Xanterra Offers Big Sale On National Parks Lodges
It's not quite Black Friday (November 29 this year) but the Xanterra Travel Collection is launching a big travel and lodgings sale. Xanterra, whose many properties include the Inn at Death Valley, lodges in Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Zion, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain National Parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial, will launch its "Thankful for Travel Sale" Monday, Nov. 18, 2024.
The sale will let travelers save up to 30% on National Park lodge stays, luxury yacht-style cruises, walking and biking tours, even a historic train ride to the Grand Canyon. The sale runs through Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.
If you're interested in getting up close and personal with the American West and beyond, you can preview the trips and deals at www.xanterra.com/thankful before the sale opens on November 18. While my experience has been in the summer (most of the lodge stays are in January through March 2025) these lodges are extremely popular and often sold out, as they are typically "the only game in town" that are actually within the National Parks.
Xanterra is offering 30% off December 2024 stays in Zion Lodge in Zion National Park. The temperatures can drop below freezing and snowy or icy conditions are possible. Still, the lodge is pretty cozy (we were lucky enough to get a reservation there last summer) and you will have most of the park to yourself. You might think twice about walking in the river, but the stars at night will make up for it.
In Montana, Xanterra operates Cedar Creek Lodge, at the gateway to Glacier National Park . The company is offering 30% off on rooms for select dates between December 3, 2024, and April 30, 2025.
Xanterra has a number of lodges at Yellowstone National Park. The company is offering 30% on select room types this winter, spring, and summer at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, Old Faithful Snow Lodge, and Lake Yellowstone Hotel.
The deal includes rooms at Mammoth Hot Springs for stays between December 15, 2024, and March 2, 2025, and at Old Faithful Snow Lodge from December 16, 2024, through March 1, 2025. Stays between April 25, 2025, and May 8, 2025, at Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel are also included. And you can put the snowmobile away and get 30% off stays next summer at Lake Yellowstone Hotel, between July 2, 2025, and August 28, 2025.
Xanterra has a long history in Grand Canyon, and a number of properties are included in the sale.
At the Grand Canyon, South Rim, travelers can save 30% on in-park lodging at Maswik Lodge, Kachina Lodge, Thunderbird Lodge, and Bright Angel Lodge, and 20% at El Tovar Hotel. Stays between December 3, 2024, and March 9, 2025, are included. The lodges are all within the Historic Grand Canyon Village, within walking distance of the rim of the Grand Canyon, as well as Lookout Studio and Hopi House.
Winter weather at Grand Canyon National Park can vary between sunny days and snow, but the "secret season" is an excellent time to enjoy the park without the crowds. It's also a good time to avoid the searing heat that characterizes the summer months.
Somewhat more luxurious accommodations can be found at The Grand Hotel at The Grand Canyon . The sale lets visitors save 30% at the only AAA Three-Diamond hotel near the Grand Canyon in Tusayan, just a mile from the South Rim entrance. Availability is for 'selected dates' between December 3, 2024, and March 20, 2025.
Another option that families may particularly enjoy is a hotel and train ride package at the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel. The deal lets you save 30% on roundtrip train tickets in fully restored historic train cars to the Grand Canyon's South Rim. The deal is available for those booking a two-night Thankful for Travel package for select dates between January 1, 2025, and March 9, 2025.
Death Valley in California is another hot spot known for its broiling summer heat. Death Valley actually holds the world record for air temperature at 130 degrees Fahrenheit, but visiting in the winter is much more manageable. Xanterra is offering 30% off on hotel stays at its renovated, historic inn, The Oasis at Death Valley, for select overnight stays between December 3, 2024, and February 13, 2025. The AAA Four Diamond Inn at Death Valley and the family-friendly Ranch at Death Valley includes cottages, spring-fed pools, and the world's lowest-elevation golf course.
Xanterra is offering a number of other deals, like saving $200 on a 2025 VBT Bicycling Vacations through Burgundy, France. The tour takes travelers through the Burgundy Wine Region on a guided bicycling vacation.
Xanterra also operates Windstar Cruises. The company is offering a Pick Your Perk program on upcoming cruises, including free pre- or post-cruise hotel nights, or up to $1,000 Onboard Credit. Premium Suite guests may select a free upgrade to an All-Inclusive Fare featuring Wi-Fi, unlimited beer, wine and cocktails, and all gratuities.
More information on these pre-Black Friday deals is available at www.xanterra.com/thankful.
