The Canyon Wren – Cabins for Two

The Canyon Wren bed-and-breakfast is a tiny woodland paradise, a place where guests come to unplug completely. And that's mandatory: cabins have no telephones, televisions, or Internet, and cell service in the area is unreliable, at best. (Messages can be left at the front desk, where there is a phone if guests need to make calls.) The Canyon Wren is romantic and private, with the owners willing to offer as much or as little personal attention as guests require. The red rock canyon walls rise high above, and the area is home to all sorts of birds. The sprawling grounds are picturesque and green, with benches, tables, hammocks, birdhouses, and flower boxes all contributing to a relaxed, peaceful atmosphere in concert with nature. The buildings and interiors have a mountain-cabin vibe, with homey quilts on the beds and natural artifacts on the walls. The Canyon Wren is designed to feel miles from civilization, but is close enough that guests can explore the Sedona sights and still return to stargaze from their private cabin patios. The hotel gets a number of repeat guests, who love the relaxed, unplugged nature.

The Canyon Wren is located on Highway 89A, Sedona’s main thoroughfare, which is heavily trafficked during the day, but quiet at night. There is a motel next door to the Canyon Wren, but otherwise the area is rural and isolated, by design. The inn is six miles up Oak Creek Canyon, and offers guests private access to Oak Creek, across the road. There are plenty of hiking trails close by, as well as Slide Rock State Park and a swimming area. Sedona is less than 10 minutes’ drive away, and Flagstaff is 20 miles north. There's free parking on-site.

The Canyon Wren is made up of three chalet-style log cabins with upstairs loft bedrooms and one smaller, single-story cabin. The cabins are named and individually decorated, each with a homey mountain feel, lots of knotty pine, and country-style furnishings. Each has an a electric fireplace, a private patio with a gas grill, and a kitchenette with a two-burner cooktop, microwave, coffeemaker (and coffee), toaster, and refrigerator. Bathrooms are modern, with whirlpool tubs and shower stalls. While there are no phones or TVs, cabins are stocked with board games and radio/CD players, with CDs and DVDs available to borrow from the lobby.

The Canyon Wren doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but the free, daily homemade breakfast is memorable, and can include eggs, muffins, cinnamon rolls, fruit, juice, and more. Guests are welcome to congregate inside for breakfast, eat outside, or have the meal delivered to the cabin. The area is filled with hiking trails, and the inn lends hiking sticks, trail guides, and backpacks so guests can go exploring. The inn also offers private access to Oak Creek for swimming and fishing. The owners are great sources of information about the area, and are happy to point guests toward a good restaurant or mountain biking route.