05/23/2014 – If you can believe almost 500 TripAdvisor reviews, the Larian Motel is the best lodging in Tombstone. A recent visit to the Larian helped me understand why it’s so highly touted. Here are 6 reasons to stay at the Larian Motel when you visit Tombstone.
- The Larian is a 1950’s motel that maintains that Route 66 open-road feel while keeping pace with modernity: flat screen TV, free WiFi, refrigerator, microwave, air conditioning, and more. All 13 rooms are on the ground floor.
- So far, most of the bathrooms have been recently remodeled with new tile & fixtures, plus new plumbing throughout the complex.
- LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. The Larian is located next to historic Schieffelin Hall on historic Fremont Street in historic Tombstone, Arizona. If you had been standing on the street corner here on Wednesday, October 26, 1881 at 3 PM, you would have seen Virgil Earp and his deputies, Wyatt & Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday send Cowboys Billy Clanton and Tom & Frank McLaury to the Promised Land. The most famous gunfight in history ended on Fremont Street just a block and a half west of the Larian.
Moreover, Allen Street in the heart of Tombstone’s Historic District is only a block South. Here is where you can experience the Old West like no other place in the Old West: Bird Cage Theater, OK Corral, Big Nose Kate’s and so many other fascinating places, such as Tombstone Courthouse State Park and Good Enough Mine Tour, within a few blocks of each other. - The rooms are clean and comfortable. The rooms I saw were exceptionally clean and they were all big enough to have a comfortable seating area inside as well as a seating area on the front porch of each room. According to friends who have stayed at the Larian, the beds are comfortable and, overall, the place offers a good night’s sleep. The Larian has two family-size rooms with two queen beds; plus a rollaway if needed ($10 extra).
- Reasonable Rates. Generally, the nightly rate ranges for $80 – $90 double occupancy depending on king or two queen beds, plus $10 for additional person other than a small child. Rates are higher during special events, such as Helldorado Days, and somewhat lower in the summer.Tip: if you book directly with the Larian, rather than a booking site, such as Expedia, you can save $$$. Also, book early. I’ve tried to get resevations at the Larian 3 times to cover special Tombstone events and they have always been full.
Finally, there is good management. Gordon is the owner; Linda is the manager. By all accounts they are professional, honest, knowledgeable, and exceedingly helpful. When Gordon gave me the tour, I found him totally dedicated to making his guests’ stays as pleasant as possible. Hundreds of customer reviews substantiate my impression.
Gordon says the Larian offers the best value and cleanest rooms in Southern Arizona. Such a claim may seem audacious, but I saw no reason to dispute it. Nothing fancy here. Definitely not luxury. But clean, comfortable, and close to everything at an affordable price.
Larian Motel: Highly Recommended (particularly if you’re on a tight budget)
410 E. Fremont Street, Tombstone, AZ 85638
520-457-2272
Learn more about the sights of Tombstone on our “Things to Do in Tombstone” page. More about Tombstone’s colorful history can be found here.
