa Rosa is more of a truck stop than a tourist attraction. There are no lush dog parks or walks. Despite this, the motel tries hard to accommodate travelers with dogs. The rooms are quite large, comfortable and recently modernized. The bathroom has also been updated and was very clean. Beds and pillows looked new and were very comfortable — no hard foam pillows. There are small potty areas at the back, each with Astro turf, poop bags and disposal bins. All rooms open directly on to the well-lit car park, making it very easy to roll up and unload all your stuff. The area felt safe and we were able to walk 5 minutes to a nearby Mexican restaurant. The cooked breakfast buffet was available in a small but clean and attractive area next to the office. All of the staff, from front desk to cleaners, were welcoming and helpful. For a quick overnight stay on a long transcontinental trip, this worked perfectly for us.

Apr. 02, 2022

Perfect for our needs

Passing through Oklahoma City on a transcontinental road trip, this place was perfect for our needs. Right off I-40, within walking distance of several chain restaurants and close to a large shopping mall, everything we needed was right at hand. The room was light, very clean and large, with a separate section with a desk and couch. Despite the nearby highway, it was quiet and very comfortable. The indoor pool and exercise room seemed to be very popular. A limited grass perimeter area had poop bags and disposal bins. The staff were super nice and very kind with our dog. Breakfast was extensive. If we were lingering in town, we would probably want a place close to parks, but for an efficient and worry-free stopover, this was exactly right.

Apr. 04, 2022