Goulding's Lodge

We had such a wonderful time last week at Gouldings! Absolutely stunning part of the country and they made it easy to see everything! We rented a cabin. Lovely and well appointed accommodations and if we needed anything we just had to ask! The New Years Eve fireworks were excellent and we loved the surprise bucket of fun snacks and NYE items! We also loved the convenience of the grocery store, dining room, and gas station (and we even braved the pool which could have been warmer, ha!) The staff could not have been nicer and we loved how comfortable we were in an area which could have been very isolated! I highly recommend a vacation here!

The main reason to stay here are the views and close location to Monument Valley. Our room was on the second floor of the main building. Be aware..there are no elevators. The room smelled musty upon entering. The bathroom is very small with a window that you wouldn’t want to open because it is right on the walkway where people walk by and there is no vent fan. The shower head could use replacing. The sink was outside the bathroom which was nice. The mattress was soft and sort of lumpy. The blanket was like no other I have ever seen in any hotel. It had holes and felt like rubber. We took it off the bed and used a blanket we had brought. The heating/air unit was loud but kept the room warm during our cold January stay. The TV channels were very limited. The walls must be thicker than newer hotels because we did not hear any noise from the rooms on either side of us. The view from our balcony was just breathtaking! When we checked in we were asked if we wanted housekeeping services which we refused. We went out for the day and returned to find housekeeping had entered our room. They had made up the bed and emptied the trash. They need better communication from the front desk as to which rooms do not want housekeeping. The gift shop was very nice with good prices and a friendly lady was working both times we went in. The on site museum was a wealth of information about the area, the Navajo people, the Gouldings, movies that have been made in the Valley and the history of the area. Breakfast was not included in the room but there was a great restaurant on site! If you want a room that is close to Monument Valley without actually staying inside the Valley, Gouldings is the place to stay. Just go in with no high expectations of the room and enjoy the gorgeous views.

A great spot for a monument valley visit. We stayed for two nights, took a Gouldings tour in the morning, hiked the wild cat trail around the western mitten before taking in the sunset from the view. A couple of tips; the deluxe tour for two hours was a whistle stop drive around the monument drive loop and back country which was well worth it but you only get 5 minutes at iconic spots such as John Ford point. The tour includes entry into the Valley which is valid later in the day if you show the ticket at the entrance to the park. The wild cat hike is incredible but take water and be prepared for a decent hike (about two hours). The sunset from John Wayne’s point at the view is magnificent but make sure you stay long enough to get all the colours!

We stayed in one of the two cabins. Very nice. Excellent, polite staff. Fast service at the restaurant. And you cannot beat the view and the scenery. We drove just five minutes from the hotel to look at the night sky and it was absolutely breathtaking. If you ever make it out west spend at least one night here.

We very much enjoyed our stay here. We were in one of the small cabins and it was great. One bedroom, but with another bed out in the living area. Full kitchen and bathroom was clean and efficient. Location is wonderful as literally 5 minutes to the Monument Valley welcome center. The onsite grocery store is very nice with pretty much anything you would need for your stay. Everyone I spoke to and met that worked for the lodge were all extremely nice and polite. We did not try the dining so cannot comment on it. But overall, I would definitely recommend.