Off-season must be the time to visit Zion. The cabins are plentiful. The buses don't run. Breakfast is included with a booking. Ice on some trails didn't even mar the experience for us.
First, check-in. The staffer at the counter was friendly and helpful, answering lots of our questions about which hikes were open and passable and which ones were not-to-be-missed. We had 24 hours to get a taste, and we didn't want to choose a hike that would take a whole day. We wanted to do several. It was great to have such insight before we started out.
The cabin (533) was the best national park lodging I've ever stayed in. It was immaculately clean. The beds were cushiony, and the linens were top quality. Even the towels were fluffy. And, we had a gas fireplace in our cabin. We basked under its glow all night.
It is important to note that one of the main reasons the cabins at Zion are so sensationally clean is they don't allow cooking in them or even provide refrigerators to keep food cold. It wasn't a big deal for us, because it got cold at night, and we kept our food for hiking in the car. But, if you've visited other national park properties and are accustomed to keeping food in the room, it would be hard to do at Zion.
The bathroom was actually two rooms - a full bath and a separate sink across the hall with a coffee maker and tea and coffee. The toiletries provided exceeded those I've had at some hotels. No need to lug shampoo, conditioner or soap to Zion, unless someone is allergic and needs a special product.
We ate breakfast at the Lodge, and it was both filling and tasty. The dinner menu prices were steep for a Lodge, almost like a nice restaurant, so we opted to go into Springdale for dinner. During high season, I can imagine food of any kind might be hard to find there, though places are plentiful.
The people assigned to this park are clearly proud of it. It shows in everything. We never saw a piece of trash anywhere. The trails were well-groomed. The roadside stops were clean. The public bathrooms were immaculate. I cannot wait to return.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC