If you have your own car, don't settle for just going to the look out spots at the visitor centers. Do the drive between Grand Canyon Village and Dessert View and stop at the lookouts along the way. You get much better views without the touristy crowded atmosphere.
I just arrived last night but I am impressed! This is one of the nicest hotels I've every stayed. The hotel is totally dog friendly and we were given a room with a patio. Nice for sitting but it's enclosed with shrubs so not as ideal for potty breaks for our 2 dogs as I thought it would be. One tip...if you drive through the national park like GPS sent us coming from New Mexico, there is a National Park fee just to drive through the park. There is another route if you want to save the fee so take a look at your map.
The location of this on the map is wrong...it's located in the strip at Tusayan. The location is great smack in the middle of the strip so you can walk to all of your food choices. The property is split into 2 sections - hotel and motel. I had 2 dogs with me so we had to stay in the motel. I was really disappointed with this room. The smallest of our road trip so far with almost no counter space for 2 people. Teeny bathroom with a poorly placed toilet paper roll that hits you in the side or shoulder when you are sitting down. And a staff that was less than friendly about the dogs. While they allow dogs, they seem to do it grudgingly. Pick someplace else unless you have a dog and it's your only option...or at least stay in the hotel portion and hope it is nicer.
Stayed here for 2 nights during my road trip. I chose it because it was dog-friendly and priced well. I was happy with the choice. The location was perfect for easy access to everything without spending the money to stay in the Downtown area...which also seemed to have older hotels that were more expensive. They were very dog friendly...you can't take the dogs into the breakfast space, but you can eat a few feet away at regular dining tables in the 'living room'.
This is definitely worth a side trip if you are staying in Sante Fe. It was a pretty drive up to the pueblo. When you get there, you take the 30 minute walking tour with a guide who offers a lot of great information. Then you wander around for as long as you want. Many of the residents have shops in their homes selling jewelry, native crafts, drums and food. Try the fry bread with cinnamon and honey on top! I also bought some rolls baked in the traditional outdoor oven. Best yet...the pueblo is dog friendly! They can go on the tour other than going inside the church, but I stood in the doorway with my dog and was able to hear everything.
Dog friendly, smoke-free and almost brand new. Our room was clean and spacious and they welcomed us with our 2 small dogs. While the dogs aren't allowed in the breakfast part of the lobby or allowed to be left unattended in the room, we were told that people leave them in the rooms to grab a quick breakfast all the time.