Best hotels in Flagstaff
Residence Inn by Marriott
100 North Humphreys St, AZ, 86001
Hotel locations don’t get much better than this. Step outside the lobby and you’re steps from Wheeler Park, Flagstaff City Hall and part of Route 66. The sizeable suites are tailor-made for longer stays, with living rooms, work desks and kitchenettes.
Hotel Monte Vista
100 N San Francisco St, AZ, 86001
Supposedly haunted, the Monte Vista is undoubtedly Flagstaff’s most characterful hotel. It delivers vintage aesthetics, like an enormous neon sign on the roof, as well as plenty of stories about the famous guests who have graced the rooms since it opened in 1926. Bob Hope, Gary Cooper, Jon Bon Jovi and Michael J. Fox, just to name a few.
Weatherford Hotel
23 N Leroux St, AZ, 86001
The Weatherford is even older than the Monte Vista, dating back to 1900. Just steps from historic Route 66, it earns top points for location and atmosphere. There are plenty of places to relax at the hotel, including the Zane Grey ballroom and Charly’s Pub & Grill for brunch.
Best restaurants in Flagstaff
Brix
413 N. S Francisco St, AZ, 86001
You’ll find Brix inside an old carriage house. The menu’s focus is on local ingredients and hearty, all-American dishes like brick chicken with apricot glaze and elk loin with bacon-apple sauce.
Diablo Burger
120 N Leroux St, AZ, 86001
Diablo might be best-known for housing its burgers in English muffins branded with ‘db’ but there’s way more to this place. All their beef is from their own ranches, and they source as many of the other ingredients as locally as possible. The irresistible burgers are worth are testament to all this effort, and also feature mouth-watering extras – the ‘Wrigley Field’ comes with spicy honey mustard, the ‘Senor Smoke’ with ancho-grilled onions and sriracha.
Satchmo’s
2320 N Fourth St, AZ, 86004
Originally a drive-thru, Satchmo’s is now a small, family restaurant specializing in Cajun and New Orleans dishes. Come with an empty stomach for no-frills, smile-inducing food like po’boys, jambalaya and melt-in-the mouth barbecue classics.
What to do in Flagstaff
Lowell Observatory
1400 W Mars Hill Rd, AZ, 86001
This legendary observatory first opened in 1894. It’s famous for being where Pluto was first spotted in 1930 and it’s been a place of pilgrimage for stargazers both local and distant ever since. If the weather’s clear, you can arrange to use the on-site telescopes in the evening or take a tour of the observatory during the day.
Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona
The Grand Canyon is close enough to Flagstaff to sit firmly in the ‘day trip’ category. The 80-mile drive is a scenic one, and when you arrive at the national park, you’ll be greeted by an awe-inducing spectacle. Majestic buttes, striped rock illuminated by the sunshine, and a deep canyon seemingly gouged into the earth by giant’s claws. You can head to the viewing points or hike your way around the canyon. Remember to pack both sunscreen and plenty of water.
Walnut Canyon
3 Walnut Canyon Rd, AZ, 86004
This national monument is fewer than 10 miles east of the city, and home to abandoned cliff homes that were once populated by the Sinagua people, some 700 years ago. The history itself is worth delving into, and it’s also a naturally beautiful place to visit.