Lake Powell Resort

The honest review

Lake Powell Resort is the concessionaire-operated lodge at Wahweap Marina, the largest marina on Lake Powell and the primary gateway from the Arizona side. It's run by Aramark under a National Park Service concession agreement, which means the rooms are comfortable and clean but not designed by an interior decorator with a strong point of view. This is a utility property in the best sense: it does exactly what a resort in a spectacular natural setting should do, which is stay out of the way of the actual attraction and keep the logistics frictionless.

The location is the asset. Wahweap is on the western arm of Lake Powell, about 7 miles from Glen Canyon Dam. Most rooms have direct lake views — the reddish-brown sandstone walls of Glen Canyon rising from that impossible turquoise-blue water. Wake up, open the curtains, and you're looking at one of the more visually stunning scenes in the American West. That view does not get old over a 3-night stay.

For families, the marina setup is the practical advantage. Wahweap Marina rents everything: powerboats (from 19-foot ski boats to pontoon boats suitable for families), jet skis, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and full houseboats. You can be on the water within 30 minutes of checking in. Guided tours of Lake Powell — including Rainbow Bridge National Monument, one of the largest natural bridges in the world — depart directly from the marina. The concierge handles booking without needing to make separate arrangements.

Swimming in Lake Powell from a boat or from shore is the activity families remember. The water is a reservoir (not a natural river lake), which means it's calm, clear, and remarkably warm in summer (75-80°F surface temperature June-September). Kids jump from sandstone ledges into the water. You pull the boat into a canyon slot and float. It's one of the genuinely different outdoor family experiences in the US — nothing quite like it outside of Lake Powell itself.

The property pool is useful but not a destination in itself. Two pools, including one with partial lake views. For families who want serious pool infrastructure, this is not the property; it's a supplementary amenity for when the kids want to swim without getting on a boat.

Food: The Rainbow Room restaurant has lake views and serves a breakfast buffet (well-attended) and a dinner menu that's better than you'd expect from a concessionaire property — solid American/Southwestern dishes at fair prices. The grab-and-go options cover lunch. You won't eat badly here, but you won't be texting food photos to anyone either.

Day trip infrastructure: Lake Powell Resort is the ideal base for the Page, AZ day trip circuit. Antelope Canyon (both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon slot canyon tours) is 15 minutes away — book the Navajo Nation tours weeks in advance, they sell out. Horseshoe Bend is 15 minutes — an easy 1.5-mile roundtrip walk to one of the most photographed views in the US. Glen Canyon Dam tours (free) are on-site. The Navajo Bridge at Marble Canyon is 45 minutes for condor viewing. A full family week in Page can be structured entirely around natural attractions without repeating a day.

Where Lake Powell Resort shows its age: the rooms are functional 1990s-era lodge rooms that have been updated but not reinvented. The interior design is National Park lodge standard. There's no spa. Teen amenities are limited to whatever water activities you've rented. Adults who need a proper drink in a comfortable lounge at the end of the day will find the bar adequate but not compelling.

None of that matters much when you're on the water at Lake Powell. This is a destination where the scenery is so overwhelming that the hotel is where you sleep, not where you spend time. The resort's value is its location at the marina entrance — everything else is secondary.