During our travels in Utah this summer, we decided to take a detour to Kanab to visit the Best Friends Sanctuary and take a few side trips to some nearby attractions like the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, the Toadstools, Kolab Reservoir, and Paria Ghost Town. We’d been on the road for a couple of weeks by this point, dispersed camping “woof the beaten path”, and were ready to do laundry, take a long, hot shower (or two!) and shake some of the red dirt out of our tent, truck, and everything else! Because we were traveling with our old dog, Stevie Ray, we knew we needed a place that was dog-friendly but also clean and comfortable.
Typically when we travel with our pets, we choose to search for Airbnbs using the mobile app so we can set the filters for ‘homes away from home’ which will welcome our furry friends. Unfortunately, we were unable to find any Airbnb lodgings availability during the time we’d chosen to visit, and were unenthused about staying in a typical “pet-friendly” room in a chain hotel, knowing that too often these feel like these least-loved accommodations in the building. We had initially hoped to stay at the cottages at the Best Friends Sanctuary, but discovered that these were already booked. Fortunately, there was a room available for a three night stay at their new lodging – Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile.
Turning into the Roadhouse, we realized we would have limited options for parking, as the only lot available is quite small. Fortunately, throughout our stay, there was always space available, even if the spots were sometimes a little tight for our full-size truck. The hotel itself features two bilevel buildings with access from outdoor corridors. Facing the lodging is the main office area where we checked in, and the “Mercantile”, where you can purchase nice-quality Best Friends merchandise, both of which are housed in spacious, modern buildings. Beside the Mercantile is a separate building with a complimentary guest laundry on one end and a dedicated pet grooming area (also complimentary) on the other. A walkway between the hotel buildings leads down a paw-printed path to a huge, fully-fenced dog park and a pet splash area.
After checking in, we took Stevie through from the truck and up the stairs to our 2nd floor room. Because the staircase is “open” at the back of each step – which gives it an aesthetically light and spacious appearance – we would recommend a first floor room for anyone with a nervous pet, as even our relatively calm dog was a little nervous about seeing the ground retreating as he climbed the stairs. Swiping our room key and opening the door, we were excited to see that there was a second “security door” made up of vertical open slats immediately inside the first, creating a tiny vestibule with a shelf and place to put bags and shoes.
Well Thought Out Features Everywhere
This is a thoughtful protective measure that prevents dogs from inadvertently escaping when the outer door is open. Inside, our room was thoughtfully designed, with a small sitting area, lots of closet space, a big comfy bed with crisp linens, and a beautiful bathroom with a wide vanity and heavy glass doors separating the commode on one side and a big tiled shower on the other. We really appreciated the thoughtful, pet-friendly touches, like the name plate for four-legged guests and designated water bowl and placemat to catch the drips. There was even a box built into the humans’ bedframe which pulled out to reveal a memory foam bed for visiting pets!
We were thrilled to see – and smell! – that everything was fresh and clean – from the dog bed to the human bed. The wood floors were spotless, as were all the bathroom surfaces. In some pet-friendly places we’ve stayed, we could smell the distinct odor of products used to (often unsuccessfully) try to mask animal odors, but here, all we could smell was…clean. We were immediately impressed with the clean modern aesthetic of the space, as well as the adorable photos of adoptable pets that decorated the walls. We also really enjoyed the toiletries provided, as JR Watkins products are not only yummy smelling and gentle, but cruelty free and Leaping Bunny certified.
Free Laundry and Pet Spa!
We were excited to see that our room card gave us access to both the laundry room and the pet grooming station as we had with us, both dirty laundry and a dirty dog. While Troy got a load of laundry started, using the thoughtfully provided 7th generation detergent, I took Stevie Ray next door for a bath. Securely mounted steps allow you to load larger pets into the tub with ease, and the big rubber mats inside the tub keep your dog from slipping around while being bathed. We really appreciated having a variety of pet shampoos to choose from, as well as lots of big fluffy towels, grooming tools, and blow dryers, to finish up the job. This was probably the nicest bathing experience Stevie Ray has ever had, and the easiest for me for sure!
A Really Nice On-site Dog Park
All clean and mostly dry, Stevie Ray and I headed out to explore the water park and securely fenced-in dog yard. Both are enormous, beautifully landscaped, and feature huge, attractive murals. Even though he was the only dog there, Stevie Ray had a blast running around, smelling all the smells and exploring all the cool xeriscaping. As it was warm when we visited in June, we also really appreciated the fresh water provided and the many shady spots to relax.
Lots Of Interesting Things To See Near Kanab
(Be sure to book a tour of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. See the video above for our visit this past June.)
Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile proved to be the perfect base for day trips in the area. We really enjoyed our tour of the Best Friends Sanctuary, as well as our visits to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Toadstools, Paria Ghost Town, and Kolab Reservoir. Each morning, we grabbed a quick and complimentary vegan breakfast (fruit, pastry, oatmeal and coffee) from the Mercantile and headed off on a new adventure. We were pleasantly surprised by how pet-friendly the town was, and especially loved our dinners at the covered patio of the Peekaboo Canyon Wood Fired Kitchen, where we had a delicious vegan pizza three nights in a row, as well as great cocktails and a decadent chocolate dessert. The Kanab Creek Bakery was also a nice place to grab a cup of coffee and a pastry or sandwich and hang out with the other humans and dogs.
- Schneider, Bill (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 264 Pages - 08/15/2022 (Publication Date) - Falcon Guides (Publisher)
- Witt, Greg (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 240 Pages - 12/21/2021 (Publication Date) - Wilderness Press (Publisher)
We’ll Be Back!
We were really impressed with the Roadhouse and Mercantile and would definitely recommend it as a great “base camp” for travelers with or without a pet along for the ride. All of its spaces have been beautifully and thoughtfully planned, with a unique, modern aesthetic that is immaculately maintained. We love their motto – Where your pets are welcome…and expected – feeling that this sentiment perfectly captures the thoughtful pet-centric design that manages to feel perfectly welcoming and luxurious to two-legged travelers as well.
You can see a video of our visit below:
You can read more about the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and our interview with co-founder Faith Maloney Here.
For more about their amazing operation and to learn about their mission to “Save ‘Em All”, you can visit their website.
